A little Type Talk

I've had the Type Talk (Concord & 9th) stamp and die set for I-don't-even-know-how-many years, and I had never used it. I love the set, but I think I was a little intimidated and not sure what to do. So last week I pulled it out, searched online for some inspiration, and created two birthday cards.

I decided to make a masculine card and a feminine card. For the masculine card I used navy blue and gray, clean lines, and a simple background. For the feminine card I made the typewrite aqua, added pink and yellow flowers, and stamped polka dots on the background. Looking at it now I should have moved the flowers down so they didn't look like they were floating in mid air. Oh, well. And here are the cards with the messaged pulled up:

I think they both turned out pretty well, and now I have some ideas to try the next time I use this stamp set -- like maybe something without coloring or without using the dies. I need to get my creative juices flowing!

Thanks for stopping by!

P.S. You're the Best note card set

As promised in my last blog post, I'm back to share the final set of notecards I made during craft weekend. For this set, instead of making four coordinating card layouts, I settled on one basic design (using the retired Stampin' Up! set P.S. You're the Best) and then changed the color and sentiment for each card.

I stamped the typewriters and sentiments on white card stock and colored them with alcohol markers (I used light colors, but they are a little washed out by the bright sunlight in the photo). I cut out the images by hand and used foam tape to attach them to Crumb Cake card bases, which I had stamped with the splatter and alphabet images.

To embellish the cards I glued a small linen thread bow on each typewriter and finished with three sequins to coordinate with the color of the typewriter.

I was pleased with how these cards turned out -- I would have made more if I hadn't run out of note cards! Thanks for stopping by!

Ranunculus

I'm back to share the third and final set of cards I made during craft day a couple of weeks ago. Today's featured stamp set is Ranunculus (Avery Elle).

I have plenty of flower stamp sets, but I had never bought a ranunculus set, so I was happy to find this one on clearance. It's so fun to watch the layers come together as you stamp them -- and they definitely don't need to be stamped perfectly. The flowers in this set are four-step images (the leaves are three-step), so they were perfect for my Color Fuse inks (Rubbernecker). Each set includes four  mini ink pads in progressive color value. I used the pink, red, yellow-red (orange), yellow, and yellow-green sets of Color Fuse inks.

For my first card I wanted to focus on trying out the layering stamps, so I went with a simple layout. I stamped three flowers and a few leaves on the upper left part of a piece of white card stock. I stamped a sentiment in black near the lower right corner and cut the panel with a stitched rectangle die. I layered the panel on pink card stock then a black card base and added some clear sequins. Simple, but pretty.

For the second card I went all out. I started by stamping the flowers and leaves on scraps of white card stock and then cutting them out with the coordinating dies. I wanted a layered background for the card, so I stamped the Dictionary background stamp on a white card base using Crumb Cake ink and then stamped the Distressed Dots background stamp over it with the same color (both retired from Stampin' Up!). That wasn't enough (ha ha!) so I added some shimmery splatter over the stamping.

I grouped the die-cut flowers and leaves and adhered them across the card front, using foam tape for one flower in each group to add some dimension. I stamped a small sentiment on a strip of white card stock with Crumb Cake ink and trimmed the left end into a V. To help it stand out against the background, I sponged ink on the edges of the strip and then attached it to the right side of the card with foam tape. The finishing touch was several green-tinted clear sequins. (I kind of wanted to add more, but I didn't think I should go overboard (ha ha!).

Thanks for stopping by!

A creative stretch

The card I'm sharing today is not my usual clean-and-simple style. Lately I've been watching videos related to mixed media, art journaling, making collage fodder, etc., so I wanted to try making a card that was a little more eclectic and “artsy.”

I’m not really sure what to call this style, but it was fun to make — and a good stretch for my creativity. I started with a panel of Crumb Cake card stock and stamped the architectural images and “imagine” text (all from Lost Coast Designs) using Soft Suede ink. Then I stamped the small butterfly and flower images from the retired Butterfly Basics stamp set (Stampin' Up!) randomly across the panel. I used Soft Suede ink, but I stamped the images multiple times before re-inking to get variations in the color. I used the honeycomb image from the Butterfly Basics set, stamped with Crumb Cake ink, to fill in some of the empty spots.

With a blending brush, I applied Crumb Cake ink to parts of the panel and around the edges to add more depth and an aged look. I created the white splatters with pigment ink mixed with a few drops of water. When I was done splattering, I rubbed the panel into the remaining ink to create a few patchy white spots.

The "happy birthday" sentiment and frame are from the retired Postage Collection stamp set (Stampin' Up!). (I also stamped the tiny bumblebee image from that set on the main panel using Crumb Cake ink, but they're hard to see.) I blended some Crumb Cake ink onto the sentiment square, adhered a bit of hemp twine behind it, and then used foam tape to attach it to the main panel. The gold die-cut flower was sitting on my table, so I added it on for a little bit of shine.

Using a bone folder, I distressed the edges of the Crumb Cake panel and adhered it to a Soft Suede card base. I finished the card with a few colored pearls.

I need to practice making cards/projects like this more often so I can get better at working freely and not thinking and planning so much. Sometimes it's hard to get the left side of my brain to take a break!

Thanks for stopping by!

Be Free in two styles

I'm a little late with this post. It was supposed to be my second blog post last week (I've been doing a pretty good job sticking to two posts a week!), but I actually went on a craft retreat over the weekend. It was my first retreat in four years (the first time I've gone anywhere since 2019), and I was busy getting ready and then having a great time, so I didn't get to blogging. But I made 53 cards over the weekend, so I'll have plenty to share for the next few weeks. :) 

Tonight I have a quick post featuring two cards made with the Be Free stamp set from Colorado Craft Company. 

For the first card I colored the image softly with colored pencils. I wanted it to have some dimension, so I cut out the die a few extra times and glued them together. (I love that the die even cuts out the spaces between the bars of the bird cage.) For the background, I stamped the lock and key images from the set on a Crumb Cake card base and added gold splatter. I added a few punched flowers and a twine bow for the final touches.

For the second card, I wanted a look that was a little more bold. I colored the focal image on this card with alcohol markers. I stamped a polka dot background on a red card base and added some gold splatter. (I've been loving splatter lately!) A small gold doily, a twine bow, and a few gold glitter enamel dots finish off this card.

Thanks for stopping by!

Varied Vases birthday blooms

Today I have a short post with a couple of birthday cards using the Varied Vases stamp set. These cards could easily be modified for a different occasion by just changing the sentiment.

I kept these cards really clean and simple by focusing on black and white for the stamped images -- I really like the look of the vases with just outlines -- and just adding color to the flowers. When the stamping was done, I matted the focal panels with black card stock and then added each one to a coordinating card base. I finished the cards with a few simple embellishments: pink pearls and a little flag for the card on the left and clear sequins for the card on the right. I think these layouts would be great for a card set -- just use a few different sentiments and color combos.

Thanks for stopping by!

Birthday butterfly

When I found the backgrounds that I used for the plaid birthday cards I shared recently, I also found a collage-style background made with the retired Stampin' Up! set Nature Walk. (There were lots of other backgrounds, too, so maybe I'll get around to using them as well at some point.) I decided to use some of the background piece to create a birthday card, and here is the result:

I think the colors in this background are Soft Suede, River Rock, Soft Sky, and Island Indigo. It's also spritzed with a shimmer mist. I used a stitched rectangle die to cut a panel from the background, and then I stamped "Happy Birthday" in an open space near the bottom. I adhered the panel to an Island Indigo card base and added a die-cut butterfly I found in my stash. (Just the body of the butterfly is glued down, so there is a little dimension in the wings.) I finished the card with a few cream-colored sequins and a twine bow on the butterfly.

One of the things I really like about this background is that there are bumblebees stamped on it using shimmer paint. They're hard to see straight on, but when you tilt the card it's a really pretty shimmery effect.

Thanks for stopping by!

Pastel birthday desserts

I'm back! And I have officially decided that home buying is one of the worst experiences ever. I hope we like living in this house, because I can't say I want to do this again anytime soon. And that's not to say that anything has gone wrong. My stress level is just through the roof trying to figure all this stuff out while simultaneously sorting/packing belongings, working at my job, doing the everyday stuff (laundry, dishes, making dinner, etc.), and dealing with the world in general. Sigh.

So today I'm throwing in a quick blog post for a little change of pace. I have three birthday cards that use the same stamp and die set and color combo. I won't go into too much detail, but I think all of the cards are fairly self-explanatory. If you have questions, though, feel free to leave a comment, and I'll respond as soon as I can.

Supplies:
Stamps: Cake (Essentials by Ellen), Birthday Backgrounds (Stampin' Up!)
Paper: Whisper White, Soft Suede, Mint Macaron card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Chocolate Truffle amalgam ink (Gina K Designs); Soft Suede, Mint Macaron, Soft Sea Foam, Powder Pink (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories: Cake dies (Essentials by Ellen), Stitched Shapes dies (Stampin' Up!), Skyscape Mini Cover Plate dies (Catherine Pooler), Subtles Candy Dots (Stampin' Up!), Iridescent Bubbles (Taylored Expressions), White Tea Lace Paper Doily (Stampin' Up!), jute twine (May Arts Ribbon), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute), Dimensionals (Stampin' Up!)

This stamp set is a two-step set, so there are separate stamps for the outline images and the filler images. You could stamp just the outlines and color or paint the images, but I went for the quicker option of stamping. For this card, I tried to create the look of the desserts sitting on a table. I love how the bit of doily looks like a tablecloth.

For this card, I used a few die-cut stitched circles to spotlight the images and sentiment, and I doodled a double frame around the edges to break up the solid background. I usually like the look of hand-drawn borders, but I'm honestly not sure I love it on this card. (I think maybe it needed a little more, like some swirls or curlicues.)

For the last card I layered a white scalloped rectangle on the front of the card as well as on the inside (see below). I focused on just the cupcake images from the stamp set, placing three on the front of the card and one inside to coordinate with the punny sentiment.

Thanks for stopping by today -- and for hanging on through all the craziness. I'm hoping to get back to consistent blogging in October. It might not be terribly frequent, but if I start with one post a week, I can work my way back up. Have a wonderful weekend!

Loose watercolor Mod Floral

One thing I want to work on with my cardmaking is to do more watercolor techniques. Not realistic watercolor painting -- I'm not that skilled -- but really just using all my watercolor supplies more often. I got a start by using watercolor markers with the fun Mod Floral die from Ellen Hutson to create a soft, feminine birthday card.

Supplies:
Stamps: Cake (Essentials by Ellen)
Paper: Gray Granite, Grapefruit Grove card stock (Stampin' Up!); watercolor paper (Strathmore)
Ink: Gray Granite (Stampin' Up!); Soft Peach, Gold, Apple, Olive Green Brushmarker Pro watercolor markers (Karin)
Accessories: Mod Floral die (Essentials by Ellen), clear shimmer spray (Avery Elle), jute twine (May Arts Ribbon), rhinestones (Stampin' Up!), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute)

I love that the cluster of die-cut flowers is large enough to be the focus of a card, but you could also trim it down to make a smaller grouping. (The die does also cut out a few individual buds and leaves, which I used to add some dimension by layering them onto parts of the large cluster.)

I die cut the Mod Floral die from watercolor paper and applied a light layer of water to the paper. Using watercolor markers I added peach to the flowers, yellow to the flower centers, and green to the leaves. I used a "loose" style and wasn't very particular or careful; I just went back and forth between the markers and plain water, moving or adding color until I was happy with the result.

 

Once the watercolor was dry, I spritzed the die cut with shimmer spray and then adhered it (and the extra layered pieces) near the upper left corner of a light gray card base. I wanted to bring in a little more of the peach color, so I added a strip of Grapefruit Grove card stock along the bottom edge of the card front. I stamped the birthday sentiment using gray ink in the open lower right corner.

When I poked out the flower centers from the die cut, I noticed that they looked like little cross stitches. I decided to go with that and glued three of them in a row just above the strip of Grapefruit Grove card stock. For the rest of the embellishments, I scattered some rhinestones around the flowers and tied a length of jute twine around the bottom of the card.

Do you have favorite watercolor techniques (or tips) for cardmaking? Leave me a comment and let me know! Thanks for stopping by!

Flowers for summer

I know the first official day of summer (in the Northern Hemisphere) isn't for a few more weeks yet, but June 1 always feels like the start of summer. So to celebrate the change of seasons, I'm sharing a fun textured, flowery birthday card.

Supplies:
Stamps: Inside Greetings - Birthday (Sunny Studio)
Paper: Sahara Sand, Pear Pizzazz, Garden Green, Calypso Coral, Blushing Bride, Daffodil Delight, Very Vanilla, Early Espresso card stock; vellum paper (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Early Espresso, Sahara Sand (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories: Window Box embossing folder/dies (Sizzix), Iridescent Sequin Assortment (Stampin' Up!), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute)

Isn't that fun? This is a special embossing folder that creates the embossed stone wall and die cuts the window at the same time. Then there are separate dies to cut out the flowers and butterflies. The two sides of the window can be opened and folded back, but I decided to leave them closed for this card. I also glued a piece of vellum behind them to look like frosted glass.

I wanted to add more depth and help the "stones" stand out in the background, so I used the same color ink refill as the card stock (Sahara Sand) and put a few drops in a little dish with a tiny bit of water. Then I used a paintbrush to lightly apply the ink to the embossed portions. I was purposely not very careful about applying the ink; I think that gives it a more rustic, realistic look.

Then I die cut and arranged the flowers and greenery using a variety a of card stock colors. And I was really excited to discover that the colors in the Iridescent Sequin Assortment totally matched the colors of the flowers, so I added those as flower centers and glued a few tiny around the tall flowers by the window. I added a banner strip stamped with "happy birthday" and adhered the panel to an Early Espresso card base.

I had a few flowers and a butterfly left over, so I added them to a panel of Very Vanilla card stock for the inside of the card. (Sorry it looks white. I didn't have good lighting for these photos.) The sentiment I used actually started with "Even if we can't be together, know that I am," but I wasn't sure I wanted that line since sometimes I deliver birthday cards in person. I thought the sentiment read just fine without that part, so I just inked up the last three lines and stamped it on my panel.

Thanks for stopping by!

One layout, two cards

In my last post, I shared several masculine cards featuring nature images. Today I have two cards with the same layout -- but by altering the images and colors, I gave one a masculine feel and one a feminine feel.

Supplies:
Stamps: Nature Backgrounds (Dare 2B Artzy)
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Bordering Blue, Really Rust, Mint Macaron card stock (Stampin' Up!); Natural Touch Specialty Paper (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Bordering Blue, Really Rust, Mint Macaron (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories: Small Stitched Rectangle Stackables dies (Lawn Fawn), Happy Birthday day (Avery Elle), Neutrals Candy Dots (Stampin' Up!), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute)

The Nature Backgrounds stamp set from Dare 2B Artzy was perfect for my little experiment. The set contains seven different nature background images, so for the first card I chose three that seemed more masculine or neutral.

I chose an earthy color pallet of Chocolate Chip, Bordering Blue, Really Rust, and Mint Macaron. I paired each of the images with one of the three lighter colors and stamped on the card stock using the coordinating ink. Then I die cut each stamped piece with a stitched rectangle die and attached them to a Chocolate Chip card base. Tip: Glue down the two pieces on the sides first, lining them up with the edges of the card front. Then adhere the middle piece, centering it between the other two.

I die-cut "happy birthday" once from Chocolate Chip card stock and once from a wood-textured paper. (You could use just about any sentiment with these images, but I always seem to need birthday cards.) I layered the two pieces together and added the sentiment on the card front across the stamped panels. I finished the card with two simple Chocolate Chip enamel dots.

Supplies:
Stamps: Nature Backgrounds (Dare 2B Artzy)
Paper: Soft Suede, Petal Pink, Soft Sea Foam, So Saffron card stock (Stampin' Up!); Natural Touch Specialty Paper (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Petal Pink, Soft Sea Foam, So Saffron
Accessories: Small Stitched Rectangle Stackables dies (Lawn Fawn), Celebrate die (My Favorite Things), champagne rhinestones (Stampin' Up!), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute)

For the feminine version of this card I chose three more flowery images and a lighter color pallet: Soft Suede, Petal Pink, Mint Macaron, and So Saffron. I also used a word die with a script-style font and champagne-colored rhinestones as the embellishment. But the layout and stamping/die-cutting process is the same.

The bonus with this layout is that it can be made to fit almost any occasion by changing the sentiment, colors, and/or images. You could even use patterned paper, embossed card stock, or ink blended backgrounds instead of stamping the three panels. And the cards wouldn't be too hard to mass produce for the holidays. The possibilities are endless!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Old stamp, new look

I've bought a lot of stamps over the years, and it's interesting to see how styles and trends (and my tastes) have changed. A lot of those stamps have come and gone, but I definitely have some favorites that I intend to hang onto for the long haul. It's fun to pull out those oldies-but-goodies and give them a new look, like this card featuring Love Is Kindness.

Supplies:
Stamps: Love Is Kindness (Stampin' Up!)
Paper: Night of Navy, Crumb Cake card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Sugar Cube (Taylored Expressions); Deco Brush Metallic Markers - gold, green, pink (Karin); white paint pen (Posca)
Accessories: Skyscape Mini Coverplate dies (Catherine Pooler), jute twine (May Arts Ribbon), Opaque Bright White Fine embossing powder (Wow! Embossing Powder), foam tape (3M)

For my birthday last fall I received a set of Karin brand Deco Brush Metallic Markers, and I wanted to try coloring with them on dark card stock. The Love Is Kindness stamp was perfect because I could practice with the small areas in the tulips.

I stamped the image using white pigment ink on navy card stock and then embossed it with fine white detail white embossing powder. Then I used the metallic gold, green, and pink markers to color just the flowers and stems. I wanted to color to stand out, so I left the rest of the image plain and cut it out with a scalloped rectangle die.

To bring in some more white, I used a paint pen to add a dotted border around the scallops. I repeated the dots next to each tulip using the same color as the flower. For embellishment, I punched a small hole on either side of the base of the bouquet, threaded some twine through the holes, and tied it off in a bow.

I struggled with what color card base to use for this card. My first inclination was to use white, but that actually ended up looking too stark. So I settled on Crumb Cake, which I think looks nice with the twine bow, and used foam tape to attach the navy panel.

Do you like to get out old stamps to use with new techniques or tools? Give it a try!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

A crafty life

Do you ever find yourself buying new craft supplies -- ones that you really like and are very excited about -- and then never using them? I know I do. Sometimes it's because I have other projects I need to finish first. Or maybe it's patterned paper that is just too pretty to cut up. And other times I'm just not sure what to make.

For the past several months I've been trying to make a point of playing with ten unused craft supplies each month: stamp sets, papers, embellishments (sequins, ribbon, etc.), dies, or whatever. Several of those unused supplies have included past My Monthly Hero kits from Hero Arts. I love subscribing to the kits, but sometimes life gets in the way, and they just seem to stack up. 

One of the kits I finally used this summer was from May 2019 (yikes! over a year ago!) and featured all kinds of crafty images and sentiments. Perfect to make cards for crafty friends!

Supplies:
Kit: May 2019 My Monthly Hero (Hero Arts)
Paper: Solar White 110-lb card stock (Neenah); Whisper White, Basic Black card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko); alcohol markers - Flirty Flamingo, Pineapple Punch, Mango Melody, Granny Apple Green, Pool Party, Crumb Cake, Smoky Slate (Stampin' Up! Blends/Blendabilities)
Accessories: Sparkling clear sequins (Pretty Pink Posh), Frame in Frame 2 Cutting Plate (Taylored Expressions), Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers), foam tape (3M), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute)

I'll admit, when I first pulled out this kit I wasn't entirely sure what to make, even though I think it's adorable. But I'm really happy with how these cards turned out.

For the first card I cut a panel of white card stock to 4" x 5-1/4", just slightly smaller than an A2 card base. I placed the card stock in my stamp positioner and masked off a strip near the bottom of the panel for a visual reference. Then I chose several of the stamps from the kit and placed them on the exposed strip of card stock until I had an arrangement I liked. I closed the lid of my stamp positioner to pick up all the stamps, applied the ink, and stamped the images on the white card stock. I removed the masks, colored the images with alcohol markers, and stamped a sentiment in the lower right corner just below the images. I rounded the corners of the panel and adhered it to a white card base using foam tape. Since this is such a clean card, I didn't want to add to much embellishment, so I settled on three clear sequins for just a touch of sparkle. (How could I make a crafty-themed card without sequins?!)

For the second card, I stamped a bunch of the images from the kit on white card stock, colored them with alcohol markers, and then cut them out with the coordinating dies. I love all these fun little pieces! I used a white card base again, but this time I added a black die-cut scalloped frame. I arranged the die-cut pieces inside the frame, and once I was happy with how they looked, I glued them in place. I used foam tape for the little "for you" card in the middle to add a little dimension and finished off the card with three clear sequins.

This layout would be fun to try with other themes, too, such as flowers, leaves, or different holiday-themed images. (Pumpkins, bats, and ghosts would be so cute for Halloween!) Here's a tip: color and cut out a few more images than you think you'll need. That gives you more possibilities for your card front, and if you do end up with extra pieces, you can always add them to the inside of your card. (That's what I did, although I forgot to take a picture.)

Thanks for stopping by today!

Shabby chic pair

Even though I love to make clean and simple cards, sometimes it's fun to create something a little more elaborate. In the case of these two feminine birthday cards, I went for a vintage, shabby chic feel.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Birthday Blessings (Gina K Designs)
Paper: Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Powder Pink card stock
Ink: Crumb Cake, Pool Party, Pear Pizzazz, Powder Pink, VersaMark
Accessories: Frame in Frame 2 Cutting Plate (Taylored Expressions), gold metallic thread, gold Wink of Stella glitter brush pen, Share What You Love Artisan Pearls, Deco Labels dies, gold embossing powder, Dimensionals

I used the Birthday Blessings stamp set from Gina K Designs for these cards. To make the backgrounds, I chose four images from the set and, using a different color ink for each image, I stamped them several times on a half-sheet of Very Vanilla card stock. Then I added some gold spatter and cut the sheet in two pieces.

For this card I layered the stamped piece behind a Crumb Cake scalloped frame and adhered the panel to a Powder Pink card base. I stamped and embossed the sentiment with gold on Very Vanilla card stock and die cut it. I looped some gold thread behind the sentiment and then attached it to the stamped panel with Dimensionals. Three pink pearls were the perfect finishing touch.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Birthday Blessings (Gina K Designs)
Paper: Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Powder Pink card stock
Ink: Crumb Cake, Pool Party, Pear Pizzazz, Powder Pink, VersaMark
Accessories: Small Stitched Rectangle Stackables dies (Lawn Fawn), Deco Labels dies, linen thread, Gold Wink of Stella glitter brush pen, Share What You Love Artisan Pearls, gold embossing powder, sponge, Dimensionals

I used many of the same supplies for this card, but I gave it a little more of a distressed look by sponging the edges of the stamped layer, the die-cut sentiment and the card base with Crumb Cake ink.

Instead of framing the stamped panel on this card, I die cut it with a stitched rectangle die. I wrapped linen thread around the bottom of the panel three times and adhered the ends to the back of the card stock. Using Dimensionals, I attached the die-cut sentiment over the twine.
I attached that whole panel to a layer of Crumb Cake card stock and then mounted that on the card base. Again, I finished off the card with three little pink pearls.

Thanks for stopping by!

Stenciled backgrounds

Ink blending with stencils is a popular trend in card-making, and I have seen so many amazing cards with stenciled backgrounds. I'm just getting into this technique, but I had fun making these two cards:

Supplies:
Stamps: Special Sentiments (Penny Black)
Paper: Thick Whisper White, Basic Black, textured Bermuda Bay card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko),; Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks - Fossilized Amber, Spiced Marmalade, Picked Raspberry, Twisted Citron, Peacock Feathers (Ranger)
Accessories: Blooming Garden stencil (The Crafter's Workshop), blender brushes (Picket Fence Studios), sparkling clear sequins (Pretty Pink Posh), Cookie Monster enamel dot (Taylored Expressions), foam tape (3M), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute Glitter)

I love all the flowers on this stencil, and I knew I wanted to buy it as soon as I saw it. I placed the stencil on white card stock, chose a spring-y color pallet, and applied the various inks with blender brushes. It's so fun to pull away the stencil and see the end result! And since I used Distress Oxide inks, I spritzed a little bit of water over the stenciling; it's hard to see in the photo, but there are a few little water spots on the pink rose.

The stenciled piece was larger than the size of the card, so I trimmed the white card stock down to 3-3/4" x 5". I didn't want to cover up the background, so I chose a sentiment and stamped it directly over the stenciling with black ink. I attached the panel to a layer of black card stock and used foam tape to mount the piece to a card base made with textured Bermuda Bay card stock. For embellishment, I added a blue enamel dot in the center of the largest flower and three clear sequins around the sentiment.

Supplies:
Stamps: Grand Greetings, A Happy Hello (Gina K Designs)
Paper: Whisper White card stock (Stampin' Up!), Tranquil Teal card stock (Gina K Designs)
Ink: Key Lime, Sea Glass, Tranquil Teal (Gina K Designs)
Accessories: Square Mandala stencil (Gina K Designs), blending brushes (Picket Fence Studios), clear Wink of Stella glitter brush pen (Kuretake), glitter enamel dots (Stampin' Up!), Dimensionals

For this stencil I used summery colors and applied Key Lime in the center of the stencil, Sea Glass in a circle around that, and then Tranquil Teal over the rest of the stencil. I adhered the panel to a Tranquil Teal card base and added a strip of white card stock stamped with a birthday sentiment.

I stamped the flower two times on white card stock using Sea Glass ink. I cut out the flowers by hand, trimming the outer petals off one of them. I used Dimensionals to attach the smaller flower on the larger one and then added a few stamped and hand-cut leaves. I added the flower to the left side of the sentiment strip and added three glitter enamel dots to finish the card.

Are you into the stencil trend? I'm excited to try these stencils -- and the other ones in my stash -- with different colors and layouts. Thanks for stopping by!