Thursday, August 13, 2026

Boy oh Boy! Challenge #434 Week #1

 Hello Ai fans!

Welcome to our new challenge,

Boy oh Boy!

Let's see your masculine creations.
Remember, they don't have to be cards. You can create anything you like as long as you use something from Art Impressions. We'd love to see your gift card holders, gift tags, boxes and bags, bookmarks, place cards, cake picks, party decorations, designer paper, framed art and more. Anything with a masculine flair.

This week Sharon is our Featured Artist and she made such a fun guy card!
After you browse through her photos and picture tutorial,
be sure to see who the winners from our last challenge were.

--------------------------------------------------------------

 Hello AI Fans!

It's my turn to get to feature our new Challenge #434 Boy oh Boy! and we are looking for anything that is masculine themed. I really had fun making this one!!  If you've ever seen the show Nailed It!, you'll  know exactly what I was going for here. He needed to build a fence and he definitely nailed it, HAHA! 



 I started out stamping and coloring the images from #5406 Mr Set and #5503 Tool Bag & Die Set onto a Copic friendly paper. The Copic colors I used are listed below. I love that the dies are included with these sets as it makes it SO easy to create with them! 


I wanted to make a funky fence, so I actually grabbed a sign post die from my stash and cut them out of kraft colored cardstock and then inked the edges with some chalk ink. That gave me different shapes and sizes for the fence planks as well as the cross posts. 


I inked some clouds onto a piece of white cardstock, then die cut the grass and glued it to the base. 


That gives me everything I need to create my card, now I just need to place everything. 



To fit the tool bag onto the card without overwhelming it, I cut a piece off the bottom and left side. Here's one more look at the finished card. 



I hope I inspired you to pull out your masculine stamps and join our challenge! Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit today and I can't wait to see what you create!!


Copic colors used:
E000, 00, 11, 30, 31, 33, 35, 37, and 39
C1, 2, and 4
YR61, 65, and 68
YG91 and 93
Y32, 35, and 38
B91, 93, and 95
R20, 22, and 24


Okay, can I just say how CUTE that orange shirt is!
I knew Sharon was perfect for this challenge.
I hope you love her card as much as I do.

Now, let's see who won our Floral Frenzy challenge.

For our Top Spot we selected:



Please contact Leah at Feedback@artimpressions.com
to claim your free stamp set.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Our Lucky Random Winner was #8

Michelle H.



Please contact Leah at Feedback@artimpressions.com
to claim your free stamp set.

Congratulations to our winners!
Enjoy your new stamps.

Now, onto the details of our new challenge.

Please make a new project featuring any floral themed
stamps, dies or paper from Art Impressions.
We can't wait to see what your beautiful creations.

Here are the rules...

✻ Please make a new card or handmade crafty creation using either stamps, dies and or designer paper from Art Impressions. You can make any item you wish; this is not limited to cards! (unless specified)

✻ Limit two submissions per person.
✻Top Spot Winner and Lucky Random Winner each receive a free 
stamp set from Art Impressions
 ✻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.
✻ Good luck and happy stamping! 


You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

Poppy Belly Band Box & Bookmarks by Dori Mendiola

Happy Wednesday AI Friends!

I have two projects for you today that feature the same stamp set #6163 - Poppy Margin set.  One is a belly band using the #6043 - Bible Bookmark and the other is a set of bookmarks using the #6230 - Mini Decorative Bookmark set.

The poppy margin was stamped with Memento black ink onto copic friendly paper and colored with my copic markers listed below.  I painted the scroll frame as well as the floral centers with the Winsor & Newton gold paint.  

The belly band fits nicely over the #6121 - Storybook box.  I created this box without cutting the oval center so that it was a solid closed box.  Wrap the belly band around the box to form the folds.  I then cut two small holes at each end, added the ribbon and sentiment and tied the bow.

Bookmark before matting and forming as a belly band:

Backside of the box with belly band:


Project 2:  The bookmarks below use several fussy cut florals from the poppy margin stamp set and placed on the sentiments.  The first bookmark is magnetic and the second one I used a covered paper clip.  
Paper Clip BM:  Take a lightweight piece of cardstock 3" x 2 1/2" (approx. the size of the bookmark) and fold in half.  Place the paper clip over the folded edge.  Cut a slit at the center fold of the bookmark cardstock and slip the top of the paper clip cardstock through the slit.  Glue the top layers together.  Do the same for the bottom layers.  The paper clip will then hold the pages together of the book.  


Hope you enjoy my projects today!

Have a great week and have fun creating!

Copics used:  G40, G43, G46
V20, V22, V25
Y32, Y35     B000

Tuesday, August 11, 2026

Tony's Tiny Joke Book (Post 3) by ReneƩ Matarese

 Hello Ai fans!

Welcome to my last installment of Tony's Tiny Joke Book.

I shared the previous pages, cover and box in prior posts.
Those can be found HERE and HERE.

I was asked to make a birthday card for a 9 year old boy with a 9 year old sense of humor.
I thought a little journal filled with silly dad jokes and riddles would be perfect for him.




The questions are on top of a flap and the answers are underneath.


I paired a cute animal with each joke.




I mean, how cute are these little guys?!



I loved that the Art Impressions Designer Paper
makes it so easy to coordinate an entire journal.



I hope you enjoyed Tony's Tiny Joke Book.
I'm told that he did.




Monday, August 10, 2026

His mercies bookmark by Sharon Caudle

 Hello AI Fans!


If you haven't purchased the new #6216 Mercy Set from Art Impressions yet, what are you waiting for? This set is so gorgeous and has beautiful sentiments too! For this bookmark I used #6043 Bible Bookmark Dies. After die cutting the white portion, I centered the two bird stamps with the sentiment in the middle of the bookmark with my Misti stamp platform. That made it super easy to line them all up and stamp them without worry that I could stamp them in the exact same place if needed (and of course I needed). I stamped them using Memento Tuxedo Black ink so I could color them with Copic markers. I'm sorry I forgot to write down the colors I used. After coloring them, I simply adhered it to the Bookmark base that I cut using #6205 Floral Shop PP and added a ribbon. I ended up with an amazingly quick gift that I would be proud to give to anyone! And who doesn't need more bookmarks?? This would also qualify for the current challenge Floral Frenzy!! I hope you're entering with your fabulous creations! 


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



Sunday, August 9, 2026

Circles of Creativity with a Shaker and a Baby Shower card by Neema

                         

Hello Ai Friends

I can't believe August is already here; July went by so fast! It was a busy month for me because I participated in World Watercolor Month, creating a daily video featuring stamps from Art Impressions. You can watch the entire series on my YouTube channel, Crafts and Designs by Neema: https://youtube.com/@craftsanddesignsbyneema?si=Pjt4hG9TRIHgFmBf

This week, I took a break from videos to paint a few pictures and create the two cards I am sharing with you today.
                               



Card 1: Easy Shaker Card
I love shaker cards because they are fun, elegant, and perfect for any celebration. For this card, I used a flower from the newest release, 6218 BJ Long Stem Set. However, you can easily customize this project by using a different focal point, shape, color scheme, or shaker bits.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1.  Cut an A2-size card base (4 1/4" x 5 1/2") and another layer of the same size from patterned paper.
2.  Cut a front panel from watercolor paper to 3 3/4" x 5".
3.  Select a circle die for your shaker opening and lightly trace the circle with a pencil.
4.  Flex the long-stem flower stamp to create a curved shape that fits along one side of the circle, then stamp the image. I used Archival ink, Shadow gray.

                       


5.  Color the stamped image. I used Tombow markers, but you can use any medium.
6.  Use a partial die-cutting technique to cut the circle up to the point where the stamped image begins by positioning the upper cutting plate only over the area you want to cut. Fussy cut the flower side on the inner circle.
                     


7.  Cover the back of the opening with acetate, then frame it with foam tape.
8.  Place your shaker bits on the card and adhere the front panel to the card base.
                     


9.  Decorate the card by adding a few golden dots and a bow to the flower stem. Finish by adding a strip sentiment.
                    




Card 2: Simple and Sweet Baby Shower Card
Note: For this card, I used the Artistro Watercolor Paint Set.


                                                   
Step-by-Step Guide:

1.  Cut an A2-size card base (4 1/4" x 5 1/2") and another layer of the same size from watercolor paper.
2.  Create the background by layering dark blue paint (Midnight Blue, Cobalt, and Azure) on the watercolor paper, letting each layer dry before applying the next. Once completely dry, add splatters using Windsor & Newton silver ink.
3.  On a separate piece of watercolor paper, stamp a little lamb toward the center, leaving enough space for the moon.
4.  Use a 3" circle die to draw around the stamp, then draw a crescent moon using a smaller circle die as a template. Paint the moon using different shades of yellow (I used Artistro colors: Pineapple, Yellow Tulip, and Apricot). Once dry, use the 3" die to cut around it, and fussy cut the crescent moon and the lamb. Paint the border of the moon with the Windsor & Newton gold ink (do not paint around the lamb).
5.  Paint a piece of paper with Windsor & Newton gold ink, cut out a star, and tie it to the moon using embroidery floss.
6.  Assemble the card by gluing the moon down. To create dimension, add a cardstock layer under the moon, leave the star hanging freely, and add your sentiment.

I hope you enjoy my cards and get inspired to make your own. Don't forget to visit my YouTube channel and check out the videos for the July World Watercolor Series. In the meantime, here are some pictures of the 31 little paintings.
                                                          


Happy crafting,

Neema