AECP - Level 2 Beautiful Details.

The first lesson is this course was about stretching our supplies and using them in perhaps a different way.

To create this card I used the Altenew Coneflower set.  I chose one of the floral layers  - the middle layer and  Dusk Fresh Ink.  This particular method involves second and third generation stamping.  This means that you ink up the stamp, stamp it on a piece of paper and then stamp it again and again to get progressively lighter images.  One thing you can do to help is to "huff" on the stamp.  Huffing is just breathing on the stamp - the moisture from your breath will give a little more life to the ink.  The next step in this process is to use a marker to sketch or doodle more floral details - loosely.  I just happened to have a journaling marker (very fine tip) in a good color match to the Dusk ink.

I chose to create three images in the top right and 2 in the bottom left.  I realized many years ago that having an odd number of images makes the card look more balanced.  An even number makes the card look odd - this is how I taught my students many years ago when I help stamp classes/workshops.  A good way to remember to use an odd number of images.  I also drew some lines along the margins to create a frame.  In addition, I used my marker to add a few dots of varying sizes randomly across the card front. I wanted to add a few more splatter marks so I took the dusk ink and smooshed it on my glass mat, added a few drops of water and then picked it up with a watercolor brush and tapped above the cardstock to splatter.  I did the same thing with Tim Holtz Distress Mica Spray in Aged Pewter for a silver look.  Finally, to finish the card I chose some matching sequins from my stash and dropped them on the cardfront and then adhered.

It was an interesting technique to use but also pretty stressful for me.  I am not really comfortable with just sketching on the card front.  But I am glad that these courses are enabling me to step outside my comfort zone.

The next lesson I wanted to follow was stamping on vellum and then coloring the image. The "beautiful detail" for this card was to add details with colored pencil after stamping and coloring.  The colors I chose for this card were Coral Berry, Ruby Red and Tangerine - in order to follow the Atlenew October Inspiration Color Challenge.

First step was to chose the stamp set - the set I chose was Celebrate Us which was a collaboration between Altenew and Pinkfresh - 2 companies I just love for their products.  I stamped the outline image in Versamark ink and then heat embossed with clear embossing powder.  This helps to create a "no line" colored image. I took my ink cubes and smooshed them on a glass mat then spritzed with a little water.

I used a waterbrush to pick up the ink and color the flowers - to add my details I took a couple of colored pencils in coordinating colors and added some shading and little speckles to the flower centers.  I used a die to cut out the floral images and then did a little ink blending on a linen vellum card panel.  Using the linen vellum softened the brightness of the ink blending.  After the ink blending I took the Antique Gold spray and splattered it onto the panel.  Once the splatter and ink blending was to my liking I fiddled with the floral images to get them layered the way I wanted.  I ended up cutting off a pair of the leaves and layering them in a different place to get the image the way I wanted it.  Lastly, I quickly die cut the word thankful in black and then stamped and heat embossed for you in black.  

Let me know what you think.