Altenew Academy: Easy Die Cutting

Hello and Welcome!  I just finished the Altenew Academy class titled Easy Die Cutting.  Yana Smakula was the instructor and she shared six wonderful lessons.   I chose to write this blog post about lesson #5:  Inlaid Die Cutting, which I found very inspirational.  I just purchased this large beautiful scripty thank you die (Altenew's Simply Thank You) and thought it would work great with the inlaid die cutting technique.  I learned to save all the pieces from both panels so you can can create two cards from the positive and negative die cutting.  Don't you just love two-for-one projects!  :-)

My Process:

I started by ink blending a bright colorful gradient on Bristol cardstock.  I didn't want it to smear so I let it dry overnight.  The next day I die cut the "thank you" from the inked panel.  I also die cut the same sentiment  from a white panel.  Then I just swapped the sentiments and glued the white die-cut into the opening on the inked panel and glued the inked sentiment onto the white panel.  I was careful to save all the die cut pieces so I could piece everything back together.  Voila...two cards!  Yana also loves embellishments so I felt encouraged to add buttercream jewels to the white background.  

These cheerful cards will come in so handy on my next thank you notes.

I am so pleased that you stopped by!

Karen

WWC253 - Karen's Challenge: Anything Goes With A Feminine Twist

Hello and welcome!  I can't believe it is a new year...and a new decade.  This week we are making "feminine" cards at The Watercooler Wednesday Challenge Website and I am the hostess.

I ordered some Altenew Mega Alphabet dies and the Altenew Large Thanks sentiment so I could make some thank you cards.  I wanted a bright happy card so I decided to do some "ink smooshing". 

 I started by making two inked panels.  Here was my technique:

1. I liberally inked an 6x6" acrylic block with Distress Inks.  I wanted an ombre gradient look so went in rows across the page.
2.  I sprayed the inked block with water 
3. "Smooshed" the block onto a piece of watercolor paper
4. Weighted the ink/block with a book for 5 minutes
5. Uncovered.  If the ink pooled, I dabbed with a paper towel.
6. I made a "second generation" panel for the background by taking a piece of Bristol Cardstock and soaking up the excess ink on my work space.    I had never done this before but I like having a softer but coordinated background for my card.  

Panel one was made with Peacock Feathers, Cracked Pistachio, Twisted Citron and Mustard Seed.  

Panel two (thanks) was Abandoned Coral, Carved Pumpkin and Mustard Seed.

After the panels were dry, I die cut the "T", thanks and floral images (Spellbinder's Month 7 Die of the Month and Newton's Nook Flower Trio die). I also die cut Sunny Studio's Frilly Frame to go over my second generation background.  I used Gina K Connect glue to adhere everything to the A2 card.    

I am pleased with this bright vibrant card.  

I am entering this card in:
As You Like It Thanks Challenge

Dies R Us Challenge I used Spellbinders floral dies.

Always Fun Something New Challenge  I made a second generation ink smooshing panel to coordinate with my die cuts.  I had never thought to coordinate like this in the past.  

Alphabet Challenge Try Something New I made a second generation ink smooshing panel to coordinate with my die cuts. I had never thought to coordinate like this in the past. 

UPDATE:  I was very pleased to be chosen "Top 3" at As You Like It!

I would love to see YOUR creation in our challenge.

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

WWC240 - Kath's "All About Occasions" Challenge

Hello and Welcome!  This week it is "all about occasions" at the Watercooler Wednesday Website and Kath is our hostess.

I've been playing around with Dare 2B Artzy stamps and dies and Zig markers.  I stamped the bloom on Bristol cardstock and then used my favorite Zig colors.  I stamped the sentiment and leaves, die cut the bloom and then adhered with foam tape.

Supplies:

Dare 2B Artzy Flowers for Mom stamp

Dare 2B Artzy Joyful Flowers Die

Bristol Cardstock

Pool envelop

Zigs:

202 Peach Pink

200 Sugared Almond

050 Yellow

052 Bright Yellow

031 Cobalt Blue

036 Light Blue

Dare2BArtzy Favorite Color Challenge  I love bright colors and I would have to say "aqua" blue is my favorite. Zig calls it Cobalt Blue and Light Blue. 

Thanks for joining us at Watercooler Wednesday!

Karen

Tropical Pineapple Thank You Card

Hello and Welcome!  I came up with the idea for a CAS framed thank you card.  I love the pineapple form Sunny Studio Tropical Paradise and thought it would be cute in a tall skinny  stitched frame. I added the small flower, leaf and lemon wedge as a cluster.

I used Bristol card stock, colored with Zig Markers and cut with coordinating dies.  I die cut the sentiment to complete the card.  I added some white gel pen accents.  This card came together very quickly.  

I am entering this card in:  

Make My Monday 100th Challenge - Thank You 
Congratulations on your 100th Challenge!

Less is More "Small Images" Challenge

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Guest Designer for Craft Stamper Magazine

I am so pleased to have been selected to be the Guest Designer for Craft Stamper Magazine this month!  Hop over to their July "Take It or Make It" website for some inspiration or to enter your stamped creation.

Since it is summer I went with a bold nautical card.  I won the Visible Images Create Your Own Calm stamp set in a card challenge and this is what I crafted.  The background is watercolored with three colors of blue/blue-green watercolor paints.  I wet the watercolor paper and then dropped in colors randomly and let them blend as they pleased.  I then white heat embossed the darling seahorse and rings.  I trimmed the panel down so that I would have a contrasting white strip when I mounted on a white A2 card.  I heat embossed the sentiment on vivid blue card stock and then trimmed it with a stitched die.  

I hope you like this card and that you will submit your creation to Craft Stamper Magazine's Take It Make It Challenge.

I am entering this card in:
The Rainbow "Blue Breezes" Challenge


Country View Blues and Greens Challenge

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

WWC217 - Michelle's Masculine "Anything Goes" Challenge

Hello and thank you for stopping by!  This week the theme for Watercooler Wednesday is Masculine "Anything Goes".  Michelle is our hostess.

Once a quarter, I take a Copic class with Laura Griffin.  Recently, instead of coloring with Copics, we used Copic refills to make alcohol ink backgrounds.  I've been playing with alcohol inks, but had never tried re-inkers.  Reinkers make a vibrant glossy creation!

For this card we layered on three different colors of Copic ink and used straws to move the ink around on the Yupo paper.  When we were satisfied with the result, we added a bit of gold.  Then we die-cut our sentiments (Papertrey "Count My Blessings".  I used bold jewel tones that I thought would be suitable for sending to a man yet still fun and festive.

I am, entering this card in Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Mood Board Challenge

Karen 

Create A Smile Guest Designer - Spring Citrus

It's citrus season here in Texas and that inspired me to make a bright cheery citrus themed card.  I was invited to be a Guest Designer for Create-A-Smile stamps and I used one of my favorite stamp sets, Fruit Salad.  For this card, I chose to use only the citrus stamps.  The theme for their current challenge is "Stamp a Background".

I started by embossing the three citrus images on Brisol cardstock.  Next, I used my Kuretake Watercolors to paint a watery lemon-yellow base and then dropped in more concentrated lemon yellow.  I wanted a messy watercolor background so the lime green (sap green light) was placed here and there.

I let the panel dry overnight and then I used a stitched die to trim the card down slightly.  I also cut an interior stitched frame out of white cardstock.  I glued the white frame and the watercolor panel to a white A2 card.  I die cut the "thanks" sentiment twice, glued them together and placed it at the bottom of the frame.

Rainbow Card "Yellow Challenge"  My first time to enter this challenge...mostly yellow with a bit of yellow-green splashed in.


Pile it On Favorite Color Challenge I just love the color yellow because it is so happy and warm.

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge It is citrus season in Texas so it is sunny and warm.  :-)

I love how bright and happy this card turned out.

Thanks for stopping by!
Karen

WWC206 - Anything Goes Challenge

Its time for another Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and this week is the bonus 5th week of the month so we have our broad "Anything Goes" prompt.  To find out more, please pop on over to the Watercooler Wednesday website.

A while back I watched a Jennifer McGuire video about one layer "Framed Stamping" and thought I would give it a try.  I loved the last card she did where there was coordinating outline stamping outside the frame.  Jennifer McGuire Framed Stamping Video link.

I used the Create the Smile Botanical Love (love that daisy!) and In Bloom sets and then hand drew in the black frame.  For the outline outside the frame I used pink dye ink   I then colored with Copic markers. Pretty effect.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Create a Smile Challenge  L is for (Botanical) LOVE!  Create-a-Smile florals are definitely favorite stamps sets.

Tuesday Throwdown - Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Warm and Cozy Thank You Note

Pink and Main Christmas Mugs was my favorite new (to me) holiday stamp set this year.  I stamped the mug, colored with Copic markers, embellished with gel pens (berries, candy and straw) and Wink of Stella on the whipped cream and done!  Clean, simple, easy and pleasing to the eye.

The shine doesn't show up in the photographs, but the card has a pretty sparkle in person.

I paired this with a bright red envelop, took a couple of quick pictures and am ready to enter some challenges.  

Clean and Simple Challenge #147  I love a good CAS card.

Coffee Loving Cardmakers Fall/Winter Blog Hop I cant figure out why, but I was unable to copy their graphic without an error message.  Such a fun hop though!

Cupcake Inspirations Challenge #459 Sprinkle and Sparkle - Love this bright festive prompt!


Stamping Sensations Winter Sparkle My winter sparkle comes from the Wink of Stella on the frothy whipped cream.


Paper Players Its Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas Challenge - Love this bright Christmasy inspiration!

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Modern Christmas Thank You Note

I am trying to stay ahead so I began creating my holiday thank you notes.   The idea for this card came to me over several days.  I won a challenge this summer and the prize was a gift certificate to Visible Images.  I selected several stamp sets and thought it would be fun to do a modern card using some of the circles and spheres that came in the sets.  Aqua and red are perfect  for this time of year.

I embossed all the images in silver on watercolor paper and used just two watercolor hues.  I changed the shades by adding more water to the areas I wanted less intense, so while I had just two colors on my pallet, I had several pools of aqua and red in varying shades to work from.  I added a strip of aqua to the edge to accent the colors.  I love the shine and shimmer from the silver embossing powder.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Color Throwdown #519 Challenge  I got my color inspirations from this challenge.  I had been pondering aqua and apple green, but when I saw this challenge I knew I wanted to use red and aqua.

Simply Less is More #384 Metallics Challenge  I love their metallic prompt!

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen