Altenew Educator Certification Program Level 2: Beautiful Details

I have successfully completed the Altenew Educator Certification Level 1 Program and I have moved on to the Level 2 Program.  I’m excited to take the next level of classes.  The instructors have been amazing and I’ve really gotten so many tips and techniques.  I also think that anytime you take a class and practice the skills, you gain confidence in your work.  Taking classes and sharing your work really forces you out of your comfort zone.  In order to grow, sometimes you just have to put yourself out there!

The class that I just finished at the Altenew Academy is called Beautiful Details.  The instructor is a true artist!  Honestly, the details she added to her cards and images with markers and paint brushes were truly amazing. There were 6 parts to this class and by the final lesson, I was in AWE!  I was amazed at what a difference you can make in your stamped images by adding some details with alcohol markers, multiliners, colored pencils, watercolors and paint brushes.  It takes your work beyond the next level.

I was impressed by the instructor because she said that she learned everything she knows by watching videos, experimenting and practicing her skills every single day.  She shared that she had been working on her skills for only 2 years!  Impressive.

I decided to try making a card using what I learned in the first lesson.  I’m going to work my way into lesson 6.  I am going to continue practicing my coloring and detailing skills a little every day.

Lesson 1 was entitled “Artistic Flowers”.  The instructor used a small solid image stamp that was one of the layers of a multilayered stamp set.  She stamped it repeatedly by inking it once and then turning it or moving it down and stamping it two or three more times without reinking.  Her card was a monochromatic black, gray and white card and it was stunning.  After doing her stamping, she added some detailed sketchy touches with a Copic Multiliner.

Here is my try at this technique:

This is actually a double leaf image from Altenew’s Wings of Hope stamp set.

You can see the stamp here and the stamped image to the side on my grid paper.  I inked it up, stamped it and then stamped 2 more times before reinking and stamping off.  I moved the stamp each time to change it’s position and create what I hope looks like a large floral image.  I used the stem stamp from the set to create the stem of my flower.  I then used my Copic Multiliner to create very sketchy details on the images.  I was trying not to outline it, but to keep it very sketchy.  I did not add as many sketchy details as my instructor.  I got it to a point that I liked it and deemed it ready to share.  You know how adding just that one more detail can take a card out of your happy zone.  Stop while you’re ahead!

I used Altenew’s Evening Gray ink.  I think that the neutrals work really well for this technique.  I did try my new favorite ink color: Teal Cave with a small solid floral image from a different stamp set and didn’t love the effect.  After a bit of practice and trying several small solid floral images and different colors of ink, I decided to give this double leaf image a try.  I actually liked the result!

I do have to admit that it takes a bit of courage to share a technique and a project while I’m just learning something that is out of my comfort zone.  I took a line sketching class over Christmas vacation that involved creating a pretty imperfect line sketch of a house and then Watercoloring it in an imperfect way.  It was a lot of fun and it made me braver to try more of this kind of technique.  Those sketchy details really add to cards and scrapbook pages if you are brave enough to just go with it and add them!!

Thank you for stopping by today!  Be brave enough to embrace the imperfections and try something crafty outside your comfort zone!