Christmas is Early Challenge by Mercy Sauer

Hello friends, welcome to this week's challenge, Christmas is early!  I am sharing a tag I created a while back that I submitted to a magazine.  Typically we wait to showcase the card until the issue is released which brings us to today's project.  It's actually a set, so be sure to check out the matching card in this week's blog.    

I used one of my favorite Ai Christmas sets which comes with stamps and dies.   I've created tags, cards, table place cards and decorated gift boxes and bags.  In this example, I opted to create a scene using elements from the set.  I used copic markers and distress inks to highlight the pink sky and mountain tops.  The possibilities are endless with this set.   I hope this challenge gets you inspired to start thinking and creating for the holiday season...Thank you for being here!

 

 

Holiday Card Making is back! by Mercy Sauer

Hello folks, Mercy here.   I announced last week September will be my last month with Ai and I wanted to thank you all for your support and warm comments during this wonderful journey.  I thought it would be fitting to use one of my favorite Ai sets, one I purchased even before I was in the design team, the Christmas Truck Set .   A super cute and fun set, I just love it.

I stamped and die cut the elements and used Copic markers and inks to complete the project.   To change it up a bit, I used a slimline die cut for the outer design of the card.   

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season and many blessings for 2024.   
 

Peek-A-Boo by Mercy Sauer

Hello Ai friends, I am so happy to be here with you.   I have an announcement to make, I am saddened to report that I will be stepping down as a design team member for Ai.  It has been an amazing opportunity to be part of such a great group of ladies and company.   I will complete my September month responsibilities and hopefully we will be welcoming a new member very soon.   I love Ai products and will always continue to have them in my stash.

For this week I created a cute card which could be used for birthdays, Halloween, or any other occasion.   I used the cat from the 5506 – Peek-a-Boo Set, a great example of using a small element from a set as the main character.   Let's take a look.

I used the window die to create the opening.   In addition, I die cut from black cardstock the same window and removed the window panes and used them as frames for the front and back of the card panel.  I used oxide ink to distress the front panel and sprayed water to create the spots.   I did want to add a punch of color to a rather muted color scheme and the red heart did the trick.

Hope you get some inspiration from this card, shop from your own stash, it's always exciting to find new ways to use your product.   I will see you all next week!

 

New Release! by Mercy Sauer

Hello friends, Mercy here showcasing another newly released set.  This week, I would like to highlight sets that are staples in my collection.  They can easily be used as the main part of the card, as demonstrated on this card, or as background elements supporting the overall design of the card.  Let's look at my example,

I consider these three sets staples in my collection.   The new set of pots can easily be incorporated in any card and the same goes for the flowers and the puppy.  When purchasing stamps I categorize the sets to determine if it's one that I could potentially use many times or if it's more limited to a theme or occasion.   However you choose your stamps and dies, visit our website.  Art Impressions has a huge collection perfect to meet all your needs and wants.

Take care,

STAMPTEMBER '23 IS HERE!!!!! by Mercy Sauer

Before I even say hello, please note this Simon Says Stamptember Art Impressions Exclusive set will sell out very QUICKLY.   If you like it, go to Simon Says website to purchase and then come back...

Now that you are back, welcome, this is Mercy.  I am beyond excited to post and show you my card using this year's Ai Stamptember set!   It is so awesome and fun.   It's perfect for any occasion, but for me, it's all about Fall......So let's see it!

This sassy lady says it all.   Included in the set are multiple sentiments including a candle and birthday wishes.   

For this card, I fussy cut around the stamped border and used a black marker around the edges to mask all cutting lines yielding a clean and precise trimmed edge.  I love using this technique.   Check out Ai blog for lots of inspiration from the design team.  

If you are like me, I look forward to this event and most nights I do stay up past midnight to check out the new releases.   Congrats if you bought this set,  and have fun! 

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Two for One Part II by Mercy Sauer

Thank you for your time and checking out my second project for the week.   As promised, this project is what I call a "freebie" a "two for one".   Before I begin, let me start by showing you the project.  It's a Christmas tag, super versatile, we always need tags!

You might ask, what is so cool about this tag? well, it was created by using the spent cardstock I used to die cut snowflakes for my challenge project.  I was about to throw it away when I realized it was a perfect stencil and I could use it to create another project.

I used two shades of the same color, a darker and lighter one to create a bit of interest.

I used the darker ink on one side and the lighter on the other, resulting in an ombre effect.   Then I die cut the tag and stamped a sentiment directly onto the tag.   I also added white ribbon and cute little pom poms for a whimsical finish. This tag took me five minutes to create!!!   

You can even save the stencil with the dies and use for future projects.

I hope this technique inspires you to look at your waste and explore other options to recycle and/or reuse.   Not only you save on materials but also on time!

Have a wonderful rest of the week,  I will catch you next time.  

Two for One Part I--Feeling Blue Challenge by Mercy Sauer

Welcome to Challenge three for the month of August.  Today's challenge is anything blue and it made me think of Christmas.   So here it is, my first Christmas project of 2023.   It's crazy to think we are soon welcoming autumn and the holidays....pretty fun!

The card I created is perfect if you choose to make multiple ones.   It's simple and easy to make.   Using three colors of blue cardstock and the Ai Snowflake Die Set, I die cut multiple sets and adhered them to a card base. The snowflakes were glued past the edge of the card so all edges appeared finished.  Then, I simply trimmed the excess using scissors.  Let's take a look how the card turned out,

To complete the card, I popped up a sentiment adding a bit of dimension.   You can even turn this card into a family project, the kids can help in glueing the snowflakes onto the card stock and even die cutting the elements (with supervision of course!).    

Please check out my second card for this week for even more ideas...

 

Back to Scenes by Mercy Sauer

Welcome back friends...today I decided to create a whimsical scene using the newly released Ai products, Fairy House Set, Whimsical Mushroom Set and Little Things Sentiment Set. Before we begin, let's take a look,

My intention was to create a scene highlighting the glow of the late afternoon sun.   To achieve this effect, I used yellows throughout the scene mixed with other colors.

    The first step was to stamp all the elements.  

Then I added some lines to depict far away hills and the ground. The smaller fairy house looks to be separated from the front, and larger fairy house, by open land.

At this point, I proceeded to color the scene using Copics, and, most importantly I added yellow in the areas I did not want to forget.

 

Many times when I create a card that requires lots of coloring, it looks like a hot mess and I have the urge to start over; however, I stop myself, most times it does work out!

It's important to be patient and continue working on the scene, one area at a time, slowly it begins to look better and come together.

This summer release is so special.   I love the whimsy and beauty of the stamps.   Definitely looking forward to creating lots of new projects.    Until next time,

All Wrapped Up Challenge by Mercy Sauer

Welcome to this week's challenge. Please join us and tag your creations. You may be the lucky one to win a great prize.   

Today's card is a simple yet colorful card. I followed the same principles I used in this week's blog. I used two sets of complementary colors, pink and yellow, blue and orange, and gray as the neutral color. I used layers of printed paper in the same color as the ones I used for the main element of the card. Let's take a look! 

Although the complementary colors of the card may not be next to each other, they still create a harmonious design. You would think blue and orange need to be together, but even with the white separating them, the card still comes together. I used gray as the neutral color to center the card, allowing the other colors to really stand out. Finally, I adhered the whole assembly to the card base, then used scissors to give the card its V shape. 

Have a great week! 

It's a Barbie World by Mercy Sauer

 Hello Ai family, Mercy here. Today's card was inspired by the Barbie movie. I wanted to use pink as the main color, and similarly to the past few weeks, I heavily relied on the color wheel. I opted for four colors, two sets of complementary colors, or colors that lie opposite from each other on the color wheel. The colors I chose are pink and yellow, and blue and orange. 

However, I decided to add a curveball. Let's take a look at the card.

Look at the card as a whole. When I look at the full card, I see that something is off. The ground color throws off the "flow" of the other colors. Use a blank piece of paper to cover the bottom half of the card. When I cover the ground, the pink, blue, yellow and orange all work together to create a scene that is pleasing and harmonious to the eye. Therefore, I think a neutral gray (with a hint of blue, i.e. the C family from the Copic line) would work better to tie the ground color together with the rest of the card. 

I hope you enjoy today's card! Looking forward to the next one, take care!