Seasonal Scene Building

Create something different with your stamps and dies

 

Have you ever considered creating scenes with the stamps and dies that you have in your stash? Today we are exploring some different ideas to use the stamps and dies that you have to create something totally different.

As I move forward with the Altenew Educator Program, this concept was an idea that I had not considered in the past. But one that I will be using in the future.

Some stamp and die sets by subject matter are prefect for scene building. If you think of animals and garden stamps to create a scene, you will find some new inspiration for scene building greeting cards.

Another thing that I like about creating scenes is that they give you the opportunity to create cards that would be appropriate for the guys too.

For my cards, I used the Altenew Succulent set to create a scene that reminded me of the plants in my Florida room. This scene was so easy to create and uses different techniques to build a card with dimension and lots of color. In this case, I used alcohol markers to color my plants. You will want to use a pigment ink with alcohol markers, otherwise, you will get the outline running all over the place. You will have a mess on your hands. 

You could also use colored pencils to color the images as well as alcohol markers. Stay in the same color family for the best results.

I used a set of nesting dies to create a window and a frame for my card that measures 5" by 7". When you cut out your window, you will be left with a nice die cut piece that you can use for another project. Once I cut the window, I used an embossing folder to add dimension to the front of the card. Make sure to poke all the little bits from the frame.

You could use a smaller card and use two plants instead of three.

Because I created a window for my card, I needed a backing to create the space where my plants would sit. I had some paper that looked like wood, but you could use any brown paper you might have. Another tip is to create This kind of scene is to use printed cardstock with small patterns to create "wallpaper" for your walls. So, use a piece of 5" by 7" paper as your background base. Then measure your paper and adhere it to the paper base.

The other thing that I did was to fussy cut the individual plants to give them more detail and dimension. Two of the plants I adhered to the background. One of the plants I added to the scene by using foam pieces to bring it forward. I chose to decorate the frame a bit. But you could leave it just as it is

A more masculine scene card

On my second card, I used a different embossing folder. on darker paper. I wanted a distressed look, so I used a sandpaper block on the embossed paper. I chose to leave the background plain to help make the plants the star of the project. In this case, I used colored pencils to color the plants. You can use any black ink for colored pencils to get your outlines. I also used some gamsol to smooth the colored pencil images.

You could use alcohol markers, colored pencils and even watercolors. If you use watercolors make sure to use a pigment ink to stamp your pieces.

I hope that you will look at your stamps in a new light. And if you do not have any stamps to create some scenes, we have suggested a few at the bottom of this post.

Creating scenes is fun and will inspire you to stretch into new techniques and opportunities to wow the folks that you love to send cards to!

We have listed some products and supplies that may have some interest to you. These products may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support.

Supplies For These Projects

Succulents Stamp Set

Painted Greetings Stamp Set
Jet Black Pigment Ink

Jet Black Crisp Dye Ink

White cardstock-80-100 lb.

Brown cardstock

Patterned cardstock

Light green cardstock

Gray cardstock

Alcohol markers

Colored pencils

Gamsol

PVA Glue

Foam dots

Thanks for following me on my Altenew journey. We look forward to sharing some new ideas in the near future.

Happy Crafting! See you soon!

Linda

 Learn To Shine

Adding shine to your projects adds elegance to your design 

There is something about cards that have a little glitter or shine that make them extra special. In my journey as a Altenew Educator, I am learning how to apply some shine to my greeting cards. And the same techniques apply to other paper crafts too. 

Let's start with the flowers. Creating flowers that shine include using die cuts and embossing powder. You can emboss vellum with an embossing powder like gold, copper or any other metallic powder that you like. Make sure to use a powder tool to get better results. 

Once you have embossed the flowers, it's time to add some color. With the vellum, the best results will be by using alcohol markers. Chose two colors in the same color family. Color the flowers and set them aside to dry.

My recommendation on these flowers would be to fussy cut them rather than die cutting. If you used a die, you may lose some of embossed detail.

You could also use some watercolor paper. Emboss that with the same metallic embossing powder. Then color the flowers with watercolors.

In all of these examples, I have used nesting dies to create layers on the cards. Nesting dies are great to use when you want to have a base to add some shine. 

You shine can be in the embossing, using metallic beads, using metallic markers, Using metallic paper and metallic markers. Another of my personal favorites is to use metallic glue drops to add even more shine.

My three examples are showing you how to use the Fresh Bloom stamp set to create these amazing flowers. This set can be used in so many ways, you will find yourself going back to it often. You can use it as a single or double flower. There are leaves to the set and more. I love the delicate petals in this set. There are also layers in this set, so you can layer these flowers as well. They are a very versatile set.

         Supplies Used For This Project

    

Fresh Bloom Stamp Set

Blue Glitter Paper

Alcohol Markers in the same color family

Blender Brush

Foam tape

Foam dots

Nesting dies

Cardstock

Glitter Glue

Half gold beads

Patterned paper

Tacky glue

Lots of these supplies you probably will have in your personal stash. If not, they are all reasonably priced

A Few More Shine Ideas

• Turn up the shine on die cut glitter elements by adding a layer of Glossy Accents over the top.
• Clean it up. Before heat setting your embossing powder, use a dry brush to sweep away any stray pieces of embossing powder. These little specs will expand as they heat and turn in to blobs. Quickly brushing away strays will give you great results every time.
• Once you’ve placed your embellishments, take a step back, and look at your project. Then listen to your gut. Does it feel right? If not, make a small adjustment. I’m a firm believer in going with your gut. It’ll lead you in the right direction.

If you would like more information about the we have added a link below. We may make a small commission at no cost to you. I highly recommend this stramp set/ 

Fresh Bloom Stamp Set

We hope that we have inspired you to add some shine to your next greeting card projects. I guarantee you will get a lot of satisfaction when you do.

Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Linda

 DIY Glitter Paper

Have you ever created your own glitter paper? It is really not that difficult. And you can get a lot of die cuts from one package of sticker paper. This is just part of my collection from a recent paper making project. I learned a lot of tips and tricks which I will give you in this post.

What You Need

There are only few things that you need to create your glitter paper. 

• Double sided adhesive paper
• Fine glitter in the color of your choice
• Bone folder or a brayer
• Cardstock
• Newspaper or something to cover your work area

Make sure that you turn off any fans in the area that you are working in. Otherwise, you may have glitter flying around. 

1. Spread the newspaper or over covering on your workspace
2. Place a 12" by 12" piece of cardstock on the work area
3. Place a letter size piece of cardstock on the larger piece
4. Remove the backing from one side of the adhesive sheet
5. Carefully place and line up the adhesive sheet on the smaller piece of paper
6. Cut off any excess adhesive paper. Set the backing aside
7. Use the brayer or the bone folder to rub the adhesive sheet onto the cardstock
8. Remove the backing off the front of the adhesive sheet, now adhered to the cardstock.
9. Set aside the backing
10. Sprinkle the fine glitter onto the adhesive sheet covering the entire sheet
11. Place the backing on top of the glitter covered sheet
12. Use the brayer or bone folder to rub the glitter onto the sheet
13. Remove the backing from the glitter sheet
14. Lift the glitter sheet and tap any extra glitter off the sheet onto the larger piece of cardstock
15. Use the larger cardstock like a funnel to put the excess glitter back into its container
16. Die cut or use as needed

The white numbers were bits of the larger paper that had glitter on it

Here is another option for making your glitter cardstock. There are several different ways to get the job done

Super Quick Glitter Paper

This is another idea to help you create a super quick piece of glitter paper. This will help you create a smaller piece of budget friendly glitter paper in a color that you need for a specific project

• Cardstock
• White PVA or school glue
• Wise foam brush or other brush
• Scrap paper (the same size as the cardstock)
• Fine or medium glitter
• Brayer or bone folder

1. Place some newspapers or other non-stick material (like parchment or wax paper) on your work surface
2. Place the cardstock on your work surface
3. Spread the glue over the cardstock with the foam brush evenly
4. Cover the cardstock completely with the glitter
5. Place the scrap paper over the glitter paper
6. Rub the glitter into the paper with the brayer or bone folder
7. Lift the paper and tap off any loose glitter 
8. Let it dry and enjoy using your paper. 

I learned a few things from this experience on making the DIY glitter paper. I am sharing them with you to help you get the best results.

• There is a slight opening between the peel off strips where the glitter may not adhere. But it is a small inconvenience. that you can work around.
• You may want to work in a three-sided box to help contain the glitter from getting all over the place. Just lay newspaper in the box, then your larger piece
• Keep a lint roller handy! It helps you pick up any runaway glitter
• Make sure to use the brayer or bone folder to make sure all the glitter is moved onto the paper. You could use a rolling pin or even a ruler too. 

Now, I am off to create with my glitter die cuts. What would you make with your DIY glitter paper? As always, we would love to hear your ideas, thoughts and and suggestions.

Till next time, Happy Crafting!

Linda

Homemade Glitter Cardstock

How To Create Custom Glitter Paper

How To Make Glitter Paper With Mod Podge

Tips And Ideas To Use Glitter In Paper Crafts

 Irresistible Inking Techniques

My journey down the road through the Educator Program at Altenew Academy has taken into many directions. But my current class on irresistible inking techniques.  has been one of the most fun and engaging classes yet. It used some new ideas and combined them with things we had learned in previous classes. I love using my ink pads to create something different and unique.

Before you use any ink on these images, you need to emboss the image onto your paper. That is a simple process of using an embossing ink to stamp the image, using a embossing powder and a heat gun to melt and dry the applied embossing powder. Using embossing ink and powder gives you a base to add color that will not smudge once you get started on irresistible inking. 

For this project, I used the Altenew Fresh Bloom Layering Stamp Set. There is more than one way to use this set. You can choose to use all of the layers or just a couple as I did. In this case, I colored the base of the flowers with Pink Pearl Crisp Dye Ink. Since the dye inks in this line are compatible with water, it is easy to create a watercolor look on your flower base. Lay some ink on a craft mat, spritz it with water and paint your flower base with a fine brush. Let it dry and you are ready for the next layer. 

The second color that I chose was the Altenew Coral Bliss Crisp Dye Ink. Once the base color was completely dry, I inked up the second layer of this flower and added it on top of the first. It is very easy to layer with this stamp set. Just line the second layer up and you will get great results. There are several layers in this stamp set, so you can see which one fits your needs best.

The leaves were also done with a base layer and a second layer using Altenew Frayed Leaf Crisp Dye Ink and Moss Crisp Dye Ink.

Since this card is for a special granddaughter, I wanted to add some extra bling and color to the project.]

So, to get a bit of extra color, I tool some Altenew Mango Smoothie Crisp Dye Ink and rolled it onto a shiny piece of cardstock with a brayer. This gives a soft pastel look to any project you may be working on. Make sure to let the paper dry for a few minutes. If you have some photo paper, it will work n that as well. You can roll as much ink as you would like on your paper (This would be perfect for matting photos on a scrapbook page. Another way to get more use from your inks.

The blue page was done the same way with together. I Dew Drops Crisp Dye Ink. I love these colors working together. I added a few gems and my piece of bling at the bottom and my card was complete.

Here are some of the supplies that I used to create this project. They are listed and linked in case you may be interested in checking them out. I may earn a commission on some products at no expense to you at all.

I hope you have enjoyed these ideas. Thanks for stopping By. We would love to hear your comments, thoughts and ideas. So, please drop a line or two in the comments at the bottom of the page. We look forward to seeing you soon. 

Happy Crafting!

Linda

Supplies For This Project     

Fresh Bloom Stamp Set 
Fresh Bloom Die Set

Coral Bliss Crisp Dye Ink 

Dew Drops Crisp Dye Ink 

Frayed Leaf Crisp Dye Ink

Mango Smoothie Crisp Dye Ink

Moss Crisp Dye Ink

Pink Pearl Crisp Dye Ink

 Cute Unicorn Custom Card

Today I need to create a bright and cheerful birthday card for my great granddaughter who is turning three. I wanted something that would express her great grandpa's and my love for her. We also wanted something that would catch her attention.

The stamp set was one that I got from a magazine. It was one of those sets that often is included when you get stamping magazines. So, I am unable to identify it. It also had the hearts, flowers and a mouse and dolphin (more about the dolphin on another day. The set also had some dies for the animals, but not for the flowers.

Supplies

• Ninah white cardstock base 6" by 6"
• Pink cardstock
• Detail scissors
• Pencil
• Deep pink organza ribbon
• Double sided tape
• White clear tacky glue
• White PVA glue
• Metallic markers
• Light grey alcohol marker
• Red glitter glue
• White Pop Dots
• Blue Pop Dots
• Altenew Crisp Black Crisp Dye Ink
• Altenew Heart Beat Crisp Dye Ink
• Altenew Deep Iris Crisp Dye Ink
• Altenew Honey Drizzle Crisp Dye Ink
• Altnew Puffy Heart Crisp Dye Ink
• Misti stamping tool

1. Create the base for your card with white cardstock
2. Cut the piece of pink cardstock at 6" by 5 1/2 "
3. Cut a second piece of white cardstock at 4" by 4 1/2"
4. Stamp the unicorn (or any other animal) and set aside for a minute or two to dry
5. Once the stamp is dry, Die cut the shape
6. Color the mane, horn and tail with the metallic markers
7. Outline the body and the head of the unicorn with the light grey alcohol ink
8. Add red glitter glue to the heart on the side of the unicorn's body and set it aside to dry
9. Stamp the flower shapes with the ink colors you want the flower's to be
10. Set them aside to dry. Then cut them out with the detailed scissors.
11. Place a small dab of the pops of color to the center of the flowers.
12. Set them aside to dry
13. Once the unicorn is dry, place it on the card where it is meant to go
14. Make 4 very light marks on the top and side with a pencil
15. Now stamp the hearts above the card with the black ink
16. Once that is dry, Fill the hearts in with the red glitter glue
17. Using the red ink pad, outline the pink cardstock
18. Stamp and outline the sentiment as well
19. Attach the ribbon to the card base and the pink card
20. Using double sided tape, adhere the pink cardstock to the base
21. Attach the flowers to the smaller white cardstock
22. Attach the unicorn with glue dots to give some dimension. Make sure to erase any pencil marks with a white eraser.
23. Attach the sentiment to the card as shown
24. Create a bow and adhere it to the card with tacky glue

Card Tips For This Project

1. 1. A good od detail scissors is a essential tool for paper crafters. When cutting small, detailed pieces, work the paper around and into the paper for better results.
2. 80 to 90 lb cardstock will work just fine
3. When adding ribbon to a card, try wrapping it around and taping it on the front. Then cover it with elements of the design. You will get a nice Wrap on the back side of the card front.
4. When gluing on a bow, only apply a little dab to the back of the bow, Then, then cover it with a clear plate from your die cutting machine. That wat, the bow will not slide
5. If you do not have a heart stamp, free stand some hearts with the glitter glue. You can draw them with a light pencil mark first if you do not want to free hand it.
6. Before you start adding elements and embellishments to the card, make sure that the opening of the card is in the right location. We all have made that mistake once or twice.
7. On the really tiny stamps keep a gentle touch when you stamp them
8. Only use an acrylic block slightly larger than the stamp itself, this will help you avoid any smearing.

 In the end, I added some grey glitter glue to the mane, tail and hoofs.

That was a lot, but the results make up for all the effort! We hope that you have enjoyed this tutorial. As always, we love hearing from you. So please make sure to give your thought, ideas and suggestion in the comments below.

Till we meet again, 

Happy Crafting!

Linda

I have added some products from this project for your convenience. While I may earn some commissions for any ales, it is at no cost to you. 

Project Supply List

Deep Iris Crisp Dye Ink

Honey Drizzle Crisp Dye Ink
Heart Beat Crisp Dye

 InkJet Black Crisp Dye Ink

Puffy Heart Crisp Dye Ink

 Cards For Guys

We are on the journey with the Altenew Educator Program. This time we are creating cards for the guys in our lives.

I don't know about you, but many of the card makers that I speak to feel challenged when they need to create masculine cards. It is always easy when we are making cards for the girls and ladies. So much to choose in design. But with the guys when you take away all the flowers, butterflies and girlie stuff, there does not seem to be a lot left.

When I found this stamp set, I was excited, because I knew that I would be able to use it for my guy cards and a lot more. The set is called Succulents. besides having three arrangements to choose from, there are also some lovely sentiments that could be used year-round. Or you could use these for other occasions. I will be making thinking of you, get well cards as well as sympathy cards. So, this is one set that will get a lot of use. In addition, there are dies available for the set that makes it easy to get good images every time. I am also planning on using them in my journals and scrapbook pages too.

I really like the detail in this set. I added the little smiley face for fun since this was a birthday card.

You can color the images with just about any media as long as you stamp them with Momento or Stazon ink. For any water media, make sure to use watercolor paper as I did.

Because the Altenew Crisp Inks will work with water, I chose to use them to color the cactus on my card, The colors that I used were Frayed Leaf, Just Green and Hunter Green on the plant. I used Seabreeze, Dew Drop and Teal Cove on the planter. 

I worked the cover of the card on a piece of cardstock. I cut the cardstock about 2 inches. Then I mounted the paper strip to the back of the card. Once all the trimming s were added on, I mounted that piece to a 6" by 6" cardstock base. That way, the card mounting was not visible.

The second sentiment was mounted with foam dots to give the card some dimension.

I hope that this idea gives you some ideas how you can use something simple to create your own masculine cards.

Thank you for taking this journey with me. Till next time, 

Happy Crafting!

Linda

Here are some of the supplies that I used for this project, should you be interested. There may be some commissions earned at no expense to you.

Succulents Stamp Set - $15.00
from: Altenew 

Frayed Leaf Crisp Dye Ink

Just Green Crisp Dye Ink

Hunter Green Crisp Dye Ink

Sea Breeze Crisp Dye Ink

 Teal Cave Crisp Dye Ink

Dew Drops Crisp Dye Ink

 Easy Ink Blending Techniques

I am continuing with my journey with the Altenew Academy. Each group of lessons brings me closer to my goal of becoming an Altenew Academy Instructor. Today I am sharing a technique from my Easy Ink Blending classes.

I love to blend inks to create colorful custom paper in the colors that match the images that I have used in my design. I will never be without the right solid paper again!

There are different tools that you can use to blend your inks. In larger projects like this, I prefer to use a blending tool. They come in both round and square. The pads last a long time. So, I keep them in a sectioned container with labels saying what color they are. That way I can use them for quite a lot of time, and I will get the color to match my pads.

I have found that the crisp dye inks from Altenew blend beautifully. They are nice and juicy which makes blending easier than other inks.

Use a craft pad or some parchment paper on your work surface. Load the ink on your blending tool. Tap the blending tool once on your mat, then working slightly off the cardstock, blend in circles working on the cardstock till you are pleased with the color. 

Different color combinations can give you different looks. 

For these cards, we used dies on the edge of the printed part of the card to allow the ink blended cardstock to show through. You can use just about any edge die to create an edge that fits in your design. Stamp your design. Then use the edge die to cut an interesting edge. 

Adhere the layers of your card with double sided tape. Add a sentiment and you have a one-of-a-kind custom greeting card.

I added some sequins and some gems to add interest to your project.

The stamp set that I used for this project is Vintage Roses Stamp Set. This is a wonderful set of layered stamps that gives you so many options when it comes to creating your cards.

The colors that I used:

Mango Smoothie Crisp Dye Ink
Honey Drizzle Crisp Dye Ink

Misty Morning Crisp Dye Ink 

Turquoise Crisp Dye Ink

Galactic Stream Crisp Dye Ink
Bamboo Crisp Dye Ink
Forest Glades Crisp Dye Ink

I hope that this [project inspires you to give ink blending a try. This technique gives you opportunities to create your own custom projects with supplies and tools that you already may have.

We would love to hear your thoughts, ideas and comments on this project. Please leave a comment to let us know what is on your mind.

Till next time,

Happy Crafting!

Linda

PS. We have left some links in case you may be interested in some of the projects that we used. A commission may be earned at no cost to you.  Any commissions are used to enhance this community.