In the Mood for Color || AECP

Let's address the elephant in the room, shall we?

I abandoned my post. Literally. At least it looked that way. Today marks exactly ten months since my last blog post. Even though blogging had become somewhat of a habit, I simply could not keep it up and do real life. So, where have I been, you ask? One word: school. I blame all things on school and the fact that I must have a job. A job I love. But a job nonetheless. 

Oh, the woes of the employed. Let's get into the cards. 

A Return to AECP

Now that summer is here again, I have resolved to continue with Level 2 in my Altenew Educator program. Today's cards are my homework from Stephanie Klauck's class, In the Mood for Color. 

To be honest, I thought the concept for this class was a bit bogus. Choosing a color to communicate a feeling? Right. We all know rainbows are happy and black is for mourning. But all the colors in between can't really make you feel a certain thing. Can they?

I am here to say yes. Yes, they can. 

Blue: Tranquil & Calm

Even before I bought into the color/mood theory, I knew this card would have to look calm -- clean and simple, free from commotion and tumult. And for me, nothing says peaceful contentment like my very favorite stamp set ever: Altenew Leaf Canopy. 

To begin, I stamped the largest leaf outline image with Gina K In the Navy ink onto a white card panel. Then, I stamped it again in Versamark ink and heat embossed with clear powder. I colored the leaves with Prismacolor colored pencils in two shades of blue: Indigo (PC901) and Light Cerulean (PC904), and used Gamsol and a blending stump to move the color around. 

To add interest to the background, I stamped the Altenew Dainty Swiss Dots background in Taylored Expressions Sea Salt ink to leave just a ghost of color. I also stamped the dots background onto another white panel and then heat embossed with clear powder to create a resist pattern. I ink blended blue over that panel, keeping it light to match the lightest color in the leaves. 

To assemble the card, I trimmed down the leafy panel with a scalloped border die and then added a second scalloped trim in navy card stock. I chose a sentiment from the Altenew Leaf Clusters set and stamped it first in the navy ink and then stamped again in Versamark to emboss with clear powder over the top. I popped up the sentiment using Altenew Instant Dimension Foam Tape and then added a sprinkling of Pinkfresh Studio Stargazer jewels.  

When the card was done, I sent a picture to my sister who, of course, said it was beautiful because that's what sisters do. But do you feel tranquil, I asked mockingly. Yes, she responded. So I looked again, and I felt it, too. 

Color Lady, I stand corrected. 

Pink: Sensitive, Sweet, & Caring

Pink is my color, so I was all in for this one. And now that I was drinking the color theory Kool-Aid, I was ready for a new experiment. 

For this card, I ink blended Picked Raspberry and Worn Lipstick Distress Inks in a loose circle shape in the middle of a white card panel. Then, I flicked on some water to create spots where the water reacted with the ink. 

For the focal image, I used Versafine Onyx Black to stamp the largest image from the Altenew Leaf Clusters set. I knew that would give the absolute blackest impression. For a bit of shimmer, I outlined the black image with a Sakura Stardust Glitter pen. To keep with the pink emotions, I chose one of my favorite love you alternatives, which is also from the Leaf Clusters set. 

To assemble the card, I trimmed down the panel and matted it onto a slightly larger panel of Gina K Bubblegum card stock, which seemed to be a nice match for the pink Distress Inks I had used. For embellishments, I chose Gina K Clear Dew Drops to mimic the water spots in the pink background. 

And it really is Just. So. Sweet. 

Green: Soothing, Nature-Themed, & Growth

Now, it's not rocket science that green is for all the nature things, but it wasn't until I made this card that I recognized its soothing properties. Color Lady, am I losing touch with reality? That's a problem for another day. 

Back to the card.

For this card, I tried Stephanie's technique of stamping with Distress Ink on watercolor paper and then using a waterbrush to move around the color. She had used the textured side of the paper, so I tried that, too. It did not work. At all. 

So, I flipped over the paper to the smooth side and tried again.

Nope. 

At this point, I decided that maybe my mini Distress Ink cubes were not juicy enough, so I, perhaps, didn't have enough ink to distribute around the leaf shape. I switched to Distress Oxide inks and tried again. This worked! And although I didn't get the same effect as watercoloring with a dye ink, I was still pleased with the results. 

I stamped the leaf image with Shabby Shutters to create a base of color, and then I added Rustic Wilderness and shaded with Pine Needles, which gives just the perfect amount of blue-green at the base of the leaves. 

From here, this card was an excercise in Leave. It. Alone. I considered many additions to the design -- gold splatters, stamping the black outline image, a ghost stamped background pattern -- but in the end, I followed a suggested technique from class, and I simply added shadows around the bottom of the leaves and stems to give the appearance of depth. This Weathered Wood shadow is so subtle yet so impactful. 

I chose a sentiment from the Altenew Pen Sketched Silhouette set, stamping it in bold black, slightly overlapping the leafy image to tie the two together. To build the card, I glued thin strips of glossy black and matte gold card stock onto the left edge of a card base and then added the leafy card panel. I finished it off with a sprinkling of Spellbinders Black Smooth Discs. 

There's an interesting juxtaposition in this card. Soothing green with a smackdown of harsh black. Sorry if I'm breaking the rules, Color Lady. 

And there you have it...

Even though my cards are evidence that color does matter, it's safe to say I fell pretty easily into this one. Should I have stood firmer against the color theory Kool-Aid? Is the chromotherapy path necessary to successful card design? Maybe. But maybe not. I mean, I'm no worse off for having explored this path. And it is intriguing. But must every future get well card be orange? Is love always red? 

First world ponderings...

Thanks for stopping by!

Tammy