GOOD NEWS! I finally have my new computer! This is good news because I get to start playing with my videos. I am still learning the software and pray for your consideration while I learn and improve. Now onto our card for today!
I take a lot of classes. I love learning about my different mediums. One of the things about card making is I get these little canvases to try my newly aquired skills! This card is a combination of many of my classes and playing.
The background of this card has been built using several sets. I enjoy the masking and adding many different elements to create the one of a kind look. I loved this Whimsy Stamp set I ordered from Simon Says Stamps. Gnome Get Well (click image below to find it).
I also used Cathy Z Design for Simon Says Stamps and it was the actual inspiration. The 100% chance is what triggered my rainy day feel. Living in a state that sees very little rain, any chance to enjoy it (even if I am only creating it on a canvas) is a must!
I hope you like this card and get a little inspiration.
I really did enjoy making the rainy-day look. I hope to make a video with this technique for you very soon. Let me know if that is something you would be interested in seeing.
Yep, it’s another holiday card class for this girl. I really love that K Werner and J McGuire take so much time and work to prepare such high-quality classes for crafters. I have taken many! This year I really did have a blast. (I have one more project to complete but, I finished the others. The final is on my desk.) It may take me a few days to finish the final assignment as I a preparing to teach a fun craft class at my church.
There were several assignments and here are my attempts. I have a few that I really like and some not as much. I did, however, try each technique taught and the ones that I don’t like, I am sure I can play with the technique a bit more and land on something I like. Without further delay, here they are.
I know you can still sign up for the class so I don’t want to reveal the content so I will just add the Class Title and the Project I completed.
Day One: Die Cutting. At first, I wanted to try the techniques with something, but it turned out to be not so Christmasy. Which is fine, it just shows that you can use the techniques all year round!
Day Two: Plaid. THIS class was so much fun. I really love the final card. I added a twist to mine, I used Easter colors on a holiday card, and loved it.
Day Three: Fast Backgrounds
This was an exciting one. I used a product that I really wanted to use. It was a struggle though. It’s proof that you must use the supplies to master them. I am pleased with the result and so happy I busted out a product I don’t use nearly enough.
Day Four: Ink Blend
Well, when my Simon Says Stamp Kit (First Night) came in, it was perfect timing. I was also trying to play with some color combos from my Color Cube and this fun happened.
Day Five: Using Scraps!
Yeah, we all have them. We all need ways to use them. Leave it to Jennifer McGuire to step up our scraps!
BONUS Day!! Using Leftovers!
Well, that worked out! I had this sitting in my garbage can, can you believe it? Yeah, this class saved this card’s life! Whew!
DAY SIX: Tiny Stamps… I have a lot of these. When the topic popped up in my inbox, I was very happy to watch the class AND use some of the techniques to create a fun little card.
DAY SEVEN: Embossing Folders – This is one that I will use again. Not my favorite final project from the class, but it is fun and I am excited to make more with the techniques taught.
DAY EIGHT: Foiling. It’s such a cool looking hot trend! (See what I did there haha) ANYWAY, this class kicked butt! Oh, with so so so many ideas and tips. The cost of this class is covered right here in this one day!
DAY NINE: Snowflakes – Well, here is the card that made me so happy I teared up a little. To say I had a rough day (few days) would be an understatement! Then I watched this class and had a moment of clarity. We need cardmaking. It is truly therapeutic. Card making (and this class) saves not only card lives (see Bonus day) but it saves our mental health. Also one of my favorite cardist (card making artist) taught this day.
DAY TEN: Interactive This is the final day of class. I have my project on my desk in progress. I just am so excited to get this done!!! I will post the final, but I wanted to be sure to get this post done before the class expires — the live version. It does continue live until the 18th. You can get in and join the fun and be in the running for the giveaways. After the 18th it will still be available, but the forum is closed. If you have a chance, DO sign up you can get 10 no 11 card ideas and techniques for 2022.
Well, I am always trying to make Christmas cards not just in July and December. If I make just 10 cards a month, that’s 120 Christmas cards by December. I don’t always get 10 a month done, but it’s a fun goal to work toward. The thing is, you CAN’T beat yourself up if you only get one… or NONE done for your month. It’s about taking some of the stress off of you in that month of busy busy busyness.
I also love the July releases from Spellbinders. I can’t wait to get my next Christmas card made with the adorable mailbox sets. SOOO cute.
I think maybe I need to have that same goal for birthday cards, or I could say 10 Christmas every other month and 10 Birthday every other month. Another way could be to spilt it 5/5 and end up with 60 Christmas and 60 birthday cards by the end of the year. With that many cards, you can give some away as gifts!!!
Stamps – Hero Arts -Lotus Flower, Koi Fish – Altenew Inks – Hero Arts ,Catherine Pooler, Tim Holtz, Copic Markers and Polychoromos colored pencils; Stencil – My Favorite Things
Have you ever had a moment when you get a new stamp set that you say, “Oh, Boy, I know what I want to do with that!” I love how this card did that!
I had two stamp sets show up on the same day and I had one of those moments. I opened my happy mail and set them out on my desk so I could put them in the storage sleeves and these two stamp sets, from Hero Arts and Altenew, popped an idea into my mind and Koi, oh Koi did I love it.
I did ink over the image of the koi to give it a look of being underwater. I thought it came out great when I used the “Pool” stencil from MFT to give the water a look of motion. Simply using an ink that is slightly lighter (TH Tumbled Glass) over the new Catherine Pooler Cummerbund ink that I used with the stencil. I did put the ink over the image of the koi. (Which made me nervous– but hey, it’s only paper right.)
It’s sometimes hard to imagine mixing stamp sets and stamp sets from different companies even more so when it comes to images. I try to stretch my stamps by mixing them with not only images from within a company line but look outside the company as well. In this example, it worked great.
I encourage you to make something and combine many companies images. It is fun and a great challenge.
I am working my way through my classes and in the second layering class, I had an idea that I haven’t done in a long while. Breaking it down simply is I blend the inks on the stamp. I thought how fun it would be to layer the blending. The secret is that you need to find colors that are far enough apart on a color wheel, but usually on the same side. What I mean by that is you really need to try and keep warm colors together and cooler colors together.
I used red and yellow in this example to create a layer of orange that would blend the layers of inks. Notice there is space between red and yellow on this color wheel. (This s a super basic color wheel so imagine if we had more colors between yellow and red.)
Different kinds of yellows will respond with different reds in fun way. Take a moment to look at all the fun you can have with layering colors, using a more complete color wheel.
Now you can image, with all those colors of ink that Altenew offers. I love that the inks are so subtle in change, yet so varied. Think of these inks as paints you can blend!
Moving on, You will note my card is on a green base with some green baubles on it. The reason I chose to use a yellow green is, that it is opposite red, (the primary color of my card image) on the color wheel. I use this yellow green because yellow is a primary blending color on this card. The yellow in the green of the base card is supported because I used yellow with red to make that yellow-orange blend.
The idea of layering isn’t just putting down ink colors on top of each other, but there is an art to it. Choosing a color scheme that makes sense will make our layered ink cards so much more beautiful. For some artist this is absolutely a natural ability for others it’s not that easy. I have found that understanding why I chose a color can help others make the choice easier.
Be patient – the ink needs to settle on the paper to complete the blending.
How I blended the inks is simple:
Put the lighter colored ink (Yellow) on the center of stamp out almost to the edge.
Add the darker ink (Red) around the edges and moving inward a bit.
Using a wet baby wipe or wet paper towel, dab the hard edges made by ink pads
Stamp image (usually best if you use a stamping platform)
If you need to repeat, clean stamp between stamping image
The best part of using the Altenew stamps is the number of layers. I repeated the process on the next layer with inks that were slightly darker (creates great shadows).
The third layer, I used a darker red to be sure there was enough definition and to give the flower a defined overall color.
It is amazing the things that taking classes can bring back. I love the way this card came out. Let me know what you think below.
Blessings!
Erika
Yellow blended outward and created a smooth look on the parrot tulip.
