Category: Masculine

YOU Can Create Unique 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 x 3.75

Card Face:
- I put the card face into my stamp positioner, and used Memento ink to stamp the gnome.
- I coloured him with alcohol markers.
- I placed the card face onto the Grip Mat and positioned the Outline Grid stencil: I used grey ink and a light hand to create the stencilled pattern.
- I removed that stencil, and dropped in the Falling Dots stencil – except instead of the dots going vertically, I turned the stencil and created them horizontally. I used blue ink and a soft hand for this step.
- I returned the card face to the stamp positioner and added the sentiment, using Versafine Onyx.
Assembly
- I glued the black border to the card base, and then centered the card face on top of these.
- I scattered green and blue Card Bling randomly on the card face.
Final Thoughts:

He is such an earnest little guy, ready to stand his ground and go the course for a friend. And the stencils provide the perfect detail in the background.

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:

     Falling Dots, a Colorful Life Designs

     Outline Grid, A Colorful Life Designs

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

Stamps: Technique Junkies (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

Card Bling: A Colorful Life Designs

Adhesive: Tombow Aqua, Michaels

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

Do you have any comments or thoughts 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.

Falling Dots Stencil

Outline Grid Stencil
01/24/2026
Create a Unique, Masculine Valentine’s Card Using Stencils
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

Kraft Border Layer: 5.25 x 4

Card Face: 5 ⅛ x 3 ⅞

Scraps of Kraft cardstock for die cuts

Card Face:
- I laid the card face down onto a piece of scrap paper and positioned the stencil.
- After securing these with Mint Tape, I applied DIY embossing paste across the open areas of the stencil.
- I carefully removed the stencil and placed it in water immediately.
- I put the card face aside to dry.
When working with embossing paste, I prefer use a piece of scrap paper under my work, and not risk getting the paste on my Gel Plate.

Also, when working with embossing paste, I keep a container of water by my side to put my stencils in immediately – these pastes are difficult to impossible to remove once dry.
- Once the paste was dry, I put the card face into my stamp positioner and added the sentiment with Versamark embossing ink. I sprinkled this with embossing powder and set it with my heat gun.
Other:
- I stamped and die-cut a small row of hearts using kraft cardstock.
- I die-cut the larger heart from kraft cardstock.
Assembly
- I glued the border layer to the card base, and the card face on top of these, centering both layers.
- I glued the row of hearts and the larger die-cut heart in place, as shown.
Final Thoughts:

I love black and kraft cardstock together: this awesome stencil allowed me to combine them in a masculine card that will become my husband’s valentine card this year. No last-minute scrambling for me – at least not this year, LOL.

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: Love Waterfall, A Colorful Life Designs

Versamark Embossing Ink: Simon Says Stamp

Vintage Pearl Embossing Powder, Ranger, Amazon

Stamps/Dies: Stampin’ Up! (retired)

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.

Love Waterfall by A Colorful Life Designs
01/08/2026
Creat Stunning Masculine Cards with a Cool Stencil
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

Border Layer: 5.5 x 4.25

Card Face: 5 ⅜ x 4 ⅛

Scraps of kraft and black cardstock for the “happy”

Scrap of kraft approximately 1.25 x .25 for the “birthday”.

Scrap of black approximately 1.5 x .33” for the shadow layer

Before starting I sprayed the back of the stencil with Pixie Spray, allowed a lapse of about 30 seconds and then placed it on the card face. The strands of this stencil are very fine, and this temporary adhesive made sure that they stayed put!

Card Face:
- I laid the card face on a piece of scrap paper, positioned the stencil and secured it with Mint Tape.
- I applied two different colours of DIY embossing paste randomly across the stencil. (Blue and a soft peach.)
- I removed the stencil carefully and put it into water immediately. (this makes cleanup a lot faster!) and put the card face aside to dry.
I prefer not to use paste on my Grip Mat, so in these cases I secure the card face and stencil directly to scrap paper

Other:
- I cut the large “happy” from both kraft and black cardstock.
- I stamped “birthday” on kraft using Versafine Onyx.
Assembly
- I glued the black border layer to the card base.
- I glued the two “happy” layers together, kraft on top and offset slightly to allow the black to peek out.
- I glued the kraft “birthday” layer on top of the black shadow layer, centering on all sides.
- I added matt black card bling randomly to the card face.
Final Thoughts:

This is such a cool stencil, and I love the effect of the embossing paste on it: I didn’t expect the peach embossing paste to dry to be so close to the colour of the kraft cardstock, but it’s a cool effect.

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: Wavy Ladders, A Colorful Life Designs

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

Die: Hero Arts, Happy, Amazon

Card Bling: A Colorful Life Designs

Versafine Onyx, Simon Says Stamp

Adhesive: Tombow Aqua, Michaels

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

Wavy Ladder by A Colorful Life Designs
12/29/2025
Unlock Amazing Texture in Card Making
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 x 3.75

Vellum: 7 x 2.5

Card Face:
- I laid the card face on the grip mat and applied blue, yellow and red ink randomly , covering the entire surface.
- I spattered water generously over the surface, creating texture and depth.
- Once this had dried, I positioned the stencil and applied black ink with a heavy hand: the pattern was created by the areas which had been protected by the stencil, allowing the multicoloured base layer to show through.
Other:
- I dusted the vellum liberally with anti-static powder.
- I stamped the image with Versamark embossing ink, sprinkled silver embossing powder, and set it with my heat gun.
I turned the heat gun on for approximately 1 minute before use to be certain that it was good and hot. While embossing the vellum, I moved the heat gun constantly to prevent warping.

Assembly
- I wrapped the vellum around the card face and secured it with scotch tape, centering vertically.
- I put dimensional foam on the back of the card face, and put it in place in the center of the card base.
- I added a silver pearl to each corner of the card face, and a triangular metallic embellishment to each corner of the card base.
Final Thoughts:

I love the bits of texture created by the water spatter, and the interest provided by the use of different colours in the background.

The use of vellum softened the contrast and bold colours of the background.

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: Scribble Mask, A Colorful Life Designs

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

Versamark Embossing Ink: Simon Says Stamp

Silver Embossing Powder, Wow, R&R Scrapbooking

Stamps: Candles, Stars & Birthday Wishes , Unity Stamps (retired)

Ink: Stampin’ Up!

Blending Brushes: Stampin’ Up!

Versafine Onyx, Simon Says Stamp

Adhesive: Tombow Aqua, Michaels

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

Scribble Mask by A Colorful Life Designs
12/22/2025
Using Foil and Ink Techniques for Cards for beautiful results
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

Gold Foil Border Layer: 5.5 x 4.25

Card Face: 5.25 x 4

Transfer Foil: 5.5 x 4.25

Card Face:
- I laid my card face down on the Grip Mat and positioned the stencil.
- I used medium-brown ink randomly across the exposed areas, varying pressure to control depth and skipping some areas completely.
- Leaving the stencil in place, I spread Duo Gel over some of the inked areas, allowing partial coverage even within some of the openings.
- I removed the stencil and placed it in water immediately. I set the card face down to dry (the gel is dry when it becomes transparent).
- When the gel was dry, I placed the transfer foil on top and ran it through the Big Shot.
- I removed the foil, and the dried gel (which had become an adhesive) left the foil on the card face.
- I placed the card face in my stamp positioner and used brown ink to stamp the trees on the left of the card face.
- I used a darker brown ink and stamped the deer in front of the trees. I stamped a couple of times to ensure that it was intense enough to grab attention.
- I used a corner chomper punch on each corner of the card face.
Other:
- I grabbed the sentiment you see from my binder.
Assembly
- I glued the foil border layer to the card base, and then centered the card face on top of that.
- I applied dimensional foam to the back of the sentiment and added it as shown.
Final Thoughts:

I couldn’t decide if I liked this for a few days: it sat on my desk as I considered it. It bothered me that I had lost part of the deer’s face due to the foiling, and I needed to decide if it was “too much”. In the end, I decided that I still liked this card – I like the play between foil and inked surfaces, and between coloured and uncoloured parts of the surface.

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: Triangle Fade, 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: Natures Beauty & Winter Wood, both Stampin’ Up (retired)

Ink: Stampin’ Up!

Blending Brushes: Stampin’ Up!

Duo Gel: Decofoil, R&R Scrapbooking

Transfer Foil: Decofoil, R&R Scrapbooking

Adhesive: Tombow Aqua, Michaels

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

Triangle Fade by A Colorful Life Designs
12/17/2025
Create Stunning Cards with Stencils & Embossing Paste
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

Focal Image Strip: 5.5 x 1.75”

Sentiment strip: .25” x 4

Card Face:
- I laid the card face onto the Grip Mat and positioned the Diamond Lattice stencil.
- I applied brown ink across all exposed areas, allowing variation in tone to provide depth and visual interest.
- I applied DIY embossing paste randomly over the card face. I carefully removed the stencil and put the card face aside to dry.
When I use embossing paste the stencil goes into water immediately to prevent the paste from drying on the stencil. This makes clean-up much faster and easier.
- Once the paste had dried, I used the Grunge Dots stencil to add dots here and there in the remaining inked portions of the pattern.
Other:
- I placed the Focal Image strip into my stamp positioner and added the leaves with dark brown ink, stamping several times to get an intense image.
- I sprinkled clear embossing powder over the image, setting it with my heat gun.
- Next I placed the narrow sentiment strip in the stamp positioner and stamped the sentiment with the same dark brown ink, again stamping multiple times to get intense colour.
- I sprinkled this with clear embossing powder too, and set it with my heat gun.
Although I used a dye based ink for both of these, stamping several times created enough saturation that the ink was wet enough for me to use the embossing powder successfully. Stamping only once wouldn’t have worked, as the ink would have dried too quickly.

Assembly
- I glued the card face onto the card base, and then added the strip with the leaves, centering both vertically.
- I put dimensional foam on the back of the sentiment and then added it to the card face, centering horizontally.
Final Thoughts:

The combination of ink and embossing paste work well with this design, and the addition of the dots provided additional depth and 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.

Stencil:

Diamond Lattice, A Colorful Life Designs

Grunge Dots, 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: Falling Hearts, Unity Stamps (retired)

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.

Diamond Lattice by A Colorful Life Designs

Grunge Dots by A Colorful Life Designs
12/05/2025
How to Make a Gorgeous Card with Dotted Wreath Stencil
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

Border Layer: 5.5 x 4.25

Cranberry Card Face: 5.25 x 5.25

Card Face:
- I laid my card face on a piece of scrap paper and positioned the stencil. I applied green embossing paste through the stencil, then removed the stencil very carefully so I didn’t smudge the paste.
- The stencil went into water immediately, and the card face was put aside to dry.
- Once dry the card face was cut in half, and became 5.25 x 2.75.
- I also cut ⅛” off the top and bottom of this piece.
Other:
- I glued the card face (or rather, half of it!) to the kraft border layer on the left, ensuring equal spacing on the top, bottom and left-hand sides.
- I placed this newly created combination into my stamp positioner and stamped the reindeer image with Versamark embossing ink. I stamped several times to get a good impression.
- I removed this from the stamp positioner, added copper embossing powder, and set it with my heat gun.
- I drew a narrow line snugly against the right-hand edge of the cranberry cardstock, added copper embossing powder and set it with my heat gun.
This was necessary because of the raised cranberry layer: no ink transferred immediately beside it, so I used the embossing pen to draw a line and fill in the narrow gap.
- I stamped the sentiment on a scrap of cardstock in cranberry ink and cut it with a die.
- I die cut a tiny bow out of the same cardstock.
Assembly:
- I glued the sentiment to the card face, allowing part of it to hang off the left-hand edge. I cut this off flush.
- I glued the card face to the card base.
- I added the tiny bow to the reindeer as shown.
Final Thoughts:

I wasn’t at all sure about this design when I tried it, but I quite like it in the end.

This is such a great stencil to play with – and I still have half of it to work into a card.

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: Dotted Wreath : A Colorful Life Designs

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

Versamark Embossing Ink: Ecstasy Crafts

Embossing Pen: Versamark, Ecstasy Crafts

Copper Embossing Powder: Wow, R&R Scrapbooking

Embossing Paste: Later Gater, Simon Hurley, R&R Scrapbooking

Stamps: Cheerful Prancing, Unity Stamps (retired, but there are still similar stamps available!)

Dies:

     Sentiment: Stampin’ Up! (retired)

     Bow Topper: Scrapbook.com

Ink: 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.

Dotted Wreath by A Colorful Life Designs
11/07/2025
Create Stunning a Card for Your Special Guy
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: 5.25 x 10.5, scored at 5.25

Border Layer: 5 x 5

Card Face: 5 x 5

Frame: 5 x 5 (before die cutting)

I had stamped and coloured this image, then set it aside in my “someday” pile. This stencil gave me the perfect opportunity (and the inspiration) to put this handsome fellow to use.

Card Face:
- I laid the card face down on the Grip Mat and positioned the stencil. I applied brown ink with a light, careful hand – avoiding the pre-coloured figure.
- Using the frame die as a guide, I cut the card face down to a size slightly smaller than the finished frame would be.
Other:
- I put the border layer onto the Grip Mat and positioned the stencil once again. I used the same brown ink with a heavier hand on this piece, covering all exposed areas.
- Next, I worked on the piece for the frame: I started with white cardstock, positioned the die, and ran it through the Big Shot.
- After removing the cardstock from the die, I used a medium brown ink over the entire frame, allowing a random variation in the depth of tone.
- I finished this off by bringing in a dark brown ink and using it here and there on the frame, increasing the variation in tone.
- I selected a sentiment from my Sentiment binder (I love having them ready and waiting when I need one).
Assembly
- I glued the border layer to the card base, centering it on all sides.
- I glued the frame on top of the cut-down card face.
- I glued this new combination on top of the border layer, centering carefully.
- I put dimensional foam on the back of the sentiment, and put it in place as shown.
Final Thoughts:

This is so far from my first thoughts about how to use this stencil – but how perfect is this for a masculine card?

I’m really happy with the way this turned out.

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: Close Up Branches, A Colorful Life Designs

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

Stamps: Zeke Guy, Unity Stamps

Dies: Oval Woodgrain Frame, Hero Arts, Amazon

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.

Close Up Branches by A Colorful Life Designs
11/02/2025
Make a Christmas card with a masculine twist
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

Black Border Layer: 5.5 x 4.25

Card Face: 5.5 x 4

Scrap of Kraft Cardstock 3 x 2

Small Black border layer: 3 x 2 3/16

Black Strips: 4 x 3/19 (three of them)

This stencil has long strands which are unsecured between the top and bottom – a recipe for unwanted movement while applying ink. Before starting I sprayed the back of the stencil with Pixie Spray, and waited about 30 seconds before proceeding.

Card Face:
- I laid the card face on my Grip Mat and positioned the stencil. I applied metallic gold ink across the exposed areas.
Other:
- I placed the scrap of kraft cardstock into my stamp positioner and added the tree with Versafine Onyx. I stamped a couple of times to ensure a very bold image.
- Once the ink had dried, I placed this in an embossing folder and ran it through the Big Shot.
Assembly
- I glued the black border to the card base.
- I glued the card face to the border layer, centering vertically.
- I glued the three narrow strips to the card face, evenly spaced.
- I glued the embossed/stamped layer to the smaller black border, centering vertically.
- I put dimensional foam on the back of this smaller piece, and positioned it in the center of the card face.
Final Thoughts:

This is clearly a masculine card: this is determined by the shapes and colours used. There is nothing in the design or the focal image that indicates that this has to be for a male… and yet that is the only real choice.

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: Drizzled Lines, A Colorful Life Designs

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

Stamps: Christmas Tree of Hope, Joy and Love, Unity Stamps (retired)

Lisa Horton Metallic Gold Ink: Glitter & Ink

Blending Brushes: Stampin’ Up!

Versafine Onyx, Simon Says Stamp

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.

Drizzled Lines by A Colorful Life Designs
10/31/2025
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
10/12/2025

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