Elevate Your Card Making with Easy Stenciling Techniques

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.)

A couple of simple stencilling techniques is a great way to make your card stand out.

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:  5.25 x 4

Card Face:

• I placed the card face onto my Grip Mat, and then positioned the stencil. I applied bright green ink to the exposed areas. As I had used a heavy hand, I had to put this aside until the ink was dry.
• With the ink completely dry,  I put the stencil back in place but moved it slightly down and to the right.  This stencilling technique created the illusion of a shadow for each of the hearts.
• I added translucent gel over the exposed areas, carefully removing the stencil once this was complete and putting it into water immediately.  I set the card face aside to dry once again.
• Once the gel had dried, I put the card face into my stamp positioner and added the image in the center of the hearts with Versafine Onyx and sprinkled it with clear embossing powder.  I set this with my heat gun.
• I coloured the image with alcohol markers.
• I used the cloud edger stencil and blue ink to create the sky, being careful to stay inside the hearts. This stencilling technique created a scene in a very specific part of the card, and is very effective.
• I added the birds using a black fineliner.

Other:

• I put a piece of scrap cardstock into the stamp positioner and stamped the sentiment two or three times with the same blue ink.  (I had used a soft blue,  and I needed to stamp several times to allow the sentiment to have enough presence.)
• I trimmed the sentiment down to a narrow strip and added dimensional tape on the back.

Assembly

• I glued the border layer to the card base and then centered the card face on top of these.
• I positioned the sentiment as shown.

Final Thoughts:

I quite like this offbeat combination of elements. 

If I were to recreate this card,  I would select a different colour for the umbrella: I don’t feel that it works well with the other colours in the scene. Do you ever regret a colour choice when it’s too late to do anything about 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.

Stencils:

   Cloud Edger:  A Colorful Life Designs

   Happy Thoughts Wreath:  A Colorful Life Designs

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

Stamps:   I’ll be Your Umbrella,  Andy Skinner,  Amazon

Ink: Stampin’ Up!

Blending Brushes: Stampin’ Up! 

Versafine Onyx, Simon Says Stamp

Clear Embossing Powder:  Wow,  R&R Scrapbooking

Black Fine Liners: Amazon

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!

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