Written In Ink

Category: Fun

  • Step-by-Step Guide to Create a Beautiful Winter Card

    Step-by-Step Guide to Create a Beautiful Winter Card

    Would you like to experiment with a design like this? You’ll find a supply list below, including a link to the stencils I used from A Colorful Life Designs.  Follow the link and use discount code ChrisFan10 to save 10% on your entire order! (Master Creator Bundles are excluded as they already have a 20% discount built in.)

    Let’s get Started:

    Card Base: 5.5 x 8.5, scored and folded at 4.25

    Red Border Layer: 5.25 x 4

    White border Layer:  3 ⅝ x 2 3/8

    Card Face:  3.5 x 2.25

    Card Face:

    • Using black Memento ink, I stamped the card face with the image of the woman and then coloured her with alcohol markers.
    • I placed the card face on my Grip Mat and then positioned the Dot Mat stencil.  I added red ink across the open areas, allowing it to fade as it approached the image.

    Other:

    • I removed the card face from the Grip Mat, and replaced it with the red border layer.  I positioned the Eddies stencil and applied red ink with a heavy hand.
    • After removing the stencil, I placed this piece in an embossing folder and ran it through my Big Shot.
    • I looked through my sentiments binder and selected one that worked perfectly with the image.

    Assembly

    • I glued the red border layer to the card base, centering on all sides.
    • I glued the card face to the white border layer, centering on all sides.
    • I glued these two pieces together.
    • I added the sentiment as shown.

    Final Thoughts:

    This image from Unity is awesome,  and that sentiment from Spellbindersk created the perfect collaboration.

    Supplies: (and links where possible)

       I have listed which products I have used, and where they may be purchased. It’s a huge marketplace and in most instances, there are multiple sources and many alternatives to choose from.

    Stencils:

    Dot Mat: A Colorful Life Designs

    Eddies, A Colorful Life Designs

    Waffle Flower Grip Mat, 8.5 x 6.5, Scrapbook.com

    Versamark Embossing Ink: Simon Says Stamp

    Clear Embossing Powder,  Wow,  Simon Says Stamp

    Stamp/Die:  Christmas Glimmer Sentiments,  Spellbinders, Amazon

    Stamp: Freaking Cold, Unity Stamps

    Ink: Stampin’ Up!

    Blending Brushes: Stampin’ Up! 

    Memento Ink: Stampin’ Up!

    Alcohol Markers:

         Stampin’ Blends: Stampin’ Up!

         Copics:  Wallacks

    Adhesive: Tombow Aqua, Michaels

    Card Base & Card Face: Accent 100 lb., Amazon

    Do you have comments or thoughts to share on this design?  Drop me a line in the Comments Section below –  I’d love to hear from you!

    You can also use the Comments Section  to be notified when I release new work.

    Dot Mat by A Colorful Life Designs

  • Make a Retro Christmas Card with Vintage Design

    Make a Retro Christmas Card with Vintage Design

    Would you like to experiment with a design like this? You’ll find a supply list below, including a link to the stencils I used from A Colorful Life Designs.  Follow the link and use discount code ChrisFan10 to save 10% on your entire order! (Master Creator Bundles are excluded as they already have a 20% discount built in.)

    Let’s get Started:

    Card Base: 5.5 x 8.5, scored and folded at 4.25

    Red Border Layer: 5.5 x 4.25

    Kraft Card Face:  5.5 x 4.25 (before die cutting)

    Card Face:

    • I laid the card face onto my grip mat and positioned the postage stamp stencil. Using a soft hand, I added brown ink just inside the border areas.
    • Leaving this stencil in place, I added the Vintage Santa stencil to the mix, positioning the section with Santa in the bottom-left corner and allowing the image to extend slightly beyond the paper.  I  applied cranberry red ink after masking off all adjacent open areas.
    • I used the same cranberry ink and one of the presents to create a row of gifts up the right-hand side of the card, repositioning each time.  The gift overlapped the right-hand edge of the first stencil, allowing a partial image.
    • I used a rectangular deckled-edge die to cut the card face down to the finished size.  I applied metallic gold paint to the edges of this.
    • I inserted the card face into an embossing folder and ran it through the Big Shot.
    • I touched the raised surfaces of the paper with a brown ink pad, using a very soft hand.

    Other:

    • I looked through my sentiment binder and selected three small die-cut images, previously created on the same Kraft cardstock and embossed in gold.

    Assembly

    • I glued the border layer to the card base, and then centered the card face on top.
    • I added the three small die cuts as shown.

    Final Thoughts:

    My goal here was to create the feeling of an heirloom Christmas card, treasured for years.  The vintage images were paired with the other ways I’ve marked the paper – and I think I succeeded 🙂

    Supplies: (and links where possible)

       I have listed which products I have used, and where they may be purchased. It’s a huge marketplace and in most instances, there are multiple sources and many alternatives to choose from.

    Stencils:

    Retro Santa, A Colorful Life Designs

    Marvellous Masks Postage Stamp: A Colorful Life Designs

    Waffle Flower Grip Mat, 8.5 x 6.5, Scrapbook.com

    Ink: Stampin’ Up!

    Blending Brushes: Stampin’ Up! 

    Adhesive: Tombow Aqua, Michaels

    Card Base & Card Face: Accent 100 lb., Amazon

    Do you have comments or thoughts to share on this design?  Drop me a line in the Comments Section below –  I’d love to hear from you!

    You can also use the Comments Section to be notified when I release new work.

    Retro Santa by A Colorful Life Designs

  • All I need for Christmas is endless coffee, and a great card design

    All I need for Christmas is endless coffee, and a great card design

    Alternate title: A guide to surviving errors and still ending up with a card!

    Would you like to experiment with a design like this? You’ll find a supply list below, including a link to the stencils I used from A Colorful Life Designs.  Follow the link and use discount code ChrisFan10 to save 10% on your entire order! (Master Creator Bundles are excluded as they already have a 20% discount built in.)

    Let’s get Started:

    Card Base: 5.5 x 8.5, scored and folded at 4.25

    Card Face:  5.25 x 4

    Card Face:

    • Using Memento black ink, I stamped the image in the upper right of the card face, and then coloured it with alcohol markers.
    • I placed the card face down on the Grip Mat and positioned the coffee cup portion of the stencil in the lower-left corner.  I masked off open areas on the stencil near the mug, then used red ink over the exposed area.
    • When I removed the stencil, I was dismayed to see that I had been too energetic with my brush between the mug and the handle—and I had ink between the two, instead of a lovely, clean page.  What to do?
    • I cut very carefully along the outline of the mug, removing it completely from the card face.  Then I laid it on a scrap piece of cardstock and traced it.  I carefully cut this piece out and then tested it in the opening on the card face.  Once I saw that I had a good fit, I glued the card face to a piece of scrap copy paper (cut down to 5.25 x 4”)  and glued the blank “mug” into the opening.
    • I used my snips to remove the paper between the mug and the handle, cutting carefully along the lines.   Once that was done, I was able to glue that piece back in place directly over the blank.
    •  I repositioned the stencil and placed the sentiment I wanted to use in the upper-left corner, then applied black ink to the open areas.
    • I put the other stencil in place:  I used yellow ink and a light hand to create the pattern around the mouse.

    Rather than grab my yellow ink pad,  I simply used the residual ink on the yellow brush.  Because I only wanted a subtle background, this worked well.  I learned this tip from my friend on YouTube – check out Amy’s Wares for some great tips.

    • I outlined the mug with silver gel pen:  while I was outlining the handle, the pen slipped and suddenly I had an unplanned streak of silver ink …. I dealt with that by adding additional lines to the handle, creating stripes.   I decided to add dots to the rest of the mug just for fun.
    • I ran the edges of the card face over my red ink pad., creating definition.

    Assembly

    • I glued the card face to the card base, centering all sides.

    Final Thoughts:

    I had coloured the mouse and lights (so adorable!) and didn’t know what I wanted to do next. A random hunt through my stencil binder resulted in my tripping over the Christmas Coffee stencil and a plan was born.  Serendipity is a wonderful thing!

    Supplies: (and links where possible)

       I have listed which products I have used, and where they may be purchased. It’s a huge marketplace and in most instances, there are multiple sources and many alternatives to choose from.

    Stencil:

    Christmas Coffee Stencil:  A Colorful Life Designs

    Connect the Dots,  A Colorful Life Designs

    Waffle Flower Grip Mat, 8.5 x 6.5, Scrapbook.com

    Stamps: Merry and Bright, House Mouse,  Spellbinders (retired)

    Ink: Stampin’ Up!

    Blending Brushes: Stampin’ Up! 

    Versafine Onyx, Simon Says Stamp

    Memento Ink: Stampin’ Up!

    Alcohol Markers:

         Stampin’ Blends: Stampin’ Up!

         Copics:  Wallacks

    Adhesive: Tombow Aqua, Michaels

    Card Base & Card Face: Accent 100 lb., Amazon

    Do you have comments or thoughts to share on this design?  Drop me a line in the Comments Section below –  I’d love to hear from you!

    You can also use the Comments Section  to be notified when I release new work.

    Connect the Dots by A Colorful Life Designs

    Christmas Coffee by A Colorful Life Designs

  • Create Your Own Snowman Card with Easy Techniques

    Create Your Own Snowman Card with Easy Techniques

    There is nothing this wee fella loves more than a good snowfall.

    Would you like to experiment with a design like this? You’ll find a supply list below, including a link to the stencil I used from A Colorful Life Designs.  Follow the link and use discount code ChrisFan10 to save 10% on your entire order! (Master Creator Bundles are excluded as they already have a 20% discount built in.)

    Let’s get Started:

    Card Base: 5.5 x 8.5, scored and folded at 4.25

    Card Face: 5.5 x 4.25 (before die cutting)

    White Cardstock for die cutting:  4 x 4

    Card Face:

    • I laid the card face on my Grip Mat and positioned the stencil.
    • I used ink that matched the cardstock across all open areas,  using a heavy hand to get a saturated result.
    • I removed the stencil and sprinkled clear embossing powder over the wet ink, immediately setting this with my heat gun.
    • I used a deckled rectangle die to cut the card face down to approximately 5.25 x 4”.

    Other:

    • I positioned the square die on the smaller piece of white cardstock and ran it through my Big Shot.
    • I looked through my Ready to Go binder and selected the wee snowman, which had already been coloured and cut out.
    • I checked my sentiment binder and selected one that worked with the design.

    Assembly

    • I glued the card face to the card base.
    • I centered the die-cut square on the card face and glued it down.
    • I added the snowman towards the bottom right.
    • I added the sentiment across the snowman.

    Final Thoughts:

    This is a fun and festive card to celebrate the season.

    When I cut out the snowman  I cut tight along the outer lines and cut off the arms  (they are so thin and delicate that  cutting them out would be very time-consuming.)   I rectified this by using a fineliner to draw them back on once I had the snowman glued to the die cut square.  I got this tip from a Jennifer McGuire video, and use it often.

    Supplies: (and links where possible)

       I have listed which products I have used, and where they may be purchased. It’s a huge marketplace and in most instances, there are multiple sources and many alternatives to choose from.

    Stencil: Christmas Words, A Colorful Life Designs

    Waffle Flower Grip Mat, 8.5 x 6.5, Scrapbook.com

    Versamark Embossing Ink: Simon Says Stamp

    Clear Embossing Powder,  Wow,  Simon Says Stamp

    Stamps: A Colorful Life Designs (retired)

    Dies: Your Next Stamp  (no longer in business)

    Ink: Stampin’ Up!

    Blending Brushes: Stampin’ Up! 

    Versafine Onyx, Simon Says Stamp

    Memento Ink: Stampin’ Up!

    Alcohol Markers:

         Stampin’ Blends: Stampin’ Up!

         Copics:  Wallacks

    Adhesive: Tombow Aqua, Michaels

    Card Base & Card Face: Accent 100 lb., Amazon

    Do you have comments or thoughts to share on this design?  Drop me a line in the Comments Section below –  I’d love to hear from you!

    You can also use the Comments Section  to be notified when I release new work

    Christmas Words by A Colorful Life Designs

  • Is “Fast & Easy” your cardmaking jam? Stencils for the win!

    Is “Fast & Easy” your cardmaking jam? Stencils for the win!

    Two stencils and a couple of pre-coloured & cut elements … easy peasy.

    Would you like to experiment with a design like this? You’ll find a supply list below, including a link to the stencils I used from A Colorful Life Designs.  Follow the link and use discount code ChrisFan10 to save 10% on your entire order! (Master Creator Bundles are excluded as they already have a 20% discount built in.)

    Let’s get Started:

    Card Base: 5.5 x 8.5, scored and folded at 4.25

    Card Face:  5.25 x 4

    Card Face:

    • I laid the card face onto my Grip Mat and then positioned the Fine Snowflakes stencil:  I applied white pigment ink on all exposed areas, using a heavy hand to ensure good saturation.
    • After removing this stencil, I replaced it with the Tree Edger #1 stencil, positioning this approximately half way down the page (horizonally).
    • I used the same white pigment ink to create a tree line, with a lighter hand than I had used for the snowflakes.
    • I moved the stencil down and repeated this step, to create a second tree line directly below the first.
    • I used a white gel pen to add dots of snow to the night sky.

    Other:

    • The wee house and tree were already stamped, coloured and cut out,  waiting in my Ready to Go binder,  as was the sentiment.  I pulled all three out for use on this card.

    Assembly

    • I glued the card face to the card base, centering on all sides.
    • I glued the house in the middle of the card,  just a bit up from the bottom. 
    • I added the tree as shown, overlapping the house slightly.
    • I added the sentiment to the upper left.
    • I added rhinestones to the center of each snowflake.

    Final Thoughts:

    This is a very outside-the-box card for me: both design wise and as a Christmas card.  None the less,  I like it!

    Supplies: (and links where possible)

       I have listed which products I have used, and where they may be purchased. It’s a huge marketplace and in most instances, there are multiple sources and many alternatives to choose from.

    Stencil:

    Fine Snowflakes:  A Colorful Life Designs

    Christmas Tree Edger #1, A Colorful Life Designs

    Waffle Flower Grip Mat, 8.5 x 6.5, Scrapbook.com

    Versamark Embossing Ink: Simon Says Stamp

    White Gel Pen: Arteza, Amazon

    Clear Embossing Powder,  Wow,  Simon Says Stamp

    Stamps & Coordinating Dies:  Stampin’ Up!  (retired)

    Ink: Stampin’ Up!

    Blending Brushes: Stampin’ Up! 

    Versafine Onyx, Simon Says Stamp

    Memento Ink: Stampin’ Up!

    Alcohol Markers:

         Stampin’ Blends: Stampin’ Up!

         Copics:  Wallacks

    Adhesive: Tombow Aqua, Michaels

    Card Base & Card Face: Accent 100 lb., Amazon

    Do you have comments or thoughts to share on this design?  Drop me a line in the Comments Section below –  I’d love to hear from you!

    You can also use the Comments Section  to be notified when I release new work.

    Fine Snowflakes by A Colorful Life Designs

    Christmas Tree Edger #1, by A Colorful Life Designs

  • Making Cards or Making Mischief ? sometimes you can have both!

    Making Cards or Making Mischief ? sometimes you can have both!

    Peaceful & calm outside, but inside? Mischief and mayhem!

    Would you like to experiment with a design like this? You’ll find a supply list below, including a link to the stencils I used from A Colorful Life Designs.  Follow the link and use discount code ChrisFan10 to save 10% on your entire order! (Master Creator Bundles are excluded as they already have a 20% discount built in.)

    Let’s get Started:

    Card Base: 5.5 x 8.5, scored and folded at 4.25

    Card Face: 5.5 x 4.25

    Card Face:

    • I stamped the trees roughly in the center of the paper using Memento black ink. I coloured the trees with alcohol markers.
    • I placed the card face onto the grip mat, and then added one of the Arches stencils,  centering the opening around the trees.  
    • Using a light hand, I added blue ink in the open areas.
    • I added snow to the scene by spattering white metallic watercolour into the opening, directly over the image.
    • I removed the Arches stencil and placed the Floor Perspective stencil towards the bottom of the card face, immediately under the window.   I used brown ink across the open areas.   I wanted to continue the floor pattern across the entire width of the card face, so I moved the stencil to the right and tried to line up the pattern before applying ink again. (you can see that I was not entirely successful!)  I repeated this on the left side of the card face, extending the tiled floor there as well.
    • I protected the window image created earlier by adding the corresponding mask to cover the inked area completely.  I used a loop of low-tack tape on the back of the mask to keep it in place.  
    • Using a strip of low tack tape to mask the edge of the floor,  I added yellow ink to the top of the card face around the window.
    • I put the Sparkles stencil in place and added the same yellow ink across the exposed areas, creating a tone on tone pattern.
    • I added light grey ink to the border area between the floor and wall to create shadow.
    • I put the mask back in place over the window and traced around this with a black marker.   I used a ruler and the same black marker to create the window panes within this border.

    Other:

    • I had previously stamped and coloured the image of the dog with the string of lights:  I fussy cut around the image.  To give this just a bit more “pop”  I used a clear medium over the Christmas bulbs –  this added a bit of depth and a lot of shine.
    • I looked through my sentiment binder and found one that worked perfectly with the scene.

    Assembly

    • I glued the card face to the card base.
    • I glued the dog in place.
    • I added the sentiment across the center of the trees.

    Final Thoughts:

    Supplies: (and links where possible)

    This card involved a lot of design on the fly …. I started the process with the idea of using the Arches stencil, and no real plan. It created itself as I went along (something that happens often in my craftroom), and once I had added the floor, wallpaper and outlined the window I thought the card was done.

    When I went back and had another look the following week, I realized it still needed “something”. So I looked through my pre-coloured images and discovered the perfect final touch.

    I love it when serendipity strikes!

    Supplies:

       I have listed which products I have used, and where they may be purchased. It’s a huge marketplace and in most instances, there are multiple sources and many alternatives to choose from.

    Stencils:

    Marvellous Masks Arches,  A Colorful Life Designs

    Floor Perspective, A Colorful Life Designs

    Sparkles, A Colorful Life Designs

    Waffle Flower Grip Mat, 8.5 x 6.5, Scrapbook.com

    Versamark Embossing Ink: Simon Says Stamp

    Clear Embossing Powder,  Wow,  Simon Says Stamp

    Stamps: 

    Dog:  Christmas Fun,  Penny Black,  Amazon

    Trees: Impression Obsession (no longer in business)

    Ink: Stampin’ Up!

    Blending Brushes: Stampin’ Up! 

    Versafine Onyx, Simon Says Stamp

    Memento Ink: Stampin’ Up!

    Alcohol Markers:

         Stampin’ Blends: Stampin’ Up!

         Copics:  Wallacks

    Adhesive: Tombow Aqua, Michaels

    Card Base & Card Face: Accent 100 lb., Amazon

    Do you have comments or thoughts to share on this design?  Drop me a line in the Comments Section below –  I’d love to hear from you!

    You can also use the Comments Section  to be notified when I release new work

    Marvellous Masks Arches by A Colorful Life Designs

    Sparkles by A Colorful Life Designs

    Floor Perspective by A Colorful Life Designs

  • Create Beautiful Christmas Cards with Stencils

    Create Beautiful Christmas Cards with Stencils

    Would you like to experiment with a design like this? You’ll find a supply list below, including a link to the stencils I used from A Colorful Life Designs.  Follow the link and use discount code ChrisFan10 to save 10% on your entire order! (Master Creator Bundles are excluded as they already have a 20% discount built in.)

    Let’s get Started:

    Card Base: 5.5 x 8.5, scored and folded at 4.25

    Border Layer: 5.25 x 4

    Card Face:  5 ⅛ x 3 7/8

    Card Face:

    • I stamped the girl and the tree using black Memento ink, and then coloured them in using alcohol markers.
    • I laid the card face onto my Grip Mat and positioned the Diagonal Weave stencil.  I used light gray ink and a soft hand to add this pattern to the background, carefully avoiding the two coloured images.
    • I wasn’t entirely satisfied at this point:  after mulling over my options I pulled out the Glittering Hearts stencil and added that to the background as well, using the same gray ink, and once again a very light hand.  This provided enough detail in the background to support the two images, while the soft colour didn’t compete with them for attention.
    • I placed the card face into my stamp positioner and added the sentiment in red ink, stamping a few times to get the saturation I wanted.

    Assembly

    • I glued the red border layer to the card base, and then added the card face on top, centering both of these layers carefully.
    • I added a small, textured red heart above the sentiment.

    Final Thoughts:

    I am happy with this card –  the two stencils worked together perfectly to fill in that background, providing just enough visual interest.

    Supplies: (and links where possible)

       I have listed which products I have used, and where they may be purchased. It’s a huge marketplace and in most instances, there are multiple sources and many alternatives to choose from.

    Stencils

    Diagonal Weave,  A Colorful Life Designs

    Glittering Hearts, A Colorful Life Designs:

    Waffle Flower Grip Mat, 8.5 x 6.5, Scrapbook.com

    Stamps:  Impression Obsession  (no longer in business)

    Ink: Stampin’ Up!

    Blending Brushes: Stampin’ Up! 

    Memento Ink: Stampin’ Up!

    Alcohol Markers:

         Stampin’ Blends: Stampin’ Up!

         Copics:  Wallacks

    Adhesive: Tombow Aqua, Michaels

    Card Base & Card Face: Accent 100 lb., Amazon

    Do you have comments or thoughts to share on this design?  Drop me a line in the Comments Section below –  I’d love to hear from you!

    You can also use the Comments Section  to be notified when I release new work

    Diagonal Weave by a Colorful Life Designs

    Glittering Hearts by a Colorful Life Designs

  • Autumn Card Design Tips with A Colorful Life Stencils

    Autumn Card Design Tips with A Colorful Life Stencils

    Snuggling up and getting cozy when autumn bring chilly winds … bliss!

    Would you like to experiment with a design like this? You’ll find a supply list below, including a link to the stencils I used from A Colorful Life Designs.  Follow the link and use discount code ChrisFan10 to save 10% on your entire order! (Master Creator Bundles are excluded as they already have a 20% discount built in.)

    Let’s get Started:

    Card Base: 5.5 x 8.5, scored and folded at 4.25

    Card Face:  5.5 x 4.25

    Card Face:

    • I laid this piece on the Grip Mat and then positioned the stencil. 
    •  Using a soft hand, I applied a mixture of brown, yellow and green inks across the open areas.  
    •    Tip: Adding just a touch of extra colour to the edges created the look of a shadow and provided additional dimension.
    • I decided to add the Windy Day stencil to represent the chilly winds of autumn: I positioned this stencil so that it would extend from the left-hand side of the focal image, and applied light blue ink to create the pattern.
    • I selected a different portion of the stencil and added the pattern after positioning it to be added to the bottom right-hand corner of the card.
    • I added spatter to the card face using both plain water and metallic copper watercolour paint.

    Other:

    • I stamped the image using Memento ink, and coloured it with alcohol markers.
    • Once the colouring was complete, I fussy cut the image with my snips.
    • I stamped the sentiment using brown ink, and cut it out with a small oblong die.

    Assembly

    • I glued the card face to the card base.
    • I glued the focal image into the center of the card face.
    • I added the sentiment as shown.

    Final Thoughts:

    I love House Mouse stamps –  they are so deliciously whimsical.   I loved spending time colouring this one and then using it on a card. I decided to colour the leaf in the bright colours of autumn, despite the fact that this  kind of leaf would not actually have those colours in real life.  Artistic licence!

    Supplies: (and links where possible)

       I have listed which products I have used, and where they may be purchased. It’s a huge marketplace and in most instances, there are multiple sources and many alternatives to choose from.

    Stencils:

        Windy Day,  A Colorful Life Designs

        Fall Leaves, A Colorful Life Designs

    Waffle Flower Grip Mat, 8.5 x 6.5, Scrapbook.com

    Stamps:   Snuggle Up- House Mouse, Spellbinders, Frantic Stamper

    Dies: Ornate Labels, Sizzix, Amazon

    Metallic Watercolour:  Amazon

    Ink: Stampin’ Up!

    Blending Brushes: Stampin’ Up! 

    Memento Ink: Stampin’ Up!

    Alcohol Markers:

         Stampin’ Blends: Stampin’ Up!

         Copics:  Wallacks

    Adhesive: Tombow Aqua, Michaels

    Card Base & Card Face: Accent 100 lb., Amazon

    Do you have comments or thoughts to share on this design?  Drop me a line in the Comments Section below –  I’d love to hear from you!

    You can also use the Comments Section  to be notified when I release new work

    Fall Leaves by A Colorful Life Designs

    Windy Day by A Colorful Life Designs

  • Easy Steps to Craft a Santa Card

    Easy Steps to Craft a Santa Card

    Even the Big Guy needs a break and some fresh air every now and then!

    Would you like to experiment with a design like this? You’ll find a supply list below, including a link to the stencil I used from A Colorful Life Designs.  Follow the link and use discount code ChrisFan10 to save 10% on your entire order! (Master Creator Bundles are excluded as they already have a 20% discount built in.)

    Let’s get Started:

    Card Base: 5.5 x 8.5, scored and folded at 4.25

    Stamped Layer: 5.25 x 4

    Card Face:  5.25 x 4 

    Card Face:

    • I brushed blue ink onto the top two-thirds of the the card face, allowing variations in depth to create the look of clouds.
    • I placed the card face onto the grip mat,  and positioned the stencil about ¾ of the way down the card face.  I used green ink to create the tree line.
    • I shifted the stencil up and over (to allow the trees to fall in between those in the first row) and created a second row, overlapping where necessary.
    • I put the card face into the stamp positioner and added the sentiment in the upper left, using Versafine Onyx.

    Other:

    • I stamped  Santa on the second piece of cardstock, placing him towards the bottom right.
    • I coloured this with alcohol markers, adding a shadow under him and the ski track behind him in the snow as well.
    • I drew a curved hillside behind Santa,  and then cut along that line and also carefully cut around the upper half of Santa.

    Assembly

    • I glued the card face to the card base,  and the layer with the cut out Santa on top of these.

    Final Thoughts:

    This is such a cute combination –  the style of the tree stencil works with Santa so very well.  I really like this one.

    Supplies: (and links where possible)

       I have listed which products I have used, and where they may be purchased. It’s a huge marketplace and in most instances, there are multiple sources and many alternatives to choose from.

    Stencil: Christmas Tree Edger #1,  A Colorful Life Designs

    Waffle Flower Grip Mat, 8.5 x 6.5, Scrapbook.com

    Stamps: Jolly Santas, Colorado Craft Co., (retired)

    Ink: Stampin’ Up!

    Blending Brushes: Stampin’ Up! 

    Versafine Onyx, Simon Says Stamp

    Memento Ink: Stampin’ Up!

    Alcohol Markers:

         Stampin’ Blends: Stampin’ Up!

         Copics:  Wallacks

    Adhesive: Tombow Aqua, Michaels

    Card Base & Card Face: Accent 100 lb., Amazon

    Do you have comments or thoughts to share on this design?  Drop me a line in the Comments Section below –  I’d love to hear from you!

    You can also use the Comments Section  to be notified when I release new work

  • DIY Card Making: Using a Stencil for Unique Designs

    DIY Card Making: Using a Stencil for Unique Designs

    Would you like to experiment with a design like this? You’ll find a supply list below, including a link to the stencil I used from A Colorful Life Designs.  Follow the link and use discount code ChrisFan10 to save 10% on your entire order! (Master Creator Bundles are excluded as they already have a 20% discount built in.)

    Let’s get Started:

    Card Base: 5.5 x 8.5, scored and folded at 4.25

    Card Face:  5.5 x 4.25 (before tearing)

    Card Face:

    • I laid my card face down onto the Grip Mat and positioned the stencil.
    • I used lime green ink on one end and purple on the other. I allowed the green ink to cover about ⅔  of the surface, and took care when it met the purple not to blend them too much –  there was a big possibility of creating  “mud”.
    • I put the card face into my stamp positioner and stamped the bee with Versafine Clair. 
    • I used an embossing folder to create texture on the card face.
    • I tore off the right-hand side to create texture and visual interest.

    Other:

    • I stamped the sentiment onto a scrap of cardstock,  and used a die to cut it out.

    Assembly

    • I glued the card face to the card base, aligning snugly to the left hand edge.
    • I added dimensional tape on the back of the sentiment, and put it in place as shown.
    • I added a metallic embellishment to the right-hand end of the sentiment.

    Final Thoughts:

    I’m so happy with this compilation:  I love the stencil, the image, the colours –  and they all played together wonderfully well.

    Supplies: (and links where possible)

       I have listed which products I have used, and where they may be purchased. It’s a huge marketplace and in most instances, there are multiple sources and many alternatives to choose from.

    Stencil: Ordered Lines, A Colorful Life Designs

    Waffle Flower Grip Mat, 8.5 x 6.5, Scrapbook.com

    Stamps:  Bee:  Technique Junkies  (no longer in business)

    Die: Impression Obsession  (no longer in business)

    Ink: Stampin’ Up!

    Blending Brushes: Stampin’ Up! 

    Versafine Onyx, Simon Says Stamp

    Adhesive: Tombow Aqua, Michaels

    Card Base & Card Face: Recollections 110 lb., Michaels

    Do you have comments or thoughts to share on this design?  Drop me a line in the Comments Section below –  I’d love to hear from you!

    You can also use the Comments Section  to be notified when I release new work

    Ordered Lines by A Colorful Life Designs