Category: Graduation Card

Welcome Back!!

I am very excited to share that I made it to the Level One AECP Final Challenge Project.  This is going to be a lengthy post as I will be sharing some instructions and insight.  Grab a snack and your favorite beverage, relax and ride along with me.

The rules for the final challenge are as follows:  Make 2 gift card sets – one masculine and one feminine.  Use three components from the classes taken, and create unique packaging for each gift set using one recycled element.

Step One:

I decided to make sets of personalized note cards that could be used for any occasion, a note to say hi or a thank you.  The central design for each set will be around the Altenew – Mega Alphabet Dies K (feminine) and M (masculine).  I wanted each card to be unique but with a masculine or feminine feel to them not necessarily a single-color pallet.

I went through my stamps and dies and sorted them to what was masculine  and feminine.  I sketched out some ideas that I was excited to try out.

I also created templates in order to keep everything uniform and centered.  This was very helpful when using both the negative and positive die cuts on a card.

Step Two:

Trying to narrow the components down to three was harder than I expected it to be.  In all honesty, I am sure I used some aspect of all 10 classes in these cards but these are the components I chose and why:

• Clean & Simple Boutique Cards – This technique creates classic cards and works well when making sets.
• Celebration: Stencil Techniques – Using stencils was something I felt would work well when making masculine cards.
• Easy Die Cutting Techniques – This was an element I could use in every card whether it was the initial (both the positive and the negative cuts) or added die cut images.
• Let It Shine – We all love a little shine!

Masculine Cards

Using the Altenew – Banana Leaves 3D Embossing Folder I inked the folder with white ink, then sprayed it lightly with water, placed my dark blue cardstock in the folder and ran it through the die cutting machine. This gives the leaves more dimension and colors the background.

Cut the card stock panel to 4” x 5.25” and adhered it to a gray A2 size card base.  I added a brushed silver die cut using the Altenew – Mega Alphabet Dies M.

I used stencils on the next 3 cards.  The first is the Altenew – Mountain scene building stencil.  Using different shades of browns, blues and greens I ink blended the scene.  I cut the panel to 4” x 5.25” and added it to dark teal green A2 card base.  I used the Altenew – Wood Pallet stamp and Gathered Twigs Distress Ink on brown card stock to create the wood grain M for the front of this card.

Using the Altenew – Pine Forest 3D Embossing folder and stencil set I inked the embossed panel with Altenew Crisp Dye Inks – Hunter Green, Just Green and Sweet Leaf.  Placing the negative stencils over the trees I used the Altenew – Cloud stencil to create the sky behind the trees with Arctic Fresh Dye Ink.  To add more dimension, I added a bit of pink with an Altenew #7 detail blending brush.

This one uses the Altenew – Aztec Motif Stencil and Clear Skies Lunar Paste.  After creating the background, I struggled with what color the M should be.  I cut it out of heavy vellum, and it was ok but not what I was looking for.  I then decided to crumple up some lightweight vellum and cut the M from that.  I loved that look.  Once it was adhered it to the card panel the love was lost.

I cut a brushed silver M and used the vellum as a shadow instead.  I cut the panel to 3 7/8” x 5”, added a brushed silver panel cut to 4’ x 5.25” and added this to an A2 black card base.

The final card was inspired by an Instagram post I saw from Jaycee Gaspar.  I loved how he colored his koi fish.  I cut the fish out of white card stock using Altenew’s – Calming Koi stamp and die set.  I stamped the spots for one with VersaMark ink and embossed it with clear embossing power then inked it with Altenew – Crimson Crisp Dye Ink.  The second I stamped the spots with Altenew – Crimson Crisp Dye Ink.  I cut the fins from vellum and glued the pieces together.  I embossed a blue card panel with the Altenew – Ribbon Waves embossing folder and splattered it with white gouache mixed with a bit of water and using a paint brush and a stamping block.  Once dried I sprayed the panel with a shimmer spritz and inked the edges with Altenew – Sapphire Fresh Dye Ink.  The panel was cut to 4”x5.25” and added to a black A2 card base.  The M was cut from matte copper cardstock and added to the panel along with the koi fish using dimensional adhesive.

I decided to make the packaging for the masculine cards a rustic, manly looking envelope made from the inner paper core from a roll of wrapping paper as well as a Guinness bottle cap for my recycled elements.  The twine is glued under the bottle cap that is on 6 stacked layers of foam tape.  It wraps around the envelope and then around the bottle cap for closure.

Feminine Cards:

I am going to be very honest.  I had so many “great” ideas for the feminine cards and so many of them failed.  A couple I salvaged and used but others remain in the garbage can.  It makes me have even more respect for all of those crafters out there that make it look so easy.

I tried to stretch my creativity with the feminine cards.  Each one is very different but they all had a technique I learned in the classes.

I started with the Altenew Build-A-Garden Pristine Peonies stamp set.  I stamped and heat embossed the large image on gold card stock with black embossing and then on black card stock with gold embossing.  I taped the template I created onto each panel.  Using the Altenew – Mega Alphabet Dies I cut the K out of each.  I used a nested frame die to cut the frame from each.

I alternated the gold and black to create the layers and then adhered them to an A2 card base.  I chose the black background card to add to the set as I felt it was cleaner and had nice shine.

For this card, I chose a piece of floral patterned paper I thought was pretty.  I really like the Altenew – Woven Basket 3D embossing folder and felt they worked well together.  I cut the K from the floral paper.  I covered the embossing folder with Vintage Photo Distress Ink, misted a piece of kraft card stock cut to 4.25″ x 5.5″, added it to the folder, then ran it through the die cutting machine.  Using the same brown ink, I blended the edges a bit darker to show more detail.  Using Altenew inks Hunter Green, Just Green and Teal Tempest I blended them onto card stock and cut the leaves out using the Altenew Fresh Flowers die set.  After gluing the leaves around the K, I added veins to the leaves with an embossing tool and some Wink of Stella for some shine.  The panel was then attached at a kraft A2 sized card base.

Using Altenew Mauve Fresh Dye Ink I used a technique learned in the Irresistible Inking Techniques class to color a piece of card stock.  You use the ink pad directly to the paper.  Then using Altenew Antique Gold pigment ink I inked the edges of the card stock.  I cut a K from gold and patterned card stock.  Using the gold as a shadow I added them to the card front using dimensional foam.  The panel was cut to 4″x 5.25″ and added to a white A2 sized card base.

The next card uses a similar technique as I used on the gold and black card but I added an embossing folder to the mix.  I embossed 2 pieces of white card stock using Altenew’s Charming Heliconia 3D embossing folder.  I used the coordinating stencils and ink blended one of the panels.  After I finished I felt the background was too white.  I inked the embossing folder with Altenew Arctic Fresh Dye Ink and misted the folder.  Placing the panel back in the folder I ran it through the die cutting machine to add the ink.  I did not think about how the misted water would react with the ink that was already on the panel, it created a unique droplet effect (happy accident).

As I did before, I taped the templets onto both panels and cut out the K using the die.  I swapped the colored and white die cut K’s, then embossed everything again as the die cutting flattened the images.

Once embossed the panels were attached to a orange A2 card bases.  I added only one to the set.  I chose the white background as it looked more unique to me and showed off the beautiful embossed image.

My final card had a bunch of learned techniques in it – layering, shine, ink blending, scene building, die cutting, embossing and stenciling.  Using Altenew’s Dancing Sunflowers stamp set with matching dies and stencils I stamped the image on white card stock and heat embossed it with gold.  Using the stencils I colored the sunflowers with Altenew’s Warm Sunshine and Velvet inks and the leaves with Just Green ink. The centers were colored using Hero Arts Cup O’ Joe and Caramel inks.  While that dried I ink blended a panel with Altenew Sapphire Fresh Dye Ink and splattered it with white gouache. The butterfly was stamped using Altenew’s Dream Big stamp and colored with the same inks used in the sunflowers.

For the packaging, I created a template to be sure the packing for both sets were the same.  In the end I did not round the edges as I liked the rustic envelope look.

After much contemplation about the feminine packaging I decided to make them cohesive but use a button instead of a beer cap.  I used the remainder of the inner roll from the wrapping paper to create this packaging. I considered a large gem but did not feel it went with the simplicity of the packaging.  I did watercolor and cut out a hummingbird from Altenew and add shimmer spray to it in order to add a little something extra to the feminine packaging.

This experience has been one of failure and liberation, excitement and defeat, happiness and disappointment.  I loved every minute of it.  I have tested and experimented with ideas that were in my head that I thought would be fabulous and failed miserably.  Others I was so happy with and took one step further and completely ruined.  Some I hated and then tried again and loved.  It has been a wild ride so far and I am only at the end of Level One.  I cannot wait to see what is around the next curve of this ride.  Thank you for joining me!