Altenew Educator “Love & Friendship” Blog Hop +Giveaway

Altenew Educator “Love & Friendship” Blog Hop +Giveaway

Hi everyone! I’m so honored to be joining the 2nd Altenew Educators’ blog hop and this time it’s all about love and friendship. If you are following the hop, then you should have arrived here from the talented Patty Melo. The Altenew Card Blog is hosting this hop so make sure to drop by there as well.

I finished the Altenew Educator’s Certificate Program (AECP) in November of 2018 and it has been one of the most inspiring and fulfilling programs I’ve ever joined. There were quite a number of wonderful classes to choose from. Even if I knew some basic techniques, the talented instructors have shown me other ways to improve and enhance my skills. Their tips and tricks are invaluable. Virginia Lu and Nicole Picadura‘s support and encouragement throughout the course have made the experience very inspiring and memorable. AECP has made me realize that I find so much joy in teaching others! It has also been a wonderful source of new friendships– the Altenew family, the Educator’s group, the students I teach locally, and my online friends from all over the world. Through this program, I’ve been inspired countless times by the creativity of the participants and the generosity of the instructors in sharing their knowledge. I truly believe that crafters are the most generous people on earth!!! 🙂

“Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.” Eleanor Roosevelt

I love the theme for this blog hop. I treasure the new friends that I’ve made thru AECP and look forward to meeting more people through this wonderful crafting community. My lifelong friends are kind, sincere and most importantly, genuine people. I’ve learned so many life lessons through their experiences and always find comfort and support in their presence.

For this blog hop, I was so inspired to create backgrounds using distress oxide inks and Altenew watercolor brush markers. I suggest you make several backgrounds using the same coloring mediums. Just change the color combination. It’s best to choose analogous colors or colors next to each other on the color wheel. But if you want high contrast, then choose complementary colors (colors opposite each other on the color wheel). Just take note that if these colors mix, you will end up with “mud” which I also love. Below are some of the cards I made for friends and loved ones.

EVERYTHING WILL BE OK  CARD

MATERIALS:

I wanted this card to look like an abstract painting. Arches watercolor paper was cut to 5.5” x 4”. Distress oxide Candied Apple, Ripe Persimmon and Fossilized Amber inks were pressed onto a craft mat and water was spritzed for the colors to react. The paper was then dabbed onto the colors then dried. I went back to add cool colors but making sure that the first layer of colors was dry before adding the next.

The flower image from the Dotted Blooms stamp set was stamped using Versamark Ink then heat embossed using Rose Gold embossing powder. Notice that I used the other second layers of the stamps separately thus creating more flowers that I can paint and use on my card.  The sentiment was stamped on watercolor paper then distress oxide pistachio was added heavily at the bottom of the strip then blended upwards to create an ombre effect. One of the main flower images was mounted using foam tape to add dimension. The sides of the card panel was distressed using the Tonic paper distresser.

WISHING YOU ALL THE JOY YOUR HEART CAN HOLD HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARD

MATERIALS:

I stamped the image from the Geometric Landscape using Versa Mark onto a 5″ x 5.5″ watercolor paper and heat embossed using Altenew pure white crisp embossing powder. Using the wet on wet technique, I colored in the shapes using  Lagoon, Turquoise, Sweet Leaf, Persian Blue and Mountain Mist watercolor brush markers. The edges were distressed using Tim Holtz paper distresser.  Velum sheet was torn to create a frame and the sentiment from  Sincere greetings sentiment was stamped using Versamark and embossed using Rose gold embossing powder.  I chose vellum as a frame/mat for the sentiment so that the background can still be seen.

I painted a light wash using the same colors I used for the background and sprinkled salt to create these wonderful “blooms” and used the 3D dies to create the flowers and vines of the leaves. The leaves remained white so that the flowers will stand out more.  The die cuts were arranged in one corner and adhered using glue and foam squares. The whole panel was adhered to a top folding Neenah Solar white CS with foam tape for added dimension.

YOU ARE STRONGER THAN YOU THINK CARD

MATERIALS:

I wanted to make a card that has a lot of white space this time. Neenah Solar White CS was cut down to 4.25” x 11” and scored at 5.5” to create a top-folding card. The Beveled Square stencil was placed on top of the card front and Altenew embossing paste was spread using a spatula.  While allowing it to dry,  wet on wet technique was used to add some color washes of blues and purples on watercolor paper. Salt was sprinkled while the paper was wet to create some effects.

The Rose Flurries 3D leaves and the Garden Picks 3D flowers and leaves were used to die cut the watercolor papers. A strip was also colored and the sentiment from the Delicate Flower Bed stamp set was embossed using Versamark Ink and Altenew Pure White Crisp embossing powder. The flowers and leaves were assembled and adhered with glue and foam squares.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUOUS SUPPORT CARD

MATERIALS:

I just love the Teal Shadow Washi Tape because you already have watercolored flowers and leaves instantly!!! <3 This card was pretty simple to create.  Fabriano watercolor paper was cut down to 5.5” x 4.25”. With a blending tool, the background was colored using Fossilized Amber, Spiced Marmalade and Abandoned Coral.  Water was sprayed to create droplets. The Watercolor Stripes cover die was used to cut out the stripes from Neenah Solar White CS.  I stuck the beautiful Teal shadow washi tape on white CS as well then fussy cut the images.  (this washi tape comes with a coordinating die set) These images were then arranged on the left side of a side folding card and adhered using Glossy accents.

Different thickness of foam tape was also used to create dimension. The sentiment from the Handpicked Bouquet was stamped using Versamark Ink then embossed using Altenew pure white crisp embossing powder. Tuck in the sentiment strip under the leaves for added interest.

SENDING LOVE AND HUGS CARD

MATERIALS:

Feeling Dotty stencil was placed on the watercolor paper and Versamark Ink was added to certain areas then embossed with clear embossing powder. Next,  Peacock Feathers and Cracked Pistachio Distress Oxide inks were added to the watercolor paper using a distress tool.  Versamark Ink was again added to certain areas of the watercolor paper using the Feathered Leaves and Beveled Square Stencils then heat embossed using clear embossing powder.  Just make sure that the first layer of inks is completely dry. It helps to use an antistatic tool before applying the Versamark ink over the stencils. Water droplets were also added to create more contrast. Lastly, Wilted Violet was added on top revealing the stencil patterns using the emboss resist technique. 

The intricate Altenew Flora Frame Die was die cut 4 times then adhered on top of each other.  This was then pasted on vellum sheet to make it more sturdy. The vellum was cut out to follow the shape of the heart using scissors. The sentiment from the Adore You stamp set was stamped on black cardstock using Versamark Ink then heat embossed using  Pure White Embossing Powder.  The edges of the card front were distressed using the Tonic paper distresser then mounted on a top folding A2 card with foam sheet.

I APPRECIATE YOU AND I’M HERE FOR YOU CARDS

MATERIALS:

I’ve been seeing layouts and card designs with watercolor drippings and have been inspired by Erum Tasnim and May Sukyong Park’s beautiful cards so I thought of trying out the technique.

I started out by choosing 3 colors that will blend well together.  I don’t mind seeing touches of “mud”. This happens when 2 complimentary colors mix.  In fact, for the cool colored card, I purposely mixed blue and orange to get a brownish color to add to the mix.  The 3 Distress Ink Pads were directly swiped onto the watercolor paper.  The colors were sprayed with water and allowed to drip. The paper was held perpendicularly to the table and a watercolor brush was used to help move the pigments downwards. When this was dry, flower and leaf images from the Adore You stamp set were stamped on watercolor paper and embossed using Pure White Embossing powder. The coordinating die cuts were used to cut out the stamped images. The flowers and leaves were arranged temporarily so that I could color them according to the color drippings. Salt was added while the images were wet for added texture.

The images were then adhered using glue or foam squares. The sentiment was stamped using Versamark Ink and embossed using Pure White Embossing powder.  Clear Round Drop embellishments were added to the cool colored card while staples and thread were added to the sentiment for the warm colored card to finish them off. These were then adhered to A2 top and side folding cardstocks.

WISHING THE BEST FOR YOU CARD

MATERIALS:

This is another quick and easy card to create.  I first created a background. This stamp set is so dainty and soft so I wanted to create a card that represents this stamp set. The images were stamped to cover the entire cardstock. For the shadow stamp, Limestone dye ink was used to keep it soft. The Mountain Mist and Volcano Lake were layered using the leaves and stem stamp sets then the Iceberg and Eastern Sky dye inks were used for the flowers.

The letters Y, O and U from the Caps Bold Alpha was used to die cut the word on the lower right side of the card. Additional letters were die cut on plain CS and layered to add dimension. The sentiment from the You Are stamp set was stamped on black cardstock using Versamark ink then heat embossed using Pure White Crisp embossing powder.  The strip was adhered on to the YOU using foam squares. Paper distresser was used on all sides of the panel and this was then glued onto a top folding A2 card base. 

DISCOUNTS AND PRIZES

To celebrate this blog hop and to encourage more people to join, Altenew is giving away 20% discount on the following bundles from 7/19 – 7/21: LEVEL 1 CLASS BUNDLE and LEVEL 2 CLASS BUNDLE. This is your chance to take advantage of this great deal!!

Altenew is giving away a $30 gift certificate to 3 lucky winners! Please leave a comment on the Altenew Blog by 7/26/2019 for a chance to win.
We’ll also draw a winner to receive a $15 gift certificate from the comments left on each designer’s blog on the blog hop list below. All winners will be announced on the Altenew blogs on 7/30/2019.

In case you are lost, here is the HOP ORDER:

If you liked these cards, I would appreciate it if you can subscribe to my blog and follow me on Instagram @mylittleatticstudio. <3 Do leave a comment below and get a chance to win some giveaway prizes!

Next stop is the talented Vicki Finger! Thanks again for dropping by! ❤️

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Altenew Build-A-Flower: Camellia Japonica Release Blog Hop + Giveaway

Altenew Build-A-Flower: Camellia Japonica Release Blog Hop + Giveaway

Hello everyone!!! I am so excited to be a part of this Altenew blog hop featuring the beautiful Altenew Build-A-Flower: Camellia Japonica. Thank you so much to the uber-talented Jaycee Gaspar for leading all of you to my blog. If you somehow get lost, the entire blog hop list can be found at the end of this post.

Altenew has been in the forefront of designing layered floral stamps and dies and this particular stamp set does not disappoint. There are two options to obtain this stamp set– one is the Build-A-Flower: Camellia Japonica stamp and die bundle and the other is the Build-A-Flower: Camellia Japonica & Ink Bundle which comes with a 5% discount!

BUILD-A-FLOWER: CAMELLIA JAPONICA

BUILD-A-FLOWER: CAMELLIA JAPONICA & INK BUNDLE

The flower image is pretty huge… approximately 2.75″ x 2.5″ so it’s prefect as a focal point in any card design. Below you will find 5 ways on how to use this stamp set.

STAY PATIENT AND TRUST THE JOURNEY CARD

MATERIALS:

For this first card, I wanted to create a shadow box card. I fussy cut the flowers and leaves of the Botanical Rhapsody washi tape that was stuck to white CS for easy cutting. I stamped 3 Build a Flower Japonica images using Mountain Mist, Volcano Lake, Aqualicious and Lagoon crisp dye inks. I arranged the 3 flowers (always choose odd numbers when placing the focal images on a card—a design principle I learned during my scrapbooking days 🙂 ) then I covered up the space with the cut out washi images. I made sure not to adhere the tips of the leaves to give it a more natural feel.

I just love the sentiments from the One Day At A Time stamp set… such uplifting messages!!! The sentiment was stamped on vellum using Versamark Ink and Rose Gold Embossing powder. 2 stitched rectangle scallop frames were die cut from teal cardstock and the following were stuck to each other: frame, transparency, vellum, frame. These served as the cover of the shadow box. Foam tape was placed on the edges of the frame and adhered to the floral panel then was adhered to a side folding A2 card front.

HANG IN THERE CARD

MATERIALS:

This see-through card was inspired by the amazing Jennifer Mcguire. You can check out her tutorial for this type of card here. I went ahead and stamped several of the BAF Camelia Japonica flower image with the Lapis Lazuli crip dye ink set ( Iceberg, Eastern Sky, Ultramarine and Azurite) and the leaves using Bamboo, Parrot and Olive crisp dye inks from the Tropical Forest set. Use the coordinating die cuts for the images. Below you will find the layering guide for this stamp set.

BUILD-A-FLOWER: CAMELLIA JAPONICA LAYERING GUIDE

The images were arranged to cover a 5.5” x 4.25” cardstock. I made sure that the flowers and leaves were somehow connected to each other. When I was happy with the arrangement, I used Press’n Seal to pick up all the flowers and leaves together. I carefully glued to leaves to the flowers then added foam tape. Cut a transparency at 4.25” x 11” and score at 5.5”. Lay the floral card front on top of the transparency. In order to hide the foam tape, I die cut the leaves and flowers on white cardstock and glued them to the inside of the card. This way, all the foam tapes will be hidden. The excess leaves and flowers were then cut. I added a 4.25” x 5.5” cardstock on the transparency to create the inside of the card.  The hang in there die was used to cut 5 pieces of cardstock. One was colored with the Parrot crisp dye ink using a blender brush. All 4 pieces were adhered to each other using adhesive and the colored layer was slightly shifted to the right to create a shadow.

HOPE YOUR DAY IS DELIGHTFUL CARD

MATERIALS:

I wanted to make a card that was easy to assemble. Since I already had extra stamped flowers, this card was finished in 5 minutes. The 3 flowers were arranged on opposite corners of the A2 top folding card front. The sentiment from the same stamp set was embossed using Rose Gold embossing powder. A gold mat was created by inking the paper with Versamark Ink then embossing it with the same embossing powder. The sentiment and flowers were adhered to the card front using foam tape. A black border was hand-drawn to frame the card. Such a quick and easy card to create!

THINKING OF YOU CARD

MATERIALS:

For this card, I wanted to change up the flower a little bit.  I stamped the flower image twice using the Enchanted Garden and the  Sea Shore Crips Dye Ink sets following the layering guide. After this, I layered them on top of each other and secured both with a post-it tape so that the layers won’t move when I simultaneously trim them into strips. Once the strips were cut, I used the die cut of the flower as a base to assemble the alternate strips of the flower.  I don’t know why but it somehow makes the flower look 3D. 🙂

Next, the image from the Book Club stamp set was embossed using Versamark Ink and Rose Gold embossing powder.  The following artist makers from set D were used to color the flowers using the flicking technique: B802, B714 and B815. The leaves were colored with Artist markers set B:R702, R823. The card front of an orange A2 card base was cut diagonally. Both die cuts where attached diagonally as well. I framed the white cardstock with the Fine  Frames Die Set which was heat embossed with Rose Gold Embossing powder to match the other floral image.  Finally, the sentiment from the Swiss Dots was also stamped and embossed.

I’M HERE FOR YOU CARD

MATERIALS:

For this last card, I wanted the flower to be the star in this card so I left the Botanical Rhapsody washi tape uncolored and the background muted. The background was done by using the Feathered Leaves Stencil with some Altenew Embossing Paste mixed with some Orange Cream Crisp Dye Ink. The stencil was placed on the front cover of an A2 card and the tinted embossing paste was evenly spread using a spatula. The stencil was carefully removed and the card was allowed to dry.

The white areas were then colored using Wink of Stella clear just to add some shimmer.  To make it easier to cut, the Botanical Rhapsody Washi Tape was stuck to a white cardstock then fussy cut. I used the Artist Marker WG03 from Set B to color a piece of cardstock  to match the Botanical Rhapsody washi flowers/leaves then I heat embossed the sentiment from Forever and Always using Versamark Ink with Pure White Embossing Powder. Flowers and foliage were arranged and glued down using adhesive and foam squares.

I hope you liked the cards I created for this release. Make sure to drop by the Altenew Card Blog and check out the other creative ways this stamp set can be used. It may also be a good idea to sign up for the Build-A-Flower Monthly subscription plan. When you are signed up, you are guaranteed a spot in the monthly BAF releases and will receive a set each month – at a specially discounted price! ($35.00 →$29.99).

To celebrate this release, Altenew is giving away a $30 gift certificate to 6 lucky winners! Please leave a comment on the Altenew Card Blog and/or Altenew Scrapbook Blog for a chance to win.

Altenew will also draw a winner to receive a $15 gift certificate from the comments left on each designer’s blog on the blog hop list below. All winners will be announced on the Altenew blogs on 7/7/2019.

Next up is the talented Irna Fonina. In case you are lost, below you will find the entire blog hop order. Make sure to leave a comment below to get a chance to win, ok? I truly appreciate you stopping by. If you liked my projects, it would be wonderful if you can follow me on Instagram (@mylittleatticstudio) and Facebook at My Little Attic Studio<3 Thank you so much for dropping by! Till my next post <3

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