Altenew Educators Certification Program - Color Your Day

 Good afternoon! it's hot here which does nothing for my health! It's Mollie's birthday today, how is she now 12! time is passing too quickly 😢

I'm back with my AECP class submissions today and I have loved watching Therese Calvird's lesson about different ways to mix up and add color to your projects.

My first card used techniques from the first lesson, using colors inspired by a photo, as I do every year, I took a bunch of photos of the flowers in our yard and this one was a favorite:

I love the vibrancy of the yellow it is such a happy color. I used both the color and the texture in this photo for the inspiration for my card:

I stamped the flowers and leaves from Dahlia Blossoms and colored them with watercolor markers, blending out the color with water.  I know the flower centers wouldn't normally be brown but I used it to pick up all the colors in the photo. 

While my images were drying I cut a piece of grey cardstock to A2 size and using my scoreboard scored horizontal lines every 1/4 of an inch. This was then cut slightly narrower than A2 and added to a top folding A2 card base.

The scored lines were inspired by the siding on our house which can be seen in the photo.

After fussy cutting them, I played around with arrangement of my flowers, once I knew where I was placing them I added the sentiment to my card before adhering them in place with both wet glue and foam squares for dimension.

Finally I arranged some yellow enamel dots on my card.

For my next card I used a color wheel to choose my colors. I learnt from Therese the many ways to use a color wheel. The one I used is a real basic one:

 (I have since bought one with more detail for future coloring.) 

So my card used opposing colors of pink and blue green. I went out of my comfort zone with this card I didn't stick with my usual clean look but added lots of bright color to my card:

Using Majestic Bloom layering stamps I stamped the flower layers multiple times in 3 shades of pink.  A small amount of yellow was used in the flower centers. Then using rectangle nesting dies I cut out the center of my stamped card.

 I chose a dark teal colored card stock as my opposite color and matted an A2 card base with this. The outer part of my stamped card was then matted over this, leaving a hole in the middle. Using the teal card and the next size up nesting die I cut another rectangle and matted my smaller stamped piece onto this. This was then added back, covering up the hole and matching up the flowers. 

I cut a sentiment mat from the teal card and used some coordinating pink for the love word.

Finally a few glitter gems in coordinating color were added.

My last card again was to take me out of my comfort zone. I purchase Altenew's watercolor pans and brushes a while ago but have only really used them to add background color. For this card I decided to use them as an image coloring medium as taught in lesson 5.

I stamped Paint a Flower Tulips in embossing ink and then heat embossed the image with white embossing powder.

I then painted the image using the wet on wet technique, this allows colors to blend independently I loved how the 2 colors I used on the tulips gave them a realistic look.

Once dry I added a wash around the flower arrangement to make the white embossing powder pop!

I also added some splatters of a copper iridescent watercolor - again out of my clean comfort zone. 

Using a copper embossing powder I heat embossed my sentiment onto water color card and using 2 paint colors I had used on my flowers did an ombre effect. This was then cut with an angle at each end.

My image was adhered to my card base with a foam panel to give dimension. My sentiment was added so it hung off the edge of my card.

I think I will be using my paints a lot more now!

Thank you for taking time to read my post!

Altenew products I used:

Paint a Flower - Tulips Purchase From: ALW	Dahlia Blossoms Stamp Set Purchase From: ALW	Majestic Bloom Stamp Set Purchase From: ALW	Crisp Dye Ink - Chamomile Purchase From: ALW
Pure White Crisp Embossing Powder Purchase From: ALW	Artist Watercolor brushes bundle Purchase From: ALW	Heartfelt Sentiments Purchase From: SSS | ALW	Crisp Dye Ink - Fuchsia Purchase From: ALW
Crisp Dye Ink - Magenta Purchase From: ALW	Crisp Dye Ink - Baby Pink Purchase From: SSS | ALW	Artists Watercolor 24 Pan set Purchase From: ALW	Embossing Ink Purchase From: ALW

Altenew Educator's certification Program - Beautiful Detail

 Good afternoon and happy 4th July!!!! We are having a quiet weekend at home - well not so quiet if the neighbors fireworks count!

I'm spending my time working on my AECP. The class this time was Beautiful Details by Marika Rahtu. Using different coloring mediums to add detail to your cards. Marika is a fantastic artist I could watch her color all day!

My first card is using techniques from lesson 3 using pencil to add detail:

 I used Crown Bloom Stamps and stamped the first layers with ink before using pencils to add the striations and addition shading to the flower and leaves. This does take time to do as you have to blend the layers of pencils but it gives for depth to the stamped images.

Once I was happy with my work I die cut the leaves and flower before moving on to the next stage of my design. I wanted to add further detail to my card but didn't want to distract too my from the flowers. I added pink washi tape to the side of an A2 white card base. Then using the beach towel stripes stencil I added very light ink blending to a card panel. I cut this doe to 4x5.5inches and adhered it to my card base. I worked out where I wanted my colored images leaving enough room for my sentiment which was stamped directly onto the card using a darker ink than the flower. Finally I added my leaves with wet glue and my flower with foam squares to give dimension.

My next card using a technique from Lesson 5 monochromatic:

The image is almost an 'extra' flower from the Peony Bouquet stamp set I think it is a peony bud but also looks like a sweet pea flower.

Using a pale blue ink I stamped the image multiple times on a piece of watercolor card. I then colored these with one watercolor pencil, I didn't apply the pencil directly to the card but used my paint brush to pick up color. Layering the color by using more or less water gave me the look of shading and detail. you do have to let the the card dry in between layers to stop the color blending out too much. while my images were drying I cut a strip of pearl vellum and stamped my sentiment with embossing ink and heat embossed in silver powder on to this.

Not wanting to distract from the painted flowers I wrapped the vellum around the case of the card and added this to my A2 card base. A few iridescent sequins were adhered to draw the eye in to the card.

 

I wasn't going to add my last card as I cased Marika's she designed in lesson 4 but I thought it was too pretty not to blog about.

This card uses vellum instead of stamping card for the flower and leaves.

I stamped on the vellum with embossing ink and then used clear embossing powder to heat emboss the image.

Turning the vellum over and placing on a piece of black cardstock I was able to color the images using Copic markers without damaging the nibs of my markers. I also used pencil to add detail to the images. The flower center was stamped in brown ink on the side I had colored and I used pencils to give it more dimension.

These were fussy cut as I don't have the dies for this stamp set.

I used grey cardstock for my base and a piece of cream cardstock for my mat. I die cut a fancy square from this before adhering it to my base. Using foam tape I then added the fancy square turning it 90 degrees do the grey showed through.

I added my leaves and flower to this using a tape runner so the glue didn't show through.

My sentiment was added directly to the bottom of the card using the same ink I had used to stamp my flower center. Finally I added a few gold sequins.

I love this class, coloring is my favorite crafting technique and I have loved watching and learning new ways to use my coloring mediums. Marika is mesmerizing to watch!

Thank you for stopping by!

Altenew products I used:

Crown Bloom Stamp and Die Bundle Purchase From: ALW	Just for You Stamp set Purchase From: ALW	Beach Towel Stripes Stencil Purchase From: ALW	Crisp Dye Ink - Dark Chocolate Purchase From: ALW
Spring Daisy Stamp Set Purchase From: ALW	Peony Bouquet Stamp Set Purchase From: ALW	Faithful Feather Stamp Set Purchase From: ALW	Crisp Dye Ink - Sea Glass Purchase From: ALW
Crystal Clear Embossing Powder Purchase From: ALW	Crisp Dye Inks - Red Sunset Purchase From: SSS | ALW	Heartfelt Sentiments Purchase From: SSS | ALW	Crisp Dye Ink - Forest Glades Purchase From: SSS | ALW
Crisp Dye Ink - Frayed Leaf Purchase From: ALW	Embossing Ink Purchase From: ALW	Silver Embossing Powder Purchase From: ALW

Growing Friendship

 Good afternoon, hope your weekend is amazing! We are spending it quietly at home.

I'm back with another of this weekend's new releases from Stamper's Delights. Chibi Friendship Grows is a sweet little gardener:

I printed her, her flower and the included sentiment onto stamping card. She was colored with Copic markers and trimmed to size.

I cut the top front section off a 7x7in card base. Then matted the remaining bottom section and inside with pink card and patterned papers. I also matted the section I had removed and adhered this back at a 90 degree angle in the center of the bottom front of the card, giving me an upside down T for the card front.

My Chibi and sentiment were matted with pink card and arranged on the center panel. I fussy cut the little flower and used foam pads to attach it to my card.

Finally I colored some card candy to coordinated with papers and added this to either side of my image panel.

Head on over to the Stamper's Delights Store to see all of this week’s New Releases.

Why not stop by the Stamper's Delight Facebook page for regular news and inspiration from my Teamies you can also enter the progressive challenge there, no blog needed and receive freebies!

Also for this weekend Stamper's Delights have a great give away over on the Kit and Clowder Facebook group - Come and see how you can win both clear and digital stamps!!!

All the design team projects are available on the Inspiration blog - hop on over there for more inspiration.

Thanks for stopping by and if you like what you see please leave a comment to let me know!

Cute as a Bug

 Good afternoon from a hop Michigan - we were supposed to have storms all week this week but it appears they dissipated before they reached us.

It's the start of new release weekend over at Stamper's Delights and we have some super cute images waiting for you. Today is Kawaii New Release and Cute as a Bug is available as both a digital stamp AND in the new clear stamp format!!!

Here she is: 

Isn't she super sweet!!!

The digi set includes her with her little garden or on her own - She also has extra images you can add as well as a "cute as a bug" sentiment.

I printed her on stamping card and colored her with alcohol markers. she was the die cut into the shabby circle.

I made an arrow point card (I will be doing a tutorial post for this at a later date) and matted this with pink cardstock and coordinating design papers both inside and outside of the card.

Head on over to the Stamper's Delights Store to see all of this week’s New Releases.

Why not stop by the Stamper's Delight Facebook page for regular news and inspiration from my Teamies you can also enter the progressive challenge there, no blog needed and receive freebies!

Also for this weekend Stamper's Delights have a great give away over on the Kit and Clowder Facebook group - Come and see how you can win both clear and digital stamps!!!

All the design team projects are available on the Inspiration blog - hop on over there for more inspiration.

Thanks for stopping by and if you like what you see please leave a comment to let me know!