Hello and welcome! I am thrilled to be sharing my final task in my Altenew Educator Certification Program. Yesterday I hosted 6 crafty friends at my house - yes, we are very fortunate to not have Covid-19 in New Zealand - and I really enjoyed finally getting to teach again. My biggest passion is to teach paper crafts and over the years I have had many opportunities as I used to own a Scrapbook Shop and designed and taught many different classes. Yesterday just rekindled that passion and I really look forward to many more opportunities to teach for Altenew.
This was a recent course I just had to take as I am always so inspired by Erum Tasneem's YouTube videos she creates for Altenew which always showcase her incredible talent with watercolouring. I am in awe of her talent and would love to be even half as talented as her one day!
My final card was great fun as I really wanted to try and improve my watercolouring. The class I took was probably my favourite Altenew Academy class. I learned SO much from Erum. Her watercolouring is absolutely amazing and she teaches so well. I was really inspired to try loose watercolouring this time.
I began by embossing the main floral image from the Altenew Fairy Tale Florals stamp set https://altenew.com/products/fairy-tale-florals-stamp-set using Versamark ink and Rose Gold embossing powder. I used a smooth watercolour paper for this. I taped it to a clipboard using purple tape so that the panel would remain flat when lots of water was applied.
I took my time to start with a very light pink from the 36 pan watercolour pallet https://altenew.com/products/watercolor-36-pan-set and used the wet-on-wet technique taught in one of the tutorials. As the embossing creates a "well" it is easier to control the water and ink as it stays inside each area. I air dried between layers and added darker pinks for shadows and some yellow for a varied look. I did the same for the leaves. I die cut the image out using the coordinating die, added foam tape ready to adhere to the card base. I die cut some pink and black cardstock from my stash to layer up, added some black splatters to the panel and then adhered the floral image to the panel. The sentiment was die cut from rose gold card stock using the Essential Sentiment Die Set https://altenew.com/products/essential-sentiment-strips-die-set with some black cardstock behind the open letters so that the words would be more visible. This was adhered using foam tape and a few glitter gems finished the card.
This close up photo shows in more detail the embossed outlines and the shading and stippling effect.
I just love all flowers so this course was one that caught my eye early on in my AECP journey. The course was presented by Lilith Eeckels and Maryam Perez - two very talented instructors.
For this card I used a slimline size but this time created a vertical card. I cut 2 base panels 4" x 8" and ran one through my die cutting machine using the Organic Linen 3D embossing folder
https://altenew.com/products/organic-linen-3d-embossing-folder and lightly rubbing a foam blender with pale yellow ink over to help define the texture more. The other panel I wanted to be the same colour as the darkest colour in the flowers but I did not have enough cardstock in the correct colour so I made my own by directly rubbing Midnight Violet die ink onto the outer areas of the panel and allowing this to dry for a few minutes. I trimmed off a very thin strip from each side of the textured panel and adhered them together using a wet glue.
TIP: If you are adhering a very textured cardstock it is best to use a liquid glue as it will stick better than a tape runner or double-sided tape.
I die cut 6 sets of flowers and lots of leaves and stems from the Altenew Craft-a-flower Cosmos Die Set https://altenew.com/products/craft-a-flower-cosmos-layering-die-set, layered them together using the very useful layering guide which comes with the set and then arranged them down the panel. I added a sentiment from the Altenew Simple Greetings Die Set https://altenew.com/products/simple-greetings-die-set using black cardstock over vellum. I added some pearls for more interest.
I hope you like this card as much as I do! I just loved all the die cutting, layering and placement of each flower as the extra space on a slimline size card gives you so much more opportunity to add more flowers!!
My card inspired by the class "Cards in Motion" by Ashley Tucker.
It is fun to do something different with a card, just for a change and to make it more interesting for the recipient. I used the Altenew Mini Flower Cluster Die Set https://altenew.com/products/mini-flower-cluster-layering-die-set to die cut 3 flower clusters and 6 sets of leaves, layer them up and adhere as per the layering guide which comes with the set.
For the pop-up element I cut a piece of scrap cardstock to a rectangle, score it at every 3/4" so that I had 5 sections. I folded and burnished them then adhered the 2 outer sections together to form a hollow square. I adhered this to the join in the inside of the card base.
For another interactive idea for this card, I decided to make a shaker window on the front panel. I die cut a rectangle from the middle of an A2 panel then ran this through my die cut machine using the new Deck Planks 3D embossing folder https://altenew.com/products/deck-planks-3d-embossing-folder
and inked over the raised parts with some brown ink to create a woodgrain effect. I used the brown as I like brown and teal together. I inked the inside of the shaker with pale pink ink before adding acetate to the open rectangle then adding a double layer of foam tape around the edge to create a "moat" before adding some teal, pink and white sequins from my stash. I added a sentiment embossed with Versafine Onyx Black ink onto vellum and heat set with clear embossing powder. A few matching sequins around the frame finished off the card.. Here is a look at the inside of the card. I adhered a floral cluster to the square cube which I had made earlier so that when the card is opened the floral cluster stands up. I added the extra leaves for interest and the sentiment from the Mega Label Love stamp set https://altenew.com/products/mega-label-love-stamp-set using teal ink.
The course instructor for "Elements of Floral Composition" was Jaycee Jaspar. Jaycee is a very talented Altenew Certified Educator and in this course he taught how to use Colour, Value, Line, Shape, Form, Texture and Space to design a card which looks very pleasing to the eye. I used a combination of most of these for my card design.
I was inspired by each of the 7 classes, in particular shape. I learned that using a shape behind a floral image gives the eye a focal place to land. I chose a circle shape but you could use a square, oval, even a diamond or star shape. I recently purchased the Altenew Circular Elements Die Set https://altenew.com/products/circular-elements-die-set to die cut the largest die into some navy cardstock. I adhered this directly to a A2 card panel.
I wanted some delicate flowers for my focal image and the Altenew Hill Blossoms Layering Stencils https://altenew.com/products/hill-blossoms-layering-stencil-set with matching die was the perfect choice. I used Pink Diamond, Rubellite and Razzleberry die ink for the stencil layers and Forest Glades and Evergreen for the leaves. I inked up 2 sets of flowers to layer up using foam tape to create more dimension. I was inspired by the contrast in colours of pink and navy for this card. I think they work well together.
I adhered the floral image to the left of the circle and added a pink ribbon from my stash.
The sentiment comes from the Painted Poppy Stamp set, I stamped it using Versamark ink and silver embossing powder. I fussy cut the words and layered them up, nestling them in to the right of the floral image. A few sequins in an odd number which is more pleasing to the eye added the finishing touch.
Hello and welcome back to my blog. I hope you are enjoying following my Altenew Educator Journey with me as much as I have enjoyed it?!
I passed Level 2! Whoohoo!
For Level 3 I was required to choose 5 more classes which were not part of Level 1 or 2 but which were extras I had enjoyed in my own time. I have taken many classes and have thoroughly enjoyed each one and have learned SO much from each class.
I have created a new post with photos and details of my design process for each card.
"Stunningly Styled Stencils" by Laura Jane and Jenny Colacicco was one of the extra courses I chose to take as I have always loved using stencils in my scrapbooking and card making but especially more recently with the invention of layering stencils which allow you to colour an image using ink with a sponge dauber or blending brushes. This makes for a very quick and easy way to colour and for those who are not too keen on colouring with pencils or watercolours, this is a great alternative for those who are not so keen on actual colouring with coloured pencils or water colours.
I am really enjoying making slimline cards as they provide more "real estate" for a design so I repeated the stencilling to stretch across the card. I chose a colour combo of peaches and oranges from Altenew die inks Sunkissed, Orange Cream and Fire Brick and following the guide for the layering stencils, I stenciled the 3 layers of the flowers and for the final layer I used some Nuvo Moonstone Glimmer Paste through the stencil to add some sparkle and shine and more interest. The paste takes on the colour of the ink underneath which is quite stunning. I set the panel aside to dry for a while.
I then added the stencilled leaf layer using Forest Glades die ink and adding more ink in places to create some depth and interest. I used gold mirror cardstock to add two thin strips to the 2 long edges and to die cut the sentiment from the Altenew Mega Thanks die https://altenew.com/products/mega-thanks-die
I adhered this to some vellum and fussy cut around it leaving a border which would help to make the sentiment stand out more but still allow the design underneath to be visible but muted.
I adhered this on a slight angle using foam tape behind the solid cardstock areas. A few sequins from my stash added the finishing touch and a bit more bling.
I have been very busy this month completing my final projects for level 2. I am very happy to be sharing them with you today.
Let's start off with the 4 masculine cards I created. The brief was to create 4 cards using the themes Birthday, Love/Thinking of you, Anniversary and Encouragement. I was inspired by the following classes in the Altenew Academy program:
I thoroughly enjoyed taking all 10 classes for Level 2 and my inspiration for the cards came from "Polychromatic", "With a Twist" and "Impressive Heat Embossing".
I love colour but for this project I decided to challenge myself and use a black and white theme with silver as an accent colour. I felt that this colour palette would work well for masculine cards.
I was required to use the themes "Birthday", "Encouragement", "Love/Thinking of You" and "Anniversary".
Birthday Card:
To make this card I used the Altenew Modern Birthday Faux Letterpress debossing folder. https://altenew.com/products/modern-birthday-faux-letterpress-debossing-folder to deboss some black cardstock, I swiped Versamark ink over the raised areas then sprinkled silver embossing powder over this and heat set it. I used a nesting circle die to cut out the circle. The white panel was embossed using the Diamond Stars 3D embossing folder https://altenew.com/pages/search-results-page?q=diamond+stars+3d+embossing+folder to add extra texture and more interest to the background. I also heat embossed some silver embossing powder around the edges to tie in with the silver on the focal circle which was adhered using foam tape for added dimension. . I love the grungy, yet sophisticated look of the finished card.
Encouragement Card:
For my next card I used the "swinking" technique to apply Altenew black mini ink cube direct to the card panel to create a distressed woodgrain look. This is a quick and easy way to create an interesting background.
TIP: You could also use a regular size ink pad to create a similar look but I prefer a mini ink cube for this technique.
I chose the Monstera Leaves 3D embossing folder https://altenew.com/products/monstera-leaves-3d-embossing-folder to emboss a piece of black cardstock, I rubbed Versamark ink pad over the raised parts and sprinkled small pinches of silver embossing powder over so that some of the embossed details would show up but not change the leaves to a solid silver colour.
I used Versafine Onyx black ink to stamp the image, heat set it with clear embossing powder and matted it onto some black cardstock so that it would "pop" on the card.
Love/Thinking of You card:
The background panel was cut 3 times using the Garden Trellis Cover Die https://altenew.com/products/garden-trellis-cover-die to give extra dimension and texture. I used a spray adhesive to stick the 3 panels together - much easier than using liquid glue!
I cut 2 ovals, adhered them together to form the base of the focal point on the card. The sentiment is cut from the "Thinking of You" script word die https://altenew.com/products/thinking-of-you-die using silver cardstock from my stash. The sub-sentiment was stamped using words from the Starry Flowers Stamp set https://altenew.com/products/starry-flowers-stamp-set using Versafine Onyx black ink onto white cardstock and I nestled this under the die cut sentiment.
I think the black and white looks so striking! What do you think?
https://altenew.com/products/poured-acrylic-6x6-paper-pack , trimmed it down to just smaller than an A2 size white panel so that a small white border would be visible. I felt like this background looked a bit like space or a galaxy and would work well with the moon theme. I stamped the word "moon" using Versamark embossing ink, added silver embossing powder and heat set it. The layered moon was stamped with Altenew Silver stone and Industrial Diamond dye inks from the Rock Collection https://altenew.com/products/rock-collection-mini-cube-set . The rest of the sentence was stamped in onyx black, the moon image raised with foam tape and the whole sentiment matted on a 1.5" strip of black cardstock. I die cut the Happy Anniversary from black cardstock using the Essential Sentiment Strips die set https://altenew.com/products/essential-sentiment-strips-die-set and added this to a strip of white cardstock so that the letters would show up well. I use this versatile die set often, especially on masculine cards.
I have a process video for you to watch which I hope you will enjoy.
Upcycled/re-purposed project:
For this project I had 2 ideas in mind right from when I was busy with Level 1 cards! I loved both ideas and just couldn't decide which one to make....so I made BOTH!!
I really wanted to create something useful and that I could actually use or display in my craft room.
My first idea was to make a decor item to hang on my craft room wall. I took inspiration from the beautiful bespoke blind I had made for my window. My absolute favourite flower is the rose and my favourite colour is hot pink. Here are a few photos.
I also really love the subtle lime green and ice blue spots in the background and I incorporated these colours into my design.
I found 4 6x6 inch canvases which I had stored in the garage along with some other bits and pieces which were left over from children's crafting classes which I had taught a few years ago.
I have recently purchased some of Altenew's gorgeous 3D embossing folders which are also 6x6 inches so I started by embossing some white cardstock using 4 different 3D embossing folders:-
I currently only own a very basic set of coloured pencils which I've had for many years. I made the best of what I had and tried to capture the 4 main colours in my blind and blend the pencils just over the embossed/raised areas of the panels. The debossed/background areas between the flowers were coloured with a light blue coloured pencil. I then adhered these onto the 4 canvases using a strong liquid glue.
I wanted to create a shadow box frame around each panel using the Altenew Thin Frame 3D Dies which I have been itching to use! The largest die is just shy of 6 inches so I did some partial die cutting of each piece to extend each piece to 6 inches. I folded all the scored lines, burnished them with my teflon bone folder and glued them for form the "boxes" which fit into each other to form a complete frame. I then adhered these to the panels.
I had considered using black cardstock instead of white but thought this would be too stark so instead, I remembered I had some Peel Craft sticker sheets in my stash and luckily a sheet of very fine black sparkly strips which were perfect to add to the outer edges to create some interest and tie in the black of the words.
I used the Altenew Mega Brush Alpha stamp set https://altenew.com/products/mega-brush-alpha-stamp-set for my words. I stamped each letter onto vellum using Versafine Onyx Black ink, applying clear embossing powder and heat setting each letter so as not to smudge the ink as it sits on the vellum which is non-porous. I used my Misti stamping tool to assist me with placement and allowed me to double stamp each letter and also line them up so that the letters joined. I then fussy cut around each word and adhered them to each panel using small dots of liquid glue behind the black lettering.
I'm SO happy with how these turned out. Here is a photo of them up on my wall in my craft room.
For my BONUS project which I just had to make, I was inspired to create a holder for all my blending brushes (I have a set for dye inks and another for my Distress Oxide inks). I have also recently acquired some Altenew detailed blending brushes and some small blending brushes.
At my previous job, I had collected many cardboard tubes from the inside of the extra large toilet rolls which you often see in public toilets as well and the inside tubes from our patient label maker machine. I just knew that these would come in handy one day!!!
I also used an old piece of foam core board for the base, cutting it down to the correct length to fit 5 large tubes with the front 2 cut in half.
I then painted the base and each tube using some black acrylic paint from my stash. I stuck 2 small tubes together so that they would be the same height as a large tube.
Using the Altenew 6x6 Poured Acrylic paper pack https://altenew.com/products/poured-acrylic-6x6-paper-pack I cut paper to fit around each large tube. I then hot glued each tube together, 4 sets of small tubes inside each large tube to make compartments for each blending brush to stand in separately and then hot glued everything to the base.
And here is my finished project. I just LOVE it. It works so well and has a special spot on my craft desk now.
I hoped you enjoyed reading my blog post and watching the video.
I would love it if you could leave your thoughts and comments below.
