Written In Ink

Tag: writteninink

  • A simple & elegant – and sincere! – thank you card

    A simple & elegant – and sincere! – thank you card

    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

    Card Face:

    • I placed the card face on the Grip Mat and positioned the stencil.
    • I applied metallic silver ink across all exposed areas.
    •      Although I routinely use blending brushes for dye inks,  I use blending foams for pigment/metallic inks.   This is mostly because I have a supply of foams (from my pre-brush era) and I want to have a dedicated foam to each colour of metallic/pigment ink.)
    • After removing the stencil I placed the card face into the stamp positioner and added the sentiment with Versafine Onyx.
    • I used the edge of the ink pad to apply a narrow border of silver ink to all edges of the card face.

    Assembly

    • I glued the card face to the card base.

    Final Thoughts:

    I needed a simple but elegant thank you card –  this duet more than met the challenge!

    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: Filigree Leaf Stencil, A Colorful Life Designs

    Stamps:  Simply Sentimental,  Trinity Stamps

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

    Ink: Metallic Ink- Lisa Horton, Glitter & Ink

    Blending Tool:  Studio Light, Ecstasy Crafts

    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

    Filigree Leaf by A Colorful Life Designs

  • Simple Moments Become Treasured Memories

    Simple Moments Become Treasured Memories

    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 3/8 x 4 1/8

    Card Face:

    • I laid the card face onto the Grip Mat and applied green and blue ink with a soft hand. 
    • I placed the stencil over the card face and used a variety of dark and medium green inks over the exposed areas.
    • I moved the card face to the stamp positioner and added the image with Versafine Onyx.
    • I intensified the blue around the edges, which adds to the sense of looking into a scene.
    • I spattered the card face with white metallic watercolour .

    Other:

    • I stamped the sentiment on a piece of scrap cardstock and cut it out with a punch.
    • I cut two additional “blanks” with the punch.

    Assembly

    • I glued the three punched shapes together,  with the sentiment on top.
    • I glued the card face to the card base, and added the sentiment as shown.

    Final Thoughts:

    I love the soft colours with the gentle feel and sentiment used on this 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: Falling Leaves,  A Colorful Life Designs

    Stamp:  Stampin’ Up! (retired)

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

    Metallic Watercolour: Amazon 

    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 notified when I release new work

    Falling Leaves by A Colorful Life Designs

    cc

  • Gotta tackle that To-Do list… but first COFFEE

    Gotta tackle that To-Do list… but first COFFEE

    “gotta have my coffee!” – the morning anthem of much of the world

    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 1/8

    Card Face:  5.5 x 4 

    Card Face:

    • I laid the card face onto my Grip Mat and then positioned the stencil, offsetting the design to the left.
    • I used brown ink and a light hand to go over all exposed areas.
    • Working one row at a time, I masked half of each circle with a piece of paper, and once again went over exposed areas with brown ink and a light hand.  This made each circle two-toned, and provided additional visual interest.
    • I put the card face into my stamp positioner and added the focal sentiment with the coffee cups.  I used navy blue ink for this –  although it looks black in the picture, it’s navy, honest!
    • I placed the card face on my desktop and added coffee rings and spatter using the brown ink used earlier.
    •  I lightly spattered the card face with water, adding additional texture.

    Assembly

    • I glued the black border layer to the card base,  and then centered the card face on top of both.

    Final Thoughts:

    The stencil provides a great backdrop for this fun stamp:  just enough for visual interest without being a distraction.

    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: Quarter Moon,  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

    Ink: Stampin’ Up!

    Blending Brushes: Stampin’ Up! 

    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

    Quarter Moons by A Colorful Life Designs

  • Send Big Love with a Handmade Card

    Send Big Love with a Handmade Card

    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 4.25

    Card Face:

    • I put the card face into the stamp positioner and stamped the bunny a couple of times with black Memento ink, centering the image.
    • I coloured her in with alcohol markers  (Memento ink doesn’t react to alcohol, making it perfect for this purpose).
    • I put the card face onto the grip mat and positioned the stencil:  I used pink ink to create the pattern around the bunny –  using more ink/ more pressure around the edges and allowing the ink to fade as I neared the center.
    • I added a rectangular stitched die to the card face, centering carefully.  This die creates a pattern in the paper; \it is not a cutting die.
    • I returned the card face to the stamping platform and added the sentiment with Versafine Onyx.  This is actually one stamp: to create the separation, I had to mask off the appropriate section, and stamp the other.
    • I used a punch on all four corners to create the peek-a-boo pattern.

    Assembly

    • I glued the black border layer to the card base, and then added the card face on top of that.
    • I thought this card needed one final detail,  so I added a clear heart shaped gem to the card face to finish it off.

    Final Thoughts:

    • This bunny is absolutely adorable,  and that sentiment suits perfectly.
    • If I were to re-do this card,  I would position the “sending” a little further to the right –  but by the time I saw the problem on this card it was too late to fix!

    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: Droplet Grid,  A Colorful Life Designs

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

    Stamps:

         Cuddly Girl, Nellie’s Choice, Ecstasy Crafts  (out of stock)

          Sentiment:  Technique Junkies  (out of business)

    Dies: Stitched with Whimsy, 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

    Droplet Grid by A Colorful Life Designs

  • Create a card just to share a smile

    Create a card just to share a smile

    xxxx

    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

    First Steps:

    • I planned to work with Shimmer Sprays for this project,  so before starting, I sprayed the back of the stencil generously with Pixie Spray so that I would get a crisp result.
    • I waited about 30 seconds and then positioned the stencil in the center of a full piece of paper  (8.5 x 11).  I used a brayer to ensure good contact between the stencil and the paper.
    • I sprayed  Lindy’s Shimmer Sprays generously over the stencil,  covering the entire sheet of paper.  While still wet,  I added several colours of Lindy’s Magicals powders to the mix.
    • I left this to dry for a while before removing the stencil.
    • I cut the paper into four pieces,  5 x 4.25.

    Card Face:

    • I selected one of the pieces, placed it in my stamp positioner and stamped the giraffes with Versafine Onyx.  
    • I removed the card face from the positioner and sprinkled clear embossing powder over the stamping:  I set this with my heat gun.
    • I repeated this step with the sentiment, making the decision to run it vertically rather than horizontally.

    Assembly

    • I glued the card face to the card base.
    • I added three small black embellishments to the upper left.

    Final Thoughts:

    Although I didn’t get the perfectly crisp result I was hoping for (probably too much spray),  I felt that it worked with this pattern.  The irregular lines really don’t bother me here.

       I love this end result.

    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: Mid Century Mask,  A Colorful Life Designs

    Stamps: Altenew  (retired)

    Versafine Onyx, Simon Says Stamp

    Lindy’s Shimmer Spray:  Starburst,  Glitter & Ink

    Lindy’s Magicals:  Under the Sea:  Glitter and Ink

    Clear Embossing Powder:  Wow, 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.

    Mid Century Mask by A Colorful Life Designs

  • What is more longed-for than time to relax?

    What is more longed-for than time to relax?

    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: 5.5 x 4.25

    Card Face:  5.3/8 x 4 1/8

    Card Face:

    • I laid the card face onto my grip mat and positioned the Flame Edger Stencil. Using the lower ⅔ of the space,  I moved the stencil around, applying green ink.  I changed areas on the stencil to produce different  patterns of “grass”,  and also changed the intensity of the ink here and there.
    • I changed to the Cloud Edger stencil and blue ink to create the sky on the upper ⅓ of the card face.
    • I placed the card face into the stamp positioner and stamped the image 3X with Versafine Onyx.

    This is an old rubber stamp,  so positioning it where I wanted it in the design involved stamping onto acetate which was  placed over the card face, stamping and moving the stamp slightly until it was where it needed to be.

    Other:

    • I looked through my sentiment binder and selected Happy Retirement as a great match for this image.
    • I added dimensional foam tape to the back of the sentiment.

    Assembly

    • I glued the black border layer to the card base.
    • I centered the card face on top of this.
    • I added the sentiment as shown.

    Final Thoughts:

    I love finding alternate ways to use my products,  and when I was looking at the Flame Edger stencil I could see potential for creating grass.  And then…..  a cute card was born!

    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:

    Flame Edger:  A Colorful Life Designs

    Grass Edger: A Colorful Life Designs

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

    Versamark Embossing Ink: Simon Says Stamp

    Stamps:  old, and long 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

    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.

    Fire Edger by A Colorful Life Designs

  • 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

  • The delightful whimsy of dasies, in a thank you card

    The delightful whimsy of dasies, in a thank you card

    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:  5.25 x 4

    Card Face:

    • I laid the card face onto the Grip Mat and positioned the stencil.
    • I applied school bus yellow ink across the exposed areas.
    • I repositioned the stencil,  turning it  90 degrees,  and applied peach ink across all exposed areas.
    • I used a punch on the corners to create the pattern shown in the image.

    Other:

    • I looked through my sentiment binder and selected one that worked:  I took into account the mood of the design and the size of the sentiment.

    Assembly

    • I glued the black cardstock to the card base,  and then centered the card face on top. 
    • I put the sentiment in place as shown.
    • I scattered three different colours of card bling across the surface:  black,  black with white polka dots and white with black polka dots.

    Final Thoughts:

    The combination of the two colours created some interesting tone depth, and rotating the stencil created an interesting depth in the pattern.

    I love the polka dot card bling,  and the additional whimsy it brings to this 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: Trim Octagon,  A Colorful Life Designs

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

    Ink: Stampin’ Up!

    Blending Brushes: Stampin’ Up! 

    Stamp: Unity Stamp Company (retired)

    Card Bling: A Colorful Life Designs

    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

    Trim Octagon from A Colorful Life Designs