Hello and welcome back crafty friends! Today I am back sharing a DT card made with the newest release from RachelVassDesigns, Bulbs of Flowers and just today it is released! It's such a unique and fabulous stamp set and there are so many possibilities to create something amazing! Oh and also to help celebrate her new design team she currently has 30% in her Etsy store until Sept. 8. No code is needed, just go ahead and shop!
Sitting in the Summer Sun
Today I am back to share a card made using the newest digital release from Rachel Vass Designs.....Summer Fruit Background. This is the perfect summery image and although the weather has turned a bit cooler here over the last few days, the warmth is sure to return. But in the meantime and while we are waiting, this is sure to make you think happy, warm and summery thoughts!
Just Because
Sometimes simple is best! I am a sucker for a beautiful floral and this one doesn't disappoint! This floral bouquet is a digital stamp and it's from a shop on Etsy called StarJamLines. It has a lovely sketchy look to it and knew I had to have it when I saw it.
Thinking of You
Another day, another beautiful floral digital image! Today I am back sharing another digital stamp from Rachel Vass Designs. And yes, I have foiled it again! I will admit that I am a foil addict! I guess there are worse things to be addicted to, right? Sign me up to FAA (foil addicts anonymous) lol
Rainbow is my Favorite Color
Isn't rainbow everybody's favourite colour? It can't help but put a smile on your face...I know it does mine. This was a super easy card to create with the help of a few inks, a stencil and a fun greeting from a digital stamp set. The other day I had featured a beautiful gold foiled card made with a digital image from gracielliedesign and this sentiment is from another set from her.
You Are Appreciated
Is it okay if I add gold foil to everything? Hello and welcome back! Today I have yet another beautiful digital stamp to share with you all. I have discovered so many fabulous ones as of late and todays is no exception! This beautiful geometric floral is from Rachel Vass Designs and I absolutely adore it! As soon as I laid my eyes on it I knew it had to be foiled....well in all honesty what doesn't need to be foiled?! So off I went gold foil in hand!
Welcome Little One
Today I have THE sweetest little baby cards ever! I had so much fun making these and yes, although they are a bit more involved, they are so worth it! I think anyone would love to receive a fun and cute card like this when they are welcoming a new little one to the world. The only difference between these 2 cards are the colours for the ink blending and a slight variation with the sequins used. So let's get started shall we!
You are so beautiful!
Today I am back with a very simple card made with another beautiful digital stamp that I discovered recently. This gorgeous floral arrangement is from Angie Blom Digital Designs. It's such a pretty arrangement! I am a sucker for a floral and especially one as pretty as this!
There's Beauty in Ordinary Things
So I've discovered a new digital stamp shop, gracielliedesigns and her designs are gorgeous! I just had to get a few and this is one of them. It's one of her new designs and it's perfect as the seasons will be changing soon. This design is so delicate and detailed, the first thing that came to mind was kraft paper and gold foil. Oh...it'll be perfect for masculine cards too!
You Can Do Anything
Hello and welcome back! Today I have an extra card that I had made as part of my AECP level 1 final assignment, but in the end I felt that the colours weren't quite right and as pretty as it is, I just didn't think it went with the rest of the set. So here it is! But I still had to share it with you all!
AECP Level 1 Final Challenge - Part 2 Feminine Cards
As you will have seen from my previous post, I am back with my final challenge to pass level 1 of the AECP...fingers crossed! I decided to break this assignment up into 2 posts, so as not to make it too long. For this challenge I was given the task of making 2 different but coordinating sets of cards…1 set of feminine and 1 set of masculine cards and to also create packaging for each set, which I am going to use a recycled element on.
I then placed the stencil back on over top of the embossed image and grabbed my DecoFoil adhesive pen and went over the 4 different groupings of circles, so I could then add some gold foil on top. Next I took some black foil, and while it is a foil it is not metallic like most foils are, but rather has a nice shine to it, almost as if I went over it with glossy accents. I then put it through my Minc machine on a piece of toner sheet and cut out the Fancy Thanks die from the black foil and then 2 more times from black cardstock. I glued them altogether and adhered it to my stencilled cardfront. I then added some craft foam to the back of it to pop it up from my card base and then added a pink iridescent heart right under the thanks. I truly wish you could see all the shine and the shimmer in the photos....it's really very pretty!

Tips:
I have a super fine metal tip on my bottle of liquid adhesive, so it easy to get in small areas and onto delicate diecuts.
- Heat embossing over an image will help to richen the colour and make it a bit more vibrant.
- When glueing on sequins or small embellishments, a liquid adhesive like Rangers Multi Medium Matte is great, because it dries matte, so if any leaks out the side or the embellishment moves around a bit once the glue dries you won't be able to see it as it dries matte.
- Altenew Flowing Hearts stencil
- Altenew Rose Quartz, Cotton Candy and Puffy Heart Crisp Dye Ink
- Altenew Fancy Thanks die
To create this card I focused on dry embossing using stencils from the Stencil Technique class and paired it with some floral stamp layering. I got out my Elegant Swirls stencil and ran it through my manual die cutting machine, using a silicone embossing mat rather that the usual hard die cutting plates. I then set it aside and stamped out the floral from the Regal Beauty stamp set using Frosty Pink, Rose Quartz, Cotton Candy and Coral Berry crisp dye inks, stamped the leaves from the Beautiful Day stamp set using Jet Black, Frayed Leaf, Forest Glades and Evergreen crisp dye inks and finally the sentiment is from the Magnolias For Her stamp set using Jet Black crisp dye ink. To finish I adhered it all to my card base using foam tape and added the finishing touch of a few clear sequins in various sizes. I unfortunately forgot to take some process photos for this card.

Tips:
- dry embossing will give your card a lovely subtle texture to it
- using inks from the same colour family when doing layered stamping will give you a very pretty graduation of colour from one layer to the next
- When making a diecut stack for the letterpress technique don't add too many diecuts to it at first. Try 4 or 5 at first and then add more if it needs it. Everyones machine will be different too.
- Once you have inked up the vellum part of the diecut word, hold it by the edge and very carefully place it on your cardstock, so as not to smudge the ink and get it all over your cardfront.
- When adding ink splatters a light hand is always better at first.
For
this card I did some layered stamping using the cupcake from the
Layered Cupcake stamp set and decided to make it a fun shaker card. I
first stamped the cupcake using Frosty Pink for the icing, Dew Drops for
the wrapper and Dark Chocolate for the cake and cut it out. I added
some small gold stars (same as the sequin mix for the shaker portion)
for sprinkles on the icing....I may have added 1 or 2 too many. I set
that aside and continued with the shaker portion. I took a piece of
trimmed cardstock and added a bit of texture to it by scoring lines at
1/4' intervals using my score board. I did a bit of ink blending on a
separate piece of paper using the same pink ink as the cupcake and also
used my Feeling Dotty stencil on another piece to add some interest
behind the shaker window. Next I cut out a circle using 2 circle dies
measuring 2.5" and 3" on the scored card front and also to create a
frame for the window from the ink blended piece.

For
the window I cut out a piece of acetate slightly bigger than circle and
adhered it to the back of the white scored piece and placed foam
adhesive all over the piece and especially made sure the window was
complete;y surrounded with tape, so as not to have any of the sequins
escape. I then placed the polka dot stencilled piece and placed a mix
of sequins where the window will be. I placed the scored piece on top
of the the sequins and applied good pressure all over. To finish it I
added the pink frame on the front and popped up the cupcake just to the
side. I printed out the sentiment using a girly kind of font to match
the feel of the card and gold foiled that using my Minc machine and
added some foam adhesive to it. And it's not complete without a few
matching sequins...you can never have too many. I think this is my
favourite!


- Adding score lines will add a subtle texture and some interest to plain cardstock
- When adding foam tape to your shaker card, doubling it up is best as it gives your sequins more room to move around
- To cut down on the static on your sequins, add some non static powder to them, the same as you would for heat embossing, before you add them to your card so you don't have access powder on your acetate window
- Use the same colour of ink for your layered images, but inked up multiple times for each layer, to get an image that has perfectly co-ordinated colours.
- Layered Cupcake stamp set
- Frosty Pink, Dew Drops and Dark Chocolate Crisp Dye Inks
- Feeling Dotty stencil
Card #5 - Celebration: Stencil Techniques

For this card I focused on doing some more stencilling...don't think I can get enough of it. I stamped the large frame from the Fancy Frames stamp set using Versafine Onyx black ink and heat embossed it using clear embossing powder. Next I used the Feeling Dotty stencil and started to blend Frosty Pink over it the embossed image, concentrating in the middle and gradually fading out. Without removing the stencil I sponged on some champagne mist ink over the pink. To set the ink I went over it gently with my heat tool so as not to disturb the embossing already done.

I set that aside and stamped out 2 florals and 1 of the leaves from the Wallpaper Art stamp set and did some very simple Copic marker colouring with 1 marker for each, concentrating the colour more in the middle and lightly flicking out. I had to be careful when colouring near the black lines as I didn't use a Copic friendly ink, so I didn't want the black ink to bleed.. For the centers I added some gold foil and went over it with my fingers to take a bit of the shine of it. I cut the flowers out and added them to my embossed card front. The leaves were glued directly to it and the flowers added using foam tape. I added the sentiment in black from the Fancy Frames stamp set and added it all to my card base.
- When doing stencilling or ink blending over top of a heat embossed image, take a soft cloth and give the embossed image a wipe after adding the ink to remove any excess and make the image a bit brighter, especially when done on white cardstock.
- always be sure to use the proper ink for the colouring medium you are using. Not all black inks are made equal and for all techniques.
- For a crisp black detailed heat embossed image, use a black pigment based ink and clear embossing powder over it. The pigment ink will stay wet long enough for you to heat emboss over it.
- When heat embossing over very detailed images, it is best to use a fine detail embossing powder, as the powder granuals are smaller than regular embossing powder.
- When using a heat tool on your paper, make sure to constantly move your the heat around so not to warp the paper from too much heat in one area.
- Fancy Frames stamp set
- Wallpaper Art stamp set
- Feeling Dotty stencil
- Frosty Pink and Jet Black Crisp Dye ink
Card #6 - Layered Stamping 1 & 2

To create this card I grabbed 2 pink alcohol inks, isopropyl alcohol, one of the alloy inks and got to making! I started off by securing a piece of Yupo paper to my wooden board with some painters tape and started playing with my inks. I applied the ink in layers and dried each one using my heat tool on the low setting. I also added a bit of one of the new Alloy alcohol inks. I love it! I would normally use a straw or my heat tool to help and move the ink around but this time I used a new to me hand air puffer, designed for this very purpose. It also helps you to get a nice wispy look to it.

I then set that piece aside and started stamping my cupcake. I started by stamping the outline image using Jet Black crisp dye ink, Dew Drops and Teal Cave for the cupcake wrapper and then Rose Quartz and 2 other pink inks from my stash and I stamped Dark Chocolate twice for the cake, so as to make it appear like a nice dark chocolate cake. I used my Misti stamp positioning tool for this as it helps to make the layered stamping alot easier...at least for me it does. I added the gold sprinkles using my DecoFoil adhesive pen and immediately went over them with some gold foil. I picked a perfect sentiment from the Birthday Builder stamp set and stamped it using the same black ink as the cupcake on a piece of white cardstock. I then added foam dimensional adhesive to the back of the cupcake and centered it on the inked panel, added the sentiment across the wrapper and attached it to my card base. To finish it off I added some rose gold sequins, which I was afraid at first as I had used gold on the card and I didn't want to mix metals, but it turned out perfect!

- When using alcohol inks an ink blower is very handy to have. It helps to give it a different look than using a heat tool....makes it a bit softer.
- Using a stamp positioning tool helps to get the layers perfectly lined up
- When adding small sentiments or even a diecut piece a pair of tweezers holding the piece is quite helpful.
- When adding your stamped panel to your card base, it's easier to get it perfectly centred if you stand up and look down directly down on it.
- Altenew Layered Cupcake stamp set
- Altenew Birthday Builder stamp set
- Altenew Rose Quartz crisp dye ink
- Altenew Sweet Dreams mini ink cube set
- Altenew Jet Black crisp dye ink
- Altenew Dark Chocolate crisp dye ink
Packaging:

As
with the masculine set of cards, I wanted the packaging to co-ordinate
with the card set, so I looked through my rather large stash of
scrapbook papers until I found 2 that lent the feel I was going for. I
used the same recycled cardboard pieces for the base for my box, created
the top using 1 of the sheets of scrapbook paper and used the same
measurements for both the top and bottom. My dimensions ended up being 7
7/8" x 9.25" for the bottom of the box and then for the lid I added
1/16" to each of the 4 sides and it ended being perfect! I scored it on
all 4 sides and then on each of the 4 corners you end up with a little
flap where 2 of the scored lines interlap with another. For this part
you want to cut on one of the scored lines only and then cut out a
little indent here, so you end up with less bulk when folding the flaps
in.

Next I created 2 belly bands with the paper I had picked out and then made a flat style of bow using some burlap and lace ribbon. To finish it I typed the A Gift For You sentiment, added some gold foil to it using my Minc machine, cut it out with a tag die and tie it on with some metallic gold striped twine. I am really happy with the packaging....it has the same girly and feminine style as the cards within!
And that's it for my level 1 assignement! I have really enjoyed this challenge. it has most definitely stretched and pushed my creativity, in most definitely a good way! I can't wait to see what's waiting ahead in level 2.Thank you again so much for taking a few minutes out of your day to stop by and check out my post. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I have loved making these cards! They will for sure be heading off to a very special recipient! Until next time...take care and have a wonderful and crafty day! Michelle :)
Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 80lb cardstock, Canson Mix Media paper, metallic gold cardstock, black cardstock, white card base, Yupo paper, Pretty Pink Posh Sparkling Clear Sequins, Metallic Rose Gold sequins, Little Things from Lucy Ballerina mix sequins and sequin shaker mix, white craft fun foam, Ranger Multi Medium Matte liquid adhesive, Tombow Multi Mono liquid glue, 3M foam tape, Sookwang double sided tape, Gansai Tambi watercolours, Distress Splatter paintbrush, Canon printer, Minc machine, Brother Scan N Cut, DecoFoil gold foil, DecoFoil adhesive pen, Martha Stewart score board, acetate sheets, Stampin' Up heat tool, Tsukineko Chamagne Mist All Purpose ink, yellow sponge, Little B circle dies, Stampendous Clear Detail embossing powder, Versafine Onyx Black ink, Ranger Shell Pink and Pink Sherbet Alcohol inks, Ranger Alloy Gilded ink, Ranger Alcohol Blending Solutionm, 96% isopropyl alcohol, Tonic Studios guillotine paper trimmer, Picked Raspberry Distress Ink, Wplus9 Piggy Pure Color Dye ink and Timeless Tags 2 die.
AECP Level 1 Challenge - Part 1 Masculine cards
Today I am back with my final challenge to pass level 1 of the AECP! I have been working away on this for the last 2 weeks and am ready to show all my hard work. The past 10 classes have been filled with a lot of great and invaluable information and lots of fabulous techniques, both new and ones I've forgotten about and I've loved all of it so far. For this challenge I was given the task of making 2 different but coordinating sets of cards...1 set of feminine and 1 set of masculine cards, to design and create packaging for each set and also somewhere throughout this project I am to use a recycled element, which I have chosen to use on the packaging.
ETA...I have lost most of my photos for these except for a few, so I won't have many photos in this post 😞
I was also to chose 3out of the 10 class components that I have
learned in level 1, so for this I decided to focus on Easy Die Cutting
Techniques, Celebration: Stencil Techniques and For The Guys, although
there will be techniques from other classes used as well. I first went
about choosing my colour palettes. I decided to go with various shades
of teal with accents of gold, as I thought that it is a perfect shade
for masculine cards, it's fun and also lends a bit of a modern feel to
it....and teal and gold are perfect together! By using colours in the
same families throughout the set, it will help to unify them and make
them a cohesive set. I will also be sharing a few tips as I go along,
which hopefully may be beneficial to you.
This is going to be a bit of a longer post, filled with lots of
information, photos and some tips and tricks that may be a bit
beneficial to you. So sit back, get comfy, grab a beverage and let's
get started, so shall we.