Twinkling Paper Studio: Altenew Educator Certification Program

Showing posts with label Altenew Educator Certification Program. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Altenew Educators "Giving Thanks" Blog Hop and Linky Party + Giveaway

Welcome to the Altenew Educators "Giving Thanks" Blog Hop and Linky Party + Giveaway! Today there is a big hop brought to you by all of the Altenew Certified Educators. This is no ordinary hop! We want you to join in on the fun as well. There is a Linky Party going on at the Altenew Card Blog. All you have to do is link up your creations based on the theme of the hop, which is, “Giving Thanks” and mention that you are taking part in the Altenew Educators Blog Hop and Linky Party where you can create, share, participate, and have a chance to win a Gift Certificate to the Altenew Store. So what are you waiting for?! Link up!

You should have come from Christine Pennington's Blog. If you stumbled across my blog and would like to see the full hop, I will have the links provided for you below.

I have two projects for you today using one of my favorite Build-A-Flower Sets. I truly love Stargazer Lilies so this Build-A-Flower Set is my current favorite! In fact, I made a card similar to the second one and mailed it before I remembered to take photos of it. So I had to make a new one. May was a pretty hectic month around here, so it's okay.

Let's get on to our projects. This first card started with a Pink Top Folding 7 x 5 card base. The mat is Gold Foil Cardstock, the next one up is Black Cardstock, then the uppermost mat is a paler pink cardstock.

For the Mandala, I die cut that using Curious Skin Black Cardstock. I like to use this particular cardstock sometimes because it is completely matte and has an almost suede look to it.

For the lilies, I used a combination of inks from different sets. My base layer was Baby Pink from the Spring Bouquet Ink Set. Then Pinkalicious and Rubellite from the Cherry Blossom Collection, Rubellite, and Purple Wine from the Rose Petals Collection.

For the leaves, I used Sweet Leaf from the Green Meadow Collection and Forest Glades from the Green Fields Collection and Hunter Green from the Green Meadow Collection. I like to mix within the families sometimes and this was one of those times. I stamped my simple "Thank You" sentiment from Hibiscus (From Build-A-Flower Hibiscus) in Versamark and heat set in Antique Gold Embossing Powder.

For this next card, I changed things up a little bit. I love the Sugarplums Collection of Inks and in fact, I suggested these and the Tranquility Grays to Tasnim. I have a few more requests in my mind that I think I want to send to her. We'll see!

I used the Sugarplums set to stamp these blooms, but I like to take it one step further often. In this case, I stamped the base layer of the lilies in Baby Pink. Pastels are difficult inks to make and can tend to have a grayish undertone to them. To prevent this, I like to mix a more vibrant shade as the first layer and then proceed with the four colors in the primary color family I want to use. You can see that this provides a different look than just using the four colors in the set. I have found it's something you have to play around with to get the look that you want. Pick a small flower to see what combinations you like and be sure to keep a list or chart of the combinations you like.

Since I always have a touch of gold on my cards, I decided to Heat Emboss the stamens of the flowers.

I used Gleaming Lilac Cardstock for another 7 x 5 Top Folding Card Base. I used the Gilded Ombre Washi Tape to go along the bottom of the card front. I also cut another of the Mandala Dies to put behind the flower arrangement only this time I used Pearlescent Garnet Plum Cardstock for this. This die is really intricate, so I usually run it through my Gemini Junior - twice, and then I look carefully to make sure everything cut before removing the paper from the die. If it isn't cut all the way, I rotate the die 90 Degrees on the cutting plate and run it through again.

While I love the first card, I didn't want it to look the same as the first card so I chose to put the "Thanks" vertically down the right-hand side of the card using Altenew Bold Alphabet Lower Case Die Set. The Mandala Die Cut was attached with E6000 Non-Aerosol Spray Glue. It would take me forever to glue it with Multi Medium Matte, so I keep that spray around just in case. Then I arranged my flowers and leaves on the card front and kept it intact by lifting it with Press-N-Seal.

I used a double or single layer of Foam Tape to adhere everything in place on the card front. It was at this point that I realized I forgot the black speckles on the petals, but since I used foam tape, there isn't any going back and doing it now. Not all Lilies have the speckled petals like the Stargazer does, so it's no big deal. I have a few hundred lilies in my flower bed this year, so I can take a peek right outside and look. *Ü*

One of the things I really like about the leaves in this set (stamped in Green Fields Ink Collection) is that with the larger leaf, you can cut it in half and place those half pieces tucked in-between other for fuller foliage.

Prizes:
Altenew is giving away a $30 gift certificate to 3 lucky winners! Please leave a comment here on the Altenew Card Blog by 6/17/2020 for a chance to win.

We’ll also draw a winner to receive a $15 Altenew gift certificate from the comments left on each designer’s blog on the blog hop list below. All winners will be announced on the Card Blog on 6/21/2020.

There’s MORE!
Altenew will pick 2 of our favorite handmade creations from those who joined the linky party and they will each receive a $15 Altenew gift certificate!
Special offer:

FREE U.S. shipping with code HAPPY6T or $5 OFF international shipping with code SHOPPING6T at checkout on orders over $29. Offer valid from 6/10/2020 at 12:01 am EDT through6/11/2020 at 11:59 pm EDT. Shop HERE! Not valid on prior purchases. Cannot be combined with other promo codes. Not valid on Altenew Academy Classes and Virtual Workshops.

Blog Hop List:

I promise there will be lots of beautiful inspiration along the hop so be sure to visit each participant's blog and leave them a little love. Amy Hill is next on the list. We all work really hard to bring you beautiful and innovative content. I promise you won't be disappointed!.

Thank you so very much for stopping by today! I've linked the products I used below for your convenience and I very much appreciate your support.

Affiliate links may be used - Thank you for your support!

Altenew Antique Gold Crisp Embossing Powder Shop at: SSS \| ALT	Altenew Baby Pink Oval Ink Pad Shop at: ALT	Altenew Bold Alphabet Die Set (Lower Case) Shop at: ALT
Altenew Build A Flower Stargazer Shop at: ALT	Altenew Cherry Blossom Mini Cube Set Shop at: SSS \| ALT	Altenew Cherry Blossom Oval Set Shop at: ALT
Altenew Cherry Blossom Reinker Set Shop at: ALT	Altenew Gilded Ombre Washi Tape Shop at: SSS \| ALT	Altenew Gold Foiled Cardstock Shop at: ALT
Altenew Green Fields Mini Cube Set Shop at: ALT	Altenew Green Fields Reinkers Shop at: ALT	Altenew Green Meadows Ink Cube Set Shop at: ALT
Altenew Green Meadows Oval Set Shop at: ALT	Altenew Green Meadows Reinkers Shop at: ALT	Altenew Green Valley Mini Cube Set Shop at: SSS \| ALT
Altenew Green Valley Oval Set Shop at: SSS \| ALT	Altenew Green Valley Reinker Set Shop at: ALT	Altenew Mandala Die Shop at: ALT
Altenew Spring Bouquet (Includes Baby Pink Cube) Shop at: ALT	Altenew Spring Bouquet 6 Oval Set Shop at: ALT	Altenew Spring Bouquet reinkers Shop at: ALT
Altenew Sugarplums Ink Cube Set Shop at: ALT	Altenew Sugarplums Ovals Set Shop at: ALT	Altenew Sugarplums Reinkers Shop at: ALT
Crystal Katana Tool Shop at: SSS	E6000 Adhesive Spray - 8 0z. Shop at: SSS	Kokuyo Long Dot Adhesive Shop at: SSS
Neenah Solar White #110 Shop at: ALT	PP.com Curious Skin Black Shop at: PPC	Scor-Pal Scoring Board Shop at: SSS
Scotch 3M Foam Tape Shop at: SSS	Teflon Bone Folder Shop at: SSS	Tim Holtz Mini Craft Snips Shop at: SSS
Tim Holtz Tonic Paper Trimmer Shop at: SSS	Tonic 6 Inch Personal Trimmer Shop at: SSS	Versamark Ink Shop at: SSS
Versamarker (Pen) Shop at: SSS	Wagner Heat Tool Shop at: SSS

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Certified Altenew Educator Blog Hop - For the Love of Flowers

Hello everyone! Today's Certified Altenew Educator Blog Hop is a special event with Altenew - a blog hop with the theme of "For the Love of Flowers". This hop is different than others we've done before; there is a linky party over at the Altenew Card Blog so that all the customers can join in and show off their skills.

You should have arrived here from Amy Hill's Blog found here. I've included the full Blog List for you below.

I wish I was better with Watercolor, but I keep plugging along as time allows. I think I finally realized what it is that I'm doing wrong but I haven't had time to test that theory yet. I do have real watercolors - about three different sets, but I'm a lot more comfortable using reinkers with a water brush. Unfortunately, I think this is my problem - I'm using colors that are too similar and I need to add more contrast in my color selections.

I have several real watercolors to work with including the Altenew 36 Half Pan Set but I just signed up for a new class that Emily Midgett is teaching over at Altenew Academy. Its called "Artist Watercolor 101 for Paper Crafters" and you can sign up here: https://altenew.com/products/artists-watercolor-101-for-paper-crafters.

When I was in grade school, the teacher told me I had no artistic ability whatsoever, so I never took art classes during school. Until 2015,(more than 40 years after grade school) when I started seeing YouTube Videos where people who aren't traditionally "artists" making beautiful cards, I never tried making cards, only scrapbooks. So the moral of this story is, don't listen to what others say, just listen to your heart. If it's something you want, keep trying. I got this stamp set specifically for watercolor because they are line images. For today's card, I chose Perfectly Perfect Stamps and Coordinating Dies along with a sentiment from Kind Words, which is one that I have collaborated on with Altenew.

I stamped several of the flowers and leaves onto bristol cardstock using Versamark Ink since I was going to use reinkers to paint with. I heat embossed in Altenew Antique Gold Embossing Powder. This provides that little channel to paint into that keeps the color from spilling over onto areas where it shouldn't.

I used Altenew Coral Berry (one of my absolute favorites) for the outside edges of the petals with Altenew Heartbeat toward the base of the petals. I think I needed more water for the Coral Berry which is why I signed up for a watercolor class over at Altenew Academy that Emily Midget is teaching. One of the things I have learned is that high-quality watercolor has less opacity and more transparency, which is why I have a tendency to use reinkers - they are transparent. I am anxious to do some homework for my class and try out some of the things I have been learning about. But first, deadlines. *Ü*

For the leaves, I used Frayed Leaf and Forest Glades reinkers. I painted these using my little porcelain dish with a drop of reinker and a water brush.

I did ink blending on another panel of the Bristol Paper and added Finetech Gold Spatter to it. Then I die cut the full A2 size panel for my background. Adding a sentiment from Kind Words, I stamped it in Versarmark and heat set it with the same Antique Gold EP as well.

After I arranged my flowers, I used the Press-N-Seal trick to pick the whole arrange up and turn it over. That way you can put glue on the whole backside, then flip it back over and turn the arrangement until it looks how you want it, then laying it in place. I let my adhesive set for a couple of minutes before I removed the Press-N-Seal. Then I put adhesive wherever the arrangement is not stuck down well. It's such a great way to keep your arrangement how you had it, without having to try and duplicate it from a picture on your phone. A nifty little trick I learned from Laurie Willison.

Altenew Card Blog

Michelle Ochoa Murray

Nandini Karmarkar

Terri Marie Koszler

Irina Fonina

Amy Hill

Vicki Finger (You are here)

Laurel Beard

Teri Stokes

Neha Aggarwal

Nenette S. Madero

Nancy McClelland

Eva Bussom

Amber Rain Davis

Rosie Neustaedter

Patty Mello

Helen Kalb

Teri Wilson

Christine Pennington

Maryam Sharara

Nicole Watt

VirginiaLu

Don't forget to share your own creation over at the Linky Party on the Altenew Card Blog! There will be prizes given away!

Prize info: Altenew is giving away a $30 gift certificate to 3 lucky winners! Please leave a comment here on the Altenew Card Blog by 3/11/2020 for a chance to win. We’ll also draw a winner to receive a $15 gift certificate from the comments left on each designer’s blog on the blog hop list below. All winners will be announced on the Altenew Card Blog on 3/14/2020.

There’s MORE! We will pick 2 of our favorite handmade creations from those who joined the linky party and they will each receive a $15 gift certificate to our store!

Special offer: Save 15% off on ALL Stamp & Die Bundles from 3/5/2020 at 12:01 AM EST until 3/6/2020 at 11:59 PM EST. No code needed to enjoy this sale! Not valid on previous purchases. Excludes February 2020 release products.

SHOP HERE: https://altenew.com/collections/stamp-die-bundles

Laurel Beard is your next stop along the hop! If you've lost your way, you can find the list here on my blog, on the Altenew Card Blog and at any of the stops along the way!

Update: I wanted to put a little update here for you regarding the Watercolor 101 for Paper Crafters Class at Altenew Academy. So I'm only a couple of lessons in and have only practiced a couple of times for the first homework assignment. My watercolor has come a very long way since I started the class this week! Here's a little peek for you. I'm practicing in every spare moment I have, so be sure to watch and see my progress. I'm not quite right yet, but I have made huge strides. Let me just say - It is truly all about the paper if you want to learn to do artist style watercoloring. The class wasn't even available when I made and uploaded this card way back in January. February was such a busy month for me, so I had to do my project very early! I plan to paint the little blooms again that I used on today's card, from the (Perfectly Perfect Set) using the best quality watercolor paper! The Sentiment is from Kind Words. Links are my affiliate Links. Be sure to watch for my projects on Instagram as you'll be able to watch how I'm progressing in my Watercolor Class.

For Altenew Academy Classes, or to learn more about the Altenew Educators Program, check it out here: https://academy.altenew.com/.