Written In Ink

Category: tips

  • Creative Techniques for Unique Designs using Gel Prints

    Creative Techniques for Unique Designs using Gel Prints

    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 and folded at 5.25

    Kraft Border Layer: 4 1/8 x 4 1/8

    White Border Layer: 4  x 4  

    Card Face: 4 x 4 (before cutting)

    I have quite a supply of gel prints in my stash, each just waiting for a chance to shine.  I pulled one out for this card.

    Card Face:

    • I laid the card face (gel print) on a piece of scrap paper and positioned the stencil.  I applied embossing paste to all open areas on the stencil. 
    • I carefully removed the stencil and placed it in water immediately, as cleanup is much easier when the paste is moist.
    •  I put the card face aside to dry.
    • Once dry,  I trimmed the card face down to 3 x 3,  and then cut it into three pieces, each 3 x 1” wide. 
    • I tore the top and bottom of each piece, deliberately making the tears uneven.
    •  I applied dimensional foam to the back of each piece.

    Assembly

    • I glued the kraft border layer to the card base, and the white border layer on top of that, centering both carefully.
    • I removed the backing from the foam tape and put each piece in place taking care to leave space between each piece and on the edges as well.  
    • I also made sure that the image lined up correctly to “work” visually as I was putting the pieces in place.

    Final Thoughts:

    I had such a time with this gel print:   I loved the combination of the Sand Paste with that print, but then (as is often the case)  I couldn’t decide how to use it.  After putting it aside, looking at it again, putting it aside …. for a couple of weeks  (!)  I finally decided on the design you see here,  and I’m so happy with it.  This is one of my absolute favourite creations in a long time.

    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: Chrysanthemum Set,  A Colorful Life Designs

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

    Cosmic Shimmer Antique Sand Paste,  Ecstasy Crafts

    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.

    Chrysanthemum Set by A Colorful Life Designs

  • Create a Unique, Masculine Valentine’s Card Using Stencils

    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

  • A new YOU in a new year!

    A new YOU in a new year!

    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:  4.5 x 3.25

    Transfer Foil:  5.5 x 4.25

    Card Face:

    • I laid the  green border layer onto a piece of scrap paper, positioned the stencil and secured it all with Mint Tape.
    • I applied Duo Gel across the exposed areas,  removed the stencil carefully (to avoid smudges) and put it immediately into water.
    • Duo Gel dries into a very strong adhesive; if left to dry, it can ruin your stencil.  When I’m working with this product, I have a container of water beside me to put the stencils in until I take a break and wash them.
    • I put the border layer aside to dry.  (Duo Gel is white when applied, and dries clear –  the length of time depends on the thickness of the application.)
    • Once dry I placed the transfer foil onto the surface and ran it through my Big Shot.  The pressure of the machine created a bond between the foil and the adhesive:  when I removed the larger piece of foil, the adhesive caused the foiled pattern remain.

    Other:

    • I stamped the sentiment with Versafine Onyx and cut it out with a stitched rectangle die.
    • I placed a heart shaped die on an angle on the card face and ran it through my big shot.
    • I spattered green and gold metallic watercolour onto the card face.
    • I trimmed the green border layer down to 4.75 x 3.5. 
    •  I cut a ¼”  x 4.25 strip from the discarded piece.

    Assembly

    •  I glued the narrow strip of foiled border across the card base, approximately ½” from the bottom.
    • I centered the card face to the slightly larger border layer, and then glued these to the card base on an angle, allowing the bottom left edge to overlap the narrow srip.
    • I glued the sentiment in place as shown.
    • I added three small green embellishments to finish the card off.

    Final Thoughts:

    After the card was complete,  I found myself thinking that I should have added a subtle texture to the card face with an embossing folder.  However,  it was too late at that point!   The card is fine as is,  but that would be a possible modification.

    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: Circles Galore   A Colorful Life Designs

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

    Metallic Watercolour, Amazon

    Stamps: Be Gentle With Yourself,  Unity Stamps

    Dies:  

    Stitched Rectangles , Stampin’ Up!  (retired)

    Heart Shaped Die, Stampin’ Up!  (retired)

    Duo Gel: Deco Foil, R&R Scrapbooking

    Transfer Foil: Deco Foil,  Emerald Watercolor, R&R Scrapbooking

    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.

    Circles Galore by A Colorful Life Designs

  • Creat Stunning Masculine Cards with a Cool Stencil

    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

  • Unlock Amazing Texture in Card Making

    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

  • Create a Festive Card with Glitter Embossing Techniques

    Create a Festive Card with Glitter Embossing Techniques

    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: 5.5 x 4

    Card Face:

    • I stamped the tree with Memento Black ink and used alcohol markers to colour it.
    • I outlined the elements on the tree with gray ink to make them stand out from the background.
    • I placed the stencil over the image and pressed my Versamark embossing ink pad firmly over all exposed areas,  going over each area more than once to ensure good coverage.
    • I sprinkled white glitter embossing powder over the surface and set it with my heat gun.

    Other:

    • I looked through my sentiments binder and chose one that fit the mood of the piece and was the correct size.

    Assembly

    • I glued the holographic border layer to the card base, and then glued the card face on top, centering vertically.
    • I added the sentiment as shown,  and then added a small silver pearl to both ends of the sentiment.

    Final Thoughts:

    This is a fun image with a contemporary feel:  after I had coloured it I had a hard time deciding how to finish it off.  In the end, a bit of sparkly snow was the perfect finishing touch.

    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: Falling Snow,  A Colorful Life Designs

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

    Versamark Embossing Ink: Simon Says Stamp

    White Glitter Embossing Powder, Stampin’ Up!

    Stamps: Christmas Town Tree,  Colorado Craft Co.

    Memento Ink: Stampin’ Up! (retired)

    Alcohol Markers:

         Stampin’ Blends: Stampin’ Up!

         Copics:  Wallacks

    Adhesive: Tombow Aqua, Michaels

    Holographic Cardstock:  Reflections,  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.

    Falling Snow by a Colorful Life Designs

  • Create Stunning Holiday Cards with Foil Techniques

    Create Stunning Holiday Cards with Foil Techniques

    xx

    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 die cut:  3×3 gold foil  (after die cutting)

    Scraps of cardstock for die-cut trees

    Transfer foil cut to 5.5 x 4

    Card Face:

    • I placed the card face onto a piece of scrap paper, positioned the stencil and secured it with Mint Tape.

    I have seen content producers use duo gel/embossing pastes with their Grip Mat, and everything turns out just fine. I don’t like to risk anything drying on my mat,  so I prefer to play it safe and use scrap computer paper.

    • I spread Duo Gel across all exposed areas, carefully removed the stencil, and set the card face down to dry.

    Duo gel dries into a very,very sticky adhesive – so the stencil went into water immediately,  to be scrubbed when my session was over.  This prevents the gel from drying on the stencil – it’s almost impossible to remove at that point.

    • Once the gel had dried, I carefully laid the transfer foil onto the card face and ran it through the Big Shot.   When I removed the foil the sticky Duo  Gel caused the stencilled pattern to stay behind.

    Other:

    • I placed the die onto the gold foil and ran it through the Big Shot.
    • I used two tree dies and the cardstock scraps, combining these with the Big Shot to create the small trees.
    • I looked through my sentiment binder to find a great sentiment for this card.

    Assembly

    I glued the card face onto the card base,  centering vertically.

    I turned the die-cut gold square to create a diamond, and glued that into the center of the card face, and then glued the trees on top of this.

    I positioned the sentiment strip across the center of the card face.

    Final Thoughts:

    This is a very structured card, softened by the foil on the card face.  Between that and the die cut from gold foil, the end result has a lovely shine and shimmer.

    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: Simple Christmas  Trees,  A Colorful Life Design

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

    Versamark Embossing Ink: Simon Says Stamp

    Clear Embossing Powder,  Wow,  Simon Says Stamp

    Dies: Fancy Dies, Square Set,   Hero Arts

    Duo Gel: Deco Foil,  R&R Scrapbooking

    Lapis Watercolor Foil: Deco Foil, Amazon

    Ink: Stampin’ Up!

    Blending Brushes: Stampin’ Up! 

    Adhesive: Tombow Aqua, Michaels

    Cream 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.

    Simple Christmas Trees from A Colorful Life Designs

  • How to Use Duo Gel for Stunning Card Effects

    How to Use Duo Gel for Stunning Card Effects

    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

    Focal Piece:  2.5 x 1 (after being trimmed down)

    Sentiment: 1.5 x 1.5 (after die cutting)

    Strips:  .25 x 5.25 ( x 2)

    Card Face:

    • I laid the card face onto the grip mat and positioned the Mod Rectangles stencil.
    • I applied red ink over all exposed areas,  deepening the colour at the edges to create a border.
    • After removing the first stencil, I placed the Airy Swirls stencil.
    • I covered all exposed areas with Duo Gel, removed the stencil carefully (to avoid smudges), and put the card face down to dry.
    • Once the gel was dry (it goes on white but becomes clear when dry), I laid a piece of transfer foil on top and ran it through the Big Shot.  When I removed the piece of foil, the sticky gel had left those areas of the foil in place, creating the stencilled pattern.

    When I use Duo Gel, the stencils go immediately into water once removed as the gel will be almost impossible to get off when dry.

    Other:

    • I placed the cardstock for the focal image into my stamp positioner and added the image of the woman with brown ink.  I used my trimmer to cut this to size along the dotted border, finishing with a corner punch to round the edges.
    • I replaced this with the smaller piece of cardstock for the sentiment, stamped it with the same brown ink, then cut it down to size with a die.

    Assembly

    • I centered the card face on the card base,  and then added the focal piece towards the left as shown.I glued the two narrow strips to the right of this image.
    • I added dimensional foam to the back of the sentiment and placed it as shown, allowing it to slightly overlap the focal image.   I added three small gold pearls at the bottom of this piece.

    Final Thoughts:

    Purple and red are a fabulous colour combination, and they work well with this pair of stencils: one so structured and the other so loose and flowing.   

    This created a fun backdrop for the tongue-in-cheek, vintage focal image.

    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

    Mod Rectangles,  A Colorful Life Designs

    Airy Swirls: A Colorful Life Designs:

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

    Stamps: Motherhood is a Verb,  Unity Stamps  (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

    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.

    Mod Rectangles by A Colorful Life Designs

    Airy Swirls by A Colorful Life Designs

  • Create Stunning Cards with Stencils & Embossing Paste

    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

  • Beautiful Multi-Color Stenciling for Card Making

    Beautiful Multi-Color Stenciling for 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: 5.25 x 10.5, scored and folded at 5.25

    Card Face:  5 x 5

    Sentiment Strip:  5 x 1.5”

    Card Face:

    • I laid the card face on a piece of scrap paper and positioned the stencil (this is a 6 x 9 stencil,  so there are options how how to place it – even on a 5 x 5 card face), and secured it with Mint Tape.
    • Using small blending and shading brushes,   I applied colours to the stencil.  I used orange on the  center of the flowers , then, moved to a dark red, then to pink.  I finished the background with soft beige.
    • I spattered the card face using metallic gold watercolour.
    • I ran all edges over a Versafine Onyx ink pad, adding definition to the card face.

    Other:

    • I placed the strip of card stock into the stamp positioner and added the sentiment with Versafine Onyx.  I ran the two horizontal edges of the strip over the black ink pad.

    Assembly

    • I glued the card face onto the card base, centering on all sides.
    • I added dimensional foam to the back of the card strip and centered it horizontally on the card face.

    Final Thoughts:

    This is a really pretty stencil to play with,  and the options for colour are endless –  everything from monochromatic to full colour, as I have chosen here.

    I’m really happy with the result of this multi-colour stencilling,  but it was absolutely necessary to use smaller brushes to control colour placement.

    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: Lace Close Up, 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: Sampler Pack, Waffle Flower, R&R Scrapbooking

    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.

    Lace Close Up by A Colorful Life Designs