AECP Level 2 Challenge: Part 1 – A Creative Journey Begins

For my AECP Level 2 Final Challenge (Part 1), I had to create four masculine cards for different occasions:

• Birthday
• Love/Thinking of You
• Anniversary
• Encouragement

Along with that, I needed to incorporate three components from the Level 1 or Level 2 classes. The classes I chose are:

• Let It Shine – adding shimmer, shine, and metallics to card designs.
• Beyond Basic Backgrounds – exploring creative ways to build unique backgrounds.
• In the Mood for Color – using colors to convey emotions and moods in cards.

For my masculine cards, I wanted to bring in a rustic and vintage mood while still incorporating some modern colors for balance - here is where In the mood for color class comes into play. Masculine cards can sometimes feel tricky, but I found that combining textures, muted shine, and earthy tones helped create the right look.

Background 1: Shimmer Paste (Let It Shine and Beyond Basic Background)

For my first background, I decided to step up the shimmer element by using pearl shimmer relief paste. I spread the paste across a large sheet of cardstock, deliberately creating texture by moving the paste in a single direction.

This gave the background a subtle shine with a tactile, textured finish – perfect for a masculine card where you want shimmer but not too much sparkle.

✨ Design tip: Adding texture with paste in one direction creates movement without being overwhelming. It’s a great way to keep the design clean yet interesting.

Background 2: Vintage Metallic Foil (Let It Shine + Beyond Basic Background)

For my second background, I used silver aura hot foil on a solid hot foil plate to make my own metallic cardstock. To give it a vintage, distressed look, I sandwiched the panel between my cutting plates and ran it through my die-cutting machine. The existing cutting lines on my plates transferred onto the cardstock, muting the shine in a really beautiful way.

To take the vintage feel even further, I crushed the cardstock in my hands to create soft wrinkles. This broke up the shine and added an aged effect, while still keeping the modern metallic undertone.

✨ Design tip: Don’t be afraid to “damage” your paper intentionally! Wrinkles, impressions, and muted shine can transform a shiny surface into something rustic and masculine.

  

   

Background 3: Sentiment Repetition (Beyond Basic Backgrounds and In the mood for color)

For my third background, I revisited the repeated stamping technique from the Beyond Basic Backgrounds class. Instead of images, I stamped several encouragement sentiments diagonally using Lapis Lazuli Fresh Dye Ink.

Once the panel was filled, I swiped the ink pad along the edges to give it a distressed, rustic border. The bold blue ink felt modern, while the rough edges gave it a vintage-inspired look.

✨ Design tip: Repeated sentiments can create a strong graphic background that works really well for masculine cards, especially when paired with bold, deep colors.

 

Pulling It All Together

Although these backgrounds were inspired by three different classes, I found they actually fit well under the Beyond Basic Backgrounds concept because they’re not simple or plain – they have layers of interest, texture, and mood. 

By combining shine (Let It Shine), repetition and texture (Beyond Basic Backgrounds), and color psychology (In the Mood for Color), I was able to create four masculine cards that feel cohesive yet unique across the different occasions.

Adding a Personal Touch

To make this challenge even more special, I wanted to include something truly unique across all four cards. Instead of using pre-made stamps or die-cut sentiments, I chose to write the sentiments myself using a flex pen and calligraphy.

This not only tied the cards together as a cohesive set but also added a layer of personalization and artistry that made each one feel more meaningful.

Card 1: Anniversary – Rustic Elegance with Shimmer Paste

For the anniversary card, I used the shimmer relief paste background I created earlier. Once it was completely dry, I added more interest by stenciling the smaller flower from the Romantic Roses Stencil Art with Distress Oxide inks. To keep the rustic mood, I chose muted tones:

• Leaves: Hickory Smoke and Brushed Corduroy
• Flowers: Speckled Egg, Faded Jeans, and Blueprint Sketch

After the stenciling, I was inspired by Erum’s recent YouTube video where she tore the edges of her cardstock for a distressed effect. I loved that idea and decided to step up the rustic feel by tearing all four edges around my stenciled flower.

To add contrast, I repeated the same tearing technique with a slightly larger piece of black cardstock and layered the stenciled panel on top. Finally, I mounted everything onto a kraft cardstock base (A7 size), which tied the rustic and vintage mood together perfectly.

For the sentiment, I calligraphed the word “Forevermore” using my flex pen on the same shimmer background. I then fussy cut it, layered it over black cardstock for extra definition, and adhered it to the lower left corner of the card.

The result is a card that balances shine, rustic texture, and romance – perfect for an anniversary celebration.

Card 2: Birthday – Vintage Vases and Metallic Shine

For the birthday card, I worked with the foiled background I created earlier. I trimmed it down to 4 ¾" × 3 ½" to keep it as the focal point. On an A2 panel, I ink-blended the outer edges with Swamp Green and Oak Moss Fresh Dye Inks. This created a rich, rustic frame with a vintage mood, which contrasted beautifully with the distressed metallic panel.

  

To add imagery, I die-cut three vases from the Mini Delight: Plant and Vases set using kraft cardstock. I inked the two larger vases with Oak Moss to give them an aged, vintage look, while leaving the smaller vase in natural kraft for variety.

For the sentiment, I added my personal calligraphy touch with the phrase:

“A birthday as timeless as these vases.”

This not only tied into the antique look of the vases but also highlighted how precious and unique a birthday celebration can be.

I foam-mounted the sentiment strip at the bottom of the card, then arranged and adhered the vases above it. The final result is a design that feels elegant, rustic, and full of meaning — perfect for a masculine birthday card.

  

Card 3: Encouragement – Rustic Meets Modern

For the encouragement card, I started with the sentiment background panel I created earlier, where repeated encouragement phrases were stamped diagonally. This gave the card an uplifting and textural foundation.

To build the focal point, I die-cut the large vase again from the Mini Delight: Plant and Vases set. On a strip of cardstock, I ink-blended with Swamp Green and Oak Moss Fresh Dye Inks, then stamped the leaves from the same set. I adhered the big vase over the leaves to complete the arrangement.

To add a little contrast and continuity, I also glued a strip of the distressed foiled paper (from Card 2) alongside the vase arrangement, bringing in just a touch of shine.

For the sentiment, I added my personal calligraphy touch with the phrase:

“Your story is still unfolding.”

I wrote it on kraft cardstock, fussy cut it, and adhered it over the panel. The message was meant to encourage strength and perseverance — a reminder not to lose hope because the journey isn’t over yet.

Finally, I mounted everything on a kraft card base. This card combines both the rustic/vintage tones with the modern blue sentiment background, creating a balanced design that feels thoughtful yet masculine.

  

Card 4: Love/Thinking of You – Subtle Texture and Woven Love

For the final card, I wanted to create something soft yet masculine. I began with a kraft cardstock panel and lightly ink-blended the edges with Oak Moss Fresh Dye Ink. To add depth, I used the Wild Daisies Press Plate to dry emboss the panel without any ink. This left behind a beautiful, subtle texture that felt natural and elegant.

  

To bring in shimmer, I reached for the leftover pieces from my shimmer paste background. I had die-cut them earlier with a background die, which left me with small diamond shapes. I adhered these diamonds randomly across the embossed panel, creating scattered highlights of shine without overpowering the rustic feel.

For the sentiment, I added my personal calligraphy touch again, writing:

“Love woven through the years.”

This phrase symbolizes how love is built up over time — much like threads weaving together to create strength and beauty. It reflects the idea of enduring connection, making it a heartfelt message for a love or thinking-of-you card.

I wrote the sentiment on a white strip, layered it over a black strip for contrast, and adhered it to the bottom of the panel to anchor the design.

The result is a card that feels earthy, textured, and deeply meaningful — a rustic-modern take on a love card.

  

New Techniques Unlocked ✨

As part of this challenge, I also experimented with a few ideas that felt completely new to me. Disclaimer: these are techniques I came up with during my creative process — I haven’t seen them demonstrated by other crafters before.

• Layered Shimmer Relief Backgrounds – I used shimmer relief paste as a full background, then stenciled over it, and even added calligraphy directly on top. The combination of shine, texture, and lettering created a unique layered look.
• Impression Textures from Cutting Plates – Instead of discarding the marks on my well-used cutting plates, I intentionally ran foiled cardstock through them. The “dirty” plates transferred subtle impressions that gave the surface an aged, distressed texture.
• Aged Metallic Paper from Foiled Panels – By custom foiling cardstock and then distressing it (crushing, muting, and layering), I was able to mimic the look of antique, time-worn metallic paper.

These little discoveries opened up exciting possibilities for future projects, especially when aiming for a masculine, rustic, or vintage aesthetic.

Wrap-Up

This challenge pushed me to blend shine, texture, and mood-driven colors while keeping the cards masculine. By combining rustic and modern styles, plus handwritten calligraphy sentiments, I was able to create a cohesive set that feels both artistic and meaningful.

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