Cards in Motion

 

Hello and welcome back to my blog.  Today, I am going to share all five of my Altenew Educator Certification Program (AECP) level III cards and project.  I believe this is the last part before the certification (but I’m not for certain).   I am going to share them in five (5) different post, so if you are not busy get comfy and let’s get-it-in!  Level III is more relaxed in that you get to pick the classes you want to try as long as they are not classes that you have taken in the previous two (2) levels.  Altenew has a vast library of classes to choose from so you won’t have a problem finding something that piques your interest with great price points too.    I chose the following classes: Cards in Motion, Mixed Media for Memory Keeping, Stunningly Styled Stencils, Muse, and Monoprinting.   They were all a lot of fun and yes, I do recommend all of them.  For now, I left all the cards blank inside. 

My approach to the projects in this level was to go through all the classes first.  I took notes on things that I had forgotten about and tips I found helpful during the class.   After I went through each classes I started on the cards and had the classes up on the computer for reference.    My inspiration for the cards and page was a wide range from the class itself to my K-Pop world.     

The first card I did was for the Cards in Motion class.   There were several examples of cards with motion to choose from which was great.  I really like the shaker with the large window.   I used the Dearest Friend stamp set for my main image.   I like the open lines and the playful feeling of the stamp.  For the sentiment I used the Crafty Greetings stamps set.  The sentiment is stamp with Altenew’s ObsidianBlack Pigment ink.  I love the elegant font mixed with the printed words; the combination of the two fonts really animates your message.  The image is coloured with alcohol markers. 

Please enjoy a few photos of my completed card for the Cards in Motion class from Altenew.  If you are interested in learning more about Altenew products or any of the classes click HERE. 

Thank you for stopping, stay safe

Joyce

Stunningly Styled Stencils

 

Alrighty, let’s keep this train rolling! We are checking out card number two (2) from my Altenew Educator Certification Program (AECP) level III class assignments.  This card is for the Stunningly Styled Stencils class.  Don’t you just love the name of the class?!  And these ladies did not disappoint.  I really like stenciling, but I always felt like they were so much work to achieve the beautiful results you often see in project and cards.  I think the problem was I was always rushing to complete the card or whatever I was working on.  Making this card was so enjoyable, which certainly encourages me to use my stencil more often.

I created the background for this card in no time!  A simple design with a bold statement.  My tip is to prepare everything you will need before you begin.  Everything from something to cover your fingers while you ink (to avoid aberrant smudges) to the damp cloth you’ll use to clean the stencil when you’re done.  If you are using a spray adhesive, include that prep as well.  Pre spray (prior to starting the project and while you are gathering the other items) your stencil in a well-ventilated area, so it can have time to be nice and tacky (sticky) when you are ready to use it.  I did this background in 10 minutes max with one attempt.  I am so please with the even distribution of ink across the card, this is thanks in part to Altenew’s Jet Black Crisp Dye Ink pad and their Chevrons Stencil.  I laid down a fairly good amount of ink and even when it dried back the colour did not fade out and lock splotchy.  To help keep my stencil secure, I used a TEMPORARY spray adhesive.  My inspiration for this card was the colours of my own crafting business which are Black, Pink, and White.  I also love the chevron pattern and wanted to make a card using that design.  I wanted a note card feel, so I added the Monogram trimmed in the gold and added a few sequins for the finishing touch.   The colour on the actual card is much darker than what is showing in the photos.  

Joyce

And it’s on to the next…

Monoprinting

 

Thank you for hanging in there with me.  I hope you are enjoying the cards and that you will find something that may be helpful and or inspiring to you in your crafting journey.   This will be card number three (3) of my Altenew Educator Certification Program (AECP) level III projects.   Card #3 is for the Monoprinting class.  Monoprinting or another name Gel Printing uses as the name is implies Gel like shapes to transfer different media like acrylic paint, dye inks, pigment inks to different sub straits such as tissue paper, vellum, cardstock, etc.  You can use other things such as stamps to take your Monoprinting to the next level.   You can purchase Gel pads on-line (Amazon) or at places like Hobby Lobby, JoAnn’s, or Michaels if you are in the U.S. 

I purchased a set of pads from Amazon last year but never had an opportunity to use them.  I was so excited to see the Monoprinting class in the Altenew crafting class library.   This was my first time doing Monoprinting; although I had seen it done many times on YouTube videos.  I will say it was not as easy as I thought it was going to be.  I did several and I do mean several practice prints before I got to one that I thought might work.  I found that I had difficulty with colour combinations.  A tip that was very helpful was to graduate one colour or you could use the colour combinations by Kristina Werner on Pinterest.  She has put together some amazing colour combinations.  After several what I called failed attempts, I decided to monoprint with a monocolour (lol).   Graduating one colour was a little less anxiety provoking for me.   Something to remember is your print experience is greatly influence by the sub strait and media you use.   Since this was my first attempt and not going as I expected, I kept it simple with dye ink and card stock.   I like the abstractness of the prints and using stamps and other items to give the print further definition really helped. 

I used a blue ink and graduated the colour starting with the most concentration of ink at the bottom.  I kept using what was on the pad until it was nearly gone.  I added droplets of water and square stenciling in gold to give it a grunge look.  After it was dried I used Altenew’s LeafCanopy stamp set add some leaves to the print.  I wasn’t happy with the print while I was creating, but what I learn during the AECP classes was to keep going eventually something will come to you.  I’m glad I kept going.  In the end I manage to come out with something I’m at least okay with.  For me what really made me like the card was the sentiment.  I think using Altenew’s “A Note Of Thanks” stamp from the Many Thanks Stamp Set trimmed in gold brought the card together.   Here are a few phots of my finished card.

Thank you for taking the time to visit.  Card #4 coming up.

Joyce

Muse

 

Moving along to card number four (4) from my Altenew Educator Certification Program (AECP) level III projects submissions.   Now this card was inspired by the Korean artist Lee Ungno.  She was definitely my MUSE, which is also the name of the class for which this card was created.  Her “Bamboo” painting is just so peace to me.  When I look at her painting, I feel like I’m standing in the middle of a bamboo forest and I can hear the soft musical sounds of the culms and leaves moving in the wind.  I love this painting.  It’s very clean and simple like the card it inspired.  

I stamped several bamboo trees across the card front in Altenew’s Jet Black Ink.  I started off the card front and ended off the card front to give the look of an endless row of Bamboo trees.  There is no sentiment for this card externally.  My sentiment will be inside.   I think this would be a good sympathy or encouragement card.  Bamboo trees are strong, and both losing someone and being motivated in times of distress take a great deal of strength.  There is an implied message of strength in the image. 

I cut a frame four times in beige cardstock and clue them together.  I wanted the image to set back as if it was a picture in a frame like in the museum.   I really like the simplicity and the image that comes to my mind when I see it.   You can see a picture of Lee Ungno's painting below. 

Sometimes less is more...

Painting by Lee Ungno "Bamboo" 1971

Thanks for stopping by...

Mixed Media Page up next!

Joyce

Mixed Media for Memory Keeping

And last but not least…my Mixed Media for Memory Keeping class.  I really, really, really enjoyed this class.  Natalie De Souza is the best!   I love mixed to begin with, but Nat just really makes you enjoy it even more.  Her style is more of a cleaner mixed media when you compare her to people like Diane Wakely and Tim Holtz.   Natalie does get “inky” as we call it, but her style is bright and homey.   She imparts so many tips and tricks during the class.   So, let’s jump into it.  My inspiration was my K-Pop idol bias SUGA of BTS (Bangtan Sanyeondan) translation: Bullet Proof Boy Scouts.  SUGA is aka Min Yoongi, AgustD, and lil’ Meow Meow.  Can you tell I am lovin’ me some SUGA?!  Okay, I’m focused now…  I used the layout Natalie created because it was perfect for my subject.  SUGA loves and cannot live without his coffee.

I changed a few things to fit my subject for my page.  SUGA also loves and writes music.  So, for my background I embossed sheet music.  His favorite colour is white, so I wanted to keep the overall page as light as possible.  I added the coffee rings using a mini Coke can bottom and the Altenew Coffee with A Splash stamp set.  His favorite coffee is Iced Americano (sadly for him, he has had to switch to decaf recently).  To create the Iced Americano and the Decaf, I used the insert packaging from a Tim Holtz stencil.  In the class Natalie mentions some kind of transparency she uses to make some of the drips on her page.  I used that same Tim Holtz packing (the outer packing-clear bag) to create some of the drips on my page.  I do not journal on my pages, but I wanted to incorporate his name somewhere.  I had quite a bit of white space left over, so I ink blended some colours to match the blending under the stencil and cut out his name “SUGA” in Hangul.  I also loved the idea of using vellum behind some of your photos.   his was a fun project.  I planned to do a hole lot more of the clean mixed media.   

Well, that is it for my ACEP level III submissions.  I hope you enjoyed my little journey and that myself and Altenew were able to inspire you in some way.   I hope also to share some exciting news about the Altenew’s Educator Certification Program soon, so pray for me, stay safe, and stay tuned.  Until next time...

Joyce