Summerween Challenge #432 week#1

 Hello Ai fans and welcome to our new challenge,

SUMMERWEEN!!

This was a new expression for me that Tasha brought to light.

Just like there's Christmas in July, a lot of people like to have a mini

celebration of Halloween in the summer. (It's usually in June but I couldn't

fit it in.)

So, that being said, let's celebrate a little bit of fall fun now!

I know not all of you participate in Halloween so any fall themed

project using products from Art Impressions will be accepted.

Fittingly, Tasha is our Featured Artist this time and she created

the absolute cutest Story Tile card to inspire you.

After checking out her card, be sure to scroll down to view the winners

of our Christmas in July challenge.

It's that time of year when the second set of Freebies become available.

Check out the cuteness overload on these bears!

My personal favorite is the Study Bear.

You can select one of these free stamps when you spend $30 or more on the

Art Impressions website.

Hi everyone! Tasha here sharing a card inspired by the Art Impressions Summerween Challenge.

I love both Christmas and Halloween crafting, so this challenge is right up my alley! It’s also the perfect excuse to get an early start on my fall and Halloween cards and projects.

For this card, I used the 6158-Story Tile Template Die along with stamps from several Halloween sets. One of my favorite things about the Art Impressions Halloween collections is how easy it is to mix and match the cute characters to create fun little scenes.

I started by cutting two Tile frames from orange and white cardstock. I used the orange frame for the front and colored each tile to create its own little nighttime scene.

Next, I added the characters. Some were stamped directly onto the tiles, while the ghost cat and pumpkin mouse were stamped separately and cut out with the coordinating dies before being popped onto the card.

To add more color and bring the scenes together, I cut grass from green cardstock and used Distress Oxide Ink to blend the top of the grass; love this look. I finished the sky with a white gel pen to add tiny stars. I really like how the purple sky makes the white stars stand out.

For a few extra details, I drew a moon behind the bat and added little spider webs to several of the tiles. Those simple touches help give the card even more Halloween charm.

To finish everything off, I layered the design onto green and black cardstock and added ghost-patterned paper to tie in the cute, not-too-spooky Halloween theme.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope this card inspires you to join the Summerween Challenge and start creating your own Halloween projects.

Tasha LOVES Halloween, and it shows how much, in her fun card!

Now, let's see who won our Christmas in July challenge.

For our Top Spot we selected #16 Ellen M.
for her adorable Gingerbread Cubbie house.
Just look at all of those smiling faces!

Please contact Leah at Feedback@artimpressions.com

to claim your free stamp set.

Our Lucky Random Winner was #11 April J.

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 Halloween or Fall themed
stamps, dies or paper from Art Impressions.
This is going to be a fun one! I can't wait to see what you create.

Here's 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

Have Mercy Birds by Dori Mendiola

 Happy Thursday AI Friends!

I'm sure you have all seen the latest Bible Journaling release by Art Impressions - #6216 Mercy set.  

The set features sparrow-style birds perched on delicate floral branches perfect for cards, bookmarks, or other projects.

I stamped this image using Memento black ink onto copic friendly paper and colored with my copic markers listed below.   These birds are beautiful no matter what colors you choose and thereby each creating a unique card/project with the same image.

I love dimension on my cards, so I stamped a separate image and colored the wings again.  I then fussy cut them out and popped them up with foam tape.  I used the #6046 - Scallop Oval die to cut the image panel and the #6205 - Floral Shop PP for the pattern paper background.

I hope you enjoy my card and you find yourself coloring a variety of these birds in different colors.

Have a wonderful day!  Keep creating and coloring!

Copics used:  W0, BV000,

B000, B00, B01     BG0000

E21, E23, E25     G40, G43, G46   

Y20, Y21, Y32, Y35, Y38

Hydrangea Bookmark by Reneé Matarese

Hello Ai fans!

Hydrangeas are one of my favorite flowers and I love this slimline version.
The size makes it perfect for bookmarks, cards or Bible Journaling.

I decorated the front and the back of my bookmark and I love this color

combination inspired by the Art Impressions paper I chose.

I added a little butterfly that folds flat while he's in the book
and can be popped up next to you while you're reading.

I used colored pencils on this one.

 

Christmas in July tiered wiper card by Sharon Caudle

 Hello AI Fans!

Our current challenge right now is Christmas in July! It's such a great chance to get a jump start on your holiday cards. Whether it's designing it if you make the same card for everyone, or just adding to your stash if you create different cards for everyone, it's a great way to get started! I just recently saw a video by Sam Calcott on how to create a tiered wiper card, and I immediately thought of how cute it would be for a Christmas card! You don't need any specialty dies and once you get the mechanism down, it's rather easy to put it together! I would suggest making one from scrap paper first, just to get the idea of how to put it all together. I took a video of it to try and show it in action, but I'm just having a heck of a time trying to post my videos lately. I'll keep working on that, but in the meantime, I guess pictures will have to suffice. Plus you'll be able to see it in action on Sam's video. :)  I started by stamping off three of the large gnomes from #578/5 Gnomes Set. I didn't want them to be the same so I used different colors and tried to make their beards look different as well. For the front, I used the adorable Santa from #5775 FB Santa, coloring and using only the front facing stamp. After coloring him and die cutting him out, I mounted him on a mat created using #6048 Scalloped rectangle dies. This card comes to life when you pull the top section of the card to the right, so I created a pull tab by grabbing the one from #5718 Mini Journal Template. I have a little stamp set in my stash that has a variation of action words, so I used the stamp "pull" on the tab. For the sentiment, I used the banner from #5809 Decorative Journal Page 2 ( I used this banner a LOT) and grabbed an old sentiment that I've cut apart from #SC0803, an old retired Santa Pop Up set. I just used two of them to create the sentiment on the front of the card. 

When you pull the top card layer to the right, a gnome pops out from behind the top panel to surprise you! I took a word bubble from my stash and die cut three H's and three O's from #5562 Journal Letter Die Set using red cardstock.  After gluing the HO letters onto the word bubble, I used a small piece of acetate to attach the word bubble to the back of each gnome. 

Keep pulling to the right and the next gnome pops out...

And finally the third. I finished the card by die cutting a variety of snowflakes out of glitter paper using #5353 Large Snowflake Dies. 

This was such a fun card to make, and I hope you're joining our challenge for a chance to win a free set of your choice from Art Impressions! Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit today, and until next time - stay crafty!!

Copic markers used:

E000, 00, 11, 33, and 35

R20, 22, 24, and 27

C0, 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6

T1

G82 and 85

Y32, 35, and 38

A Peaceful Bench by Neema

 

Hello my Art Impressions Friends

Before sharing my projects for this watercolor weekend, I want to thank you all for your support and encouragement. I can't believe July is already here! This is my second post, and I am so excited!!!

Also, I would love to invite you to check out my new series for World Watercolor Month on my YouTube channel, Crafts and Designs by Neema. Throughout July, I will be posting a new video every day featuring Art Impressions stamps. If you haven't had the chance to join me in Instagram @Neema_197 please do so, I share a picture of the watercolor painting for the day and many other projects. 

Now let's talk about Watercolor Weekend...

For my first project, I made an A6 card (4.5 x 6.25 inches) using a stamp from the Bible Journaling 5066-Light to My Path Set. I love this stamp; it always transports me to a place of peace and serenity.

I added a small pot from the 4869-WC Small Containers set. I stamped the images using Tombow markers 969 and 565, then pulled the colors from the stamp.  

I used brown t tones to paint the bench, and for the lamp post I used a mix of gray and lilac. I built up the glow in the lamp by adding layers of yellow. 

Once the base colors were set, I added foliage and the flowers, which I believe are carnations (I used pink because pink carnations were my mom's favorite). I put them on both sides of the bench. I also added small flowers from the 4052 set using the same blue as the pot. 

For the background, I used light brushstrokes of green, pink, and yellow, and finished with white flowers using Bleed Proof White.

Cutting the painting is always the hardest part for me, so I usually use the entire picture. However, I found a great multi-size frame that is perfect for layering. I cut the largest frame in light green, mounted it over a panel embossed with a leaf pattern, and wrapped a ribbon between the painting and the green layer. 

Inside, I added a sentiment using Versafine Clair pigment ink, and stamped a Bible and a few leaves from the 4051 Foliage Set to complete the card. Using the new silver (Sorry if it's hard to see it) I painted a few lines on the sides of the Bible and added some dots around, just for fun!

And finally, here is my completed card, YAY!...

For my second project, I tried something I've been thinking about for a long time. I usually paint rocks using acrylics, but this time I used a stamp and watercolors on a Santorini rock from my local nursery. Make sure you use a flat rock, it makes the stamping step easier. First, I applied Golden Absorbent Ground. Once dry, I used Versafine Clair to stamp two birds from the Mercy Set 6216 and colored them with Tombow markers. After letting it sit for 24 hours, I sealed the project twice, first with Distress Glaze from Tim Hortz, only over the painted areas, and after a few hours I sprayed a thin coat of Krylon Gallery series matte finish. My husband makes the wooden bases for my rocks so they can stand, but they can also be used as a paperweight. 

Sorry if this post if this post is a bit long, as I'm still figuring out how to bring this blog to life. 
I hope you enjoy these projects!

Have a wonderful watercolor weekend!

Neema

Blue Hydrangea Margin Card and Pink Hydrangea Frameworks Gift Enclosure Card by Diane Mason

 Hello, and welcome back for Watercolor Weekend!

Hello, my Ai Watercolor friends and fans! I’m excited to share some beautiful hydrangea cards with you today. These projects feature images from two of the newest releases: 6219 – Hydrangea Margin Set and 6222 – Frameworks Set 4. I had so much fun exploring different color palettes and layouts, and I can’t wait to show you how these came together.

Blue Hydrangea Margin Card:

Hydrangeas are some of my favorite flowers — we actually have four hydrangea bushes in our backyard, and the whole yard looks so pretty when they’re in bloom.

Colors and Supplies Used

Paper: Canson XL Watercolor Paper

Patterned Paper: 5955 – Encouragement Paper Pack

Cardstock: gold metallic, white

Brushes: No. 4 round brush, No. 0 round brush

Stamps and Dies: 6219 – Hydrangea Margin Set, 5952 – Portfolio Template Set

Ink for stamped images: 526, 606, 177

Tombow Dual Brush Pens: 177, 526, 606

Other: Foam squares, Post-It Tape, Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bleed Proof White, Winsor Newton Gold Paint

I inked the flower petals in 526 and the leaves and stems in 177. After stamping the blue hydrangeas, I added 606 to the lower portions of the blooms and stamped again to create a soft blue‑purple blend.

Once all the elements were stamped onto Canson XL watercolor paper, I pulled the color from the lines with a damp brush and added additional color from my palette. The blue and purple tones blend beautifully to create depth and dimension. Using the bullet tip of 526, I dotted in the floral centers.

For the background, I pulled color from the edges of the image with a damp brush. When the panel was dry, I added tiny gold paint dots to the background and selectively to the stems and leaves.

Next, I masked off the edges of the painting with Post‑It tape, pressing firmly to prevent any bleeding. I painted the border with 526, and once dry, blended in 606 for added richness. Finally, I trimmed the finished panel to 1 7/8 x 5 1/2 inches.

To create the gold borders, I used one edge of the scalloped rectangle die from the 5952 – Portfolio Template Die Set to die cut gold metallic cardstock. Since the die wasn’t long enough, I extended the length by selectively die‑cutting and repositioning — there are lots of helpful YouTube tutorials on this technique. I adhered the gold strips behind each side of the painted panel.

For the card front, I trimmed patterned paper from the Encouragement Paper Pack to 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches and adhered it to a white A2 card base. The watercolored panel was then attached directly to the card front.

To add a little interest inside the card, I adhered a strip of coordinating patterned paper along the right edge. This design makes a lovely all‑purpose card, perfect for many occasions.

Pink Hydrangea Frameworks Gift Enclosure Card:

Sometimes it’s nice to have a small card for leaving a sweet note or attaching to a present or gift bag. This little enclosure card measures 3 1/2 x 2 6/8 inches (full card base: 5 1/4 x 2 6/8 inches).

Colors and Supplies Used

Paper: Canson XL Mix Media Paper

Patterned Paper: 6010 – Basic Pink Paper Pack

Cardstock: White

Brush: No. 4 round brush, No. 0 round brush

Ink for stamped images: 743, 606, 177

Stamps and Dies: 6219 – Hydrangea Margin Set, 6222 – Frameworks Set 4, 6062 – Hydrangea Floral Set, 5062 – Rounded Rectangle A2 Double, Stitched Dies, and 5726 – Nested Circle Dies

Tombow Dual Brush Pens: 743, 606, 177, N52, 403f

Other: Foam squares, Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bleed Proof White, sheer white ribbon, detail scissors, and envelope punch board.

I inked the frame and flower petals in 743, and the leaves and stems in 177. After stamping the pink hydrangeas, I added 606 to the lower portions of the flowers and stamped again to create a pink‑purple blend.

Once I pulled the color from the frame, I added touches of 606 for shading and used N52 to create shadows under the frame edge. For the background, I washed in a watery mix of 403 and added white dots with Bleed Proof White. Using the bullet tip of 743, I dotted in some floral centers.

I lightly sketched a cutting border with pencil and trimmed the image using detail scissors. Mix Media paper is thinner than watercolor paper, making it easy to cut cleanly. After attaching the sheer ribbon to the card front, I popped up the image with foam squares.

Inside the card, I die‑cut two panels from Mix Media paper using the Rounded Rectangle A2 Double Stitched Dies, plus a small circle from the Nested Circle Dies for the envelope seal. The sentiment is from the Hydrangea Floral Set, and the hydrangea images come from the top portion of the margin stamp. I created a coordinating envelope from white cardstock and patterned paper using an envelope punch board.

Thank you so much for spending a little creative time with me today. These hydrangea sets were such a joy to paint, and I hope they inspire you to pull out your favorite pinks, blues, purples, and greens this weekend. Whether you’re trying a new layout or revisiting a favorite technique, I can’t wait to see what you create. Be sure to tag us on social media. Until next time, Happy Painting!