It's in the Mail Challenge #421 Week #1

Hello Ai fans!

Welcome to our It's in the Mail Challenge!

This time, we're all about envelopes, postage stamps (or postage stamp dies) and mailboxes.

Stamps, dies, embossing folders, embellishments.

As long as your handmade project contains a mailbox or envelope of some sort, along with stamps, dies or paper from Art Impressions, then you might be the next winner of a free stamp set from Ai.

As we announced before our last challenge...

Please take note,
we have a new requirement.

We're not a large corporation like Simon Says Stamp that sells MANY brands.

Art Impressions is a family run company that designs ALL of their own stamps, dies and designer paper.

Therefore, moving forward, we're going to ask that you use some sort of Art Impressions product on your challenge entries. Everything else remains the same. Please see the full list of rules below.

After checking out the absolutely adorable baby bear card from our Featured Designer Janet, scroll down to see who won our last challenge.

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Hello and welcome to the feature post for the, "It's in the Mail Challenge." It's a Slider Double Pop-Up Easel card. Although I own a die set for this style of card, I wanted to show you how to make one without anything special. The twist on the card is that it has two stand up panels instead of just one. I want to credit Connie Stewart of Simply Simple Stamping for the measurements and inspiration for the project I'm sharing with you today.

Follow along with my instructions below. If you have questions or get stuck on anything, leave your question as a comment and I'll respond.

To start this one, I stamped, colored and cut out the baby images from 6103 - Baby Keepsake Set. Then I worked on the scalloped background by cutting it out with 6048 - Scalloped Rectangle Dies. This is the only die I used for the card base and it's for decoration. You can cut it without a die if desired but it looks awesome with it. The size is approximately 2 1/8" x 3 1/4." I stamped the mailbox with 5575 - Mailbox and Birdhouse Set and colored it and the grassy scene with Copic markers.

Once all of the elements were ready, I tucked the baby items into the basket and glued them to the basket to hold them in place. A nice feature of the 6102 - Baby Keepsake set is that the die slices open the top of the basket so you can load it up with accessories. It can also be used on it's own if desired too so it's very versatile.

Once the elements above are ready, I set them aside to work on the pieces of the card. Cardstock cut and scored as shown forms the base of the card that will support the pop-up mechanisms and mats. To make this card have more interest, I incorporated patterned papers from 6057 - Baby Girl Paper Pack. The patterns are so soft and sweet. They also have some heft to them so you can use them for interactive cards and not worry that they won't withstand the workout these cards have to sustain. 

Next cut and score this set of mats and strips. 

The first step is secure the baby girl patterned paper to the 9 1/2" pink strip. The pencil mark is just to help you see that this strip is centered to the patterned paper. Note that in the second picture I used a narrow oval punch to cut the notch shape that makes the tab opening.

The next part of the instructions makes the slider part of the card. The pink 3 3/4" x 3 1/4" piece is the sentiment area. Just to jazz it up a little, I stamped a message, blocks and booties on it. This will appear at the bottom of the card when the tab is pulled so as a little surprise to the recipient.

Once set, go ahead and pull the tab. It should reveal the message and make the Oh Baby card panel pop up.

Now comes the twist. Grab the 5 1/2" x 1 1/2" pink strip with the four score lines. Fold where scored to form a box at the bottom. Glue the last fold to secure the box shape. This is the second pop-up mechanism for the card.

Once the glue is set, activate the slider mechanism by pulling the tab. The tab forces the middle panel to stand up and the pop-up mechanism connected to the middle and front panels helps it stand. This action also creates a space between the 1st and middle panel. It's a cool 3D effect with two stand-up panels instead of the typical single panel. 

Below is the completed card in its closed position. It doesn't fold completely flat, but it's close and it will fit in a mailing envelope without a problem. I added another of the Oh Baby papers to the pink strip as both a mat and a sentiment. I used my scissor to trim the patterned paper to match the tab opening and glue it in place. This is an optional step. If you want to do this, you should do it before adding the box mechanism and top mat in case the box ends up being glued on it. This same area will fit a sentiment banner if you would prefer that.

And there you have it! I think this design is very nice and I plan to make more of this style in different themes. I hope you'll give it a try. 

Now it's your turn! Submit a card that has any reference to mail using Ai Stamps and get a chance to win free stamps. Wishing everyone who participates good luck.

Thanks for joining me on the blog today. As always, find your favorite stamps, dies, papers, and accessories at the Ai Store!

Happy Crafting!

Janet - YouTube - Blog - Facebook - Instagram - Pinterest  

Thank you Janet for the sweet card and the wonderful tutorial.

Now, let's see who won our Love, Love Me Do challenge.

For our Top Spot we selected:
Consuelo G.

5820 KH – My Favorite Birds Set

Please contact Leah at Feedback@artimpressions.com

to claim a free stamp set of your choice!!

Be sure to grab your winner's badge to display on your social media.

Our Lucky Random Winner was:

#8 Bonnie W.

Please contact Leah at Feedback@artimpressions.com

to claim a free stamp set of your choice!!

Be sure to grab your winner's badge to display on your social media.

Congratulations to both of our winners!

Now for our new challenge!

 ✻ 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.

 ✻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

Hello Spring by Reneé Matarese

 Hello Spring!!

Well, almost.  We're not "out of the woods" yet where I live. Last April we received a foot of heavy, wet snow on the 19th which destroyed several of our trees. You just never know in the Northeast.

For now, I'm going to choose to believe that bluebirds and butterflies and flowers and bees will be here before you know it!

My card fits with the current Pop It Up challenge here on the blog.

I used several Art Impressions products on my card.

There are 3 stamp/die sets, 1 die set and a paper pack.

Links to everything are below.

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter and that your Spring will be filled with flowers and happiness. And for those of you who are now coming into the colder months. I'm sorry...lol!  We've done our time here though. Time for some warm weather!

Watercolor Weekend 7-16-2022

 Hello Ai fans!

It's time for our Watercolor Weekend!

This week our Design Team has three very different cards so no matter what sort of inspiration you're looking for, you should be able to find it here!

Art Impressions just released a fabulous new WC Journal Series and we're in love with it!

First up this week is Dot and her fabulous card using the new 5575 – Mailbox Birdhouse Set.

Hello,

I am still playing around with red, white and blue and decided to use the brand new 5575 - Mailbox, Birdhouse set for my Art Impressions Watercolor Weekend card. Twice a month on the first and third Saturdays, you can find inspiration from the Watercolor Design Team on the Ai blog under the Watercolor Weekend tab. Be sure to check it out! 

To make this card, ink up the birdhouse set with both 565 and 969, stamp it off and then stamp it on your watercolor paper so it's not too dark. Pull the color out of the lines. Use a pencil and a ruler to draw the flag. See Bonnie's tutorial here to make the flag. Use Tombow 555 for the blue parts of the flag, birdhouse and planter. Use the Tombow 856 for the red parts. Ink the foliage from the 5476 Foliage Set 5 with 177 and stamp them in the pots. The bottom flowers are from the same set but you ink the flowers with 565 which is more purple than blue like the 555. Ink the grass from the 4051 Foliage set  under those bottom flowers and pull the color up and below the grass. The red flowers are from the 5009 Mini Flower Set. The sky is 555. Use Dr. Ph Martin's bleed proof white to add the stars to the flag and the dots to the pot. I used a small stylus but you could use a small paint brush. Cut it out using the 5063 A2 Double Stitched Die Set. Hope you give it a try!

Next up is Tricia.  

She also used one of the new WC Journal sets. Tricia's holiday card features the 

5576 – Little Trucks Set.

I started out by inking up the VW Bus Pickup with 969 and 569.  I stamped it off and then stamped it onto my watercolor paper and pulled the color out of the lines.  Next, I added some red to the truck and a mixture of the brown/blue to the tires.  For the tree, I inked up one of the evergreen trees with green, stamped it off, I masked off the cab and bed of the truck, and, using my positioner placed the tree into the back of the truck.  I pulled some green out of the lines.  I wasn’t careful because I have my Dr PH Martins bleed proof white!

 

Using my palette, 569 and lots of water, I moved it into mountain shapes behind the truck.  Remember, things in the foreground are dark and they get lighter the further away they are.  I added a little bit of 569 beneath the truck.  I went over any areas I wanted to add white back in and used my bleed proof white to create snow.

 

I stamped a wreath and cut it out with the heart from the new watercolor journal die set.  I stamped the sentiment using my black ink and MISTI stamping tool. The sentiment is a new one with this release.  Lastly I signed and dated. 

The new dies also includes this really cute decorative square (reminds me of a postage stamp) and the decorative corners.  I have a feeling I am going to be using these for years to come.  The patterned papers are an old pack from Gina K designs.

Our last card comes from Karen.

She went beachy this time. 
Her card reminds me so much of my kids when they were little.

Hello Ai Watercolour fans!

I've created a summery scene this week, featuring 5118 - WC Beach Girls Set, and 5119 - WC Beach Boys Set:

Using my stamp positioner for placement, I stamped the little boy and girl on my Canson XL Watercolor Paper using #992, and sketched in the shape of a sandcastle between them, along with the shoreline and horizon.  I built up their skintones using layers of #850, and painted his hair with #969, and hers with #850, then #947 overtop to give her a reddish/strawberry blond look, leaving the crown of each head very pale on top where the sun would hit.  His suit was painted with #569, and hers with #993/055.  #977 was painted in as the sand, with several darker layers on the castle, and around the figures.  I mixed #493 and #569 to create the darker water shade, and then used just #493 to paint in the sky.  #245 added a pop of bright green to the bucket.

I used #565 to add shadows in the sand, then used the fine point of a grey marker to slightly darken the outline of the children, and to draw in the little flag and the bucket handle.  I die cut out my scene and mounted it with 3D adhesive onto my patterned background.

From the Patriotic, to Christmas, to the beach...our designers created some wonderful cards. 

You can find their inspiration every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month.

Be sure to check out the new Journal Series.

The dies can be used on cards as well as the journal as can all of the stamp sets.

We hope you all have a wonderful weekend and are inspired to do something crafty!

Be sure to #artimpressions if you do because we love to see your creations.