Written In Ink

Tag: strong women

  • Send a supportive, encouraging card to that special Someone

    Send a supportive, encouraging card to that special Someone

    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: 4.25 x 11, scored and folded at 5.5

    Black Border Layer: 4.25 x 5.5

    Kraft Card Face:  4 x 5.5

    Card Face:

    • I placed the card face into my stamp positioner and used red ink to stamp the image.  I stamped three times  to ensure a clear, fully saturated image.
    • I moved the card face to my grip mat, and positioned the stencil.  I applied brown ink with a soft hand over the exposed areas,  avoiding the image.
    • I went around the borders on the card face with a light hand, brushing on the red ink used for stamping.
    • I put the card face into an embossing folder and ran it through the Big Shot to create texture.

    Other:

    • I placed a scrap of kraft cardstock into my stamp positioner and created the sentiment with Versafine Onyx.
    • I used a stitched die to cut this out,  and then went over the edges of this with red ink, as I had with the card face.

    Assembly

    • I glued the black border layer to the card base,  and then centered the card face on top of these.
    • I put dimensional foam tape on the back of the sentiment and put it in place as shown.

    Final Thoughts:

    I love kraft and red together,  and I also love how much the stencilling and the embossing add to this design (both subtle,  but critical to the end result).

    I am really happy with the simplicity of this card –  I think it makes a statement with minimal fuss.

    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: Broken Lines,  A Colorful Life Designs

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

    Stamps:  Technique Junkies (no longer in business)

    Dies: Stampin’ Up! (retired)

    Ink: Stampin’ Up!

    Blending Brushes: Stampin’ Up! 

    Versafine Onyx, Simon Says Stamp

    Adhesive: Tombow Aqua, Michaels

    Card Base: 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

  • Create Stunning Cards with Bloom Mandala Stencil

    Create Stunning Cards with Bloom Mandala 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

    Card Face:   5.5 x 4.25 (x 2)

    Card Face:

    Before beginning  I sprayed the back of this delicate stencil with Pixie Spray.  I left this for about 30 seconds before using it.

    • I created the first card face by placing the it on my Grip Mat and positioning the stencil. I went over the stencil with a brayer to ensure good contact.
    • I used dark teal ink and a heavy hand across all open areas,  creating very saturated tones across the surface.
    • I used a circular die to cut the center from this panel.
    • I put that card face to the side and positioned the second one on the grip mat: again I positioned the stencil on the card face and used a brayer to ensure good contact between stencil and paper.
    • Using the same ink but with a light hand this time, I created the pattern once again.  I added several layers of ink to all borders to intensify the colour there.

    Other:

    • I stamped the sentiment on a piece of scrap cardstock,  and cut it out with a stitched rectangle die.
    • I used two circular dies and some gold foiled cardstock to create the circular frame.  The smaller of the dies was the one used to cut the circle from the initial card face.  This ensured a perfect match in sizing.

    Assembly

    • I glued the second card face to the card base.
    • I added the more intensely coloured circle cut from the first card face,  taking care to line the patterns up perfectly when gluing it down. This second layer added a nice bit of subtle dimension.
    • I glued the gold circle in place around the layered circle.
    • I added the sentiment across the center as shown.
    • I added 3 different sizes of gems around the mandala to finish the card.

    Final Thoughts:

    The delicacy of this stencil is so lovely – it is a joy to use.  This card was created for my 97 year old mother,  and she was delighted with 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: Bloom Mandala, A Colorful Life Designs

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

    Stamps:  Polka Dot Blossoms, Tim Holtz, Amazon 

    Dies: 

       Circular Nesting Dies, Amazon 

       Stitched Rectangles, Stampin’ Up! (retired)

    Gems: Twilight Illusion, Crafty Meraki

    Ink: Stampin’ Up!

    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 added to the list, and notified when I release new work.