Using A Stencil on Kraft-Colored Cardstock...

 

Hello and happy Wednesday everyone. I am sharing this summer-themed birthday card with you today. I used the cute new Pool Party stamp set from Lawn Fawn. 

I began by using the largest rectangle from the Basic Rectangles Creative Cuts die set to die-cut the base layer of the card from kraft-colored cardstock. I then used the Tropical Leaves Background Layering Stencils set to add the tropical leaves to the die-cut base. I used Distress Oxide inks along with a deeper colored ink from Lawn Fawn in order for the colors to show up on the kraft cardstock. I used Twisted Citron, Mowed Lawn, Rainforest, Spiced Marmalade, Dried Marigold, Lucky Clover, Broken China, and Mermaid Lagoon inks to add the color to the leaves. 

I then used the Nesting Hexagons die set from Waffle Flower to create the tropical swimming area for the little sloth. I added color to the die cut using  Cracked Pistachio, Mermaid Lagoon, and  Rainforest ink. Next, I used Copic markers to color the images from the Pool Party stamp set and the leaves from the Toucan Do It stamp set.

I then heat embossed the sentiment from the stamp set using Versamark ink and WOW! White Embossing Powder. 

I hope you enjoy the card I created to share with you today. Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by. I hope you each have a wonderful and blessed day. Please feel welcome to visit me on my blog, IG or Pinterest.

Links to products used or recommended are listed below:

Choosing Colors for Layered Stencils

Hi, everyone!  Toni here with you today sharing a card with so many happy colors!  Purple, green, yellow clouds--why not?

I started the card by sponging the card base with the Pretty Pink Posh Layered Clouds Stencils and a variety of Distress Oxides. I chose the colors so that when they overlapped and blended, happy new complimentary colors would be created.  I didn't want mud after all.

I then adhered the Mama Elephant Tree Branch Cover onto the card base, using MFT Poppin' Polka Dots 6x6 Paper and a scrap of Doodlebug Design paper for the leaves and flowers.

I embossed the Avery Elle Bee a Keeper in white and added a Lawn Fawn Henry's ABCs "Hi" above it. 

Looking at it now, a black embossed sentiment would have worked too (and frankly shown up better on the clouds).

Finally, I added images from Sunny Studio Little Birdie that I colored up with Copics.  Aren't they cuter than cute?

I'll see you again soon.  If you'd like to check out my other creations in the meantime, you can visit my blog, Frankie Helps Craft, my Instagram, or my Pinterest Board.  Have a great rest of your day!

PRODUCTS USED AND/OR RECOMMENDED

Pinkfresh Studio: Birds on a Branch!

Having it all is great - but having a little is good, too!  Hi, my friends!  I'm back today to show you how to patiently await those items that are 'out of stock' through no fault of our own!  lol  

I recently purchased Pinkfresh Studio's Songbirds on Branches but had not gotten there quick enough to get the coordinating dies!  OH I got on the email list right away, believe me!  Doodlebugs does a great job of notifying you - but you'd better get there quick, as this set continues to be a favorite.

Here's how I played with the items I DID get:  The layering stencils, and hot foil plate - and a few more favorites from Pinkfresh, too!

I first hot-foiled the outlines, then used the layers of stencils to color them

using a few of my favorite colors.

The panel was cut with a die from MFT's Stitched Rectangles, and a sweet little sentiment from the Pinkfresh set of Perfect Sentiments and coordinating dies.  Simple, easy to mail, and very sweet IMHO!  I can now happily wait for the Songbird on Branches dies to arrive!

Sure to bring a smile to the one I'm missing!  Hope you have a few of your favorite people around you this weekend and that all of your wish list items get delivered so you can enjoy a bit of stenciling and hot-foiling in your own studio!

=] Michele

Links to products used or recommended are listed below: 

How to Get the Most Out of Layering Stencils

Hi, everyone!  Toni here with you today sharing a seasonal set of cards I made using the Lawn Fawn Spring Blossoms Layering Stencils as a backdrop.  

The first two cards are winter/holiday and spring/summer, respectively. Let's discuss the holiday one. But, before that let me lay out how I'm referring to the stencils.

When I used the stencils, I went ABC with the layers as shown below. I think you could use them in whatever order you want but this made sense to me. 

For the holiday card I used Lawn Fawn Spring Blossoms Layering Stencil A, sponging with a few different inks including Distress Oxide Barn Door, Rustic Wilderness and Peeled Paint, and Delicata Golden Glitz.  

The Waffle Flower Shader Brush 0 came in so handy as it allowed me to apply the colors to specific areas unlike my larger brushes which are rather all or nothing. LOL.

I really loved how the background turned out and didn't want to cover it up so opted to use a vellum tag (flipped upside down so the tab is mostly hidden by the Sunny Studio Spring Greenery diecut). 

This created a subtle focal area along with the Sunny Studio Little Birdie perched on top of the Mama Elephant Everything Nice sentiment.

For the spring/summer card I cut one of the Honey Bee Lovely Layers Wildflowers dies, using one side of the leftover card front as a border with a quick bit of hand trimming at the top and bottom.

I sponged the flower using similar colors as the background, namely Distress Oxide Worn Lipstick and  Mowed Lawn. I then nested it back into the border.  Pretty cool, huh?  Btw, I used all 3 stencil layers, A, B and C.

I used a reverse hot foiled Pinkfresh Studio Celebrating sentiment but could have just as easily embossed. I had the hot foil one on hand so that worked out nicely.  The Waffle Flower Solid Hot Foil Plate is perfect for reverse hot foiling or regular foiling in lieu of a laminator.

 

The final card for today is for autumn obviously. I love the folksy look of the Honey Bee Maple Leaf diecuts. I used a variety of inks for that background, including Distress Oxide Peacock Feathers on top of the orange. The opacity of the ink lends itself well to layering.

I used Lawn Fawn Oliver's Stitched ABCs for the sentiment. Those are a great investment as I've used them a lot.  All 3 stencil layers for this one too. I did make a card front with just Layers A and B but haven't made it into a card yet.  Some day!

I'll see you again soon.  If you'd like to check out my other creations in the meantime, you can visit my blog, Frankie Helps Craft, my Instagram, or my Pinterest Board.  Have a great rest of your day!

PRODUCTS USED AND/OR RECOMMENDED

Altenew Paint-a-Flower African Daisies

Do you ever get 'stuck' or feel a little low on crafty mojo?  When that happens to me - and believe me it does happen - I reach for one of the many Altenew Paint-a-Flower sets I have in my stash to get myself going again!  Doodlebugs has LOTS to choose from HERE!

When it comes to masculine cards, the less color the better in my view.

Here's a way to say thanks to one of your guys without paint, markers, or inks - okay, maybe just your favorite black ink.

I cut a full card-front from kraft card using a Mama Elephant Basic Rectangles die to start.  I find it easier to determine where I want to stamp an image as large as this and use this time to determine where my other design elements will be - like the sentiment strip - this one's an oldie but goody from Altenew but those that come with the African Daisies are wonderful too.

Did you happen to catch my 'no machine' stitching?  

I bet even the best of all Copic colorists practice, practice, practice!

So, reaching for a handful of markers, I did the same!

The Paint-a-Flower series doesn't come with coordinating dies.  When I 

can, I reach for a way to add interest to those florals in another way:

like a partial die-cut circle...

I popped it up with pink fun foam, and even embossed the 'leftovers' for fun!

Here is my finished card:

I hope you don't ever run out of mojo, but it happens to the best of us!  Get a jump-start by using no color at all, or maybe use this time to practice?  I'm no expert but I do know that NOT coloring doesn't help me get better!

Have a wonderful weekend!

=] Michele

Links to products used or recommended are listed below:

Using a Stencil to Create a Focal Point

Hi, everyone!  Toni here with you today sharing a card that uses a stencil to further highlight the Honey Bee Seeds of Kindness image.

I started my card by using Distress Oxide Squeezed Lemonade with one of the Pinkfresh Studio Layered Sunburst Stencils.  Just one, mind you, to keep it simple.  I then spattered with Distress Ink Black Soot and set that aside to dry.

Next I cut out the Honey Bee Seed Packet die from a thin watercolor paper (I'd estimate it's 80lb tops) and stamped the Honey Bee Seeds of Kindness image on the front.  I ended up mounting the packet on black cardstock.

I colored the image with Zigs in keeping with the "messy" look of the background. I particularly love the look of the banner.  I expanded on the text by adding a Honey Bee Seeds of Kindness sentiment that I cut out with the Honey Bee Seeds of Kindness dies.

I'll see you again soon.  If you'd like to check out my other creations in the meantime, you can visit my blog, Frankie Helps Craft, my Instagram, or my Pinterest Board.  Have a great rest of your day!

PRODUCTS USED AND/OR RECOMMENDED

Do you have 'full-set' syndrome?

Hello, fellow Doodlebugs fans!  Michele again - and I have to tell you I'm repeating myself today!  I am so happy to have all the pieces and parts of Altenew's Magnolia Ballerinas in my happy hands!  I don't always have to 'have it all' but sure do understand when other crafters do!

Today, I've found a really wonderful way to use their embossing folder that may seem quite simple - but WOW did it save me time!  Here's how I got my card going...

- First, I stamped it in Versafine Tuxedo Black ink onto 

Strathmore Mixed Media paper.

- Then, after allowing it time to dry, I used the layered stencils to ink it up - really simply adding GinaK's Skeleton Leaves amalgam ink.

- I cut out the Magnolias with the coordinating die, and 

- dry-embossed 

another sheet of Mixed Media paper with the embossing folder.

Here's where the time-saver came in!  Using a dotted glue runner, I 

added glue to only the raised parts of the embossed image..

- no need to snip all of those fine pieces of foam tape!!

Here is my completed card... not one bit of foam peeking out

from behind!  I really believe it will make a difference in how these

dimensional cards will get through the mail un-damaged, too.

Of course, I'll be testing that theory LOL!

I decided this image was worthy of an A7 card [5x7"] and I sure hope you agree!

Just the teensiest bit had to be clipped.  The sentiment is just one of many in

the stamp set that would come in handy on many a card.

All of you 'full set' friends have shown me how wonderful they all work together, and I sure hope companies like Altenew, and Pinkfresh keep making them!

=]  Michele

Links to products used or recommended are listed below:

Making Your Own Stencils with Dies

Hi, everyone!  Toni here with you today sharing a summer card where I made my own stencil using a die.  It's super easy to do and can really pull the background together with the rest of your design.

I cut the Lawn Fawn Strawberry Patch leaves out of a study cardstock. If I'm using the diecut for masking a simple circle, for example, I will use scrap printer paper, but I was planning to sponge front and back with this so made it to last.

I sponged my stencil onto the card base using Distress Oxide Mowed Lawn and Twisted Citron. I flipped and rotated the stencil as I went along.

Next I cut the Lawn Fawn Fruit Basket out of kraft cardstock, sponging it at the bottom with DO Vintage Photo for a bit of shadow.

I cut the Lawn Fawn Strawberry Patch berries out of white, sponging them with DO Barn Door and Aged Mahagony.  The strawberry seeds are cut from a dark brown cardstock. 

Before adhering the strawberry basket to the card base, I added the Mama Elephant Striallop Diagonal frame and stamped the Pinkfresh Studio Always Uplifting sentiment.

Lastly I sponged the diecut leaves from my homemade stencil with greens, tucking the leaves here and there to add fullness to the basket.

I'll see you again soon.  If you'd like to check out my other creations in the meantime, you can visit my blog, Frankie Helps Craft, my Instagram, or my Pinterest Board.  Have a great rest of your day!

PRODUCTS USED AND/OR RECOMMENDED

Altenew Craft-a-Flower - Cistus and smooshing!

Hello again, my friends.  I'm sharing a card made for a friend today - sometimes we just need to say hello in a beautiful way! 

 

Here's how my card came began today: ink smooshing!

After choosing my ink colors, I 'smoosh' them one at a time onto my glass mat,

spritz with a fine mist of water, then pick up the ink with a scrap of acetate from packaging - yes, I do save almost every scrap, but Lawn Fawn sells Acetate in a package, too, if you don't happen to save yours! Repeat until the color satisfies you... I used a mixed media cardstock today.

Here are the colors of Distress Inks I chose today:

Then it was just a matter of using the dies to cut the layers from this gorgeous Altenew Craft a Flower: Cistus set...

Laying them out as shown on their packaging helps tremendously when assembling the blooms, and leaves.

Making the blooms the star of the card was so easy with these wonderful dies from Mama Elephant and Pinkfresh Studio!

I love the resulting 'shades of white' for these blooms - but which card base is best?  I asked the in-house critic for his opinion... he did good!

Don't you agree?

These wonderful words from Honey Bee's My Favorite Flower set were the perfect sentiment for the inside of my friend's card... a dash of Pinkfresh gems, and 

my card is complete!

See you again on my next Doodlebug Friday!

=]  Michele

Links to products used or recommended are listed below: