Keep on Growing by Janet Axtman

 Happy Saturday and welcome to the Ai blog! One of the cutest new sets for spring is called 5798 - Gardening Girlfriends Set. It has several images and sentiments. I've been looking forward to using this set because the ladies in it are so cute. Also there are several stand-alone accessories such as an apron, pitcher, and hat. I cut out the circle from alcohol friendly cardstock with 5064 - Circle Double Stitched Dies. I stamped the image of the lady and added flowers to the pots using 4868 - WC Flower Set 2.

I was lacking a little inspiration for how to lay my card out so I went to some card sketches I keep handy and decided to try this one. If you ever feel stuck, card sketches can really help you out because of their tried and true nature. For my patterned cardstock, I used 5892 - Easter S2 PP. I just added solid coordinating cardstock for the card base and sentiment strip. I used 5725 - Nested Square Dies and 5724 Nested Rectangle Dies to cut the mats behind the circle. I stamped the sentiment on a strip of darker blue cardstock and matted it with some leftover striped cardstock used for the mat. A few blue glitter enamel dots finishes this one off nicely.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope my card gives you some ideas of your own. Please visit the store to see all the things you need for your card, journal, and tag making projects. Have a GREAT Saturday!

Janet - YouTube - Blog - Facebook - Instagram - Pinterest  

You Spin Me Round Challenge #369

 You Spin Me Round!

That's our new challenge.

Round cards, circles on cards, dots, pearls...

Anything circular.

First we need to announce the winners of our You're a Gem challenge.

For our Top Spot we chose Zilla S.

She used the adorable (retired) exclusive WC0124 WC Bear with Heart.

Please contact Leah at Feedback@artimpressions.com

to claim a free stamp set of your choice!

Also, be sure to grab our badge to display on your blog, Facebook or Instagram!

Our Lucky Random Winner was
#17 April J.

Please contact Leah at Feedback@artimpressions.com

to claim a free stamp set of your choice!

Also, be sure to grab our badge to display on your blog, Facebook or Instagram!

Now onto my feature!

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

Hello everyone.

I'm the featured artist for this challenge and I've chosen to make a Valentine
card using dies and paper from Art Impressions.

I used only dies, no stamps, for this card.

5543 – Journal Template Die Set
5719 – FB Fence & Window Set
5727 – Nested Oval Dies
5064 – Circle Double Stitched Dies
5063 – Rectangle A2 Double Stitched Dies

These are all the shapes I cut.  I didn't end up using one of the red ovals. (two halves)

All of the patterned paper is from Art Impressions.

5741 – Valentines Paper Pack
5812 – Christmas S2 Paper Pack

My card used 3 different sized circle dies, circular sequins and polka dot paper.  What will YOU create with circles??

I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

✻ Please make a new card or handmade crafty creation. You can make any 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 your first name and last initial on your submission.

✻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

A "Sticky" Hello by Janet

Hello Ai fans! I'm here today with a card using the fun 5458 - Llama Set. This set includes many smaller images that are truly adorable and fun to work with. Although this has three llama images, there are four other images that are just plain great to use all by themselves and I wanted to show you a sample of that with this project.

I chose to use the cactus image and sentiment as the focal point and colored it with Copic markers. Then I cut it out using the 5726 - Nested Circle Dies. I cut another circle using 5064 - Circle Double Stitched Dies and mounted them together. I also added three green glitter enamel dots for a little extra shine and oomph! 

The A2 card base started as an 11' x 5 1/2" kraft piece of cardstock. I folded it in half and then added two pieces of patterned paper from the 5606 - Harvest Journal Paper Pack. I used decorative scissors (remember those?!) to get some decorative edges on these pieces before layering them on the card base. Then I added some baker's twine, a bow, and the finished cactus piece. Though simple, I love how it turned out.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you'll stop by the store to see all the things you need for your card, journal, and tag making projects. 

Janet - YouTube - Blog - Facebook - Instagram - Pinterest  

 

Snow globe Card by Nina

 Hello Ai fans, Nina here and today I wanna share with you how I created this cute Snow Globe Card. I used HM Accessory set, stitched circle die set and stitched rectangle die set.

I stalled the images on white paper using my Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and my Mini Misti and colored then with Copic markers.

I die cut a rectangle with the stitched rectangle biggest die and added a little bit of Speckled Egg distress Ink with my ink blending tool.

And cut two circles in the middle of it to create an opening and a frame around it, I cut the frame again from a white paper and attached the ink blended background, the circle and the white frame to a white paper slightly bigger than the ink blended background.

I then added a white hillside border to by my white and made Santa stand on it then tucked the tree behind it and the deer coming from behind the frame.

I cut the word hohoho from red cardstock and attached it on top. I also cut with the scissors a base for the snow globe using the same red cardstock.

Thinking of You by Sharon Caudle

 Hello AI Fants!

My card today features the cute #5790 Fairy Houses Set along with the #5785 Gnomes, #5788 Mushrooms, #5794 Whimsical Flowers, #5561 Birds and Bugs Set,#5797 Little Things Sentiments, #5064 Circle Double Stitched Dies, #5543 Journal Template Die Set, and #5832 Gnome Paper Pack.  I stamped the images onto Cryogen White and then colored them with Copic markers listed below.  To get the flowers and mushrooms positioned behind the house, I made a mask of the house using Stamp Masking Paper I got from Art Impressions. 

Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit and until the next time - hope you get to stay crafty!!

Copic markers used:

G21, G24

YG01, YG03, YG07, YG13, YG17

E00, E11, E21, E33, E35, E41, E42, E43, E44, E51, E55, E70, E71, E81, E84

YR61, YR65, YR68

Y13, Y17, Y18

C1, C2, C3, C4

T1, T2

B000, B21, B23, B24, B26

R00, R24, R27, R29

Have a magical day by Sharon Caudle

 Hello AI Fans!

Hope you're having an amazing start to your week! My card today features several of the new releases at Art Impressions:  5790 Fairy Houses Set, 5795 Berries Set, 5797 Little Things Sentiment Set, 5832 Gnome paper pack, and then I also used 5345 Fairy Cubbies Set for the fairies, 5588 Journal Oval Frames for the sentiment banner and decorative scalloped border, and 5064 Circle Double Stitched Dies.  The images were stamped onto Cryogen white paper and then colored with Copic markers. This card would also work with the current All Wrapped Up challenge that is still going on. You have just a few more days to get your project entered for a chance to win a free stamp set of your choice!  

 

Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit today, and until next time - stay crafty!!

Copic markers used:

YG13, YG17, YG21

G0000, G00, G02

R000, R11, R14, R17, R20

T1

B000, B00

Y00, Y08, Y13, Y17

BV00, BV02

E000, E00, E11, E21, E50, E51, E55

It's Going To Take A Big Cake! by Janet

 Happy Saturday Ai fans! Today I've went old school on y'all! I used several elements I haven't used in a long time to highlight our challenge going on right now called Midnight Snack. I've been eating a lot of cake lately because we've had many happy celebrations in the past week so it was the first thing I thought of for this challenge. Here are all the cake appropriate celebrations we've had this past week: high school graduation, Eagle Scout project dedication, & a birthday. Plus we've made the rounds to my son's friend's graduation parties so we ate cake there too! Good thing I love cake!

This image is from AiCS28-Chocolate Therapy. I used 5065-Oval Double Stitched and Circle Double Stitched dies to cut the cake and sentiment from the set before mounting them on this card. I mentioned I went old school. It was fun to take out my crimper tool, a doily die from my stash and a button. I also used some Nuvo Glitter Drops on the frosting and Nuvo Crystal Drops on the candles. A little bit of lace and some gold foil cardstock worked great on this 6 x 6 card. I usually don't make square cards but I have no idea why. I enjoyed the square shape and the room it provides to create the design. As many of you probably know, it does cost extra to mail square cards.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope you'll stop by the store soon for all your card making needs. 

Wishing you a very crafty day!

Janet - YouTube - Blog - Facebook - Instagram - Pinterest 

Pet sympathy with NEW NESTED HEARTS! by Reneé Matarese

 Hello Ai fans!

I recently had two friends lose a pet and I wanted them to know
that I was thinking of them.  I lost my precious Boomer a few weeks
before Christmas so I understand the hurt they're feeling right now.

I wanted to use the new 5721 – Nested Heart Dies
because I know how much they loved their pets.

I mounted the new hearts on the 5064 – Circle Double Stitched Dies.
Before mounting the hearts on the circles I cut out the dog image.  Then I cut

the dog using red paper and inserted him into the cut out space so he was flush

with the heart shaped paper.

The dogs are from 5337 – Dogs Mini Dies.
I cut all of the animals names out using 5562 – Journal Letter Die Set.

Since Joey's name was shorter, I was able to use a die from the 5543 – Journal Template Die Set
to put his name on.  The cats are from 5333 – Cats Mini Dies.



All of the patterned papers are from 5712 – Christmas Journal Paper Pack, 

which shows how versatile they are because these cards aren't Christmassy at all.

I hope that my friends will soon only remember the happy times spent with their pets.

My heart aches for them.

Hot Mess Laugh Lines - Sharon Caudle

 Hello AI fans!!

My card today features Hot Mess from the Laugh Lines series at Art Impressions.  It comes with so many amazing sentiments that fit this poor distraught woman!  This reminds me so much of my two daughters that have younger children! LOL! They definitely have these types of days.  And the sentiment I chose to use on this card is so perfect! I have said for years that my hard drive is full, so if I want to save anything else, I have to delete a file first. LOL!  I'm sure many of you can relate. 

I stamped her with Memento ink onto cryogen white paper and colored her with Copic markers which are listed below.  I then used AI double stitched circle dies to cut her out. The big scalloped edge was created using a super old punch I have had for so many years. And then of course I added a bow using some May Art ribbon and my Bow Easy tool. The stripe in the chair was achieved simply by using my Copic blender pen. If you're just learning about Copics, the blender pen isn't used at all to blend colors. (I know, right??!!)   I call it my little bull dozer as it actually pushes the color out of the way. So it's very easy to create designs or patterns in an image using it. Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit today and until next time - stay crafty!!

Copics used

E000, E00, E11, E21, E23, E33, E35, E37

R11, R12, R20

YG03, YG05

Y26, Y28

B000, B91, B93, B95

Blender pen

Hot Java Mama! by Janet

Hello Ai fans! I know there's a lot of people out there that wouldn't think of doing anything before their first cup of Joe. I would put myself in that category. Set  AICS32 - Hot Java Mama is one of Ai's sets that seems made just for me! I wouldn't say I look like this lady but I feel like she looks before my first cup of coffee most mornings! Notice her dark and puffy under eye circles. Oh yes, that's me in the morning!

After coloring and fussy cutting the lady image, I glued her to piece of pink cardstock and popped the whole thing up in the middle of the card so that the points of the triangle on the top and bottom are bridged.

In addition to the lady, I made the coffee cup and bean images on this card with two stamps included in the set. I had some perfect paper for the coffee them but adding the beans and cups really made it so much better don't you think? I just added a little bit of brown and gray copic coloring to give the cups a little more life. The beans were stamped with brown ink. Very simple!

Inside the card, I added a border of stamped beans, the cup and the Hot Java Mama sentiment. I think this would be a great card to send to a friend for almost any reason. Everyone needs to be reminded they're a hot java mama once in a while!

COPIC COLORS USED:

RV66, RV69, RB83

E000, E0, E11, E21, E04, R20

E21, E23, E25

E44, E47, E49

Y13, Y15, Y17

BG15, BG45, BG49

C0, 100, G000, 0

Holy Moly Triple Flap Card by Jil Lebel

 

Hello Ai fans!

I used the Holy Moly stamp set to make a Triple Flap card. It has three flaps that open two different directions on the front of the card.  I love the Holy Moly set so much that I keep making cards with it.

I started by stamping the images onto Spectrum Noir Ultra Smooth card stock with Gina K Black Amalgam ink and colored them with Copic markers.  The colors I used will be listed at the end of this post. 

 I then cut the images out with Cutterbee scissors and set them aside.  I stamped the greeting onto a thin strip of white card stock using Versafine Clair Nocturne ink. 

The card fold is rather unexpected.  I found all of the directions on Dawn's Stamping Thoughts You Tube video.  It's titled "A Really Cute Triple Flap Penguin Card". She has all of the measurements to follow.

Copic Colors Used:

Moles - E29, E27, E25

Blue - b95, B93, B91

Rose - R85, R83, R81

Green - YG67, YG63, YG61

White - W3, W1, W0

Thanks for stopping by and Have a Great Day!