Milestone Birthdays! Challenge #400 and BIG Giveaway!

 Hello everyone and welcome to challenge #400!!

Can you BELIEVE it??

400 challenges and going strong. How many companies can say that?

To celebrate this special milestone, we're calling our challenge

MILESTONE BIRTHDAYS!

Think special birthdays like 1, 5, 10, 16, 18, 21, 30, 40 etc...

I'm also going to be doing a giveaway. I have 3 extra Throwbacks from 2024 that I'll be giving away in addition to the regular Top Spot and Lucky Random Winner. So...to keep this fair, I'm doing things a little different this month. There will be 5 winners chosen. All winners will be randomly selected. No Top Spot. Just 5 lucky winners.

What do you need to do to enter?

Upload a birthday card/project using Art Impressions products to our challenge. In the comments, let me know which Throwback set you're interested in, or if you'd like to select a set from the current stock on the Art Impressions website. You'll see a place to leave a comment at the bottom of this page.

Here are the Throwbacks that I'll be giving away. This is open to everyone, even international fans. Yay!

January 2024 #5868 Daffodil & Tulip Set

March 2024 #5876 Watercolor Lilies Set

May 2024 #5900 Garden Bench Set

Remember, upload a birthday card/project using Art Impressions products and then leave a comment as to what set you'd like to win.

Before we see what our fabulous Featured Artist Lynn created to inspire you, let's see who won our last challenge, I Like to Move It, Move It.

For our Top Spot we selected Kathy R. for her pop up card. 

Please contact Leah at Feedback@artimpressions.com

to claim a free stamp set of your choice!!

Our Lucky Random Winner was Irene R. for her "flutters" card. 

Please contact Leah at Feedback@artimpressions.com

to claim a free stamp set of your choice!!

Now let's check out this INCREDIBLE masculine card and video tutorial from Lynn.

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Today we will create this fun masculine interactive swivel surprise card! This card was inspired by the current Art Impressions "Milestone Birthday" Blog Challenge, and I'm honored to be the featured artist for this fun and fabulous challenge!

Watch video tutorial here!!!

For the focal images on this card, we will be using the Ai Reel Great Guys Set (4900). This set will give us plenty of fun stamps to create the fishermen for the outside of the card and several cute coordinating images for our interactive feature on the inside of the card!

Let's begin by stamping and coloring all of the images that we will be using today. All of today's coloring was done using the Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens in the following colors: Blender, Flesh Colour, Lt Pink, Geranium Red, Bright Yellow, Aquamarine Blue, Cobalt Blue, Blue Gray, Lt Gray, Ochre, Beige, Mid Brown, Gray, Ever Green.

Next, we can use our detail scissors to fussy cut out all of the images leaving a little white border around the edges.

To create the standard size card base we will use some Kraft cardstock and then we will die-cut the panels needed to decorate the front and inside of the card. For patterned paper we will use the brand-new Ai Basic Teal Paper Pack (6011). Select the patterns you like best.... there are so many wonderful choices in this paper pad. We will die cut these papers using the Ai Rectangle A2 Double Stitched Dies (5063). We can go ahead and attach these to the card.

Now we can add a sentiment from this same set on the front panel and stamp another sentiment from the Kraft cardstock and die-cut it with a banner die.

Let's also die cut the "Milestone" numbers from the brand-new Ai Large Numbers Die Set (5911) and add them to this unique and personalized birthday card!

We can add the fisherman by popping them up with a bit of 3D Foam Tape. And now, for the fun part, we will die-cut and assemble the Swivel Surprise interactive elements for the inside of the card. To do this, we will be using the Lawn Fawn Swivel Surprise Die Set. This is really fun and easy to create. It actually looks way more complicated than it actually is to do. I will show you exactly how to do this in today's video!

Now let's add the jumping fish, the floating puppy, the banner sentiment, and the bucket of fish!

When we open up the card, we will see all of our images in motion! This card is just so much fun and can be used with so many of your favorite stamp sets!!!

Thank you so much for joining me today!  Have a fun and crafty day!!!

Ai Reel Great Guys (4900)

Ai Rectangle A2 Double Stitched Dies (5063)

Ai Basic Teal Paper Pack (6011)

Large Numbers Die Set (5911)

Steel Die Cutters (5765)

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REMEMBER...enter your MILESTONE BIRTHDAY creation using Art Impressions products and then LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW as to what set you'd like to win. 

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✻ Please make a new card or handmade crafty creation. 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.

✻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

Birthday Fishes by Janet

It's a birthday of fishes for a guy who likes to spend lazy days trying to get the big one. Masculine cards can often be more difficult for card makers. Art Impressions has a good selection of male hobby stamp sets. The images from this set is from 4900 Reel Great Guys Set. I've had the frame die in my stash for quite a while with the intent to use it like this. The small frames are perfect for smaller and medium sized images. I drew and colored in the backgrounds for the floating dog and the fish pail. They are very simple and easy to execute.

To do this card, I lightly drew the frames of the die on alcohol marker paper cut slightly larger than the frame. Then I stamped the images in the centers of the frames and colored them. I cut three frames with the die and glued them together to get a little more depth in it. I made an A2 card out of dark brown cardstock and glued the panel and frame to it. To finish it, I added sun, fish and reel brads and drew a thin line from the tip of the reel to the Birthday Fishes sign. The brads can be found at Eyelet Outlet.

Thanks for stopping by today to see an idea for a masculine birthday card. I hope it 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 

Reneé's Top 10 of 2023

 2023 is coming to an end and that means it's time
to share my Top 10 cards from this year.

My top picks are in no particular order.
It's just how they loaded here when I selected the photos.
You can click on the title or the photo to be taken to the original posts for details.

It's a GIRL! Let's Celebrate!

This was made for the nurse at my school. Little Emersyn just turned 1!

Chicken Matchbook

Patriotic Front Porch

Happy Birthday Noah!

Here's the inside.

Sending Bugs and Kisses

O-FISH-ALLY OVER THE HILL!

Spooky Halloween Journal
Be sure to click on this to see a full video "flip through" of the inside.

Flying Fairies
Be sure to click this to see a video of the fairy under the sun flying.

Here's the inside.

Look on the bright cider.

More Bugs and Kisses...

This one is possibly my favorite card this year.

The Mushroom Cubbie set is one of my ALL TIME favorites!!

I hope you enjoyed this stroll down memory lane as much as I have.
Have a very happy, safe and healthy holiday season and check back here in 2024.

There is so much more inspiration to be shared!

No Bait-ing Around! by Janet

My husband and brother-in-law love to fish together and these guys really remind me of the two of them. They're only 13 months apart and are as close as brothers can get. The boat with the guys and the fish are from 4900 Reel Great Guys. If you have any guys in your life that enjoy fishing, this is a great set for all kinds of occasions.

I stamped the boat image on an A2 alcohol ink friendly cardstock and then colored it with Copic markers. After coloring in an upper level of water, I cut two cardstock waves and layered them below the boat. Then I cut another cloud border for the top of the card. I created a sun by stacking two of the smallest 5064 Circle Double-Stitched Dies. I stamped, colored, and cut out the fish image and adhered it to the card with foam tape. The last touch was adding the boat name with a black fine tip pen.

Thanks so much for stopping by today and don't forget to enter your tag in our challenge. I hope you'll stop by the store soon for all your card and tag making needs.

Janet - YouTube - Blog - Facebook - Instagram - Pinterest 

O-FISH-ALLY OVER THE HILL! by Reneé Matarese

Hello Ai fans!

Today I have a pair of very similar birthday cards to share with you.

The first will go into my stash.  The second will be given to someone and 

I'll tell you that story in a minute.



Masculine cards are some of my favorite to make and I chose green because when you

don't know what colors someone likes, it seems pretty neutral.  Also, I feel like so many

shades of green are very masculine.
Lol!  As I'm looking at my card I'm wondering just how many shades of green

I packed onto it.



For those of you who don't know, I work in an elementary school.

Our principal is turning 50 on June 15th.  We're celebrating him all day long.

Each grade level from Pre-K through 5th grade has an activity planned to do with him.

I made a card for all of the faculty to sign for him. His favorite thing in the world to do 

is go fishing.  Art Impressions had me covered! 
Enter...5406 – Mr. Set and 4900 – Reel Great Guys Set.

Besides the two main sets I used on this card I used a bunch of other Ai products.

5543 – Journal Template Die Set for the tab with the 50 on it.
5562 – Journal Letter Die Set
5606 – Harvest Journal Paper Pack
5463 – Slimline Dies Set for the mattes and the banner the sentiment is on.
Memento Ink Pad
Sakura Pigma Micron 05 – Pigment Fineliners – 0.45mm I used this to hand draw the sign around the Gone Fishing sentiment.
4773 – Acrylic Block 5 Pack (Variety) to stamp the smaller images and sentiments

In case you missed it...there're still several hours to take advantage of the 40% off Father's Day sale category.

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Let's go fishin'!!! by Sharon Caudle

 Hello AI Fans!!

My card today features one of Art Impressions Windows to the World stamps. If you're not familiar with this line of stamps, do yourself a favor and check them out HERE! There are soooo many to choose from and they make such an impressive card! They even include the sentiment which is written around the images. Can't beat that! The set I used today is M4588 Pleasures Window. I also used 5408 Shadow Box Window Die,  4900 Reel Great Guy Set for the fish and sentiment, and a couple of the adorable freebies you can get with a qualifying order at Art Impressions! This card also goes along with the current Windows to the World challenge going on over on the AI blog right now! Hope you  join us for a chance to win a stamp set of your choice! All the images were stamped onto cryogen white paper and then colored with Copic markers. I'm super sorry!! I failed to write down the markers I used for this card! My apologies! 

So that's it for me today! Thanks so much for stopping by and until next time - stay crafty! 

Oh...were you gonna eat this? by Reneé Matarese

 Hello Ai fans!

Today I'm sharing the card that I made for the 2022 Cat Lovers Hop.
I combined several sets to create this humorous birthday card.
There are actually two men in the boat but I only wanted this guy on my card.  I tried to just ink up the one guy but didn't do a great job of it.  Dr. Ph Martin's Bleed Proof White to the rescue!

I used a bit to dab over the part of the other guy that was showing. I think it just looks like a cloud in the background now.

My main image and the fish are from 4900 – Reel Great Guys Set.

The fisherman is mounted on 5061 – Square Double Stitched Dies.
The sentiment on the banner is from 5369 – Feline Set and the naughty cat (lol!) is from 5110 – Housework Set. I cut the Roomba off from under him and used my x-acto knife to cut a slit for a mouth to put the fish in.  The banner die is from 5543 – Journal Template Die Set.

This card would be so perfect for the fisherman in your life but it doesn't even have to be for someone who fishes.  Who doesn't love a funny card?  Maybe you know someone who has a pet that steals things.  When we first got our dog he used to steal bread, muffins, rolls etc. off our counter and hide them around the house.  Our bread basket has been on top of the fridge ever since we figured it out.
🐕🍞😂

Copics used:

W00, C0, N1, T4, E00, E02, E35,
E50, B000, B00, B3, G12, G2