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Writer's pictureJennifer Leonard

AECP Level 2 Final Assignment

Delighted to be sharing my Level 2 Altenew Final Assignment with you all today! My challenge is to make 4 MASCULINE CARDS ~ Reflecting Love, Encouragement, Birthday and Anniversary! I also have to choose and explain 3 techniques/components that I learned during my 20 classes of this fantastic program!! It goes without saying that used the "For the Guys" Component in all the cards~~ I'll share my design tips, numerous photos and I'm even learning to create a you tube process video! Creating a video is really my challenge, but I am so pumped! I also have to make one Altered Item/Recycle Project using Altenew products! How fun is that!


So I have the freedom to choose 3 components I have learned in the last 20 classes! Woo Hoo! This lets my creativity SOAR!! My style is lots of layers, so you will definitely see more than 3 design components.


For those of you who know me well, I have 2 daughters, 5 sons and a most loving husband, so creating a guy card has become my norm (haha). What I lack in though is guy supplies as I mostly own florals...but that is OK! This is a challenge right? So let's jump in!

Being that it's a cold January, the winter cardinal and snowing stamp set was the perfect back drop for my first "LOVE" card. Created for my husband, this card consists of the following components/techniques

  • Seasonal Scene Building~ Build backgrounds with inks, markers, stamping, patterned paper, cardstock,

  • Easy Ink Blending~use good paper, use various shading, embossing powders

  • All About Layering Two~ using second generation stamping

  • Impressive Heat Embossing ~ Ink resisting

I began by deciding on my color palette and created a rough template~aka my brain at work! haha

Creative Tip: When you are in a slump, just take out your stamp set and play..no pressure..just relax and really get to know your stamp set~ink up all the layers, play with color combos. The more you play, the move your brain muscles become a natural in remembering all you learned!


I created a color chart to refer back to when I made the cardinal.








I knew I wanted a winter snowy back drop. Using the snowing stamp set, I randomly stamped the upper half of card using Versamark and heat embossed with white embossing powder. Then I used Nimbus Ink to blend my winter sky. The embossing resisted the ink and I was left with a sparkle of snow. Now onto the Cardinal!



I practiced layering my numerous images to create my best Cardinal! Once I knew how the set worked, I made various Cardinals and fussy cut one out to be my focal point.

Leaving the Cardinal on the card, I then lined up my branch and feet for accurate placement. DESIGN TIP: Make a little mark on your card where the branch is to go. Best to measure twice and stamp once.

The final touches( berries, sentiment) to the card were made and base card was mounted on kraft card stock to bring out the branches.









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ENCOURAGEMENT CARD~


Everyone needs a bit of encouragement now and then! My inspiration for my masculine cards is my husband. A big supporter, he takes interest in the new projects I'm working on. He is also an avid coffee lover, hence the inspired card.

This card features the following techniques/components:

  • Creative Water Color Media

  • Impressive Heat Embossing

  • Easy Die Cutting

  • magical marker techniques

  • Let it Shine


This card was a happy accident. I had previously watercolored the background panel using the stormy winter sky as inspiration. As I prepared to make my inspiration card, I used this color scheme to form the basis. I LOVE LOTS OF LAYERS AND DIMENSION! so I knew this card would begin with :

  • a stamped watermark background

  • splatters

  • add the die cuts

  • add the embossed vellum strip

I chose Polar Bear Ice as the color to create the custom background. Once the card was covered, I took out my alcohol markers to see which colors worked best. This was a work in progress and I actually colored the stamped coffee mug with all of them, blending each layer, and drying in between.

I stamped the coffee mug with versamark ink on vellum, and heat embossed with silver embossing powder. TIP: Use heat tool on opposite side of the stamped image so as not to burn the vellum paper.

Vellum is colored on the back side (non embossed side) so I turned the panel over and began ink blending using all the colors listed above. I then added the sentiment repeating the heat emboss steps.



I distressed a piece of blue cardstock by sanding it and then cut with crossroads die cut.



  • Once all the pieces were arranged, here is the final product!


Birthday and Cards go hand in hand right? Here is a quick and easy Masculine Birthday Card to share with you!

The techniques that were used to make this card are

  • Easy ink blending

  • Easy die cutting.

  • With a Twist~ Using leaves that have a wood grain background

I began by stamping the wood pallet background stamp onto a piece of card stock and then used the Just Leaves Die Set to create my leaf cluster from the woodgrain image. Using the Cube Cover Die , I created my cover and then ink blended with nimbus ink. I wanted to leave a bit of white space, so some areas are only lightly blended.

You then attach the die cut image to an orange solid background, add your leaf clusters and stamp a sentiment of your choice!





Last but not least is my Masculine Anniversary Card! Just this past weekend, I attended Altenew's Winter Craft Retreat and I was blown away with the talented Altenew Educators /Instructors and the high level skill set they taught. The techniques used to make this card include:

  • CAS Bouquiqe ~ Faux Letter Press

  • Ink Blending

  • Color your Day: use a minimal specific color palette with a neutral background

The In the Mood for Color Class was also an inspiration as Green is the color of balance, harmony and growth. Perfect for an Anniversary Card!


While taking one of the retreat classes, I was re introduced to the faux letter press effect. This was also a class I took during level one of the AECP. I used Warm Sunshine Pigment Ink to ink the leaves. I then placed the inked leaves onto a piece of A2 card base and ran this thru my die cutting machine. The ink from the leaves transfers onto the card and the pressure made by the machine PRESSES the image gently into the card stock.


I then took the same leaves I inked with yellow and blended Forest Glades Pigment Ink on top of yellow. I arranged the leaves to make a water fall effect and stamped the sentiment.

The last part of my final 2 challenge is to alter and Up-cycle an item! This was an easy and fun project as I have been looking for a container to store my knitting and crochet hooks in and I found an old whiskey container which is the perfect size for my needles.

Here is my finished project...

All you need to create this fun project is any cylinder container, washi tape of your choice, gold ribbon, a bit of card stock and an Altenew small flower of your choice. I wrapped my container about 3 times with the Glitter Flurries Washi tape. I added a touch of glue to end of washi tape for permanency to container. I wrapped some gold ribbon to ends of container.

I took a sheet from the Celebrate 6x6 pack, cut in half, glued ends together and made the belly band. Attached two gold pieces of ribbon on each end. Using the Delightful Bold Bloom Die, I embossed with gold powder, and then colored the images with Artist Alcohol Markers Shades of Purple. The Images were then arranged on the center panel.

Thank you for visiting my blog and I really hope I have brought some joy into your crafting! Hugs!! Jenn


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2 Comments


Erum Tasneem
Erum Tasneem
Feb 09, 2022

Your cards and the project is exceptional!!! I am sure you are so proud of how far you have come! Thank you for sharing your work!

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Jennifer Leonard
Jennifer Leonard
Feb 19, 2022
Replying to

Thank you Erum! Altenew has so many wonderful classes to attend and I am soaking them all in! Plus the new friendships are a bonus! I am looking forward to begin level 3.

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