Slimline #313 New Challenge

 Hello Ai fans!

It's time for a new challenge at Art Impressions!

We're keeping it simple.  This is a challenge that everyone should
be able to participate in...both watercolor artists and fans of the regular Art Impressions stamps.

The challenge for the next two weeks is...

Reneé is our featured artist this week.

Hi everyone!!

I'm so excited to share this newer set called 5397 – Submarine Cubbies. 
The Cubbies are one of my all time favorite series of stamps.

I've been really into metallic papers and shimmers lately.  I've tried to take several
photos at different angles so you can see the shimmer.

It's amazing how different a photo can look depending on the angle.  The photo above looks like the fish are dark blue or black.  You can see in this second photo that there is a light blue metallic paper behind them.

The animals and the sub are all covered in Wink of Stella. 
WOSC Wink of Stella Glitter Clear Brush Pen – Clear

Can you see the difference between these photos and the reflections?  It almost looks like it lights up in real life.  All of the cubbies are so super sweet.  I can't decide which my favorite is.  The bonus is that these sets come with dies to cut these tiny images so that you don't need to worry about fussy cutting.

Thank you Reneé!

Now for the winner!

Amanda Nolt is our winner of the last challenge..."Going Batty!"

She used Ghoul Friend Set 5038,

Frameworks Set 5420, and 

Tombow markers 993, 636,969, 725, 885, and N25

Please contact Leah at Feedback@artimpressions.com

to claim 3 stamp sets of your choice!

Now for our new challenge!

Here are the Challenge Rules...

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

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

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

✻ 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 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

May the Joy of Christmas be Yours! by Crystal

Hi Ai fans! Today I made a card using the Snow Friend stamp set. I stamped the snow man image onto water card stock with Versafine black ink. I love how this stamped image is spelling out "JOY". 

I colored the image in with aqua color pencils. I start darker for the shaded areas getting lighter as I go leaving some white space. I use a water color brush to spread the color out into the highlight areas. 

Once the image is colored in I die cut it out with a oval double stitch die. I matted the color image onto pattern paper. I added the sentiment "May the joy of Christmas be yours!" onto a small piece of white card stock and adhered it below the oval die cut. I matted the whole panel onto a red piece of card stock die cut to 5 1/2" X 4 1/4".  

Happy Stamping! 

 

Vintage Christmas Wreath by Lynn Dionne

 Hello Ai Fans!!!

Watch video tutorial here!

For todays card and video I'm excited to show you this elegant vintage Christmas Wreath Card! This was created using the Christmas Wreath Set (4791). This is just such a beautiful wreath set which includes a lovely bow, sentiment and holly/berry sprig! We will be using all of the elements of this stamp set for this card today! 

I will show you how to easily create this archway shaped card! To add some dimension we will be using a 3-D Textured Embossing Folder and we will stack up several of the bows for some nice visual interest!

To give this card a vintage vibe, we will add some Walnut Stain Distress Oxide ink.  For even more dimension we will add some Crystal Glaze to the little berries in our wreath! 

We will also finish the inside of the card by adding another archway and decorating it with the holly and berry sprigs and we will stamp the "Merry Christmas" sentiment with some Red Geranium ink!!!

Thank you! Have a fun and crafty day!!!

Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens used:

Blender, Bright Yellow, Lt Green, Deep Green, Sugared Almond Pink, Deep Red

Final Fan Groups Features

Hello Ai fans!

 Today is bittersweet.
Today is our last Fan Groups share for September but that means that Jil from the Design Team will be back next week!!  Hooray!

This group of artists who filled in while Jil was on leave have provided SO much inspiration!

Although this is the final week you'll see their creations on the Art Impressions blog you can join one of (or both) Ai fan groups on FB to continue to see all sorts of cards, projects, get tips, ask questions, etc. 

Art Impressions Stamp Group

The Art Impressions Way


For our final Fan Groups Share we're kicking things off with Toni Woods.

Her scene is a little bit Kendra...the wreath and dots! and a little bit Bonnie...The church and the colors.  (minus the yellow...lol!) She used 5058 Church Set, 5067 Gates of Righteousness,  4051  Foliage Set 1,  5126  Foliage Set 4, 4867 Foliage Set 2, 5074 Foliage  Bible Flower Set, 5129  He Leads Me    
                 

Sharon Caudle was a long time, extremely valued Design Team member.  We are so grateful that she agreed to come back, even if for a short time.   What other excuses can we come up with to keep her comping back?  lol!  She used 5399 – Gull-Friends Set on her adorable card. 

Ruthan Plant is one of the co-founders of The Art Impressions Way on FB.  She's usually famous for her watercolor nature scenes but this time she created a stunning holiday scene.  We love her creative spirit...her pinecones are artichokes!!  Can you believe it?!

5424  WC Veggies Set, 5418 WC Bible Foliage Set 2, 5126  WC Foliage Set 4, 4963. WC Fall Set

Roberta Bostrom created a beautiful river scene.
Even if you don't like to fish you MUST feel the peacefulness this amazing scene makes you feel!

She used silhouettes, small rocks, stone creek, tree set and foliage set 4.

             A while back Kendra challenged Ruthan and everyone to create a Terrarium.  Michelle Hoskins took that challenge head on!!  She created this amazing little scene with glass that is just above and beyond! 

She used Southwest set #4763. 

Kathy Acres is just one of the sweetest people you could ever hope to meet.   She is one of the founding members of the Art Impressions Way on FB.  She is one of the few people that both watercolors and loves the regular Ai stamps!  Today she's sharing her cute snow people scene.   She used the Sparkle & Cheer Set #4935 and the Christmas Wonder Set #4936

Irm Fondse-Beerens is famous for her butterflies!

She used multiple containers to create this sweet scene.  She used...
4702 - Wooden Door (Wreath), 4701 - Claypot,  5416 - Vintage Car set,  5373 - LG Tree set,  5009 - Mini Flower,  5418 - Bible Foliage set 2.  5126 - Foliage 4,  4966 - Bird Bath set,  5055 - Sitting Places set,  4051 - Foliage 1,  5258 - Flower 4,  4965 - Branches,  4960 - Fir Tree set,  5136 - Sentiment set 2

Fiona Garner has joined us for the last week and has two sweet cards!  For her first card she use 5349 – Koalas Set from the Funny Farm Series.

For Fiona's second card she used the ever popular 5399 – Gull-Friends Set. 

Diane Mason has a different style than a lot of watercolor artists.  She paints very bold colors. We look forward to seeing more and more of her work in the fan groups!
5426 - WC Veggies, 5069 - WC Harvest Set, 4868 - WC Flower Set 2, 4867 - WC Foliage Set 2

5418 - Bible Foliage Set 2, 4964 - WC Branches Set, 4701 - Clay Pot     

                  

Debbie Hedges has been an Ai fan for just about forever!  She created such an adorable lake scene with beautiful shades of greens, blues and purples!  She used
5118 - WC Beach Girls Set,  5258 - WC Flower Set 4,  5009 - WC Mini Flower Set,  4875 - WC Garden Wagon Mini Set,  5414 - WC Small Rocks Set,  5415 - WC Rocks Set,  4051 - WC Foliage Set 1,  4867 - WC Foliage Set 2,  5126 - WC Foliage Set 4,  5372 - WC Mini Foliage Set,  4603 - WC Blooming Birdhouse,  5062 - Rounded Rectangle Double-Stitched Dies

De Furey created a lovely bird bath scene.  We love the subtle background she created to highlight her pretty garden.
Scrapbook.com exclusive Hydrangeas, 4052 – WC Flower Set 1, 4051 – WC Foliage Set 1, 4872 – WC Birds Set, 4966 – WC Bird Bath Set, 5018 – WC Cobblestone Set

How many of you miss Diane Zechman  being on the Art Impressions DT as much as we do? She's such a talented artist.  For our final fan share she used MB Template, MB Birthday set, MB Kitchen Set, MB Wall Accessories, MB Cat Accessories, 5038- Ghoul Friend Set.

On behalf of everyone at Art Impressions I'd like to thank all of these amazing artists who shared their talents with us each Tuesday this September.  Their work has been an inspiration and we are thankful they chose to participate. 

Happy Stamping everyone!

Spooky House Card by Bri Firth

Hello Ai Fans - Bri Firth here! Today, I am sharing another spooky card design featuring the Happy Haunting Set. This project is perfect for Ai's current challenge, "Going Batty". Also, this haunting card is featured on my personal blog today, check it out here! 

To create the layered card background I used a rectangle die from the Rectangle Double Stitched Dies set to die cut a black stitched rectangle and matted it with solid white cardstock. I stamped the "Happy Haunting" sentiment in the lower left corner of the top layer and heat embossed it with white embossing powder.

I ink blended onto a oval die cut from the Oval Double Stitched Dies set to add a pop of color to the center of the card. I used Salvaged Patina, Blueprint Sketch, Wilted Violet, and Black Soot Distress Oxide inks to create the spooky blend. Next, I stamped the bats in pigment black ink and heat embossed them with clear embossing powder.

The haunted house was colored with my Copic markers. I used the BV20's to color the house in a gray-tinted purple blend. I used my E80's to color the rotted wood and I used Y00 and Y26 to add the lights in the windows. I used foam tape to add the house to the card front. To finish the card, I also added some coordinating sequins.

Check back next week for more Ai inspiration made by me!

Ai Products Used

Happy Haunting Set

Rectangle Double Stitched Dies

Oval Double Stitched Dies

Trick or Treat by Reneé Matarese

 Hello Ai fans!

Halloween is so much fun and Art Impressions has
so many fun sets!

Today I'm sharing a card that I made using 
5026 – Halloween Circlet MTF

The verse is from 5352 – Halloween Critters Set and the bats are from
the 5328 – Halloween Mini Dies.  The Tryfold and Circlets are so much fun
when used as they're meant to be but they can also be used in a more traditional way. 

.

Too Cute To Spook! Halloween Critters by Janet

 

Hello Ai Fans! Janet here with another pair of Halloween cards for the second half of the Going Batty Challenge. 

This pair is made with the very cute Halloween Critters set. The baby critters all ready for Halloween are precious. They remind me of my son in his toddler costumes. If you dressed up your little ones, I'm pretty sure they will make you think of those days too. 

For both cards, I started by stamping and water coloring the critters, candy and pumpkin bucket using Karin Brushmarker Pro markers and a water brush. The set comes with dies so cutting these out were a breeze. Then I set about creating the colorful backgrounds. I used the Stepped Back Blocks layered stencil set and distress inks in Carved Pumpkin, Shaded Lilac and Wilted Violet. The dark plum diamonds are created by using all three colors in the same area. I applied dry clear paste using the smallest triangle stencil layer and sprinkled orange glitter over top. The paste holds the glitter very well and there is little shedding which is important to me. 

The first card is an A2 landscape style. I cut two small circles using the Ai Circle Double Stitched die set and I arranged the two cute critters and a sentiment on the card. I also placed the spider in the stamp set so that it would be coming down from the sentiment strip. The two critters were placed with foam tape to add additional dimension. I used a black Glossy Jelly Roll pen for the web string and to put details in the critter's eyes. Dark purple dew drops were added as an accent. Last, I placed the completed panel on a premade orange glitter card base.

For the second card, I created a shaker card using another layered background, the rabbit critter and candy pieces. I cut out the shaker circle with an Ai Circle Double Stitched die. Double sided foam tape was used to create the shaker well and acetate sealed the window containing a fun Halloween mix. Once the shaker was completed, I accented it with the bat from the set. I also placed candies and sequins on the front to finish it off.

I hope you enjoyed this cute little critter Halloween cards. They really are too cute to spook! Don't forget to enter your Halloween creation in the Going Batty Challenge before it's too late. 

Happy Creating!

Janet - YouTube - Blog - Facebook - Instagram - Pinterest

Magic is in the Air Card by Tasha!

 Happy Friday Ai Fans!

Tasha here sharing a Fall card created with the fun Happy Hauntings Stamp Set!

This set has a variety of images and sentiments, but nothing says Fall like owls! These witchy owls are too cute with their little hats and the bright colors pop against the dark sky background!

The circle frame is from the Bible Journaling Frameworks Set 1 and the frame design works perfectly with the owl images!

The sentiment "Magic is in the Air" was stamped with black ink and I used purple Distress Oxide Ink around the edges. To complete the card, I added glitter card stock and a Halloween pattern paper to the panels; I love all the sparkle!

Thank you for checking out today's project and I hope you are inspired to create a Fall/Halloween card!