MFT Summer School Day 1 - Visual Triangle...

Hi! I recently completed 5 projects for the MFT Summer School. This is a fun, educational series by My Favorite Things. It teaches you the basics of good design and how to apply those designs in your cards.

Day 1 covered the concept of creating a visual triangle to add interest to your card. You can read more about it here.

Here is the card I created.

You can check out my video on how I created the card here or you can head over to my YouTube channel.

I used the Buildable Bouquet stamp and die set by MFT for the flowers and Zig real brush pens for all the coloring. 

I used the Smile word die by Lil' Inker for the sentiment.

I have also started keeping track of my NBUS products. NBUS stands for Never Before Used Stuff. These are products that we crafters buy on impulse and never get around to using! I am trying to use as many of these as possible. I have created a Pinterest board for this and plan on updating it. For today's card I used the MFT Buildable Bouquet set from my NBUS stash.

Here is another look at the card.

 

Hope you liked my card and enjoyed the video. I look forward to hearing from you. 

Entering this card in the following challenges:

Creations in Pink #25:

Yes...Virginia August Show & Share:

Love,

Nandini

Rainbow Card Challenge - Radiant Ruby...

Hi! Welcome back to the Rainbow Card Challenge. I am here with my inspiration for the August challenge.

The mood board this month is so rich and vibrant that I was very inspired! I love the color red and I had lots of fun creating this card.

I used Yana Smakula's tutorial for Blending Free Coloring with Copic for reference. This is a great technique if you are intimidated by blending colors or just prefer a more graphic look. I used the Spring Flowers stamp set and coordinating dies by Simon Says Stamp for the flowers. I did the coloring with the Artist Markers by Altenew.

For the background, I decided on a tone-on-tone look. I used two shades of red and die-cut the darker paper with the Basket cover die by Pink & Main twice. I removed only the square pieces, leaving the rest in as I did not want a very busy background. And then I adhered the pieces together to get some depth. Here is a close-up.

The sentiment is from the Party Time stamp set by STAMPlorations. To create the striped bit under the sentiment panel, I used one of the borders from the Interlocking Backdrops set by Lawn Fawn sentiment and stamped it in red on a scrap of white paper.

To finish, I arranged all the elements on the card base and used glue and foam tape to adhere them down. Here is another look at the finished card.

I hope you are inspired by my card and create something beautiful. You can visit the Rainbow Card Challenge blog for more inspiration from the DT and link your creations. I look forward to seeing you in our gallery!

Love,

Nandini

Step-by-step Tutorial for CrafTreat with Video | Layered Hydrangea Stencil

Hi! Nandini Karmarkar here, with my very first DT post for CrafTreat! 

I am a big fan of stencils and I really love the CrafTreat layered stencils. With the multiple layers for each flower, it is very easy to get a beautiful, realistic-looking image. Today I will show you a card I created using the Layered Hydrangea stencil.

I have also included a detailed video showing the process. You can also watch it here.

I created two flowers, one with light pink, dark pink and purple, and the second with yellow, orange, and purple. Using multiple shades gives added depth to your image. For the flower centers, I used distress oxide ink and then added some glitter paste. This gives some shine as well as texture to the flowers.

I kept the leaves simple. There are two leaves in this stencil and I just inked each in two shades of green.

Once the ink was dry, I fussy-cut everything, leaving a tiny border around the image. If you find it difficult to maintain an even border while fussy-cutting, first lightly draw a line with a pencil. You can simply erase it after your cutting is done.

I like cards that have a bit of drama. And colorful flowers against a dark background always look dramatic. So I decided to use a black card base. To add some subtle texture to the background, I used one of the stencils from the 2-Step Plaid and added some inking with black ink.

To assemble the card, I arranged the flowers and leaves over the card base in a pleasing arrangement and adhered them with liquid glue. I used foam tape to pop up some of the elements.

I stamped the sentiment with dark pink ink and adhered it to the card with some foam tape.

Here is another look at the completed card.

CrafTreat Supplies:

CTS439 Layered Hydrangea Stencil

CTS442 2-Step Plaid Stencil

Other Supplies:

• Dye inks
• Distress Oxide inks
• Black card base
• Cream cardstock
• Finger Daubers
• Glitter paste

Entering this card in the following challenges:

Make My Monday Challenge #125 - Use Stencils:

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Bright & Cheerful:

The Flower Challenge #46 - Anything Goes:

Love,
Nandini

Rainbow Card Challenge - Tantalizing Tangerine...

Hi! Welcome back to the Rainbow Card Challenge. I am here with my inspiration for the July challenge.

I absolutely love the bright orange color for this month! Luckily I found a matching card base in my stash and a stamped and colored image to match.

The flower is from the Beautiful Day stamp set by Altenew. It was one of my experiments with coloring and I honestly don't remember which medium I used! 

I splattered some cream chalk paint on the base. Once the paint was dry, I cut strips of cream handmade paper and popped them on the card base with foam. The sentiment is from the Signature Words die set by Altenew. 

I adhered it to the paper and added the die-cut flower and leaves.

Here is another look at the finished card.

I hope you are inspired by my card and create something beautiful. You can visit the Rainbow Card Challenge blog for more inspiration from the DT and link your creations. I look forward to seeing you in our gallery!

Love,

Nandini

Papercrafter Unite Against Racism Blog Hop...

Hi! Thank you for participating in the Papercrafters Unite Against Racism Blog Hop! You must have arrived here from Jo Herbert's blog.

I am so excited that you are joining in for this great cause! The goal of this hop is to come together to stand behind our crafty sisters and brothers of colour not just in the art industry, but also to show our support in the never-ending fight for equality all over the world.

This hop is the brainchild of Justine Hovey. You can visit her blog for more details of this worthwhile cause.

I made a couple of bookmark cards for this hop. The original idea of the bookmark card is by Jennifer McGuire. You can find her post here.

I love the concept as I love reading and often make bookmarks as gifts. Here is my card.

I used the New Begining stamp set by STAMPlorations and my Zigs for the bookmark. The sentiment is also from the same set.

Once my panel was ready, I adhered it to a piece of kraft cardstock folded in half. 

To complete the card, I made a couple of slits in the red card base. One was at the top fold and another halfway down the card. The slits were fractionally larger than the bookmark so that I could tuck it in.

The bookmark can be easily slipped off the card base and used in a book.

For the second card, I used a slightly different technique. 

I used the New Beginning stamp set by STAMPlorations again along with my Zigs. To create the bookmark, I scored an ivory panel ¼ inch from the top and adhered the colored panel to it. Once the glue was dry, I trimmed both to get a bookmark.

I took a panel of kraft cardstock ½ inch larger than the bookmark and cut a slit towards the top. I glued the panel to the red card base taking care to apply glue only to the top and the edges, leaving a large pocket in the center. Once the glue was dry, I slipped the bookmark in through the slit at the top.

Here is another look at the card.

I hoped you liked my cards and will give this technique a try. I would love to see your twist on this type of card.

The next stop on the hop is Ishani. In case you are lost or want to start from the beginning, here is the entire list.

Neha Parab
Fairuz Fabiha (aka Craftivation)
Joy Dsouza
Jo Herbert
Nandini Karmarkar - That's me!
Ishani
Stacy Zant
Tricia Y
Mary Ellen Driggs
Margaret Schuering
Justine Hovey
Alison Heikkila
Ardyth Percy-Robb
Natasha
Marcia Dehn-Nix
Sandy Allnock
Erin Reed
Martha Lucia Gomez / Joy Clair Designs
Juliana Michaels
Amy Hill
Betz Golden
Erica A-B
Angie Cimbalo
Rebecca
Karen Hasheck 
Char Kochensparger (chark)
Jess
Jill Lipscomb of Jill Cameron Creations
Dana Warren
Mansi Bhatia
Ingrid
Charlotte E (Lady Joyful)
Carrie Rhoades
Anna Mahtani
Jessica McAfee
Amber Rain Davis
Kari VanNoy
Kathya Kalinine
Annette Witherspoon
Mona Toth
Natasha Davies
Anja Glauner
Robin Flenner
Nancy Salkeld
Eva Costigan
Michelle Woerner
Haley Pettit
Verity Biddlecombe
Love,
Nandini

DIY Background Stamp & CAS Card with Video...

Hi! I here today with my very first video tutorial! I will teach you how to make a background stamp with fun foam and sun board. And a quick, CAS card using the stamp. You can watch the video below or head here to watch it on YouTube.

This is a fun technique to stretch your supplies. And very easy to do with whatever you have at hand!

I used the dies from the Bold Blooms set by Ellen Hutson.

The sentiment is from the Hip Hip set by Kaisercraft. I used the Sky Blue Mai ink by Mudra Craft Stamps for the stamping.

This is another look at the card.

Entering this card in the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes:

Yes, Virginia... June Show & Share:

Love,
Nandini

Altenew Educators "Giving Thanks" Blog Hop and Linky Party + Giveaway

Hi! I hope all of you are enjoying the latest blog hop by the Altenew Educators. You should have arrived here from the super talented Amy Hill. I am a huge fan of her beautiful work!

I completed my Altenew Educator certification in March 2018. It was an amazing experience! Each class I took taught me so much and helped me better myself. The final step was conducting a workshop. The Altenew team, especially Virginia Lu was a great help in planning and conducting the workshop. Two years down the line, I have started conducting workshops at home. It is a great way of sharing my love for card making with others.

Altenew blog hops have given me an opportunity to experiment with my supplies for projects other than cards or scrapbooks. This time I decided to create a home décor project. I have always been fascinated with paper tole and 3D decoupage. I used the Sweetest Peas stamp set to create a frame.

I started by stamping the flowers from the set on white cardstock with black ink. After drying the ink, I colored the flowers with my Zigs. I used the brush pens directly as I wanted the colors to be intense. I used three shades for each flower, adding the darkest, then the medium, and finally blending with the lightest color. Once the coloring was done, I fussy cut the images.

To create the background, I took a piece of handmade paper measuring around 8” x 6”. I lightly inked it with distress oxide inks in blue and green and added some splatters of black ink. Once the panel was dry, I stamped the images with black ink. I used my Jet Black Artist marker to darken the lines and also edge the flowers with black.

I cut the flowers apart and popped them up with foam tape to achieve a 3D effect. Here is the completed panel.

I got the panel professionally framed. Here is an angled look at the panel.

I also created a tag with the Sweetest Peas stamp set, using similar techniques. The idea was to create a gift set.

I am in love with the artsy look of these flowers!

The sentiment is from the Leaf Canopy stamp set. I heat embossed it with pale blue embossing powder.

Here is another look at my frame and gift tag.

Whenever we think of stamps and dies, we tend to think in terms of paper. But I have always enjoyed challenging myself to use my supplies with other mediums. And one of my favorites is fabric. I grew up sewing and also trained as a textile designer in college. So I created another home décor project using my Altenew supplies.

I used the solid images from the Leaf Canopy stamp set and acrylic paints to stamp on some cushion covers.

I have a good sewing machine and created these covers from scratch. You can also use readymade cotton cushion covers. I cut a square measuring 16” x 16” out of cream cotton fabric and marked the stitching lines. Used a mix of different acrylic paints in shades green, blue, pink, and orange. I also used gold for some shine. I mounted the stamps on acrylic blocks and applied the paints with finger daubers. Once my stamping was done, I allowed the panels to dry overnight. After ironing the panels on the back to set the colors, I stitched them up into cushion covers.

I used shades of green and blue, with touches of gold and orange.

For this cover, I used shades of orange, coral, and pink and added some gold. I used a little bit of green only on the outer edge.

Here are the cushions gracing the sofa in my drawing-room. The sofa is very old and came along with the house. I am happy that my stamped cushion covers are adding some style to the room!

I also created a simple tag to go with the cushion covers.

I die-cut circles out of cream and black cardstock. I inked the background with distress oxide inks and added some water droplets. After drying the panel, I stamped the sentiment from the same set with black ink. I die cut the large branch with the coordinating die for the Leaf Canopy set and adhered it to the inked panel.

I was required to complete 20 classes by Altenew Academy for my certification. These classes are so amazing that I continued taking them even today. The latest one I took was the All About Layering 5 by Lydia Evans. It is a fantastic series if you want to learn the tricks and tips for layering stamps. And it is free! I made lots of cards using the techniques from this class. And this one, using acetate is my favorite!

I used the Fresh Freesia stamp set to stamp several flowers on ivory cardstock. I colored the flowers with my Altenew Artist Markers and die-cut them with the coordinating die. Here is a close-up of the flowers.

I followed the wonderful video by Lydia Evans to create the card. The sentiment is from the same stamp set.

Here is another look at the card.

I hope you enjoyed my projects and have some new ideas for using your Altenew products with different mediums. I also hope you check out the classes offered by Altenew Academy as well as the new virtual classes. Trust me, you won't be disappointed!

No blog hop is complete without some cool prizes! 

Prizes:

Altenew is giving away a $30 gift certificate to 3 lucky winners! Please leave a comment here on the Altenew Card Blog by 6/17/2020 for a chance to win. 

We’ll also draw a winner to receive a $15 Altenew gift certificate from the comments left on each designer’s blog on the blog hop list below. All winners will be announced on the Card Blog on 6/21/2020.

This is no ordinary hop! We want you to join in on the fun as well. There is a Linky Party going on at the Altenew Card Blog. All you have to do is link up your creations based on the theme of the hop, which is, “Giving Thanks” and mention that you are taking part in the Altenew Educators Blog Hop and Linky Party. So what are you waiting for?! Link up!

There’s MORE! We will pick 2 of our favorite handmade creations from those who joined the linky party and they will each receive a $15 Altenew gift certificate!

Special offer:

FREE U.S. shipping with code HAPPY6T or $5 OFF international shipping with code SHOPPING6T at checkout on orders over $29.

Offer valid from 6/10/2020 at 12:01 am EDT through6/11/2020 at 11:59 pm EDT.

Shop HERE! Not valid on prior purchases. Cannot be combined with other promo codes. Not valid on Altenew Academy Classes and Virtual Workshops.

You can continue the hop by visiting Nancy McClelland. She is an amazing crafter and always has inspiring projects to share. I am also sharing the blog hop list in case you want to start at the beginning.

Altenew Card Blog

Nenette S. Madero

Christine Pennington

Vicki Finger

Amy Hill

Nandini Karmarkar - That's me!

Nancy McClelland

Neha Aggarwal

Terri Marie Koszler

Rosie Neustaedter

Helen Kalb

Laurel Beard

Maryam Sharara 

Teri Stokes

Nicole Watt 

Erin Thompson

Irina Fonina

Amber Rain Davis

Patty Mello

Virginia Lu

Love,
Nandini