Altenew Educator Certification Program - Level 2, Course 1, Beyond Basic Backgrounds

 Finally!  Today I found the spark from within necessary to create cards for my first course in the Altenew Educator Certification Program’s Level 2.  I still can’t believe that I have advanced to the second level!  LOL!  

The class that my cards have been created for is the “Beyond Basic Backgrounds” taught by Lydia Evans, and at first I really struggled to come up with any ideas even though I truly enjoyed the class.  That’s when I decided that maybe I needed to take a short step back and allow myself some time to regroup and recharge after the Level 1challenge.  The challenge was a lot of fun, but came at a very difficult time in my life, and so I think that’s why I had a hard time at first - I needed some down time.  And I am glad that I took the time to do some creating that I considered “just because” creations.  I made some journals, some cards for our WMU group at church, created a couple of videos and just created for the sake of creating.  That really helped me to regroup and refocus and now, here I am, large, and hopefully in charge!  Bawhawhaw!

After watching the entire course about four times, I finally decided to try the water bleaching technique.  It was so much fun to see what would bleach out on the card panel, and freeing to know that in no way would it be a perfect stamping!  That was so very satisfying!  

To begin with, I ink blended half a sheet of card stock using distress oxide inks (and one just plain distress ink cuz I THOUGHT they were all oxides till I read the labels!  Talk about holding my breath that the technique would work!!).  After I finished with the inking, I plundered my kitchen for a sponge and plastic tub.  With that installed on my desk, I got out one of my stamping platforms and set out to create some backgrounds.  I used the Meadow Reflections stamp and die set and started bleaching away.  It took several dousings with each stamp to get the effects that I was looking for, but I eventually got there.  

Once the stamping was finished, I began cutting down my results and came up with three cards.  Each is positioned on a black panel and glued to a white card base.  I broke out the glittery gems for these cards to add some pizazz, and sprayed Shine on one background.  And for one, I attempted the foil background that Lydia demonstrated.  I hope that you enjoy these offerings for my first Level 2 course!

A Tiny Book For A Tiny Bag

 Ok, Y’all.  I don’t know about you, but I love tiny books!  If you do too, then you need to visit Eileen Hull’s Etsy store or go down to visit the folks at Scrappy Shak and get your hands on some of Eileen’s dies.  Look at this cutie!

I made it to go into the leather pouch I made yesterday from ReaLeather.  This has been fun to make, even though I seem to still be losing things in my studio.  Today the glue press and paper trimmer both went walkabout, but I prevailed and kept on creating.  The book is made from chipboard that I had in my stash.  I covered it with scrapbook paper on both sides and then cut it with my Big Shot.  Interior pages were finally cut with another paper trimmer after I gave up looking for my Tiny Tim.  And I treated the book like it was a teensy travelers notebook.  The only tiny elastic I had was multicolored, but it works.  Of course I forgot to add my key to the closure strap.  That, by the way, is the edging of some fabric strips I had surged together.  And I love the little medallion on the front!  I used graph paper to cover it, and then cut out the “list” from one of Eileen Hull’s new releases.  This has been so much fun to make!  And I want to keep on, but alas, duty calls and I must do some other things.  Maybe in a little while…until then, y’all have big fun making something gorgeous!

Creating with Leather!

 Hey Y'all!  Hope everyone is doing well.  First things first - prayers for the Hurricane Helene victims and prayers for those in the path of Hurricane Milton.  Such devastation in our Appalachian Region!  My heart goes out to all of those people - it could so very easily have been my home, had the storm not veered at the last minute.  God Bless each of you!

Today I received a wonderful goodie packet in the mail!  Somehow or another I won a kit while watching an Eileen Hull video on YouTube!!!  The kit is from ReaLeather and makes a leather pouch.  Y'all!  I cannot begin to describe just how GOOD that leather feels!  Or how GOOD that leather smells!  I have been on a mad search for the stencil holder part of my Stamp and Stencil Tool by Sizzix, and was drearily contemplating unloading the mess under my desk so that I could attempt to crawl up under there (actually my Grandmother used to say, "Up-N-Under") to see if that hateful mint green attachment had managed to sneak off under there, when the doorbell rang.  And Oh My Goodness, Santa Claus!  Much to my surprise, the UPS man was leaving a PACKAGE FOR ME!!!  So instead of springing to the window, I ran to the door, snatched up the package, danced a jig, and abandoned any idea of cleaning OR searching for the mint green attachment!

Never having worked with leather, I was a little nervous to begin with, but once I got started, it was basically painless.  ReaLeather had done literally ALL the hard work for me.  All the stitch holes had been punched out, as had the holes for the leather lace closure.  All I needed to do was to stitch up the sides and bottom of my bag, add the closure, and Bob's Your Uncle!  It was SO NEAT!  Oh - did I mention that it's soft and smells good?  LOL  If you want to watch a video of putting it together, hop on over to YouTube to JenniferatCreativeArtSpark and take a look - and while you are there, give subscribing a thought.  I sure would appreciate it!  Also, be sure to visit Eileen Hull (you can access her Etsy Shop from there too) and ReaLeather - they both have really great products.  

Speaking of really great, I got to meet Eileen during the February 2024 ScrappyShak Retreat in Helen, Georgia.  She is super nice, and so are the great folks at ScrappyShak.  Take a look at their online store - yes, they do ship and yes, the owner Melanie and her staff are super!  But Hey - if you are in the area, do stop by the brick and mortar store in Sautee Nacoochee, Georgia.  If you love paper arts, you are gonna love this store!

Here's my leather bag - I think that I'm going to make a little book from one of my Eileen Hull dies and gift it to my son in this bag.  But SHHHHHH!  Don't tell him!  I know for a fact he won't be reading this blog.  

Did I mention how soft the leather is, and how good it smells!?

   

OOOHHH Y'ALL!!!

 OhWow Oh Wow Oh Wow, Y'all!  I made it through the Level 1 Altenew Challenge!  There are no words to describe how excited I am to have accomplished this!  Last fall when I applied to the Educators Certification Program, I did so with absolutely no expectations of being accepted.  Just the fact that I was accepted to the program blew me away!  And now to have passed the first level is just icing on the cake!

When I told my family that I had been accepted to this program, my son said, "Now Mom, you gotta work it.  Don't just rest on your laurels."  So occasionally I send him photos of the cards that I have made for the courses, and he responds, just like a man, "Looks good, Mom."  My daughter sends hearts when I send her the same photos.  My hubbs just grunts (No, really, he usually says, "I like that one.")  This is such a neat program - I cannot express enough just how much I am enjoying the process!