For the Guys – Altenew Educator Certification Programme continues…

My next installment in my search for certification in the Altenew Educator Certification Program is the course “For the Guys“.

Although I had planned the card and drawn a sketch, I really struggled with this card and its execution. I wanted to make a galaxy background and tried 5 different times with my distress inks. It always just ended up with the colours underneath and with the black on top looking pale and just not right. I thought of using galaxy washi tape, but that seemed like a cheat.

Eventually, I landed on using a black-ish scrapbook paper as my base and making a shaker card with vellum. The plan was to have little star confetti I have had from my Mom but not used. I have a few things from my Mom and her crafting days that I have not wanted to use in case they run out or in case I don’t do them justice, but I realise this is silly. I know if she were here she would be pleased to know I used her little stars for a good cause – my card for the education journey – and so I used them all. :).

In the end, after thinking about placement for ages, I stamped my mini-moon stamp set to create the shadow on the moon. I stamped with Versamark ink and heat embossed it with Bone Mixed Media Powder to give it a grungy and lumpy look. I think it is perfect.

I stuck the moon onto the velum, and used the sentiment in the stamp set – I love you to the moon and back – on the bottom of the card. I also stuck a little heart on the sentiment strip that was a negative cut out piece from another die for another card I made recently. I also inked around the edge of the sentiment with some left-over black ink on my blending brush from the failed galaxy backgrounds.

One of the things the course suggested was to make an interactive card to add some fun. I wanted to do a popup or wiggly moon on the galaxy but was not able to get it right. I thought a shaker card was a good alternative. In the past, I have made very few shaker cards, and they were not very good. I really enjoyed the process of making this one as I planned it properly, and it turned out as I wanted it to.

This course also challenged me to think about my supplies in a different way. Instead of using the usual flowery or sparkly or even girly themes, I had to come up with a way to showcase a stamp or die in a completely different way. Perhaps that is why I struggled with this card so much. It took me ages to come up with an idea for the sketch, and even longer to successfully make it. I love that I have been able to go out of my comfort zone for this course, and look forward to viewing my products differently. It was fun.

I really love the stars under the vellum because they are not too shiny and sparkly (this is for a guy after all), but they are bright enough to show through clearly. I also like the way the moon pops. I used a bit of pumice stone Distress ink for the background colour under the heat embossing.

I think that overall, this card is a success. The only caveat is that perhaps this card may not post well as there is no support in the centre of the card and it may get squashed. However, since I am giving it to my hubby, it won’t matter. <3

Here is my finished card:

Thank you so much for popping in today to see my card. I hope it made you smile. Have a lovely week, and please pop in again soon.