Altenew Craft-A-Flower: Cosmos Layering Die Set Release Blog Hop + Giveaway

February 7, 2021 Karen Brown48 Comments

Altenew Cosmos Craft-A-Flower Layering Die

Hello and welcome to Altenew\’s Craft A Flower Blog Hop and Release! I am so excited to be participating this month as we craft beautiful Cosmos die-cut flowers (Cosmos/Gradient Cardstock Bundle). I was very inspired by this release and I think you will be too! You can subscribe HERE so you don\’t miss a single set.

Let\’s get started! I used one of my favorite color combinations on this card. I began by watercoloring several panels of watercolor cardstock in pink, coral, orange and green. I put several colors on each panel so there would be a lot of variation in color which I think adds a lot of interest. I like that watercolor paper is a bit thicker and has more texture and makes a rich substantial diecut.

Next, I diecut the components of my card. These Cosmos dies cut very well and layered easily. Before I begin die-cutting I like to take a permanent pen and mark the layering dies with a #1 and #2 for each flower. It just takes just a minute but then it is so much easier to keep up with the little pieces. After I die cut, I also write the corresponding number on the back of the die-cut in pencil in case they get mixed up on my workspace. Be sure to save all the left over cardstock for next month\’s Craft-A-Flower.

Altenew Cosmos Layering Die cut floral images.

I cut the Hello sentiment from black mirror cardstock which makes it really pop.

I knew I wanted a white background with some interest so I mixed embossing paste with Irredescent Shimmer Spray and then used a pallette knife to spread in random areas around my cardstock. I then sprinkled Crystal Clear Embossing Powder on the damp embossing powder and heat set. This adds a lot of shimmer and shine to the background.

I used liquid glue to adhere the flowers but concentrated the glue in the middle with no glue at the outer edges so that I could slightly curl up the flower petals for some added dimension. I also did the same with the grassy leaves.

GIVEAWAY PRIZES:

$200 in total prizes! To celebrate this release,Altenew is giving away a $50 gift certificate to 1 lucky winner and a $15 gift certificate to 10 winners! Please leave a comment on the Altenew Card Blog and/or each designer’s blog post on the blog hop list below by 02/12/2021 for a chance to win. Altenew will draw 11 random winners from the comments left on each stop of this blog hop and announce the winners on theAltenew Winners Page on 02/15/2021.

BLOG HOP LINK

You likely came from talented Teresa Litchfield\’s blog and I am your final stop!

Karen Brown You made it to the end! 🙂

This is a beautiful kit that makes a very showy card.

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Uncategorized

WWC299 – Heidi\’s Challenge: All About Occasions

November 25, 2020 Karen Brown7 Comments

Hello, hello and welcome! We are creating \”Occasion\” cards this week at Watercooler Wednesday and we would love to see your card in our gallery. Heidi is our hostess. I made a Mixed Media encouragement card.

I really like the rustic vintage brick background combined with the heat embossed spray of flowers.

This background was made by hand-dipping the background in diluted die ink and custom tinting my embossing paste.

I mixed brown ink with water and Irridescent Shimmer Spray and then dipped a piece of Bristol cardstock into the puddle. I dried the panel and then repeated.
I blended my Embossing Paste with brown ink for the bricks.
I swiped the embossing paste over my stencil with a palette knife. I wanted a rough look so I didn\’t cover the entire stencil and I made sure there was a variety of thickness to the paste.
While the embossing paste was wet, I sprinkled just a bit of brown metallic embossing powder on the paste, wiped most of it off and then heat set. I love the texture and interest it adds.
I heat embossed Altenew\’s Best Mom spray (in brown metalic) and then die-cut the image.

I am also playing along with:

Mix It Up – Make Your Own Background

The Flower Challenge – Use A Sentiment

Creative Artiste Challenge #66

Tic Tac Toe I chose diagonal top right to bottom left. Brown, ink blending and metallic.

UPDATE: I was so pleased to see my card was a Team Pick at Tic Tac Toe.

I am so pleased that you stopped by!

Karen

Uncategorized

WWC276 – Marsha\’s Challenge: Anything Goes with a Masculine Twist

June 17, 2020 Karen Brown4 Comments

Hello and welcome. Today we are making masculine cards at The Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and Marsha is our hostess. I like the look of grunge/mixed media cards but I\’ve never made one myself. I decided to give it a try with this dragonfly.

My Process:

I started by inking my glass media mat with various shades distress ink. I sprayed with water and then laid a sheet of watercolor paper on the ink/water. I dried with a heat tool and repeated this process a couple of times.
After the panel was dry I stenciled and stamped random elements on the panel
I then heat embossed the dragonfly and sentiment.

Supply List:

Visible Images \”Live In the Moment\” dragonfly stamp

Visible Images circle stamps

SSS Sketchy Lines background stamp

Tim Holtz Brick Layering Stencil

Ancient rubber stamp numbers

Stamps of Life sentiment

Nuvo Hot Chocolate Embossing Powder

Various colors of Distress Ink

Watercolor paper

I am playing along with:

Try It On Tuesday Make It Masculine Challenge

Tuesday Throwdown – For a Special Guy

This is a fun technique that I want to do again in the future.

I am so pleased that you stopped by!

Karen

Uncategorized

Pink Dress Shop Scene Card

March 2, 2019 Karen Brown8 Comments

I\’ve combined two of my favorite stamps sets (My Monthly Hero: April 2017 and January 2019) to create this pink scene confection. The card is girly and feminine and is for one of my BFFs.

I started by applying Distress Ink Spun Sugar over my bricked layering stencil. Next I stamped the Hero Arts Images, colored with Copic markers and then die cut.I\’d left the \”window\” uncolored, and after die cutting, I applied Distress Ink Spun Sugar with a hint of Pickled Raspberry.Then I assembled my scene using foam tape.

$Stamper\'s Anonymous Bricked Layering Stencil$

A Blog Named Hero Challenge I love this card because it combines two of my favorite Hero Arts Stamp Sets: My Monthly Hero April, 2017 and My Monthly Hero January, 2019.

Addicted to Stamps Photo Inspiration– I was drawn to the color scheme in this photo inspiration: pinks, aqua and neutrals with a hint of purple.

Dar and Diane \”Pink and White Challenge\” I was drawn to the soft pink, white and gray on the mood board.

Just Us Girls Birthday Challenge – Like Vicki, I am in need of a bunch of birthday cards, so this prompt was perfect for me!

Southern Girls \”Girl Power\” Challenge Such a fun prompt!

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Uncategorized

Humorous But Masculine Valentine

January 24, 2019 Karen Brown8 Comments

I wanted to create a valentine that would appeal to men and thought a cute \”scene\” card featuring two dogs trying to get together in a florist shop would be fun. One dog is peering out over the window sill as the other dog is using a crate to try and climb inside.

To create my scene, I combined the January 2019 My Monthly Hero kit with two pups from MFT\’s Lucky Dog stamp set. I love both sets! First I created a background using Tim Holtz Stamper\’s Anonymous Bricked Layering Stencil and Simon Says Stamp Hybrid Stone ink. The stencil was not quite wide enough for the full card so I stenciled the right side and blended toward the middle, then stenciled the left side blending so that my A2 card was fully covered. I think the bricks turned out well.

Next I stamped (on Xpress It paper), colored (with Copics) and die cut the images with my new Gemini Junior. I then embossed the sentiment on the window. Using foam tape, I adhered my scene to the background.

Update:

I am very pleased that this card was selected “Top 5” in the Allsorts Challenge:

And Pile It On Sweet Sprinkles Award.

I think this is a fun card and I am excited to enter it in the following challenges:

A Blog Named Hero Crafter\’s Choice Challenge I received my January Hero Arts Kit this week and couldn\’t wait to start playing with it! I tried to attach the graphic but I received an error message.

Addicted to Stamps Challenge #325 I was inspired by the Love theme, the hearts & flowers and the colors green, pink and red.

Cards In Envy Love Me or My Pets Challenge Love and Pets…what could be a better theme?

Allsorts Make it Masculine Challenge This is my first time to enter this challenge. This is the valentine I made for my husband.

Pile it On \”Land Animals\” Challenge

I hope you enjoy the card…I sure had fun making it!

Karen