Today’s technique is a total departure from papercrafts and uses I the Damask stencil. What a variety of ideas popped into my head for this stencil order from My Favorite Things .

Once upon a time I had an inspiration to buy some Shrinky Dink plastic. So I did... buy it. I did not use it, but I did buy it.

Well the perfect project came along when I got the Damask stencil.I also selected a couple of Spellbinders dies to cut the plastic with.

To get perfect placement of the Damask, the shrink plastic needs to be cut first. I did this in the Cuttlebug - one piece at a time (do not try to cut more than one layer).

You will need to have two of each shape.

Line up your stencil on the shrink plastic shape. Use a PERMANENT marker to trace and color in your stencil design. I used Copic for the first set.

Copic markers are pretty juicy so you can see where some color ran on the left side. This can be cleaned up with some blender solution and a cotton swab.

See, no more blob.

An alternative is to use Sharpies or Bic Mark-It pens as the tips are more rigid and their inks are not as runny. That's what I did with the second set with a much cleaner result.

Next you need to punch a hole in the end. I used a 1/4 inch standard hole punch.

Then take a permanent marker and run it around the edge of the shrink plastic shape.

These are my two sets of earrings, ready for the oven:

Screeeeech! Did you say 'oven'?

Well, in reading the instructions (always a good idea) to see what temperature and time it would take for these pieces, I saw and was reminded that the shrinking could be done with a heat tool! 

Immediate gratification - I'll take that.

So I laid the shrink plastic one at a time on my heat station and zapped it with the heat tool.

What fun to watch it wriggle and squirm. When it was shrunk I slapped a COLD craft iron over it to make it entirely flat.

The addition of earring wires and some beads (to one pair) finished off these cute gifts.

What an easy and elegant use of a stencil!

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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I have two techniques today using the Wildflowers stencil. My recent order from My Favorite Things was certainly a bonanza of inspiration.

The first time I used this stencil  I focused on the poppies. So I'd like to address the other two types of blooms today.

For the first, I used watercolor paper, fine-line permanent marker, and Distress Marker.

I used the marker to trace the outline of the four-petal blooms. I used both sizes in both the front and reverse images and mixed the stems as well. The plan was to create a pleasing arrangement.

Because the stencil is firm it will not easily allow the pen to push it out of shape during this drawing process - a nice feature that prevents stray lines.

Then I started adding some simple details - bursts in the centers, radiating lines from the bursts, veins in the leaves, dots in the centers.

When the ink was dry I colored in all the image with a neutral Distress Marker.

By banding in the same color as the marker and a simple sentiment stamped on white, this makes a calm card.

The other set of flowers on this stencil are daisies (or sunflowers). I decided to use Copic markers with the airbrush tool.

This requires a lot of masking so you don't get overspray into unwanted areas of the card. I used scrap cardstock and torn post-it notes.

I first laid the stencil where I wanted it and then masked around the area I was using. Then this area was sprayed with the air gun.

A new bloom was selected, placed, masked, and sprayed.

All of the blooms were applied and then the stems and leaves were added in the same manner.

The Copic color from the spray is easily cleaned off the stencil with rubbing alcohol or Copic blender solution.

Since the floral arrangement was so tall I decided to turn this into a tall card. The sentiment was stamped on white cardstock and banded in yellow to match the flowers.

An elegant silhouette.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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I have a second technique today using the Scrolled Background stencil. This is from my recent order from My Favorite Things .

From way-way-way back I have on hand some Heritage Handicrafts Dimensional Paint.

This paint has a pearlescent finish to it. I remembered it being kind of 'loose' so it squished under the stencil before. Not any more. Sitting on the shelf several years will firm it right up. LOL!

I taped the stencil to the cream colored cardstock and scooped out the very thick paste. Then I used an old gift card as a squeege to scrape the paint into the openings of the stencil.

I lifted the stencil carefully and you can see how clean the image is.

While reading the jar to see how long it would take to day, I noticed that it said 'if you want more dimension, you can dry it with a heat gun'. Yes, Please!

Oh, I think I'm in love! Look at that surface!

Alas, all that puffiness is just air and a touch will collapse all those little pillows. So I touched it like crazy and ended up with a beautiful texture anyway.

From this I made a card with heart stickers, some in cardstock and some puffy.

You gotta know I am saving all the trimmings of these techniques as 'table scraps' for use on future projects.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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I have another technique to show you today using the Graduated Dots stencil. This is from my recent order from My Favorite Things.

This technique uses Versamark, clear embossing powder, Distress Inks and StaZon Ink.

I am using cream cardstock as I wanted a light neutral but not too white. First, run an anti-static bag over the whole paper.

Tape the stencil in place with some low-tack tape or a post-it. This will hold it in place while you mush the Versamark pad down over the stencil. You want to make sure your holes are all filled.

Then carefully lift the stencil off, turn it over and apply to a second sheet of cardstock. Rub thoroughly over the stencil to transfer the Versamark that was left on the surface.

Heat set the embossing powder

Now you have a positive and a negative of the design with an embossed resist.

I used the positive design first.

I selected four Distress Ink pads in earth tones

These were pressed direct to paper over the surface.

I used a cloth to buff the color off of the embossing

I selected a stamp of 'unreadable text' and black StaZon ink.

The text was stamped randomly and unevenly over the surface. The StaZon allows the ink to adhere to the embossing, making it permanent.

The card I made with this features a strip of houndstooth scrapbook paper and some floral stickers from my stash.

With the smaller dots at the bottom, I used a sponge tool to make a green 'ground' area.

I then sponged on the orange to create a 'tree' area.

And, finally, the blue was sponged on for the sky

I used black StaZon to stamp trees, tall ones on the outside edges and low ones in the middle.

I also added some grasses to the foreground

The card made from this is banded in teal to bring out the color in the sky. A stamped greeting is banded and popped up on foam tape.

TWO IMPORTANT NOTES about this technique: 1) be prepared with TWO sheets of cardstock so you get your positive and negative. 2) when you do you initial mushing of the Versamark, be generous so your reverse imprint will have plenty of ink to transfer.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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I have very different stencil today from the recent My Favorite Things order.

The stencil I am using today is Jumbled Letters . It has whole alphabets carefully arranged to not spell out anything or be in alpha order. Letters sometimes appear more than once and there is a mix of upper/lower case and a range of sizes. Over all it has the feeling of graffiti to me.

I had a blank book on hand that I've been wanting to alter and this seemed like the perfect project. I laid out Distress Markers and a bulb sprayer to apply the ink.

I've had that sprayer for eons and used it originally for my Momento brush markers. When I saw that Tim Holtz had a version on the market it reminded me that I had this one and I kept my fingers crossed that the Distress Markers would fit. First I had to find the thing. After lots of searching it turned up... in the drawer with the Momento markers.

Since the cover was cream colored I selected all earthy tones for the sprays. I laid the stencil off kilter on the cover and spritzed with one color of marker.

Then I moved the stencil and sprayed with another color. This was repeated until I liked the cover. The flexibility of the stencil allowed it to ride up and over the button and metal plate without issue.

Then I did the same on the back cover:

On the inside pages I used one color per panel to help define them:

Back on the front cover, I lined up letters one at a time and traced them with a darker marker, for the title.

This is the final product, ready for content.

Now I just have to decide what the story is!

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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I have another stencil tutorial today from the recent My Favorite Things order.

The stencil I am using today is Damask . It has two styles/sizes of elements in the design, each appearing three times. These can be used just as they appear on the stencil or they can be used one at a time to create a different effect.

I actually have TWO projects for you today – one a huge success and one a so-so result.

When I first saw the stencil in the MFT store my immediate thought was "Christmas ornament". So that is the first thing I had to try when I got the stencil.

I started with Distress Markers, white cardstock, and a pine bough stamp.

I used the markers to color directly on the stamp and used it twice across the top of the paper.

I lined up the stencil with one large unit under the left of the bough and used a Distress Marker to color through it.

I added some Liquid Pearls in dots on the ornament.

I used the edge of a card and a fine pen to make a hanging string for the ornament:

Then I added two colors of Stickles in swooshes on the stencil colored parts and between as fillers.

I bordered it with a dark green and added a gold Dazzles greeting to finish with this beauty:

And now for something totally different.....

Still using the Damask stencil, I wanted to try it out with Distress Stains. The only one I have is Picket Fence so I pulled out dark purple to create on:

I pounced the stain (it has a foam top on the bottle) through the stencil.

The result of one unit. Note that the stain is very liquid so it gives a mushy design instead of sharp edges.

I adjusted the stencil and pounced again.

I repeated this until I had a whole page filled.

You can see how the bright white fades to a flat white as it dries.

I wanted to use a set of vellum stickers of pansies that I had on hand. So I bordered the card in bright yellow and added a yellow bordered stamped greeting. I mounted the pansies on a light solid and cut them out to use on the card.

Oooh, yes, I like it!

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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I have another stencil tutorial today from the recent My Favorite Things order.

The stencil I am using today is the Wildflowers . It features four styles of flower silhouettes with two versions of each. These can be combined in a number of ways – turning the stencil over to make a mirror image, mixing the stems and leaves, using different types of flowers together – for a wide variety of looks.

The technique today uses Distress Markers.

Lay the stencil on watercolor paper. Use the brush end of a marker to outline the shape inside the stencil.

Continue with other colors, moving stencil as needed to complete an arrangement.

Use an aquabrush to draw the ink in from the outlines to the open spaces in the leaves and stems.

Add some detail lines inside the flowers.

Use the aquabrush to spread this color inside the flowers.

After trimming, I bordered my panel and combined it with a popped up stamped sentiment to create this card.

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 9:32 AM PDT

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I’m back with another stencil tutorial from the My Favorite Things order.

The stencil I am using today is the Scrolled Background . It really reminds me of wrought iron.

I've been able to use other stencils in the Cuttlebug to make raised impressions and I've used ink on embossing folders to make a 'letterpress' effect. I wanted to try to combine these techniques using this stencil.

I started with three light colors of Distress Ink pads.

These were pressed onto the surface of the stencil, overlapping some intersections for good coverage.

I loaded the Cuttlebug with the A plate, the B plate, a rubber mat, and the plain white paper.

Then came the B plate along with a shim of chipboard.

NOTE: this would be easier with a larger machine like the Big Shot as the stencil is really tight in the opening of the Cuttlebug. If I were going to do this again I might trim off 1/8 inch from the edge of the stencil.

And look what you get after cranking it through!

Yummy, yes?

I trimmed it down and combined it with some floral stickers and a popped up stamped greeting to create this card:

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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I have some fabulous new stencils from My Favorite Things that I have been playing around with. So over the next several days I will show a wide variety of techniques with my five new toys!

As soon as my order was in I started brainstorming a list of techniques I wanted to try - some generic and some inspired by the stencils themselves!

Once I had the these stencils in hand I was very satisfied with my order because they are heavy enough to lay flat but still flexible so they can manouver around lumpy things on projects. They do not crease easily and there are a good variety of designs to choose from.

The stencil I'm using today is graduated dots which has three sizes of dots on one sheet.

The technique is alcohol ink print-making and the supplies I used are:

Ranger alcohol inks in three colors

and a blending tool with a felt pad.

I taped the stencil to a glossy cardstock with tissue tape.

Then I inked up the felt pad with multiple drops of each alcohol ink and pounced over the stencil.

Nice rich color fills all the holes.

Then I put some rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle:

Like this

I was able to get three prints, spraying alcohol between each impression.

From the initial print (directly tapping the ink through the stencil) I made this card:

The trims were stickers, stamped sentiments and rhinestones from my stash of supplies and colored card bases for bordering.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 11:11 PM PDT

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More scraps left by the granddaughters were some woodgrain embossed on white cardstock. They were squareish so I added some scraps to top and bottom to get them up to A2 card size.

I used some Distress Ink to make the woodgrain more defined and then found some vellum leaves in the sticker drawer.

I added words from the Tim Holtz book of word stickers, using those printed on Kraft.

I had two styles of leaf in different sizes so I made sure the leaves on each card were consistent.

These are both built on kraft card bases.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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I picked up a new embossing folder a while back and hadn't used it yet. Then, after the granddaughters left, I found a scrap left behind from one of their projects... a blue cardstock with the chicken wire embossed on it.

Some of the white core showed through so I used my sanding block to expose even more and love the result.

I made a card base by combining this scrap with some linen-look paper and then went to the sticker box to see what I could find that would suit these papers.

I came up with a fall scene using stickers from three sets. The cats and pumpkins are one set, the scarecrow is another set and the stars are yet another.

I used a blue marker to draw in some ground for everything to rest upon.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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I decided to go all flashy with this teabag folding and paper embroidery card.

I started with a medallion made of wrapping paper - cream, printed with gold and black. It also has more of a fancy fold, adding to the glamour.

I chose a shiny gold metallic cardstock to stitch on and worked the design in black and brown threads. A metallic brad holds the medallion in place and I added sticky back rhinestones to every other scallop.

So hard to photograph shiny metallics!

I used a cream base card to match the medallion and added a gold Dazzles sentiment sticker to the bottom.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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I think this teabag folding card with paper embroidery looks almost quilted. It must be the way the stitching looks like a Texas Star quilt block.

I didn't have a cream colored thread to match the medallion so chose to use something that would echo some background lines in the paper. This border is a little small for the medallion but the way I arranged them in layering makes it look planned.

I used some sticky backed tinted teardrops around the border to pull in more blue and they show up better than I expected on the dark blue background.

I went with a cream card base to feature the medallion more and mounted it with a single brad.

I cut apart a Dazzles gold sentiment and mounted half at the top and half at the bottom.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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Here is another of the four cards I made combining teabag folding and paper embroidery.

This one is my least favorite for several reasons:

-- the frame is just a smidge too small for the medallion, making it look crowded

-- the yellows are a poor match

-- there was no way to align the points with the beads without covering the beads, making the whole thing off kilter

-- I was disappointed after I rounded the top corners

-- not enough space to add sentiment or decor but looks unfinished without it

I guess that means "If I had it all to do over again, I wouldn't"!

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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I haven't done teabag folding for oh so long! But I joined in a swap for cards that combined teabag folding and paper embroidery and needed to fulfill that challenge.

I couldn't decide between four different units so I went through my patterns and chose different borders for each of them, matched up papers and threads and jumped right in.

I used to do most of my stitching on the road (hubby driving) but we haven't been driving as much. This cut into my stitching time! Fortunately we had a road trip scheduled so I packed up my kit and soon had all 4 borders stitched.

This first one is what I finally selected to send for the swap - it's headed off to The Netherlands.

The medallion was tri-colored and I wanted to use all of those colors in the embroidery. I think this pattern is marked Linzoos but I have no idea where I got it, other than it was free online.

I chose a paper that looks like gauze and stitched up all the embroidery. The pattern calls for rice beads but I don't have any so I used bugle beads instead. I added matching seed beads and sticky back rhinestones.

The teabag fold is held in place with ATG tape as well as a single brad.

Ddd 

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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I haven't done teabag folding for oh so long! But I joined in a swap for cards that combined teabag folding and paper embroidery and needed to fulfill that challenge.

I couldn't decide between four different units so I went through my patterns and chose different borders for each of them, matched up papers and threads and jumped right in.

I used to do most of my stitching on the road (hubby driving) but we haven't been driving as much. This cut into my stitching time! Fortunately we had a road trip scheduled so I packed up my kit and soon had all 4 borders stitched.

This first one is what I finally selected to send for the swap - it's headed off to The Netherlands.

The medallion was tri-colored and I wanted to use all of those colors in the embroidery. I think this pattern is marked Linzoos but I have no idea where I got it, other than it was free online.

I chose a paper that looks like gauze and stitched up all the embroidery. The pattern calls for rice beads but I don't have any so I used bugle beads instead. I added matching seed beads and sticky back rhinestones.

The teabag fold is held in place with ATG tape as well as a single brad.

Ddd 

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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OK, I am officially addicted to this technique. Once I showed it to the granddaughters they were addicted and now I am, too.

I amde this card larger than the usual ones I make so it will not go off to Operation Write Home. I might finally have some cards on hand to send to friends and relatives!

I used a different watercolor paper that I found when we ran out of the little pad I had been using. This was a bunch of loose sheets I had cut out of a letter-sized pad and of a higher quality. Not only were the pages thicker but there was less tooth and the surface could be manipulated when wet without pilling.

I worked on a half sheet filling the whole area. The top background was inked with tumbled glass and the bottom with sage green. Then I did the spot coloring with a green, pink and yellow. When this was dry I over-stamped with the flowers and the script.

I tore the top and bottom edges and placed on wide black borders. I trimmed the whole block and mounted it on a pink background that matches the flowers.

I added a sentiment block, bordered in the same pink and popped up on foam tape.

At the last minute I decided to use little dots of yellow pearl pen on the flower centers.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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Some time ago I was given a packet of black and white papers to use in crafting. About half of them were actually 'cream' instead of white which I liked better. One pattern (4 or 5 sheets) is a toile print that looks like antique fabric or wallpaper. There are only two sections of it that are whole scenes.

I cut out these two areas and colored them with the lightest colors in the Distress Markers set. When I was done they were still a bit bright and looked pretty fresh instead of looking antique like I wanted.

Then it occured to me that a whitewash might knock back the color and decided to use the Picket Fence "Distress Stain". This was perfect for muting the colors.

For the cards I layered them on two papers, did a little pen work with a fine black marker and added some tissue tape with script.

They were both finished with a blue-grey stamped sentiment popped up on foam tape.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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I liked that watercolor background card I made the first day so much that I decided to do it again - note to self: buy more watercolor paper.

This time I selected the stamp with the bottles with flowers standing in them. What a great technique this was to use with this stamp. I decided to start with a two-toned purple background. To this I added the blue and green for the bottles and an orange and red for the flowers.

After the last dry I used an unreadable text stamp to add some background in espresso ink and then stamped the image with black.

I mounted it on a purple card base with a very fine black border and hand drawn pen doodles around the stamped panel.

I attached a stamped sentiment block at the upper left.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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I had three granddaughters here a while back and, as with all my grandkids, we needed to have some crafty time. Having just finished up the stretching stamps class I wanted to show one of them a technique I had learned.

I chose to demonstrate the spot watercoloring that we learned on the bonus day.

In this you tape watercolor paper to the table, apply Distress Ink to a large acrylic block, spritz it with water and press it to the paper, hold for a bit for the color to soak in the paper some, and lift it off. Then you use a heat gun to day it. It is swiped with water on a brush and you hold an image stamped on acrylic over it and drop ink onto the damp paper underneath. You then let the color bleed out into the background some.

It is dried once again and then you stamp over it with black ink and make it into a card.

I chose to border the panel with gold paint pen, added some of this gold to the image and gave it a border of patterned paper. Then I added a sentiment strip cut as a banner, popped up on foam tape.

The granddaughter made hers with a purple background and an over-all butterfly background stamp enhanced with peacock blue.

Some fun!

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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