Clean & Simple Boutique Cards

Hello Friends.
I hope this post finds you warm and safe! This weather is perfect for staying in and crafting 😀
I went through the Altenew Academy class, Clean & Simple Boutique Cards, by Jennifer Rzasa. What a great class!! I learned a new technique that I will share today. This project actually incorporates four of the class videos by Jennifer; faux letterpress, luxury paper, simple styling, and envelope styling.
Here is my final 5x7 project:

Main supplies used:
Neenah Solar White 80# cardstock
The Stamp Market Ampersand die
140# watercolor paper from my stash (it is the only piece I have, it came in a Hero Arts kit)
Altenew Celebrations stamp set
Memento Brilliance Dew Drop Galaxy Gold

The faux letterpress technique is new to me, but I absolutely love the results!

• I die cut the ampersand six times from 80# Neenah Solar White cardstock (I will do 5 in the future as my machine almost didn’t take 6.) and then glued them together.

• Die cut the image one more time out of vellum and glue that to the bottom of the others.
• Inked up the bottom with gold ink (or not-it would look stunning just white).
• Placed the die cut on the center of my watercolor 5x7 panel and secured with washi tape.
• Using the embossing sandwich for my Spellbinder Platinum I ran through the whole panel. 
• Ooohhh’d and Ahhhh’d at the results.

I then added the mr. and mrs. by hand. This is a nod to the simple styling technique of adding your own handwritten lines or doodles. Finally, the congratulations sentiment comes from the Altenew stamp set.
This is my first try using a less expensive watercolor paper, it had quite a bit of cracking:

After adhering the panel to a 5x7 base, I embellished the envelope using other images from the same stamp set.
The result is elegant and eye-catching! By the way, you don’t have to be part of the Academy to take these classes. They are offered on the Altenew website under the Education tab.
Thank you for stopping by! Michelle

Celebration: Stencil Techniques

Happy Monday Friends!
I have completed the first two classes of the Altenew Educator Certification Program (AECP). This next class is on stencil techniques. I do not own very many stencils at all so my choices were limited. I decided on a simple diamond stencil. Laurel Beard, our instructor for this course, had some great tips for various ways to use stencils and even how to create one; in the end I selected the stencil and paste technique.

Supplies used:
Four Scoops re-inker set
Celebrations Stamp Set
Liquitex Modeling Paste
Neenah Solar White 80# cardstock.
Foam Tape

1. First I taped the stencil to an A2 cardstock panel (it is best to tape on the back side of paper to stencil-this will ensure you don’t cover any of your front with tape).
2. I secured this to my craft mat to protect my work surface.
3. I scooped about 1/2 a teaspoon of paste onto my craft mat for each of the three colors: Cotton Candy, Mango Smoothie, Peach Perfect.
4. I then mixed about 3 drops of each ink into the respective paste sections. The colors are so vibrant this way!
5. I added the paste over the stencil, spreading the mixture evenly. The texture and dimension this gives is beautiful!
6. Immediately wash your stencil and other tools used before the paste dries.
7. Once the panel was dry I cut it in half (2.75 in.) and glued to an 4.25x6.5 card base leaving a 1 inch space in the center. 
8. I then added my sentiment on the blank center area of the panel.
9. Because there was already so much color I chose to stamp and cut the floral bouquets and not color them. I think it went well with the sentiment and really stood out.
10. I adhered the bouquets, one flat, one popped up with foam tape.

Here is a 2nd card I made because I had plenty of paste left.

This was a fun technique that I am sure I will use again and again.

Thank you for stopping by! Michelle