AECP Level 3 Final Workshop

Today's post is all about my journey in the Altenew Educator Certification Program (AECP). I was accepted into the AECP in December of 2024 and worked through the 10 classes for Level 1, the Level 1 final project (see my posts here: Carrie's Custom Cards: AECP Level 1 Final Project Part 1 and here: Carrie's Custom Cards: AECP Level 1 Final Project Part 2), the 10 classes for Level 2, the Level 2 final project (see my post here: Carrie's Custom Cards: AECP Level 2 Final Project Post), and finally the 5 classes for Level 3. I learned and practiced so many great techniques in those 25 classes! Part of the program requirements is to submit a project for each class as homework, so I created 25 cards in addition to the final projects for each level. I've grown so much in my cardmaking and card photographing skills through the program, but my favorite part of the program is definitely the community of crafters I've gotten to know. Many have become good friends, and I feel blessed to be part of the Altenew crafting family.  

After completing the classes and final projects for levels 1 and 2 and all the classes for level 3, I began preparing for the Level 3 final project, which is to host a 2-hour workshop. I created a plan for a virtual workshop teaching how to make a card folio and a fun fold card to put inside the folio.  I was in contact with the AECP coordinator Erum Tasneem throughout the process of creating a plan and a pdf with photos and instructions about the projects I would teach in my workshop. Once Erum approved my pdf, I created a banner to advertise my workshop in the AECP Facebook group. I closed the registrations once 16 people had signed up for the workshop. I created a supply list for the workshop and emailed the list and the pdf with photos, instructions, and prep work to all my participants. Later I also emailed a Zoom link to the participants a few days before the workshop. 

 

Once I had my plan in place, I purchased a Canva light/phone holder to show my workspace during the workshop. I practiced with my setup during a Saturday craft session held by Bridget Casey (she works for Altenew and holds craft sessions most Saturday afternoons on Zoom). I'm so grateful she allows AECP participants to practice in her Saturday group before holding their workshops! I learned a lot and received excellent feedback from others in the group who have been through the program before.

In the final days leading up to my workshop, I carefully timed all the elements of my workshop and tweaked my lesson plan to save time and work more efficiently. I also practiced in Zoom sessions with my husband first and then with some crafty friends once I thought I had the technology figured out. Since I was running my laptop as well as my phone in Zoom, I had to be sure I disconnected from the audio on my phone to avoid feedback issues. I also ended up moving where I set up my Canva light/phone holder so it didn't move at all when I was ink blending to avoid any shakiness on my phone camera. 

Finally the day arrived for me to host the workshop, and I met with Erum for a half an hour ahead of the start of class going over the last-minute details. The class went smoothly once I understood that I had confused "pinning" someone with "spotlighting" them on Zoom! 😂The participants were patient and encouraging, and I was so grateful for their kindness. 

Here's a look at the projects I made before my workshop. The process photos I've included in this post are from making these projects ahead of the workshop:

 

My banner to promote the workshop:

I'm including a look at my workshop overview and objectives:

Workshop Overview: Our goal is to create 2 fun fold projects featuring a magnolia theme. We’ll be stamping, die cutting, ink blending on die cuts and through layering stencils to create a folio and an interactive card. These designs can be adapted to many other themes/supplies.

Audience: This workshop is designed for card makers of all skill levels.

Learning Objectives:

1.      Learn how to trim and score cardstock to create 2 fun fold projects

2.      Learn how to ink blend through stencils and on die cuts

3.      Learn how to emboss stenciled backgrounds

4.      Learn how to create dimension using layered die cuts glued together

5.      Learn how to adhere vellum without the adhesive showing

Workshop details: 

We started by ink blending through the Magnolia Dreams stencil set twice to create a stenciled panel that covered a letter size sheet of 110-pound Neenah White cardstock using inks from Altenew's Bubblegum Dreams, Whispering Woodlands, and Pocketful of Sunshine inks. While we had our inks out, we also ink blended the die cut pieces for our magnolia flowers which were cut using Altenew's Craft-Your-Life: Magnificent Magnolias project kit. 

 

Once we had our stenciling and ink blending completed, we moved on to creating the folio by taking a piece of 8 ½ by 11-inch green cardstock and trimming it to 8 by 11 inches. We scored it at 5 ½ on the long side and then rotated it 180 degrees to score it at 2 inches on the short side. We trimmed a tiny triangle from the bottom to the score line on both sides of the 5 ½ inch scoreline and then added 1/8-inch red tape to the edges of the pockets and adhered them to create the base of the folio. 

To decorate the front of the folio, we adhered a ribbon across the middle of the front cover and added a piece of the stenciled background trimmed to 5 3/4 by 5 1/4 inches over the top of the ribbon. Then we added a stamped and die cut sentiment along with one of the die cut flowers from the Magnificent Magnolia project kit to a 3-inch vellum circle and used Altenew's Instant Dimension Foam Tape to adhere it to the front of the folio. 

After completing the folio, we moved on to the fun fold card. We started with a piece of green cardstock trimmed to 4 1/4 by 11 inches and scored at 3 3/4 and 9 1/4 inches to create the card base. We embossed the second stenciled background and trimmed it to two pieces: 3 1/2 by 4 inches and 1 1/2 by 4 inches. We added the stenciled panels to the front of the card. 

To decorate the front of the card, we added a die cut magnolia flower and a stamped and die cut "hugs" onto a 3-inch vellum circle and adhered the circle to the left side of the card being careful not to put any Instant Dimension Foam Tape on the right side of the card so we didn't close it shut. 

For the inside of the card, we trimmed a piece of pink cardstock to 3 5/8 inches by 5 3/8 inches and scored it at 1/2 inch on the long side. Then we trimmed a piece of green cardstock to 1 by 3 3/4 inches and stamped our sentiment so that it would be partially hidden until the recipient completely opened up the sliding panel. We added a small magnolia flower beside the sentiment and then glued the green cardstock to the pink panel. Next, we glued the 1/2-inch flap on the left side of the pink panel to the left of the score line on the left side of the card base. We added Instant Dimension Foam Tape to the top and bottom of the right side of the green card base to form a pocket for the slider panel to slide into:

Here's a look at the projects I created during the workshop using slightly different colors than in my original samples but from the same ink families:

 

My crafty friends used different products and inks to create their versions of the folio and fun fold card, and they all turned out beautifully! To finish out this post, here's a look at their gorgeous projects:

Caroline Reiger: 

Kimberly Griswold:

    

Walter Zemrock:

  

Mehnaz Diouman: 

Jasminn Bradford:

Carol Pope:

  

Susan Little:

Karin Grimm:

     

Jerralyn Pickering: