Altenew Educators Certification Program Level One challenge Part 1

 Good Morning, if you have been following my blog you will know that I am working towards Altenew's Educator's Certification. I have completed all my level one classes so this post is the first part of the level one challenge I have been given. I have to make His and Her card sets packaged as gifts. Using components of 3 of the level one classes I have taken. I also have to make packaging for these cards which I have decided to make boxes.

I chose to use layering, ink blending and shine for my class components. I usually lean towards clean and simple cards so ink blending pushes me out of my comfort zone, I love the layering stamps Altenew makes so that was a given for me and shine is often something simple on a card that can make a big difference to the final composition.

I chose to make my cards in groups of 2 and did 8 for each set. I used the same main stamp set and colors across all the set, making each group of 2 individual.

Today I am showcasing the Male set I have designed. I will list all the supplies at the end of my post but I have used Big World Stamp Set across all the cards and chose yellow and grey as my color scheme. I used sentiments for Father's Day, thanks and either Anniversary or encouragement.

My first two cards are Father's Day cards:

I started simple with inks and a blending brush

Using inks from the same set I blended ink onto 4in x 5.5in Bristol card pieces starting in the center with light ink working to the edges with the darker color.

Once I had my bases inked and adhered to white A2 bases with foam tape I started to construct my cards using the following:

I die cut 4 circles, 3 from white scratch card and one from Neenah solar white card. 3 frames were cut from scratch card and 1 from silver. I did this for both of my cards.  I stamped my world layers on the Neenah white circles, (I find it easier to die cut then stamp) and then glued all 4 together keeping the stamped one on top. I glued the 3 white frames together then added the silver one. This gives dimension to the parts without using foam tape. I worked out where these were going to be on my bases so I could fit my sentiments around them. I then dusted the cards with an antistatic pad and stamped my sentiments with Versamark. This was then covered with and heat set with silver embossing powder to give my card shine. I glued my shiny stand and world in place and added a few silver enamel dots for extra shine.

                  

My next 2 cards are Thanks that can be used for Father's Day a birthday or just to thank Dad:

I used an embossed resist technique again I used white A2 card bases. I matted these with grey and yellow card stock. I cut 2 pieces of Bristol Smooth cardstock to 4x5.25in 

I placed one of these in my MISTI, used my antistatic pad on it and stamped the first layer of each of the globe sides with Versamark ink. I then heat embossed blue embossing powder onto the images. This was repeated for 2nd card. I ink blended each piece, one in grey, one in yellow. The ink resists where the images have been heat embossed leaving them blue.

Once the ink had dried I then stamped the remainder of the layers of the globes in green ink. Each image piece was glued to opposing colored bases, so grey base had yellow topper and visa versa. I die cut the word Thanks 3 times for each card twice from scraps from my grey mats and once in gold cardstock. These were layered up for dimension and added to the center of my cards. I then cut the words "Dad for Everything" from one of the stamps in best Dad. (I often do this so I get the words I need it doesn't stop me using the full stamp in the future.) Using some Neenah Solar white I stamped the sentiment with Versafine ink and heat embossed this with clear embossing powder. This was adhered across the 'Thanks' word. Finally I added some gold pearls. I created my shine on this card with my embossed resist technique and the gold mirror card.

My next cards I thought would make great Anniversary cards for a husband or could stay with Father's Day theme:

For these cards I wanted to add detail with ink blending so I used a stencil to give me the patterned background

I matted 2 A2 card bases with yellow and grey cardstock. then cut 2 piece of Bristol Smooth Cardstock to 4x5.25ins I added masking tape to the top and bottom of these to fasten my stencil in place. for added interest I laid my stencil at an angle. Ink was then blended blended through the stencil starting at the top with a darker shade of yellow and using a lighter yellow at the bottom. I repeated this on the 2nd piece of cardstock with grey ink.

I decided to go for a simple look for the detail on this card.

I die cut 2 circles from Scratch card and one from Neenah for each of the cards. I then stamped the layers of my globe onto the Neenah layer. These were then glued together for dimension. My frame was constructed of 2 layers of die cut scratch card and one of gold adhered together. This was repeated for both cards.

On my stenciled card stock I worked out where I wanted my globe so I could add my sentiment.

I stamped 'you mean the' and 'to me' with Versafine ink and heat embossed this with clear embossing powder to give a shine. I then glued the stenciled pieces onto my card bases.

I added the frame for my globe with glue but wanted my globe more defined so I added foam squares to this to make it higher than the frame. Finally I die cut 'world' from gold cardstock and added it across my globe.

My Final cards are a generic male card, it the current climate I like to think the cards I send contain the hugs I can't give:

For these cards I ink blended the back piece and made shakers over this

I started by die cutting 2 pieces of scratch white card stock with the shutter die. While this was going through my die cutter I inked blending 2 A2 pieces of Bristol Smooth card one in yellow and one in grey. 

I used the globe die to cut a circle into the top left of both yellow and grey pieces of A2 cardstock. I then adhered my die cut pieces onto some plastic stamp packaging to make my shaker window. this was in turn glued to my colored cardstock so I has a circle window. 

Finally I added a few silver glitter sequins to the area on my ink blended card that would have the shaker. I used Foam tape to adhere the top part of my shaker to the bottom.

You can see them in the photograph below.

I glued all of this to A2 card bases. I die cut 2 globe piece from Neenah Solar White and 2 Frames from Glitter card stock. The globe layers were stamped on to the Neenah and my stand and globe were arranged on the lower right of my card - balancing the design with the shaker element.

I stamped the sentiment directly onto my card fronts and added a few sequins for shine.

That was all my cards made I now had to make packaging for them to be presented in. 

As I said earlier I chose to make boxes for this purpose. I decided to make magazine holder card boxes from a pattern I have on my Silhouette. This was big enough to hold all six cards and their envelopes.

These are simple to make and give a lot of protection to the cards and envelopes they contain.

I started with 12x12 in white card stock and cut the box pieces from this. To make it coordinate with my cards I decided the magazine holder part would have yellow mats and the outer box grey. Again these were cut on my cameo.

I adhered my mats to the box pieces before constructing the 2 box parts. The inner and outer box parts both have 2 sections which I fastened together with double sided tape. I decided to decorate the outer box to match the cards

I die cut 2 circles and 2 frames with white scratch cardstock then another circle from Neenah cardstock and a frame from silver mirror card.

I stamped the globe onto the Neenah and as I had done with my cards I layered this onto the white scratch circles. The silver frame was added to the white ones too.

I then die cut the words 'Just For You' from yellow cardstock 3 times and layered these on top of each other. These were then arranged on the side of the box. 

Each card set also has to have a recycled element to it. I achieved this with the scratch card I used through out. However I wanted to add more. I used the clear packaging from the stamp set and some scrap pieces of the grey cardstock to make a shaker on the spine of the box.

Using my cameo I cut 6 frames from the grey card. Onto one of these I adhered a strip of the clear packaging. On top of this I glued the remainder of the frames, so instead of using foam tape I used cardstock to give my shaker depth. I stood the box up on it's opening with spine facing me and poured some yellow and silver sequins along the length. I then carefully placed my frame over this gluing it in place with double sided tape.

If you have made it this far I hope you have enjoyed my post - keep the look out for part 2- my female card gift.

Supplies:

Stamp sets: Altenew Big World, Altenew Best Dad & Scribbled Flowers

Dies: Altenew Big World, Thanks, Altenew Shutter Cover & Crafter's Companion Everyday word (Just For You).

Inks: Altenew: Butternut, Pumpkin Pie, Misty Morning, Cloudy Sky, Ocean Waves, Frayed Leaf, Forest-Glade & Evergreen.

          Other: Versamark & Versafine.

Card Stock: Neenah Solar White 110lb, Core'Dinations grey, Tonic Classic Card Marigold, Strathmore Bristol Smooth, Gold Mirror, Silver Mirror, various scratch cardstock & Centura Pearl 12x12in white.   Embossing powders: Create and Craft Blue, Create and Craft Silver & Hero Arts Clear Embossing Powder.

Other: Collal Glue, Collal Glue Gel, Ranger Multi Medium Matte, foam tape, foam squares, Scor-tape, sequins, pearls, enamel dots, clear stamp packaging.