AECP Level 2 - In the Mood for Color

Welcome back to Paper Play, crafty friends!

It feels so good to be back in the swing of creating on a regular basis.  I have been dealing with some things going on in my life and, as much as I love crafting, I took the time that I needed to focus on them.  While things are not back to the way they were, I'm hopeful that it will happen with a little patience - with myself, with others, and with the curve balls that life throws at you.

This is the perfect segue into a class that I thoroughly enjoyed and was quite relevant to how I've been feeling - In the Mood for Color.  The course focused on how to add color to your cards based on how you're feeling.  I choose to work with the colors yellow (representative of energy, cheer, optimism) and red (representative of love, passion, and energy) for the two cards that I created for the course.  Yellow to represent the optimism I feel due to family and friends, and red for the love that I share for the same people.

 Let's take a look at each card and how they were created!

Card 1 - You are my Sunshine

 

 

I've always loved the song "You are my Sunshine."  The lyrics are full of optimism and love.  The song has special meaning to me because my late mother used to sing it to my sisters and me growing up and to my niece and nephew, too.  I can still hear her singing it as she rocked with my niece or my nephew.  I've been thinking a lot about that over the last several weeks, and so this card is to thank you to my family and friends who are always by my side.  You are my sunshine!

Here are the items that I used to create it:

• Altenew Peaceful Reverie Stamp & Die Set
• Altenew Sunrise in the Park Stamp & Die Set (for the "you are my Sunshine" sentiment)
• Altenew Jet Black Crisp Dye Ink
• Artezza Yellow, green, orange, and brown colored pencils
• Yellow and white glitter gel pens
  
• Concord & 9th Buttercup Premium Dye Ink
• 1 4.75" x 3.5" white glitter card stock panel
• 1 5" x 3.75" gray card stock panel
• A2 sized yellow card base
• 1 piece of white card stock for stamping images
• Taylored Expressions Bits & Pieces Clear Drip Drops
• Taylored Expressions Bits & Pieces Black Rhinestones

Here are the steps that I did to create it:

• Cut all pieces of card stock to size; use double sided tape to adhere the gray panel to the yellow card base.
• Stamp the two flowers and two stems with leaves onto white card stock with jet black ink.  I used my stamping platform in case I wasn't happy with my first impressions and wanted to go back over it.
• Colored the flowers using the yellow, orange, and brown colored pencils.  I went darker with the yellow on the heavily shaded parts of the stamped image and lighter in the other parts.  I colored the stems/leaves with the green pencil and followed the same approach with the shaded vs. lighter areas.
• Used the coordinating dies and my die cutting machine to cut out the images.  I decided where I wanted to place the first flower & stem and adhered them down on the white glitter card panel using craft glue.  I decided to adhered the second one with double sided foam tape in order to add some dimension to it.  This way, it looks like there is one in the foreground and one in the background.  I also used a white glitter gel pen to go over the white outline of the cut images.  This helps them blend into the card panel.
  
• Used a small label/tag die to cut out a small piece of gray card stock and stamped "you are my" in black ink using my stamping platform.  I also cut another label from a scrap of black card stock and adhered the gray stamped one on top of it.  This helps give a little extra dimension and further ties in the color black into the card.  This was adhered to the white glitter card panel using craft glue.
  
• Stamped the word "sunshine" onto a scrap of white card stock using the Buttercup ink and a stamping platform.  I used the coordinating die to cut it out and adhered it to the white glitter card panel using double sided foam tape for added dimension.  I then took a yellow glitter gel pen and traced over the word sunshine to give it a little extra sparkle.
• Used double sided tape to adhere this card panel to the gray panel on the card base.  I then adhered some clear drip drops onto the flowers/leaves, and put a black rhinestone in each corner of the white panel.

 

I really like how this card turned out!  The white glitter panel is so much more interesting than a plain white one and didn't require me to do any stamping or the like.  The added dimension from the foam tape also make the flower in the foreground and the word sunshine stand out even more.  This is a card that I'd be proud to send to someone special.

Card 2 - Couple in the Rain

I like the rain - and love a good thunderstorm.  The sound of the rain falling is soothing, and the smell of the air after the rain is so pure & clean.  Unfortunately, my dogs don't like the rain and it can be a challenge to get them out!  While rainy weather can be gloomy, there is also something romantic about it.  I have been wanting to use this stamp of the couple under the umbrella since I bought the set and inspiration finally struck.  The color red symbolizes love and care, and it worked out perfectly.

I used the following items to create the card:

• Altenew Dancing in the Rain Stamp & Die Set
• Altenew Crisp Dye Inks: Jet Black & Ruby Red
• Delicata Silver Shimmer Pigment Ink
• Tim Holtz Lost Shadow Distress Oxide Ink
• Red glitter gel pen
• Sakura Glaze Black Pen
• Sakura White Gelly Roll Pen (to correct any errant ink marks)
  
• Zeyer Liquid Chrome High Gloss Silver Pen
• 1 4.75" x 3.5" white watercolor paper panel
• 1 5" x 3.75" black card stock panel
• A2 sized red card base
• Taylored Expressions Bits & Pieces Clear Drip Drops

Here are the steps that I did to create it:

• Cut all pieces of card stock to size; use double sided tape to adhere the black panel to the red card base.
• Stamped the couple holding the umbrella onto the watercolor paper panel.  To do this, I inked the stamp with black ink up to the top part of the umbrella, which I didn't put any ink onto.  I stamped it using my stamping platform so that I could go over it again, if needed.  I cleaned the stamp and then put the red ink onto the upper umbrella portion.
• Stamped and cut a mask of the stamp.  I then used some post-it tape to cover up the couple.
• Aligned the rain stamp onto my paper using my stamping platform.  Inked the stamp with the silver shimmer ink and stamped it onto the watercolor panel.  I removed the mask, and you can see that the couple, umbrella, and puddles were protected by it.
• Went over the red umbrella portion with a red glitter pen to add some sparkle.
• Went over the couple and umbrella pole with the Sakura black glaze pen.  This helps them stand out  and subtly adds some dimension.
• Went over the puddles with the Liquid Chrome silver pen.  It helped make the puddles look more like the rain drops and gives them a little reflective look.
• Used the Lost Shadow oxide ink and a blending brush around the edges of the stamped image to create a subtle stormy and foggy look.
• Adhered the stamped panel to the black panel on the card base with double sided tape.
• Used a small label/tag die to cut a piece of red card stock.  Stamped the sentiment (from the stamp set) onto this with black ink, and adhered it to the card with double sided foam tape.
• Added a few clear drip drops with craft glue.

Is that sentiment, "Can you count the rain drops?  That's how much I love you!", awesome or what?!?!  What a great way to express love, whether it be romantic love, platonic love, or just love in general.  While the red on the card panel itself is only a little, it ties right into the red of the card base.  The black panel provides just a little differentiation to further showcase and tie into the top panel.  Another card that I would proudly give to someone special.

 

That's a wrap for today's Paper Play post.  I cannot say enough how much I enjoyed this course.  It ties directly into the therapeutic joy that crafting gives to me.  I hope you enjoyed the post and some further insight into my creative process.

Until next time . . . be well!