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Friday, May 31, 2019

For the Guys ~ Altenew Educator Certification Program

May 31, 2019 3 Comments
Hi there! Welcome to my blog!

Let's talk cards for guys! Do you make them? Do you find them difficult?

I have three guys in my life that I make cards for regularly. Every time something comes up and I need a card it can be a struggle to put something together. 

As you may know by now I am working through my courses for the Altenew Educator Certification Program. One of the courses required is called For the Guys. Just like the title states these lessons will focus on masculine cards. 

I completed this course just in time to put it into practice because two of my guys have birthdays this week! Here are the cards I came up with.


I do not have a lot of stamps that are really geared toward guys so I chose my inspiration from the lesson using geometric shapes for masculine cards and paired it with some subdued shine.

Both of these cards have the same design and layout. Using a stamp positioner like a Misti or Stamp Platform is a huge help when wanting to mass produce a card design. 

I chose to use the stamps from Altenew called Sohcahtoa and kept things simple by making a one layer design.


For this card I used Altenew Crisp Dye Ink in Lagoon and Silver Stone. I stamped the images multiple times to get a nice coverage of ink. A stamping positioner makes this possible. 


For the striped triangles I used the same Silver Stone Ink but I stamped over the images again with some VersaMark Watermark Ink and sprinkled on some Hero Arts Sparkle Embossing Powder. I tried to capture the sparkle in the picture. It's not crazy sparkly. It adds just enough for this masculine card. The sentiment was stamped in the same Silver Stone ink and I added a few Enamel Dots that I've had in my stash for who knows how long!

I cut down my panel and added a strip of cardstock along the edge. I wanted a perfect match so I used the Lagoon Ink pad and applied it directly to the paper. I was able to get a perfect match by swiping across my paper a few times. I let it dry a few moments before attaching it to my card with a little Tombow Tape Runner. I chose a nice dark gray cardstock for my card base and popped my panel up using some Fun Foam and Double Sided Adhesive from Scrapbook.com.


For this card I just changed out the inks I used. I chose Altenew's Crisp Dye Ink in Persian Blue and Permanent Black.


I did switch to a different ink for the striped triangles on this one. I chose to use VersaFine Clair Nocturne Ink because of it's sticky quality and covered the images with Black embossing powder. I added a few enamel dots and did the same direct to paper inking techniques as the card above.

The greeting for both cards were from the same Altenew Sohcahtoa stamp set.

So there you have it! Two masculine cards that could easily be mass produced using minimal supplies.

If you struggle with masculine cards, consider taking the For the Guys Class from Altenew. It just may provide you with the inspiration you need!
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Thursday, May 30, 2019

Cup of Sea ~ Crafting Desert Divas May Release

May 30, 2019 0 Comments
Hello Friends!

Welcome to my blog!

Today I am sharing another look at the new Cup of Sea stamps from Craftin Desert Divas.

( Affiliate links have been used where applicable. It does not cost you extra when you click on them but I do get a small compensation. )

This stamp set has cute mermaid images combined with coffee/tea items. The mermaids are adorable. I especially like the image I chose for this card.

To create my card I started with my background panel. I used CDD Beach Scene Stencil and Distress Oxide Inks to create my sandy beach. For my clouds I carefully inked up the CDD Hill Scene 2 Stencil with some Broken China Distress Oxide ink.

That was set aside to dry while I worked on the ocean waves. For this I used the CDD Outdoor Landscape 2 Dies and more Distress Oxide Ink in Broken China, Mermaid Lagoon, and Salty Ocean. When I was happy with the blending I spritzed a little water on the waves and picked it up with a paper towel.


I put my background together and got busy coloring my images with my Copic Markers. I had fun choosing the colors for this mermaid. When the coloring was complete I fussy-cut my images and added them to the card from panel, tucking them in behind the waves. I added a few highlights with my Gelly Roll Pen.

The sentiment is from the same Cup of Sea stamps.  I used some Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink for a nice bold sentiment. To make it pop forward even more I added some Clear Embossing Powder by Ranger.

I've hoped you've enjoyed seeing the projects from this release. If you would like to purchase these stamps or other products head on over to Craftin Desert Divas!
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Monday, May 27, 2019

You're the Sweetest ~ Altenew Educator Certification Program

May 27, 2019 4 Comments
Hello, my friends!

I hope you had an enjoyable holiday weekend!

I'm here to share another card project for the Altenew Educator Certification Program.

This is my final project for the Easy Ink Blending Techniques Class.

( Affiliate links have been used where applicable. It does not cost you extra when you click on them but I do get a small compensation. )

As the name suggests this class focuses on easy ink blending techniques, from inking a background to  faux watercoloring.

My cards show an example of three techniques learned in the class:
1. Ink Blend a Cardstock
2. Emboss Resist
3. Faux Watercolor

Because I needed to use a heat embossed image and could not decide if wanted white embossing or black embossing I decided to do both!

To begin I stamped the florals from Altenew's Sweetest Peas Stamps onto some Ranger Distress Watercolor Cardstock. These were stamped using VersaMark Watermark Ink and heat embossed with embossing powder. For the white embossed card I used Wow Embossing Powder in Opaque Bright White and for the black embossed card I used Ranger Embossing Powder in Black Sparkle.

Next came the decision on the colors for the ink blending and faux watercoloring.

To help make this decision easier I did a little color swatching to get the right combination of colors.


I chose the following Ranger Distress Inks:

Worn Lipstick and Picked Raspberry
Abandoned Coral and Candied Apple
Dried Marigold and Ripe Persimmon
Squeezed Lemonade and Carved Pumpkin
Twisted Citron and Mowed Lawn
Tumbled Glass and Salty Ocean
Peacock Feathers and Mermaid Lagoon
Shaded Lilac and Wilted Violet

I chose the lighter shade of each combo above to ink blend my floral images. The embossed areas will resist the ink. This would be the base color of each flower. Once that was completed I moved onto the  Faux watercolor part.

I used my Tim Holtz Glass Media Mat for this as it has a nice white area to see all the ink colors that I swiped onto the surface. I misted a little water onto my florals and began adding more color starting with the lighter shades of ink first then dropping in the darker of the two shades. Using my heat gun I dried each layer and kept adding color to get the vibrancy I wanted.  Once dried, I die-cut the flowers using the Altenew Sweetest Peas Dies.


I ink blended the background with Twisted Citron and Mowed Lawn Distress Inks onto some Neenah Classic Crest 110lb cardstock. I sprinkled each background with water and dabbed it up with a paper towel. I arranged my flowers on the background and splattered the white embossed card with some white acrylic paint and the black embossed card with both white and black acrylic paint. 

Before adhering the florals I die-cut each panel with Craftin Desert Divas Crazy Stitched Frames Dies. Each set of florals were added to the card panel with some Lawn Fawn Glue. Once dried I trimmed anything that hung off the edge.


For the white embossed florals I added a sentiment included in the Sweetest Peas Stamps. I stamped this sentiment with Wilted Violet Distress Oxide Ink and heat embossed it with Ranger Clear Embossing Powder.  For added dimension I adhered a piece of Fun Foam the to the card panel using Clear Double Sided Adhesive. Then added this to card base made from Bazzill Gummy Bear cardstock.


For added sparkle and shine I brushed each flower with some Clear Wink of Stella and added some Sparkling Clear Sequins from Pretty Pink Posh.


For the black sparkle embossed florals I chose another sentiment from the Sweetest Peas Stamps and  stamped with VersaFine Clair Nocturne Ink and embossed it with Clear Embossing Powder. I added Fun Foam to the panel and mounted it onto a Bazill Licorice Twist cardstock.


I didn't add any extra sparkle to this card as there was sparkle in the embossing powder.

This was a fun project and I enjoyed the process very much.

So, which card do you prefer?

Do you like the pastel version or the more bold graphic version?

I love them both!

Again, I cannot express how much I am enjoying the classes. Each time I complete a course I cannot wait to apply what I have learned.

If you find ink blending difficult, the Easy Ink Blending Techniques Class may be a good place for you to start. 

Thanks for joining me today and I look forward to being back soon.
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Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Cup of Sea ~ Craftin Desert Divas May Release Sneak Peek

May 22, 2019 0 Comments
Hello Friends! Welcome to my blog!

Today I am sharing a look at Craftin Desert Divas new Cup Of Sea Stamps.

( Affiliate links have been used where applicable. It does not cost you extra when you click on them but I do get a small compensation. )

This set combines the love of coffee with the love of mermaids! Who would have ever thought of that! The images are super cute and the fonts for the sentiments are fabulous!

For this card I started by creating a background using Distress Oxide Inks in Dried Marigold and Carved Pumpkin and CDD Burst Stencil. I wanted this to look like a radiating sun so I added a circle punched piece to the center. Shimmer was added to the whole thing with Perfect Pearls in the color Perfect Pears and White Linen Spray for more interest. I set that aside to dry.

Next I worked on the ocean waves. I used CDD Outdoor Landscape 2 Dies and Distress Oxide Inks in Tumbled Glass, Mermaid Lagoon, and Salty Ocean. I spritzed this with water and dabbed it with a paper towel. 


While those were drying, I colored my image with Copic Markers and fussy cut the image and popped my mermaid up with some foam square for dimension and added the waves on top.

I stamped my sentiment with Versafine Onyx Black Ink using  a stamp press to get a nice dark sentient.

To finish things off I used a White Gelly Roll Pen on the mermaid. CDD Fall Harvest Sequins were the perfect finishing touch.

Be sure to head on over the CDD Facebook Gallery to see all the projects that have been made with this set.

The stamps will be available May 24, 2019.

Craftin Desert Divas Shop
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Beautiful Day ~ Altenew Educator Certification Program

May 22, 2019 5 Comments
Hello Friends! 

I am so glad to be back sharing another project featuring Altenew Products.



( Affiliate links have been used where applicable. It does not cost you extra when you click on them but I do get a small compensation. )

This card was created as my final project for the Clean and Simple Boutique Cards Class. 

I pulled inspiration from two of the lessons: Foiling/Metallic Details and Faux Letterpress/Embossing.

For this card I pulled out the gorgeous Altenew Beautiful Day Stamps and Dies. 



I began by stamping the floral image, leaves, and the small floral images with Versamark Watermark Ink and sprinkled it with Ranger Embossing Powder in Gold.  Using a heat gun I melted the powder. 

Once the embossing cooled I stamped the layers. For the flowers, I skipped the first solid layer as I wanted to keep these light ad bright. For the other two layers I used Altenew Crisp Dye Ink in Rose Quartz and Cotton Candy. The layer for the leaves were stamped in Forest Glades.

After the stamping I used Altenew Beautiful Day Dies and die cut the images. I set these aside and worked on my background.


This card is to be Clean and Simple so I cut my white card panel to 4.25" X 5.5". I placed this in my score board and added scored lines along the left and bottom of the panel. I also added a few score lines in the upper right corner only going partially across the panel.

I arranged the floral pieces on my card panel before adhering to see the best placement for my sentiment. The sentiment I chose is included in the Beautiful Day Stamp Set. I decided to heat emboss it with the same gold embossing powder I used for my images. I was a bit worried that the lettering would be too small but I think it came out okay!

I arranged the floral images on the card using Lawn Fawn Glue and some Foam Adhesive Squares allowing some of the images to fall off the edges. I trimmed those and added my panel to a card base.


It is not easy doing Clean and Simple Cards but this class does help. I am not sure I achieved that here but I do know I will be using many of the techniques learned in my future projects.

Check out all of the classes Altenew has to offer. There is so much to learn and so much inspiration. 

Altenew Academy
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Sunday, May 19, 2019

Grow In Kindmess ~ Craftin Desert Divas May Release

May 19, 2019 0 Comments
Hello Friend!

Today the Craftin Desert Divas designers begin showing you a look at the upcoming stamp release from Craftin Desert Divas.

Out first set is the Kindness Grows Stamps.

( Affiliate links have been used where applicable. It does cost you extra when you click on them but I do get a small compensation. )

This set of stamps was designed by the talented Anna Kovalenko. It has several succulents that can be put inside the hanging vase and her sentiments are beautiful.

For this card I started by creating my card panel.

 I used the technique in which you drag your ink pads across the panel. I love the different streak of color that can be achieved. For this I used three different Distress Oxide Inks in the following colors: Shaded Lilac, Twisted Citron, and Mowed Lawn. I set that aside to dry and worked on my images.


I stamped and colored my images with Copic Markers. a white Gelly Roll Pen was used to give some added details. Once I was happy with the coloring I fussy-cut the image leaving a very small white border.


I mounted the image on my card base with foam tape and added a gold string and bow. Lastly, I stamped my sentiment using Versafine Onyx Back Ink.

Please head on over to the Craftin Desert Divas Facebook Gallery to see all the amazing projects the designers have created.

These stamps will be available for purchase May 23, 2019. You can find them at Craftin Desert Divas.
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Thursday, May 16, 2019

Thoughts of You ~ CDD Creative Inspiration

May 16, 2019 0 Comments
Hello Friends,

Today I am sharing a card created as inspiration for the current Craftin Desert Divas Monthly Creative Inspiration. This month's theme is Thankful for Spring.


I decided to use CDD It's A Spring Thing stamps and the Hill Scene 2 Stencil for a clean and simple card.



I started by creating a background using the Hill Scene 2 Stencil with some Distress Oxide Inks. Using three different inks I kept my focal area to the lower right side of my card panel. I used Twisted Citron and Mowed Lawn for the grass and for the clouds I chose Shaded Lilac. Once I was happy with the blended background I used the CDD Fancy Frame Die and Big Shot to cut my panel.

Before stamping I cut my images out using the Its A Spring Thing SVG file. With the help of a stamp positioner I stamped my images using Momento Tuxedo Black ink. The images were colored with Copic Markers.


I stamped a sentiment for an older CDD stamp set that is no longer available and arranged my images. I  popped up the butterfly and squirrel with some foam tape and added the orange flowers directly to the base. I took my panel and added a piece of fun foam that I had prepped with some Scrapbook.com Adheasive. Using a little bit of Lawn Fawn Glue I added the panel to my card base. 

To finish the card off I added some Clear Wink of Stella to the flowers ad butterfly and a few CDD Shimmer Sequins.

I hope this card gives you a smile and little inspiration. If you would like to participate in this month's challenge created a project and use #CDDCREATIVEINSPIRATION on Instagram. We would love to see what you create!

Until next time, Happy Crafting!
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Wish Big! ~ CDD InstaHop

May 16, 2019 0 Comments
Hello there! Welcome to my blog!

Today's card was designed for the Craftin Desert Divas Instahop on Instagram.


The hop has some awesome prizes. To include this cute set called March On.

For this card I started by creating my background using the CDD Hill Scene 2 Stencil and some Shaded Lilac Distress Oxide Ink.  I set that aside and went on to create a hillside using the Hill Sentiment Die. I cut this out twice and carefully snipped off the letters from one of my pieces. For this piece I used Distress Oxide Inks in Twisted Citron and Mowed Lawn to create my green grass. 

For the other piece I colored in the letters with Copic markers. I layered this piece behind the first and then added them to the cloud layer. These were then mounted onto a red card base.

I stamped the images from the March On stamp set and colored these cute little animals with Copic Markers. Since there are no dies fo this set I fussy-cut our my critters. I arranged them on my card base, popping up each image with foam tape. 

I added some sparkle for a Clear Wink of Stella pen and that card was complete.

I really love the bright and fun look to this card.

Here is a look at one of the prizes you could win if you hopped along with us on Instagram.


Pretty awesome! There is also, a $50 store credit that can be won!

For your chance to win head on over to Instagram and begin the hop.

You can find me here: @craftedblissstudio
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Sunday, May 12, 2019

Just for You ~ Altenew AECP

May 12, 2019 3 Comments
Hello Friends! Welcome to my blog!

For my card today I have created a layered stamped design using Altenew products. This card is a class project for the Altenew Educator Certification Program. As well as, a card created for my mother-in-law for Mother's Day.


I have created this card to complete the All About Layering 2 Course. Although I did not have any of the stamp sets featured in this course. It is super helpful as you can apply the tips to any of your Altenew layering stamps.

To create this card I prepared a card base using Neenah Solar White 110# cardstock. This card is side folded sized at 5"x7".

To the base I layered a white panel that I had die cut with Altenew's Mandala Die. It's hard to see in the picture but this gave my card some beautiful texture and added a lace feature to the design.

For the flowers I used Altenew's Strength Blooms. To make choosing inks easier I chose to use the mini ink cube sets that Altenew carries. These sets come in four coordinating shades that make it so easy to get these beautiful layered looks. The ink sets used here are: Summer Afternoon, Cherry Blossom, Sea Shore, and Tropical Forest. 

I diecut the flowers and leaves using the Strength Blooms Dies.  


To assemble my card, I added a piece of Bazzill Basics Vellum that I had diecut using the Nested Circles Decorative Die Set for Scrapbook.com. To this I heat embossed a sentiment from Altenew's Just For You Stamps using WOW! Opaque Bright White Super Fine embossing powder.

Around the circle I arranged the flowers and leaves, adding a few gold leaves to the mix and popping my center flower with some foam tape.  Next I added a diecut "You" from Altenews Just For You Die. I cut this once in gold cardstock and three times out of white. I stacked the layers and offset the gold layer. I love that you can see some of the gold and that there is a bit of dimension from stacking the diecuts.

To complete the card I added some chunky glitter in gold with a Quickie Glue Pen.

I hope you enjoyed your visit today.

If you are a mother I wish you a very Happy Mother's Day!

I will be adding this card to the Simon Says Stamp "For A Special Lady" Challenge.
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Tuesday, May 7, 2019

Vintage Roses Thank You ~ Altenew

May 07, 2019 4 Comments
Hello Friends! I am finally back from vacation and ready to get crafty again!

While on vacation I was notified that I had been accepted into the Altenew Educator Certification Program. You don't even know how excited I am!! 

I have an education background so combining it with my love for stamping is going to be a match made in heaven!


For my first project I created this thank you card using the beautiful Altenew Vintage Roses Stamps and coordinating dies along with a sentiment from the Altenew Painted Greetings Stamps.

The Vintage Roses stamp set was one of the featured sets in the All About Layering Course. I just had to pull them out and use them as they were the very first stamps I had purchased from Altenew.

The All About Layering Course is a free course that anyone can take and it focuses on how to layer 10 different Altenew stamp sets. There are many hints along the way to help see where to line up the stamps. It was especially helpful for the Vintage Roses stamps.

For my card I began with stamping. I found it very helpful to use a stamping platform. It made it easer fo me to line up my stamps and stamp several flowers at one time.

For the roses I used Altenew inks in the following colors: Frosty Pink, Coral Berry, Ruby Red, and for extra depth I used Jet Black. The leaves were stamped with the following: Frayed Leaf, Forest Glades, and Evergreen. You may find it helpful to buy your inks in a set. The set I recommend is the Altenew Floral Ink Set.

Once all of my flowers were stamped I die cut them with the coordinating dies and set them aside.

I moved on to my card panel. For this layer I cut some Neenah Solar White cardstock to 4.5"x5.5". I die cut the panel with the Inside Scallop Oval Die from Craftin Desert Divas. For interest I die cut the opening near the bottom of the panel. I added some of the same colors of Altenew ink to my Tim Holtz Glass Media Mat and mixed with a little water. I used a small paint brush and added some splatters. Once dry I adhered the panel to the card base created from Neenah Solar White 110# cardstock.


Before arranging the roses around my oval window I stamped a sentiment from Altenew's Painted Greetings Stamps in Jet Black Ink.  

This card came out so beautiful and I am excited to give it to the recipient.

I hope to be back soon with my next Altenew project!
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