AECP Color Your Day Level 2

 

It's been a little bit since I have worked on any of my AECP Level 2 courses.  We went on a driving trip through the Northeast to go "Leaf Peeping".  What a beautiful part of the US the northeast is - such amazing views.  After touring the Northeast I headed to North Carolina for a 33.1 Breast Cancer walk over 3 days.  Needless to say I was busy and needed a little bit of a mental break when I got home.  I am finally getting back to things and have a few cards to show you today.

I used the large sunflower image from the Craft Your Life Sunshine Flowers kit.  This large flower covers the entire front of an A2 card panel.  A couple of the tips were use a layering stamp set and let Altenew's color families guide you.  So for this first card I used the stencil that came in the kit for layering my colors and I chose colors in the same color family to add my darker layers.  Once I finished stenciling the flower I used the embossing folder to give it more depth.  Using the accompanying die I cut the flower image out and then layered it onto a panel of cardstock where I had ink blended the same colors.  I then took my Altenew Metallic Watercolor paints and add a few splatters of the bluish metallic watercolor ink that was a close match to the blue-grays I had used in the stenciling. Finally, I added a few splatters of white paint and the sentiment in white as well.

For my next card I used the Altenew November Inspiration Challenge colors as my inspiration for which colors to choose.  The tip for this lesson was to use the challenge or a photo for inspiration and to add a neutral - in this case - I added black for my neutral.

I chose the Altenew Lovely Camellias stamp set for this lesson.  I smooshed my ink cubes into a glass mat and then used the ink to watercolor in my image after embossing the flowers in white on white cardstock.  I then added a little more ink smooshing with a little water and splattered the base level.  Sentiments were also embossed in white but on black cardstock and then die cut before adding foam tape and placing on the panel.  The middle flower was also popped up using foam tape to add a level of depth to the project.

Because I used the November inspiration Challenge I am also going to enter this card into that challenge.  I like to use challenges as a way to get my creative juices flowing - it helps for me to have something to start my creativity - rather than sitting and trying to come up with all parts of a card myself.  Starting with a color or sketch definitely helps me to be more productive and enjoy the process more.  Try it and see if it helps you too.

Let me know what you think about my cards.