Daring to die cut :D

  

This is my next creation for the Altenew Educator Certification Program. I really can not recommend this program enough. I am learning so much with each and every class that I can transfer to all my card making and I am only half way through level 1 of a possible 3 so far!

 This time I have taken inspiration from the Easy die cutting techniques class. I combined the learning from a couple of the lessons for this one. I decided rather than using the dies to cut around the images in the traditional way I would do a bit of an inlay technique. I think this gives some great dimension to the card.  

For this card I started with a 5'x5' card base then cut a white panel of card 4 3/4' x 4 3/4' I took the outline dies from the Altenew Build-A-Flower: Dahlia set and arranged them across the white square of card where I thought they would look nice. I actually used a piece of scrap paper first and drew around the dies when I put them on the paper as you need to use the dies more than once and I wanted to be sure I spaced them kind of equally around the card. 

When the layout was sorted I cut all the shapes out. This gave me a sort of template for where I wanted to do my stamping. I put the card with the shapes centred on my card base and then used a pencil to draw around where the shapes would be on the card.

Next I had to pick my ink colours. I went for a green and pink colour combination using the following Altenew crisp dye inks:

Pinks: Pink Diamond, Rubellite

Greens: Firefly, Grass Field

The pencil lines showed me exactly where I needed to stamp the coordinating flowers and leaves so I could stamp all my layers easily. I added foam to the back of the white square of card that has the shapes cut out of it and lined it up over the now stamped flowers and leaves so they could be seen. 

To finish I used the direct to paper technique with the Pink Diamond ink to make a strip of perfectly matching paper to layer the white strip with this brilliant sentiment that is also in the same stamp set. I wanted to tie a bit of the green back into the sentiment so I stamped it in the Firefly crisp dye ink and also used that ink just on the edges of the white strip. 

For a final touch I added a load of sparkly nuvo drops to give texture and shine.

I hope you are all having a great week and staying safe.

 I am entering this card for the following challenges:

Crafty Creations - Anything goes

Crafty Gals corner - Spring/easter

Creative moments - Anything goes

Paper funday - Spring

Ike's world - Spring

Shopping our stash - Plant life

Through the craft room door - Anything goes

Thank you for taking the time to look at my blog. I would love it if you would follow me and leave me a link to your blog so I can follow you back.

Huge hugs

Amy xx

A monochrome moment

 

 This is my next creation for the Altenew Educator Certification Program. This time I have taken inspiration from the All about layering 2 class. As you will see if you click the link this class is free to do so you can see what the Academy classes are like and how much fun they are for yourself :)

In this class it talks about extending the use of the little stamps in a set. I love the range of leaves that are in the Vintage roses stamp set and felt very inspired to make them as a background. I am so pleased with the way this turned out. I would normally want to add more to this but I resisted the urge to add flowers and decided to let these little stamps have all the lime light for a change.

I used two colours of Altenew's green crisp dye inks (Frayed leaf and Forest green) to create this card. For the sentiment I felt black would be too harsh so I used Smokey Grey versa fine ink. I hand drew borders around the card base and the sentiment strip with a grey fine liner pen.

I thought it needed just a little something more so I also added in some nuvo drops for sparkle and shine and popped the sentiment up with some foam tape. 

I hope you are all ready for your week and staying safe.

 I am entering this card for the following challenges:

613 avenue create - Anything goes with an in the garden optional twist

Lil' patch of crafty friends - Anything Goes

We love chocolate baroque - Spring (what is more spring than new green leaves?? :) )

Thank you for taking the time to look at my blog. I would love it if you would follow me and leave me a link to your blog so I can follow you back.

Huge hugs

Amy xx

Irresistible Inking

This is my next card that I am submitting for the Altenew Educator Certification Program. I really enjoyed this one putting together a few of the classes homework tasks in the Irrisitible Inking class to make this card. I used my Altenew Crisp dye inks in ways that are new to me.

The Altenew crisp dye inks that I used for this card were:

Blue: Dew Drops 

Pinks: Pinkalicious and Rubellite

Green: Fire fly

There were quite a few steps in this card.  I took the ink pad straight to the paper for the backing. Next I stamped and embossed with white Wow! embossing powder some of the little flowers in the Peony bouquet stamp set using just the outline stamp. I use pink Crisp dye inks to watercolour the flowers. I also used the watercolour brush to flick more of pink ink over the back ground to give it interest. Then inked around the edge of the stamped panel with the darker shade of pink to make it stand out more from the blue.  

I did the same ink to paper technique to make some pink card that would perfectly match my water colouring before trying another tip from the class which was brayering. I haven't done any brayering before with inks like this and I love the effect it gives. The piece that has the sentiment on it has been brayered with the same blue crisp dye ink as the first panel but the brayer gives it texture where the first piece that I took the ink pad straight to the paper for has a much flatter colour. 

The beautiful central flower has been made by stamping just a couple of the layers from the peony bouquet stamp set fussy cutting them and decoupaging the center of the flower up to give it some more depth. 

As a final touch I added some sparkle by scattering some nuvo drops around where I thought they looked nice.

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend and staying safe.

 I am entering this card for the following challenges:

Challenge Up Your Life - be inspired by the mood board

Gem of a challenge - Anything goes

Catch the bug - Anything goes

Crafters Castle - Anything goes

Thank you for taking the time to look at my blog. I would love it if you would follow me and leave me a link to your blog so I can follow you back.

Huge hugs

Amy xx

Swanning around

 In case you haven't seen I have started making my own stamps for Crafty Purple Frog. I am so excited to be able to bring my drawings "to life" :D So far there are two main animal stamp sets. One is this swan from the Spread your wings set and the other is a badger from The Sett stamp set. For this card I have combined some of the little extras in the badger set with the swan. I think the swan looks ready to go to the theatre in his smart out fit. For the back ground I used some distress oxide inks along with one of the stencils that is in the Top hat layering stencil set. Rather than layer them all up I just used the dot stencil and moved it around to make a pattern I was happy with. 

The sentiment is from the sentiment sett. I embossed it with white Wow! Embossing powder so it stands out well against the black card as well as adding a touch of texture. 

I don't know about you but I am so looking forward to being able to get out to events like the theatre again one day. I hope you are having a good week so far and staying safe.

 I am entering this card for the following challenges:

A bit more time to craft - Anything goes

Crafters cafe - Anything goes

A perfect time to craft - Anything goes

Colour it, create it, show it off - Anything goes

Crafts Galore encore - Anything goes

2 crafty critter crazies - Anything with a critter goes

Classic design challenge - Anything goes

Clever Dexter - Anything goes

Country View - Birds and bees

Crafty Animals - Anything with an animal goes

Thank you for taking the time to look at my blog. I would love it if you would follow me and leave me a link to your blog so I can follow you back.

Huge hugs

Amy xx

White space

This is my second card that I am entering for the Altenew Educator Certification Program. This card I created thanks to one of the classes in the Clean and simple boutique cards class. This is a brilliant class. It has made me look at designs differently. This class was about white space and how important it is to give the images and stamping space. The white makes the colours of the flowers stand out more even when using soft pastel colours like these.

I used the beautiful Peony Bouquet stamp set for this card and then embellished it with some hand drawn lines rather than using the outline stamps that are in the set. This makes it more personal and unique. I also hand drew a frame around the edge of the card. I wanted to add a tiny touch of sparkle and I did that with some nuvo drops. They are the only thing that actually stands out on this card. Everything else is just on the one layer and stamped or drawn straight onto the card blank.

I used the following Altenew Crisp Dye inks:

Firefly for the leaves

Dew Drop and Aqualicious for the blue flower

Pink Diamond and Pinkalicious for the pink flower

Soft lilac and Lavender Fields for the berries

I really enjoyed making this card and how quickly and easily it came together. I am feel like after this class I am now looking at a lot of my stamps differently and trying to think if I can do a similar thing with them :)

 I am entering this card for the following challenges:

A bit more time to craft - Anything goes

Crafters cafe - Anything goes

A perfect time to craft - Anything goes

Colour it, create it, show it off - Anything goes

Crafts Galore encore - Anything goes

Daisy chain - Flowers

Thank you for taking the time to look at my blog. I would love it if you would follow me and leave me a link to your blog so I can follow you back.

Huge hugs

Amy xx

Belly rubs

 I am so glad that I made some time to have a play and colour this beautiful Belly rubs digi from the amazing Sweet November Stamps. I got my copics out to colour her up. I used a 6x6 card and made a foil border around it in this stunning teal foil and double sided tape. Then I used some distress oxide sprays to add a bit of interest in the background before adding the belly rubs mermaid and her fluffy friend on some foam pads. The miss you sentiment die is by Heffy Doodle. To finish it off I used some nuvo drops to give her tail some sparkle and texture and then added a few more scattered across the card.

I am entering this card for the following challenges:

Crafty Creations - Anything goes

Creative Moments - Anything goes

Through the craft room door - Anything goes

Thank you for taking the time to look at my blog. I would love it if you would follow me and leave me a link to your blog so I can follow you back.

Huge hugs

Amy xx

Altenew Educator Certification Program

 

I am so excited to be able to tell you that I have been accepted into the Altenew Educator Certification Program. I am so happy to be able to learn from such amazing artists. This is a card I have put together based on the first class All about layering 1. As part of the class you see how to layer up this beautiful Painted Poppy stamp set. I love the way that the sketchy feel of it means you don't have to be too exact with the stamping as it adds a bit of a arty and unique touch to it. 

I used Deep iris and Midnight Violet Altenew crisp dye ink for the flower and Firefly Altenew crisp dye ink for the stem and leaf. I wanted the poppy to be the main focus of the card so I kept the rest of the card quite simple. The gold sparkly card is from Papermill direct and I cut it with the stripes cover plate die and I feel like that breaks up the background without taking the focus off of the poppy.

You can grab the All about layering class for free at the moment so why not have a look and get inspired.

I am entering this card for the following challenges:

Crafty Creations - Anything goes

Creative Moments - Anything goes

Through the craft room door - Anything goes

Thank you for taking the time to look at my blog. I would love it if you would follow me and leave me a link to your blog so I can follow you back.

Huge hugs

Amy xx