Let's get started by creating a pretty fall background. To do this, we will first die-cut one of the Ai Banner Double Stitched Dies (5134) from some smooth white cardstock. Let's start with our lightest color which is the Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink in Scattered Straw, then blend in some Spiced Marmalade and finally some Crackling Campfire.
Now we will add some fluttering leaves using the Autumn Breeze Stencil. We are going to emboss the leaves with some gold embossing powder for a nice metallic look. In order to do this, we will lay the stencil over the ink blended background and using the Versamark Watermark Ink Pad and a foam applicator tool, we will pounce this ink onto the stencil. Now let's remove the stencil and add some gold embossing powder to the leaves. Using our heat tool, we can go ahead and emboss the leaves. This gives the leaves an elegant metallic shine! We will also spatter this panel with some gold metallic ink and now we have a beautiful fall sky!
Next, we will stamp and color our little squirrel using the adorable Ai Feast Mode (5191) Set. All of the coloring was done using the Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens in the following colors: Blender, Sugared Almond Pink, Beige, Sand, Brown, Mid Brown, Lt Gray, Gray Brown. We can then fussy cut the image leaving a little white border all the way around.
Let's wrap this background with some natural hemp twine and tie a pretty bow! Now we will die-cut another stitched banner to create a nice border in a dark brown. We can add some foam mounting tape to this background banner and attach the two together.
We can now create our card base from some Kraft Cardsock which will also be spattered with gold as well. And on this card base we will stamp the sentiment from that same set which says, "Thankful for you".
Finally, let's glue these together and add a few sparkly gold gems!
Thank you so much for joining me today! Have a fun and crafty day!
One great thing about this set is that it comes with coordinating dies so you don't have to fussy cut all of those little critters. The sub also has a die which cuts out some of the windows
in case you want some of your cute little creatures swimming in and out of it.
I hope this has inspired you to get in touch with your WILD side.
You can win a free stamp set if you're selected as one of our 2 winners!
So hopefully you've seen that Art Impressions started a new challenge last Thursday "Wild About You"! Ok...so I'm going to be honest here...I actually googled to see if a bird was considered an "animal" LOL!! And yay, it is! I wanted to create a card to show you that the paper packs that Art Impressions created for the new AI People (Gardener Gail, Pickle Ball Patty, Birdie Betty, Cruisin' Carol, and Loungin' Linda) can be used for so much more!!! It made this card soooo easy and quick to create! I started by grabbing #5399 Gull Friends Set and 6098 Cruise PP. I stamped the Gulls onto a Copic friendly paper using Memento Tuxedo Black ink. The markers I used to color it are listed below. Luckily, the Gull Friends Set comes with coordinating dies, so it was a snap to cut out the sea gulls. From there, I simply added some mounting tape to the back of it and popped it up onto the sheet of paper I had chosen for it. Add a quick sentiment and voila! I just LOVE the sentiment!!
I sure hope this inspires you to look at these paper packs a little differently! Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit today, and until next time - stay crafty!!
Welcome to Watercolor Weekend, and thank you for joining me
today! I absolutely love Kim’s fox set that she designed, it is such a
beautiful set.
I started out by tracing
the inside of a 3 inch circle die on watercolor paper, and then used the inside
of the wreath die that is from my stash to trace in some guidelines. I then took the largest fox that is lying
down from KH5951 Foxes set in N49 and stamped off once before stamping on my
project. I used a black micron on the
eyes and nose before I started coloring in the fox. Using Tombows, I like to start with 025, to
me if gives an underglow to the image. I
then added in 993 going over most of it but leaving a touch of the 025 showing in
the areas that are the most highlighted.
I then go in layers with 946, 947 and 969. As each color gets darker the closer I stay
to the more shaded areas of the image, with the 969 being the darkest areas. I
then shaded the white tip of the tale with 565 and added some Dr. Ph. Martin’s
Bleed Proof White to highlight areas to give contrast. I put a wash of color on the ground in 177,
using 249 to shade under the fox. 526
was used for the sky at this point.
5826
WC Large Tree Set 2, which has my favorite grass to use in scenes like this,
was inked in 177 with just a touch of 969 in 2 spots at the base of the grass.
Then using 5126 WC Foliage Set 4, I used 126 and then used 177 in a line right
up through the middle of each section on the leafy branch. I find that adding the 2 colors right on the
stamp gives a beautiful, more organic look to the colors. I then added a touch of water to both the
grass and the leaves to soften and blend the colors.
For the leaves added into the wreath, I die
cut them out of mixed media paper and colored them with 126 and shaded with the
177. I erased all of the pencil lines
and added in BPW for the tiny flowers in the grass. Now that everything is dry,
I assembled the wreath first, then matted my card base with a beautiful 2 toned
paper from 6033 Inspirational Easter Paper Pack. I couldn’t decide on some
color cardstock for my sentiment so I created my own with mixed media paper and
126. I then stamped the sentiment from
5980 KH Song Birds and Feeders Set in black ink, then die cut it with a banner
from 5133 Flag Double Stitched Dies. I
then finished assembling my card to create a cute fox hollow card perfect for a
friend.
For my second card I
used 5930 Santa’s Workshop Set. I love it when a stamp can be used in different
ways. I love this building and I could see it in a country setting. I inked it in N49 and stamped off once, I
also created a mask out of 2” post-it tape. Before adding color, I used a
pencil and ruler to map out my grid lines for the windows, and lines on the
door. For the walls I used 177, concentrating darker color in the areas that
are shaded. I left the inside wells of the windows unpainted until after the
windows were finished so I wasn’t drawing the green color into the panes. For the windows I used 772, going right over
the top of the pencil lines, and also using those lines to add a bit of more
color to help single out some of the panes of glass, shading the panes with
565. I then used 947 on the roof, door
and trim. With 969, I darkened some of the deeper shaded areas, especially on
the roof. For the chimney, I started
with a mix of 565 and 969, making sure I left highlights on the stone. 565 was
used to create a shadow where the chimney is closest to the house, and then
added some 249 to add a bit of color.
969 was used to darken the areas where the stones meet. For the porch, 565 and 969 mixed, was also
used with 565 for a shadow right in front of the door. I then went over the
pencil lines on the windows and door with 947, adding 969 to the door knob. I
then went over the window and door wells with a dark layer of 177, to give them
the appearance of being inset. 565 was used to shade under all of the
overhangs.
I put my mask in place, and
with 5826 WC Large Tree Set 2, I put in the trees around the house. For the tree on the right I used a stamp
positioner to create a taller tree. I stamped in the top part first with 177
and 969, then used the positioner and just inking the bottom half of the stamp
lined it up with the top image. For the
sky I used 526, and added a wash of 249 for the ground, I also added a bit of
177 around the base of the trees. Right
in front of the porch I added a touch of 969 for a hint of a path. For the grass by the trees I used 4051
Foliage Set 1 in 249, the grass by the porch is from 5372 WC Mini Foliage
Set. Using the Mini set and the bush
line I added in flower bushes in 725, inking only a small section of the stamp.
I then softened all of these with a bit of water. The bottom, to me, looked a bit empty, so I
used the 2nd largest die from 5063 Rectangle A2 Double Stitched dies
and traced inside the two bottom corners for a guide and taped off with post-it
tape. The grass from 5826 WC Tree Set 2, is my favorite to use, I inked it in
177, and in two small spots, just at the base with a touch of 969. Re-inking
the stamp as needed as I went across the bottom. I added, with 249 and the small vine from
5126 WC Foliage Set 4, some leaves in several spots, I also used a branch in
969 from 4964 WC Branches Set for added interest. Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bleed Proof white was used
for the flowers, and a spot of 025 for the centers on the bottom flowers. After removing the tape, I erased all of the
pencil lines. My card was matted with paper from 5955 Encouragement Paper
Pack. With the die I used as a guide, I
cut out my image and matted it with matching cardstock. Thank you for joining me today, and I hope
you enjoyed my cards. Until next time,
Create….Share….Inspire!
The Ber months (September, October, November & December) are finally here! Today I'm using a charming stamp from the Watercolor Journals line. It's called 5593 - Harvest Scenes Set. I picked it up sometime in the spring or early summer and I've been eyeing it ever since, waiting for it to be the right time. Finally, the moment has come!
I started this scene by cutting a rectangle with 5063 - Rectangle A2 Double Stitched Dies from marker friendly cardstock. Then I stamped one of the two fall images in the set with the ladder. I colored it with Copic markers in pretty fall colors. I chose a card base with a pre-printed foil frame from my stash. I attached my colored panel with foam tape and centered it in the middle of the frame.
The ladder image is designed so that you can stamp in flowers or greens coming out of the pot. I had another idea and instead I cut a slit along the rim of the pot with my craft knife. Then I cut some sprigs in fall colors from the 5783 - Fall Leaf Frame Die Set and slipped each under the slit. I secured them on the other side with a piece of washi tape. I also cut two leaves that I placed in the bottom corner. The last touch comes from the word die, "fall," which is found in the 5770 - Farm FB Fence Set. I cut it twice in different colors and stacked them together to get a little dimension and a two-tone color effect.
I love how this turned out and it just proves again that the watercolor sets can be used with Copic markers or pencils and you aren't limited to just watercolor. Some of the cutest stamps in the store are labelled for watercolor but don't let that stop you if you prefer another medium. They can all be adapted to your favorite coloring tools.
Thanks for joining me here today. As always, don't forget to find your favorite stamps, dies, papers, and accessories at the Ai Store! You'll always find something that calls to you.
Tasha here with a fun new Halloween card to share. Fall is right around the corner, and I’m so excited to dive into festive Halloween designs! For today’s project, I used the 5769-Halloween FB Fence Set and the 5456-Spooky Wagon Set to create a playful, not-so-spooky scene.
I started by layering the fence frame over a piece of Art Impressions star pattern paper; one of my favorites for Halloween! The purple sky sets the perfect backdrop. From there, I added two little ghosts and two bats (with their eyes drawn in using a white gel pen for extra detail).
In front of the fence, I tucked in autumn leaves, a tiny pumpkin, and the cutest kitty wearing a witch hat; I just love cat stamps! Of course, I couldn’t resist adding a spider crawling on the pumpkin for a little Halloween charm.
To finish it off, I layered golden yellow, white, and black metallic paper, and a piece of candy corn pattern paper for that extra festive touch. This card was so much fun to make, and I can’t wait to create even more Halloween designs this season!
Hello Ai fans and welcome to our Wild About You challenge.
We want to see your creations using a wild animal stamp or die, animal prints, embossing folders, embellishments and more.
Our Featured Designer for this challenge is Lynn and you're going to LOVE what she made because they're perfect for a man, woman or book-loving child.
Who doesn't love a big, beautiful bear?
Once you've checked out Lynn's beautiful bookmarks and her fabulous YouTube tutorial, be sure to scroll down and see who won our When One Door Closes challenge.
So happy to kick off the brand-new Ai "Wild About You" Blog Challenge! For this challenge we will be asked to create a card or project using a wild animal or animal print. As soon as I saw this challenge I immediately thought of the wonderful new Ai WC Bear Set (6064). This beautiful set includes 6 bears and several coordinating sentiments.
Watch video tutorial here!!!
We can stamp and color three of the bears using the Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens in the following colors: Blender, Sugared Almond Pink, Beige, Mid Brown. Once the coloring is done, we will fussy cut the bears using our detail scissors.
Now let's create some nature inspired bookmarks using the Ai Corner Bookmark Dies (6042) Set. This set includes the corner bookmark die and two layering dies for your bookmark, as well as a few flowers and petal die! For paper we will use the wonderful Ai Father's Day Paper Pack (6072). This double-sided paper pack has several nature and outdoor papers that will be perfect for these bookmarks!
Once the bookmarks are die-cut, we will simply fold on the score lines and add some double-sided tape to the little tab and that gives us the base of the bookmarks. Now we can die-cut the scalloped corner die and add this to the bookmark.
Next, we will stamp a sentiment on the back of each of the bookmarks from that same stamp set. These include " Protector, Provider, Leader", Fierce and Fearless", and "Quiet Strength...Fierce Heart".
Finally, let's glue on the bears! These bookmarks make a great gift when paired with a good book...and they are so easy and fun to make!
Please 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!
Thank you for that wonderful tutorial and inspiration Lynn!
Now let's see who won the previous challenge.
For our Top Spot we selected Diana S. for her beautiful house scene.
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 social media too!
Our Lucky Random Winner was Julie W. Look at how fun and spooky her old wooden door is!
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 social media too!
Congratulations to our winners!
We hope you had fun with that last challenge and that you enjoy this one. We always LOVE seeing what you create and treating a couple of people to a shiny new stamp set!
Be sure to enter your creation for the chance to win a free stamp set from Art Impressions.
We award one Top Spot and one Lucky Random Winner, and each will win a free stamp set from Art Impressions.
✻ 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.
✻Please include your first name and last initial on your submission. You may include your entire last name, but it's not necessary.
✻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.
Today I have an interactive get well card using the #AICS38 - Doggy Kisses set. When you open the card, the image flips to the inside.
I started by stamping the images with Memento black ink onto copic friendly paper and colored with my copic markers listed below. I die cut the images using the #5065 Oval Double Stitch and the #5135 Hexagon Double Stitch dies. I fussy cut and popped up the kleenex and tea cup using foam tape. I die cut an oval into the front of the card panel and used the blue inner panel for the flip base.
For the mechanism - cut a piece of cardstock 2 3/4" x 3" and score at 3/4, 1 1/2 and 2 1/4 along the 3" side. Fold and crease the score lines to create a tube. Place glue on the underside of the first fold area only. Glue down to the inside fold of the card. Fold the tube in half and place glue on the upper fold area only. Bring the top half of the card over and shut on top of the tube piece. The tube will show through the top of the card, but the image panel will cover when closed.
Now cut a piece of cardstock 3/4" x 2 1/4". Score in thirds along the long edge (3/4" each piece). Glue one 3/4" tab to the top of the tube piece in the center. Fold the other end upwards and lay the tube down flat so that the card is shut. Place glue on the upwards tab only. Place the blue image panel into the front oval cutout area and adhere it onto the tab with the glue. The image panel will pop up thru the oval cutout on the front of the card when shut and it will pop thru to the inside of the card when opened.
Decorate your card with sentiments, ribbon, etc.
Thank you for joining me today! Hope you have a wonderful day!
I thought it would be fun to create a Six Panel Accordion Fold Card with some crows, hay bales, scarecrows, pumpkins and apples. This can be given as a card or gift! I'm going to place mine on a shelf alongside some of my ceramic pumpkin collection for a festive fall look!
We will be mixing several stamp sets today including the Ai Harvest Together Set (5507), Ai Harvest Sentiments Set (5600), Ai Harvest Pumpkin Set (5595), and the Ai Harvest Set (5598).
So, let's first stamp, color, fussy cut and die cut all of our images. I did all of the coloring off camera for this project because I wanted to focus on the creation and assembly of the accordion fold design. However, I have listed all of the colors that I used for your reference as follows: Blender, Flesh Colour, Pale Orange, Pink Haze, Orange, Scarlett Red, Red, Deep Red, Yellow, Lt Green, Deep Green, Beige, Ochre, Brown, Mid Brown, Brick Beige, Lt Gray, Gray, Smoky Teal.
Next, let's die cut these wonderful, large letters from the brand-new Ai Large Letter Dies (5910). There is also a coordinating Ai Numbers Dies (5911) available, and I will link that below for you as well. We will die cut the letters twice and stack a few together for a bit of substance. Now we can ink the edges of our letters and spatter them with some brown ink.
Now we can create the accordion fold card base, and we will be using the brand-new Ai Mini Rectangle Frame Die Set (5901). This was designed to create a cute frame, but we are going to use the large frame die to create three panels for our card. This will die cut the panels with a tab and score lines. So now we can cut away one of the tabs on the third panel and then assemble these three panels together. Which we will then fold in a back-and-forth pattern or fan fold design. This makes it so easy!!!
Next, we can stamp some cute little sprigs on both sides and spatter with brown ink and for some shine we will also spatter on the new Tim Holtz Sprits in Fossilized Amber. We will also ink up the edges of the accordion card base on both sides.
For our next step, let's grab some woodgrain paper from the Ai Christmas S2 Paper Pack and die cut three rectangles using that same Mini Rectangle Frame Set. We can attach these 6 panels to each section of the card.
Now for the fun...assembling all of these letters and cute little elements onto our card. Just keep in mind that you may only want to pop up items on the front and back of the card so that it doesn't get too bulky when you close the card.
Finally, let's wrap a bit of twine around this project and tie a pretty bow and also add a few sparkly gems!
Thank you so much for joining me today! Have a fun and crafty day!
I love mushrooms and instantly thought of the Mushroom Cubbies set for the Art Impressions "When One Door Closes" challenge.
I grabbed mushrooms and other elements from a few different Ai sets to complete both the front and inside of my card.
I know most people think of brown when they think of mushrooms but they come in MANY different colors and I love trying out different combinations. In my woods we have orange, white, black, red, yellow, and purple. Probably more if I looked hard enough. We've picked and eaten the Chanterelles and Black Trumpet mushrooms.
I wanted to make this card extra special so I decorated the inside of the card pretty elaborately too.
I'm kind of wishing now that I had a little fairy tucked in there somewhere too. Next time, I guess...
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