AECP Level 2 - Beyond Basic Backgrounds

Hey there, crafty friends!

Thanks for coming back to Paper Play.  I took a little time off after successfully passing level 1 of the AECP program, and have now worked my way through my first level 2 course, Beyond Basic Backgrounds.  This course focused on ways to make stunning backgrounds the focal point of your card.  Lydia Evans was the instructor for the course - and she never disappoints in sharing great tricks and tips to achieve amazing results.  I made two very different cards for this course, but both focused on the same technique of water colored backgrounds.  Here are the details for each:

Card 1 - Love is Love

June is Pride month and I’d be remiss if I didn’t take an opportunity to create a card that celebrates the LGBTQIA+ community.  Beyond Basic Backgrounds seemed like the perfect course in which to create a colorful way to celebrate Pride.  I used the following materials to create this card:

• Altenew Versatile Greetings Die Set, Love shadow and word dies
• Spellbinders Thanks Enclosed Sentiments Cutting Dies, Is shadow and word die
• Altenew Crisp Dye Inks: Ruby Red, Snapdragon, Sunray, Fresh Leaf, Ultramarine, and Ultraviolet
• Altenew Fresh Dye Ink: Indigo Skies
• Altenew Rose Petal and Green Meadows Enamel Dots
• Sizzix Prism Paste Collage Medium

I started this card with a slightly smaller than A2 sized piece (3.75” x 5”) of white water color paper.  I stamped some of each ink onto my glass craft surface and spritzed each with water.  Starting at the top, I applied areas of each color using a paintbrush , in the order of ROYGBIV, down the paper.

Once the water coloring was done, I used a heat tool to dry the paper.  I then took the paint brush, loaded it with some of the red watercolor, and tapped the brush to make some small splatters of color.  I repeated this with the blue and green watercolors.  I like the confetti-like effect that this made.  I again dried the paper with the heat tool.  Once dry, I applied a thin coat of the Sizzix Prism Paste.  Not only does it add a nice shine, it also has some small metallic flakes in it that add an additional bit of texture.

The shadows for the words love and is were then cut from black card stock, and the words from white card stock.  The words were adhered to the shadows with craft glue and then glued into place.  Im hose three hearts from the Enamel Dots sets and placed one under each word of the sentiment.  The last step was to center the panel onto an A2 sized white card base using double sided tape.

I’m really happy with how this card came out.  It not only celebrates Pride month and the LGBTQIA+ community - it also celebrates love in general.  At the end of the day, we’re all in this life together.  Why not accept everyone for who they are and learn from each other?  I choose love, and this is one way in which I can celebrate that and my community.

Card 2 - Congratulations

For this card, I wanted to make a more masculine vintage looking card.  I was inspired by old wallpaper photos in coming up with the design.  There was one I saw that had been in an old, stately British manor and that was what I wanted to create.  I used the following products to compose it:

• Altenew Baroque Motifs Stamp Set
• Altenew Arabesque Medallion Stamp Set - the stamp for the congratulations sentiment
• Altenew Eastern Sky and Jet Black Crisp Dye Inks
• Scrapbook.com Tag Die
  
• Sizzix Clear Embossing Ink
• Ranger Black Embossing Powder
• Black card stock
• Scrap of white card stock
• Metallic Blue watercolor paint
• Taylored Expressions Bits & Pieces Black Rhinestones

I started with a slightly smaller than A2 sized (3.75” x 5”) panel of black card stock.  Using a paintbrush, I applied the metallic blue watercolor paint in strokes across the card stock.  I applied heavier coats of paint at the top of the panel and less as I worked down in order to give a more faded/ombre appearance. Once finished, I used a heat tool to dry the paper.  Next up was choosing the three stamps to arrange on the painted card stock.  Using my stamping platform, I applied clear embossing ink to the stamps and stamped them onto the card stock.  Black embossing powder was sprinkled over the panel, the excess tapped off, and heat was applied to set it.

For the sentiment, I took  scrap of white card stock, lightly colored it with the Eastern Sky ink and a blending tool, and stamped the sentiment using the jet black ink.  The sentiment was then centered on a piece of black card stock cut with the tag cutting die.  I applied double sided foam tape to the back for some added dimension and placed it on the panel.  The panel was centered and adhered to an A2 sized black card base using double sided tape.  The last step was to apply three black rhinestones onto the sentiment.

There you have it - two cards, both very different and both showing that the background can be the star of your card.

I hope that you enjoyed this Paper Play post.  Until next time . . . be well!