Altenew Educators Certification Program - Easy Die Cutting Techniques

 Good evening! it's the December the 1st - how did that happen! this year appears to have dragged at times but has flown by at other times!

I'm back with another of my Altenew Educators Certification classes and this time it's all about easy die cutting techniques lead by Yana Smakula.

The first technique I have chosen to showcase is using stamps and matching dies - and I decided to follow Yana and use vellum for my image:

I started by prepping my vellum for embossing and stamped the Fresh Freesia flower in versamark ink. I then heat embossed with white embossing powder.

Once set I turned the vellum over and using Mango Smoothie and Frayed Leaf inks blended ink over the flower and foliage respectively.

I then turned back over laid the coordinating die over and ran it through my die cutter.

I used 2 of the sentiments, positioned to look like one sentiment, on my white card stock, again prepped this for heat embossing, stamped them with versamark ink and embossed them with gold embossing powder.

I trimmed my card stock so it was slightly narrower than my cream A2 card base and adhered this in place. using glue finely dotted behind the lines of the stamped image I placed my flower onto the card and finished the design with a few gold toned sequins.

My next card used the negative die cutting technique, I chose to used Wings of Hope dies as this comes with a few leaf type dies.

I started by ink blending the edges of a piece of 4x5.25in cardstock with Forest Glades Ink. I then laid my dies in place, temporary sticking them with washi tape so they didn't move as I ran them through my die cutter.

Once cut I discarded the die cut pieces just keeping what would normally be the 'waste'. This was glued onto a piece of dark green mirror cardstock which was the same size. I then added this to a black A2 card base. 

Using the same green mirror cardstock I die to the Happy Die and fixed this in place with foam squares. I stamped Birthday from an Altenew set I purchased with a magazine and added this across the downward strokes of my Happy.

Finally I added a few adhesive green gems randomly around my card.

I am loving this course and could not recommend it enough, it is teaching me techniques that I would probably never have used whilst also showing me different ways to use my stash.

Thanks for stopping my and if you love what you see please let me know in the comments

Victorine Originals Mood Board Challenge

Good afternoon! I hope my American friends have all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are not still in a food coma. Who took advantage of the many Black Friday deals? We have shopped some of them more on line than in-store though.

Today is my debut for Sum More Fun - I found out a few weeks back that I had been given the open design team position and since I just love their stamps I am so thrilled to be on the amazing team.

Sum More Fun have a mood board challenge, you can win a $20 gift certificate - If you use a Victorine Originals or Raisin Boat Products the prize doubles.  

Your project inspiration can come from the photos, the colors palette, and/or the theme. Cards, ATC, Mixed Media, Scrapbook Layouts, Journaling, and Planners are welcome. 

Please read the rules before entering!

On to my make, I am following the color palette:

I have used the Empty Snow Globe Stamp Stamped it onto x-press It cardstock and colored it with my Copics then cut the center circle out of the globe adding snow covered acetate to this..

I stamped the tiny string of lights from the Christmas Borders Set across the top of my image and the tiny snowmen from the same set onto a separate piece of card.

After coloring these I fussy cut a bunch of them, wow was that a task! for inside my globe.

I used a snowflake digital paper for inside the globe and made a fake shaker by gluing the cute tiny snowmen and sequins to the digital paper.

this was then layered over the back of the globe.

I matted a 5x7 inch white card based with some pink snowflake patterned paper and then added my image.

A die cut sentiment across the bottom balanced out my design. 

Sum More fun is an umbrella name for a number of stamps that are being brought together under one name. Today's make is using the Victorine Original stamps range.

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to go enter the challenge!!!