AECP Level 1 Final Challenge - Masculine Card Set - Part 1

 Hello and welcome! 

Today I am very pleased to be sharing my final challenge for the Altenew Educators Certification Program in Level 1.

I really enjoyed this challenge as I got to use lots of different techniques and different Altenew products.

The Requirements:

Select ANY 3 components from the classes in Level 1 (e.g., layering 1/2, Let it shine, stencil techniques)

~Explain the 3 components that you’ve chosen for the project

~Share design tips (if any)

~Create a His and Her Card Set birthday/graduation/encouragement cards (your choice) as a gift set. This makes TWO sets one Masculine and one Feminine.

Each card (with various sentiments) can vary a little bit, but it should have a similar and cohesive theme as the rest of the set.

~Each card set should consist of 4-6 cards  

~Also, use one recycle element on a set or its packaging.

~The minimum card number is four (up to 12) per set. You will also design how you package the sets as a gift. Be creative!

~Challenge blog post: Detailed step-by-step photo tutorial and/or YouTube video

~Minimum of 10 photos (close-up and process)

Grab a cuppa and enjoy all the photos, process and a video at the end of part 2.

Masculine Set:

I decided to make six cards in each set and for the masculine cards I chose blues, greens and craft card stock with leaves as a common theme and gold as an accent colour. All the cards are A2 size (4 1/4" x 5 1/2")

My designs mainly came from inspiration from 3 Altenew Academy Classes but I actually used more!

1. All About Layering 1 & 2

2. Irresistible Ink-blending Techniques

3. For the Guys

Card 1 - Happy Birthday

This was such a fun card to make! I love ink blending so I blended 3 colours of Distress Oxide inks in Peacock Feathers, Peeled Paint and Squeezed Lemonade, making sure I overlapped the colours to create a smooth transition between colours and even a third lime green colour where the yellow and green inks blended together. When I was happy with the effect, I splattered some water droplets onto the panel then blotted them with paper towel to life some of the colour as the oxide inks react with water and this created some texture and interest.

To bring in the dark blue colour I cut from scraps from my stash a layering panel using the https://altenew.com/products/leaf-frame-cover-die. I used a spray adhesive to adhere this to the inked background. Next I created the sentiment using the https://altenew.com/products/mega-label-love-stamp-set , stamping it in Versamark embossing ink and applying Nuvo gold embossing powder, heat-setting it and then trimming around each word leaving a thin border. I popped this up with foam tape to give some dimension to the card. For more texture and in keeping with the masculine rustic feel, I added some jute twine I had kept from some packaging. This was just one occasion during this project where I used some recycled material.

Here is a close up photo of the card showing more detail.

Card 2 - Thank You

For this card, I used kraft card stock for the card base. I then die cut the base panel using the Diamond Dots cover die. I ink blended 3 colours of Distress Oxide inks in Blueprint Sketch, Peacock Feathers and Peeled Paint. I added a spray of water droplets as well as some Blueprint Sketch splatters to be panel for added texture. The leaf die cut is from the Dot Botanical's Layering Stamp and Die set. I used the bottom layer only and heat embossed it using gold embossing powder. I used some jute to tie around the stem of the leaf and popped it up on foam tape. I used some scrap navy card stock for a banner across the middle and stamped the greeting from Layered Lily Stamp set https://altenew.com/products/layered-lily and heat-embossed it with gold embossing powder. I also used my Versamark embossing stamp pad to run around the edges of the base layer and then dipped the edges into the same gold embossing powder and heat-setting. This was to create another "frame" around the edge of this layer. I cut off 1/8" on all sides then used liquid glue to attach this to the card base.

Here is a close up photo of the card.

Card 3 - Hang in There

Again I used kraft cardstock for the card base. I then used some Neenah Classic Crest Solar White cardstock to cut the base panel to 4" x 5 1/4". I then used the Angled Mosaic 3D Embossing folder https://altenew.com/products/angled-mosaic-3d-embossing-folder to create a great geometric background. The edges were embossed with Versamark embossing ink and dipped in gold embossing powder and heat-set. I love the speckled/rustic edge this created.

For my focal point, I did not have the correct colour cardstock so I made my own by using Distress Oxide ink in Peacock Feathers and Peeled Paint to rub directly to the cardstock, allow to dry completely then use as a coloured cardstock. This is how I did this:

TIP: Make your own coloured cardstock with the direct to paper technique.

I used the Altenew Fine Frames Diamonds Die Set https://altenew.com/products/fine-frames-diamonds-die-set to cut out gold thin frames and the hand-made coloured cardstock to cut out 2 different sized diamonds. Some jute knots created the finishing touch to this clean and simple card.

TIP: When die cutting very fine pieces it is best to use a double-sided sticky adhesive sheet on the back before die cutting - I used Stick-It Adhesive sheets for this as it makes it so much easier to adhere to the card, rather than trying to apply liquid glue.

Card 4 - Hello

This was quite a quick card to create. I used the Altenew Grape Leaves Stamp and Die Set

https://altenew.com/products/grape-leaves-stamp-set I stamped just the outline stamps using Versamark ink onto kraft cardstock. I then heat-embossed them using gold embossing powder. They were then die cut using the matching dies. The sentiment was stamped in the same way using the Hello and Hugs Stamp and Die Set https://altenew.com/products/hello-and-hugs-stamp-die-bundle onto navy cardstock and die cut with the shadow die.

I used more hand-made coloured card stock for the 3 vertical panels and off-set them to the left slightly, popped up the leaves with foam tape and attached the sentiment with foam tape. A jute knot around the sentiment added the finishing touch!

Here is a close up photo of the card.

Card 5 - Condolences

I used Neenah Classic Crest Solar White cardstock 110 lbs for the card base and 80 lbs for the base panel. and cut a matting layer of navy cardstock to 1/8" larger. These were all adhered to the card using liquid glue. Next i dry embossed some kraft cardstock using the Angled Mosaic 3D Embossing Folder

https://altenew.com/products/angled-mosaic-3d-embossing-folder and cut it in half on an angle for some interest. This was placed at the bottom of the card. The 3 leaves were cut from the Leaf Mix Die Set https://altenew.com/products/leaf-mix-die-set and using custom-made cardstock in the same 3 colours I have used in previous cards in this card set. Before adhering them to the card, I protected the bottom half of the card with scrap printer paper and splattered gold shimmer spray and Distress Oxide Blueprint Sketch onto the white area and allowed this to dry completely. A gold strip of cardstock was adhered on the edge of the kraft angled piece and a jute knot attached using strong glue. I stamped the sentiment onto navy cardstock using Versamark ink and heat-embossed it using gold embossing powder. The sentiment is from the Altenew Starry Flowers Stamp Set https://altenew.com/products/starry-flowers-stamp-set.

Have a look at the close up for more detail.

Card 6 - Congratulations

I used the Leaf Burst Stencil for the background on this card.                https://altenew.com/products/leaf-burst-stencil

Some of the leaves were heat-embossed using Versamark ink and gold embossing powder and the others were inked directly through the stencil using Peacock Feathers and Peeled Paint Distress Oxide inks. I used a finger dauber for this as the openings are very small and I did not want to contaminate other leaves next to the one I was inking. A simple sentiment strip using green cardstock from my stash and die cutting letters using the shadow/solid layer of the Linear Pathway Alpha Solid and Outline Die Bundle 

https://altenew.com/products/linear-pathway-alpha-solid-and-outline-die-bundle  cut from navy cardstock. Nuvo Chrystal Glaze was applied to the letters for shine and some jute was adhered above and below the sentiment strip. I added a thin strip of navy cardstock behind the base layer before adhering it to the card base.

Here is a close up photo of this card.

One of the requirements was to make some sort of container/box to present this card set in and all the step-by-step details and a video are linked to the next post where I created the feminine card set. 

Here is the link: https://caistercrafts.blogspot.com/2021/02/aecp-level-1-final-challenge-feminine.html