make a scene

Making a Scene with Me

Erika L Hayes3 Comments

Without a doubt, scene building cards are my favorite to create! I think it is the writer in me. I feel like I can set a mood for the card receiver when I create a card with a scene. Pop up a card and add some mood colors and wha-la you have given a story to your loved one.

Adding deminsion to any card will bring a sense of depth, but in scene building you need to have more than pop up of deminson you really want to tell a story. I think successful scenes will hold a backdrop and a focal point and a sentiment that supports the story. One reason I chose the sets I did is they supported one another to complete a calm feeling. I chose my ink colors based on the feeling as well. More on that in an upcoming class. Color theory is very important as well in scene buliding cards. I will be going over that more later in a class I am creating for this type of card making.

I am working on creating a class for this card, but I think it will be video so I am still shooting the footage… I will update this post once it is available and as always,

Here is a sneak peek of whats to be covered!

Thanks for taking time to check out my journey! I am excited as this is my last level one assignment for the AECP ! WHOOO HOOO! More to be shared soon on this card as it will be coming soon as a class for you!!!

Excited for the future!

Erika Hayes

For me, it’s all about education. I am self-taught designer and artist. I made the choice to stay home and be a mom for almost 25 years and during that time, I studied graphic design, color theory and visual arts through online learning opportunities. I am a published artist and writer. I returned to college as an adult and studied American Sign Language, German and creative writing. I am a lifelong learner and love sharing what I learn with anyone with interest. Currently gaining certification in Adobe Illustrator. Soon to be AEC educator! YAY!

100% Chance of fun

Erika L Hayes1 Comment

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.

Have a wonderful day! I’ll be back soon!

MFT Superstar Contest!

Erika L Hayes3 Comments

This year I am entering the contest. They have three categories my first is the coloring category. In the past, I’ve gone overboard trying to guess what they are looking for and add my own art. This year I made a fun little scene and I didn’t think about it. I didn’t draw a ship or add anything but the stamps I put them center stage. So here is my color entry

Next up was the Out of the box challenge! I love the out of the box challenges. They are so fun to put together. I got the idea for my HoHoHo Santa is coming to town card while sitting in my studio sorting stamp sets! Here is my entry for the out of the box category

Finally, CAS (clean and simple). I’ve had this idea since last year. I struggled with which to make for the contest and went with my other idea last year. This little baby has been waiting 360+/- days to be created. I sketched it out but waited to make it. Now that I have made it I wish I would have made it last year. Here is my CAS entry

Now, I’m not expecting to win anything, but you never know. I really do this contest for the fun of it. I love MFT Stamps (just look through my blog, you’ll see lots of their product is my literal favorite things.

I hope you get joy or inspiration from these cards. Enjoy your night!

Blessings!

ErikaLee

Wheelie Happy Hump Day

Erika L Hayes1 Comment
All Stamps, Dies & Paper
My Favorite Things

As promised, I AM going to try and keep more stuff on my blog. Here we are, more stuff.

I want to encourage all crafty peeps out there, that it’s okay to copy a card. Most of the time what happens is you begin it helps break those mental blocks. I really loved this card from Vika Silmina. It’s a bit aged as these products came out a while ago. I looked at it and really wanted to use the Build-A-Tree die set that had been sitting on my desk for a bit. I loved the idea of a bear and trees so this was my launching point.

From the MFT blog

You can see where the inspiration took on its own life. I really liked the idea of the smaller scale “scene” from this card too.

While I loved the “thank you ring” die and I do own it, I decided to abandon the use of it when this card began to build itself into a more of a scene. I did get to use the Build-A-Tree set and love how it worked in this card. In case you don’t have this little lovely, You may want to check it out here.

It is my hope that you can see that finding inspiration in the beautiful designs of others is a great way to break the block. It also often pushes you to try new things. You may start off with a copy (in my opinion, the highest form of flattery) and end up with something completely different. Of course, it’s also okay to just copy a card you just like. (Be sure, of course, to give credit for the design if you post it online somewhere.)