Vellum Overlay "Stay Fabulous" Card by Lynn Dionne

Happy Wednesday Ai Fans!!!

Watch video tutorial here!!!

Today we will create a vellum overlay card using the super fun Ai Stay Hydrated Set (5928). This stamp set has a wonderful image of a lady holding her tumbler, which can be decorated with the variety of insert stamps available in this set. It also has some wonderful coordinating sentiments, and we will be using one of those today. We are going to be using just the individual tumbler for today's card and hopefully give this set a fun new look!

This card was inspired by the current Ai Blog "Drink Up!" Challenge. For this challenge you can use coffee, tea, cocoa, wine, water or whatever this challenge congers up in your mind! Just have fun!

For the card base we will create a A2 size card using some vellum and a piece of 100lb cardstock in white. The vellum will overlay the white card base. So next we can stamp the tumbler along the bottom of the vellum using the Staz-on Snowflake White Ink Pad. This will dry permanently on the vellum with no need to emboss....unless you want to!

The next step is the best part! We will do all of the coloring of the tumblers on the backside of the vellum in a rainbow of colors. Here we can do some simple blending and highlighting. Keep in mind that the coloring will stay wet a bit longer because the vellum is not as absorbent as your cardstock and will allow the ink to sit up on the vellum. Just be careful and heat set the ink as you go along.

To do the coloring I will be using the Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens in the following colors: Blender, Carmine Red, Scarlet Red, Bright Yellow, May Green, Blue, Violet, Cool Gray 3. However, your Tombow Markers and blender marker would work great for this technique.

Now let's add some lettering to each of the tumblers using the Ai Small Alphabet Set (5284). We will stamp out the word "CHEERS"!

Next, let's create a pretty scalloped border for the top of the card and for our sentiment. The border die is from the Ai Journal Template Die Set (5543). It is not quite long enough to fit across the card so I will show you how to easily extend the border to the needed size.

Once the border is die-cut we can add the sentiment from the same set and ink it with our markers in all of the rainbow colors. You may have to ink it a few times to get a nice crisp stamping.

Using some double-side tape we will add the border to the vellum overlay and then with some additional double-side tape we can attach the vellum to the card base.

For some additional interest we will stamp and die-cut some cute little butterflies from the Ai Birds and Bugs Set (5561) and sprinkle those around the tumblers in the coordinating colors. With the Wink of Stella Clear Glitter Pen, we will add some sparkle to each of the butterflies.

Finally, let's add some pretty iridescent gems and ribbon, both of which will pick up all of these rainbow colors!

So please feel free to join us in this fun new challenge.... we would love to see what you create!

Thank you so much for joining me today!  Have a fun and crafty day!!!

Ai Stay Hydrated Set (5928)

Ai Birds and Bugs Set (5561)

Ai Small Alphabet Set (5284)

Ai Travel Box (4924)

Ai Journal Template Die Set (5543)

Wink of Stella Clear Glitter Pen

Let the shenanigans BEGIN! by Reneé Matarese

 Hello Ai fans!

Today I'm sharing the card that I made for the current Drink Up! challenge.

You all know that I'm obsessed with the Ai shaker domes.

I couldn't wait to put some green and gold bits in this one for St. Patrick's Day.

I made my card a little on the masculine side but most women would love this too. The little beer mug is what makes it fit the Drink Up challenge.

Copics used:

W3, E84, YR21, Y000, Y04, Y35

We were meant to bean! by Sharon Caudle

 Hello AI Fans! 

We've got a new challenge going on and it's all about drinking! I decided to go with the non-alcoholic version of coffee. LOL! So I grabbed those adorable #5005 Valentine Bears Set again and stamped the cutie in the cup onto Copic friendly paper. I also used 5721 Nested Heart Dies along with one of the cute sentiments in the Valentine Bears Set. To acompany the card, I used #5344 Gift Card Holder Set and #5343 Java GCH Set. It makes it so quick and easy to create a gift card holder!

So that's it for me today! Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit and until next time - stay crafty!!

Copics used:

E30, 31, 33, 35, and 37

R22, 24, and 27

G40, 43, and 46

RV17, 32, and 34

B00

Bird Friends by DIane Mason

  Hello, and welcome back for Watercolor Weekend!

Hello, AI Watercolor Friends! Today, I'm sharing two cards that celebrate birds and friendship. For my first card, I used songbird images from the newly released 5980 – KH Songbirds and Feeders Set by the talented Kim Hein. My second card showcases hummingbirds from another newly released set, 5981 – My Joy Set, part of the Bible Journaling Series.

Let’s get started!

For this card, I wanted to find a yellow and grayish-brown songbird for reference. After a quick Google image search, I came across a bird that resembled the one depicted here—the Western Yellow Robin. 

Growing up in the Midwest, I often saw the American Robin with its orange belly and gray-brown wings and tail. So when I discovered the Western Yellow Robin, I got excited, thinking I might spot this bird here in California on the West Coast. However, after further research, I realized that wouldn’t be the case—unless I moved to Australia! Still, this bird was the perfect inspiration for my painting.

I inked the birdbath and bird stamp from set 5980 with N79 and stamped it onto my Canson XL watercolor paper. Wanting to give the birdbath a weathered patina look, I applied a light wash of 403 to the stand and bowl, adding depth with shadows and contours.

To add to the patina, using a #1 brush, I dabbed in small brown splotches with 947, carefully preserving the highlighted areas. To enhance the shadows, I deepened certain areas with 565.

For the bird, I started by brushing in the sides, wings, head, beak, and tail with N79, then darkened the shadowed areas with a touch of N57. For the belly and throat, I began with a light wash of 062, deepening the edges with 025. To blend the yellow into the gray, I mixed a touch of N79 with 025.

For the water in the birdbath, I painted a watery mix of 403, leaving a few highlights to create the effect of water glints. To add depth to the shadowed areas, I incorporated a touch of 565.

For the floral vines, I inked the branch stamp with 177 and stamped it a couple of times. Since the stamp is clear, I didn’t need to use a positioner. I then added leaves using the leaf stamp from the set, also inked in 177, leaving some blank areas for the flowers. With a damp brush, I lightly dabbed the leaves to soften the edges.

Once the vines were complete, I added flowers using the tiny dots stamp from 5009 – WC Mini Flower Set, inked in 676. After stamping, I gently dabbed them with a damp brush to create a watercolor effect. Once the flowers were painted, I filled in a few more leaves where needed.

For the ground, I applied a light wash of green at the base to represent grass, then deepened the shadows around the base with a mix of 177 and 565. For the sky, I brushed in a watery mix of 403, intentionally pulling some color from the flowers and leaves in certain areas to create a soft, blended effect. 

When I was satisfied with the painting, I used a brown TwinTone pen to define the bird’s beak, eyes, tail, and feet, as well as to add details to the birdbath. I matted and popped up the painting on the cover with foam tape. The yellow patterned paper is from the new 6012 – Basic Yellow Paper Pack.

If you've followed my paintings here on the blog, you know I love adding a little something to the interiors of my cards. The process for painting these birds and floral vines was the same as on the cover. The "birds of a feather best friends forever" sentiment, also from set 5980, was the perfect finishing touch. I was very pleased with how the interior turned out—it could easily make a beautiful card front on another design too!

Continuing with the bird and friendship theme, I used stamps from 5981 – My Joy Set, for my second card.

Using a stamp platform I inked the vines and leaves with 177, the flower petals with 676, and the flower centers with 025. The hummingbirds were inked with N52.

With a damp brush, I pulled color from the lines of the vines and leaves, the flower centers, and the petals. Additional color was added from my palette to each of those areas to add shadows and contours. I added a little 133 to highlight the leaves. I shaded the flower centers with a little 991.

For the hummingbirds, I used N79 for the underbelly and wing edges. I then added more N79 to add shadows on the underbelly and details on the wing. For the green areas of the bird, I started with 133, then added a touch of 173, and finally 177 to deepen the shadows and details. The throat area was painted with a watery mix of 676, and then I added a touch of 725 to brighten the area. The bird's feet were painted with N79.

I inked the “life is better with friends” sentiment from set 5980 in Versafine Onyx Black Ink. The 2025 stamp is from 5981 and was inked in N52. A violet and gray TwinTone marker was used to add back details where to needed.

The blue patterned paper is from the new 6011 – Basic Teal Paper Pack. I die-cut a frame to place over the painting and popped it up with foam tape.

For that extra touch on the card interior, I inked the floral stamp the same as I did on the front of the card.

I hope these bird friend cards have inspired you and brought a little reminder that spring is on its way!

Thank you again for stopping by for Watercolor Weekend. Until next time—happy painting!

Friends Gnome Matter What! by Janet

Valentine's Day has come and gone but it's the first step in the march toward spring. I was feeling in a pastel mood and the light spring colors of the season inspired the card I made this week. There's no easier way to get a soft look than by using water colors. I used my Karin Brushmarker Pros for my images. I'm the first to admit that I'm not a pro watercolorist but I do like to take my pens out occasionally. It's fun to stretch my skills and though it's not my best medium, I still enjoy trying. Most times, the results are worth the effort and besides, you can't get better if you don't practice!

My card features many different stamp sets. The vase and flowers come from 5922 - Bud Vase Set and 5919 - Long Stem Floral Set. Once I stamped and colored this composition, I fussy cut it out. This is the only image that didn't come with matching dies but fussy cutting it wasn't hard. Next I stamped two butterflies and a set of mushrooms from 5935 - Fairytale Houses Set. Once I colored them, I cut them out with their matching dies. I also cut a small piece of grass with a die in the set and water colored it.

The next step was to create a wide stitched frame from cream pearlized cardstock. To make the frame I used two dies from 5063 - Rectangle A2 Double Stitched Dies. I love making frames with this set because both the outside and the inside of the frame are imprinted with stitch marks. I added a rectangle of acetate behind the frame and then I applied two layers of foam tape around the window. Before doing more, I stamped the acetate window with the sentiment using StazOn ink so it wouldn't smear. 

The A2 card is a pre-printed one from my stash. However, I added a scrap of striped coordinating paper from one of my most favorite paper packs, 5893 - Easter S2 PP. I then mixed up the filler for the shaker. I chose clay shaped sprinkles, flowers, and clear beads. I added a few large dark pink and light pink flower sequins as well. I placed the shaker bits in the middle of the striped paper and then secured the frame in the center of the card with all the bits securely inside. 

Finally I could arrange my little scene on the frame. I cut the lattice out of matching cream cardstock using 5589 - Journal Pocket Set and glued it in place to create a little fence at the base of the frame. I composed the flowers, gnome and grass on the right corner and placed the mushrooms on the left. I folded the wings of the two butterflies and glued them in place too. Then for the finishing touch, I glued two small white seed beads on the heads of each of the butterflies.

And there you have it! Thanks so much for joining me here at the blog today. As always, please visit the Ai Store for the products I used and all the things you need for your card, journal, and tag making projects. Happy creating!

Janet - YouTube - Blog - Facebook - Instagram - Pinterest 

Happy Valentine's Day!

 

Happy Valentine's Day Art Impressions Friends!

Tasha here, sharing a new Valentine's Day card created with the fun 5181-Happy Mailbox Cubbies stamp set. I absolutely adore the Art Impressions cubbies sets, and this one is perfect for spreading Valentine's cheer!

To make this card, I started by stamping the mailbox and all the tiny letters with black ink. I then cut everything out using the included dies, which made assembling the pieces a breeze. One of my favorite parts of this set is the variety of envelopes and packages you can mix and match to create a personalized design.

Next, I created the background by gluing die-cut grass onto a cloud-patterned paper. I used the 5062 - Rounded Rectangle A2 Double Stitched dies to cut the center panel; I love the stitched detail!

To finish the design, I layered metallic pink and teal cardstock, white cardstock, and Art Impressions heart-patterned paper. The combination of textures and colors adds dimension and a festive Valentine's Day vibe!

I hope you enjoyed today's card creation and feel inspired to craft your own Valentine's Day projects. 

Drink Up! Challenge #397 Week #1

Hello Ai fans!

Welcome to our newest challenge.

We want to see your projects using drinks on them.

You can use coffee, tea, water, beer, wine, cocoa, lemonade, drink gift card holders...you name it! As long as it's a drink related project it counts.

Our Featured Designer for this challenge is Janet, but before we see her fun card, let's see who won our Highlights challenge.

For our Top Spot we chose Debbie Hedges.

She used the adorable 5576 – Little Trucks Set.

Please contact Leah at Feedback@artimpressions.com

to claim a free stamp set of your choice!!
Be sure to grab our badge to display on your blog, Facebook or Instagram!

Our Lucky Random Winner was #7 Lynn C.

Please contact Leah at Feedback@artimpressions.com

to claim a free stamp set of your choice!!
Be sure to grab our badge to display on your blog, Facebook or Instagram!

Both winners made such amazing cards. Congratulations!

Now, let's see what our Featured Artist Janet has created. 
We just KNOW you're going to love her trendy and fun drink themed card.

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 It's my pleasure and honor to be the featured Design Team member for the current challenge, Drink Up. I had a lot of fun making this card and I hope it gives you some inspiration for your own. To participate in the challenge, your card only needs to include an image with something to drink on it. It can include coffee, cocoa, wine, beer, water, cups, glasses, etc. Use any drink theme and post it for a chance to win a free stamp set. 

My card features the 5928 - Stay Hydrated Set. It includes a lady with her super-sized tumbler. It also  features drink tumblers that you can customize with all kinds of included stamped patterns. I decided to keep the front of my card simple by using only the tumblers and a sentiment. My original plan was to use the included tumbler stamp patterns that comes in the set but as happens sometimes, I was unexpectedly inspired to instead use the wonderful colors and patterns in the new Basics Journal Series Paper Pads. These come in four awesome color palettes: 6009 - Basic Green, 6010 - Basic Pink, 6011 - Basic Teal, and 6012 - Basic Yellow. Each pad features many patterns and shades of the PP's dominant color. When I got them in the mail, I immediately knew I would use it to make a colorful background for my card by using these papers which are full of great patterns for my tumblers!

Before I go further, let's take a look at what I did for the inside of the card. Here I used the sassy lady and a sentiment. I wanted her to "speak" so I hand drew a speech bubble for the sentiment. It goes well with the graphic cartoon nature of the stamp. I stamped and colored the lady on alcohol ink friendly paper and cut her out with the set's die before I glued her in place above the ground I created with warm gray markers. By the way, I totally want an orchid colored computer bag. Yes, please!

I began my card by cutting a piece of watercolor paper to use as the background. I sprayed the paper so it was very saturated and then I applied blue metallic watercolor and floated it over the paper in the water. This creates a marbled look with a hint of sheen. I used my heat gun to dry the watercolor paper. Spraying the paper makes it curl up but drying it with the heat gun flattens it again so that it's ready to be used.

Next, I picked papers from the four packs and stamped the tumblers out.

 Then I used the included die with the set to cut them all out. Aren't these a lot of fun?

After that, I arranged them in a staggered pattern on the dried watercolor paper and then trimmed the paper down so that I could mat it on an A2 card.

When I use soft colors, I like to mat with black. Black enhances the colors and offers a strong contrast. I centered the tumbler background on black and then adhered the layered panel to a white A2 card base. 

 
As you can see, I included a sentiment which was cut out using a die from the 5133 - Flag Double Stitched Dies set. I stamped it with VersaMark embossing ink and embossed with black powder. This is a great way to add a sentiment but still allow the terrific tumblers to not be covered up or interrupted. I added a pearl and two enamel hearts in complementary colors to help the sentiment stand out a little. 

I hope you enjoyed seeing how I put this card together using the 5928 - Stay Hydrated Set. It's super cute and the tumblers really are a nice feature that can be used in many different ways. 

I know you can find all kinds of inspiration for the Drink Up Challenge. I can't wait to see what you create!

 

Janet - YouTube - Blog - Facebook - Instagram - Pinterest 

Thank you Janet for this adorable inspiration for our Drink Up challenge!
Your card is AMAZING both inside, and out!

Now it's your turn to create something for our challenge. You may be the next person to win a free stamp set!

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✻ Please make a new card or handmade crafty creation. You can make any item you wish; this is not limited to cards! (unless specified)

✻ Limit two submissions per person. You will receive extra votes if you use Art Impressions stamps!

 ✻Please include your first name and last initial on your submission.

✻We love to comment on your entries, but keep in mind if you use a private group or a platform that you need to sign up for, we probably won't be able to.

✻ The Ai Challenge is open to everyone, international submissions are welcome!

✻ Include a link back to the Ai Blog or grab our button on the top right of our sidebar!

✻ Share the Ai love if you can, by clicking and commenting on your fellow crafters.

✻ Make sure to get your link up by the deadline to enter your creations.

✻ Good luck and happy stamping! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Pull Up Valentine by Dori Mendiola

 Happy Thursday AI Friends!

Valentine's Day is tomorrow.  Are you ready?  If not, I have a fun little pull up valentine for you with a cute little hidden sentiment using the #5902 Mini Scallop Frame die as well as many other sets listed below.  If you have already finished your valentine's, imagine this for other occasions using balloons, stars, etc. instead of hearts.  

To begin, I took the bear image from the #5521 WC Animal Planters set and stamped onto copic friendly paper with Memento black ink.  I also stamped him to create a reverse image so that I could make his back leg and his left arm since the stamp set has a flower pot hiding both.  To do this, I stamped him onto a smooth silicone mat and then took my paper and pressed it onto the stamped image on the mat.  This will create a reverse image.  Using a misti is helpful incase you need stamp again to darken the image.  I colored both images with my copic markers, listed below.  I then used a wash rag and dabbed some alcohol onto it and lightly pressed it against the body parts of the bear to make him look fuzzy.  I fussy cut all the pieces (bear, back leg and left arm) and pieced him together using some foam tape between his legs.  I also placed a heart box of candy (from the #5493 Front Porch Valentine) in his arms.  I just love this cute little bear!  

I cut the #5902 Mini Scallop Frame using the brown hearts paper from the #5832 Gnome Paper Pack.  I cut a heart shape for the window and placed acetate on the inside of the window.  I also stamped the "You're So Sweet" and added a couple little die cut hearts to the inside.  I then placed a thin line of foam tape to the inside bottom scallop edge so the streamer wouldn't fall through.  I glued up the side of the frame and it is ready to decorate.  Don't forget to attach the easel to the back so your frame/card will stand up on display.

To make the pull up heart streamer, I die cut 16 red hearts (front and back) and strung them onto a white thread leaving about 2 inches above the first heart.  I die cut the letters for the sentiment "Love You" from the #5562 - Journal Letter die set and attached each letter to a heart leaving a blank heart between words.  Perfect size letters to make a cute little sentiment.  I cut two fishtail banner pieces in red cardstock.  I then cut a square 2 5/8 inch piece of red gingham paper and glued it to the bottom half of the back side of one of the fishtail banner pieces.  Snip off any paper showing in between the fishtail.  Take the streamer and glue the top thread to the middle of the banner above the gingham paper.   Take the other fishtail banner and glue the top halves of the banners together leaving the bottom half open so it can rest over the top of the frame.  I added the heart banner and bows to the front banner for some cuteness.

  Gather the heart streamer together over the gingham paper and insert into the top slit of the frame.  Some of the letters will show through the window but the message will be a mystery until the recipient pulls from the frame.

I hope you enjoyed my card today and your imagination is running wild with other variations.

Have a great day and keep creating!

Copics used:  E21, E23, E25

R20, R22, R24, R27