I wanted to try the Taylored Expressions ‘Create in Quads’ stencils, and used this Christmas tree stencil. Even though each stencil can be inked with the same colour, I decided to make it a little more interesting and created each of the quarters in different colours – swapping and changing the inks and blending brushes as needed.
The final stencil is for the snow effect, and I used some Tonic Nuvo Glacier paste on all four of the quads:
Once the paste was dry, I quartered the sheet, cut down each of the panels just slightly, and to create the matching border around each of the card base, I swiped one of the ink pads around the edges. This ensured that the edge matched at least one of the tones of the colours I had used for each quarter.
I hope you can come and join us with your Christmas creations. xx
Hello again. I have a card to share using some of the products from the recent Pinkfresh Studio ‘Create and Connect Event’:
This floral arrangement is from the ‘Lantern Botanicals’ stamp set, now on general release, but was provided as part of our event kit.
I stamped the floral images four times – minus the lantern at the top of the stamp – in a light ink, onto textured cream/linen card stock. The stamp was left in the Misti so I could stamp again with a darker brown ink after ink blending.
I then used the three layering stencils to colour the leaves and flowers, wondering if I had made an error using the textured card. I did stamp on the smooth side, but as you can see some of the texture came through with the ink blending. I think this gives and almost vintage feel to the images, so I carried on blending all four of them.
Once coloured, I then placed each piece back in the Misti, ensured it matched, then stamped again with a darker brown ink.
These were all then die cut, and extra layers cut and adhered together to create more stability and depth to them.
I used another A2 piece of the linen card, played with arranging the images, then glued them down – snipping the ones that hung over the edge, and adding little pieces if there were any large spaces.
The sentiment was stamped in the same dark brown ink, die cut, extra layers added, then attached to the card:
I added some iridescent gems in spaces. I like how these gems pick up the light, but also the colour of anything around them.
Hello once again. Billie A is hosting the new challenge at Cardz 4 Galz, and she has chosen the theme of ‘use some green‘. Here is my card:
I stamped this image from Pinkfresh Studio using a lighter brown ink so it had a soft outline. Once this was dry, I then used all the layering stencils and ink blending to colour the images.
I then die cut this panel to allow for a green layer on the white card base.
Once layered, I added some iridescent gems to the centre of the flowers, and a white heat embossed sentiment.
I hope you can come and join us with your projects which include green. xx
Hello there. I have been absent for a few days as I was trying to catch up with some virtual events I had over the past few weeks. All card making and crafting of course. One of the stamp, stencil and die sets I have used for this card is from the Pinkfresh Studio Create and Connect event:
I first stamped the A2 floral image with a light grey ink using my Misti, and kept the stamp on the lid. I then ink blended using the current colours from Color Throwdown, and the three inks you see in the picture.
The layering stencils – of which there are five for this image – were all used, but I did use different colours on one layer of some of the stencils. I also tried to create some dimension on the same image with the same ink – heavy handed to one side, and lighter hand to the other.
Once ink blended, I replaced the panel back into the Misti, then stamped the image again with a darker colour a browny grey – I thought black would be too stark. Lessoned learned from the Pinkfresh event – stamping again after you ink blended……it is a heart-stopping moment, and I have made mistakes in the past – but trust the Misti, and ensure your panel is in the corner each time you stamp.
The whole panel was die cut with the matching die – which cuts all the elements out in one pass through the die cutting machine.
The background is a piece of Sage card stock from Spellbinders, dry embossed using an older embossing folder from Stampin’ Up, then glued flat to the white card base.
I then used the Fancy Circles die set – also from Pinkfresh Studio – and die cut the large circle three times, die cut the centre out with another of the circles, then layered them together for a more substantial circular base for my wreath. I could have used any nesting circles, but at this point I wasn’t sure if any of the circle would be showing until I had arranged my elements.
The circle was glued to the embossed panel, and the images arranged, adhered with glue, and the smaller pieces tucked in where I thought they were needed.
The sentiment is heat foiled and added as you see, and some green gems glued around.
I do like to attend the virtual events from several companies in the United States, and even though there are added customs charges to some of them, I find the event itself, the instructors, and the way they are organised is something I will keep doing. I have ‘rationalised’ the events I attend though………..kinda……!
Hello there. I seem to be on a roll using products I have previously bought, but never used. I think I’m a collector – buy things ‘just in case’. I do eventually use them, but it might take me a while…….
Here is a card using a layering stencil from Pinkfresh Studio I have had for a little while:
I took the opportunity to use this set of stencils with the current colours for the Color Throwdown Challenge.
I had a piece of Vicki Boutin Foundation Paper I had taken out of the pad ready for a Distress Spray class yesterday, but never used, so I thought I would have a go and see how this card stock works with ink blending.
I used all the layers of the stencil, but I did use different tones of each colour on the same stencil. I would never have thought of doing that until I attended some Taylored Expressions and Pinkfresh Studio virtual events. Now I wonder why on earth I would think you have to use just the one colour on each layer is beyond me – but there you go…..we live and learn.
I used Pinkfresh inks as I have several colour families, and just inked it up. I am a little heavy handed when it comes to ink blending, so I made sure to dry each layer before moving on to the next stencil – another lesson learned…..
Once the panel was created, I used an older Mama Elephant slimline die to cut it out with a scallop and stitched edge, then adhered it to a Neenah card base.
The sentiment was chosen as it wouldn’t cover too much of the design, and I didn’t even add gems or sequins – that design really does stand for itself.
Hello everyone. I created this card and finally managed to use the matching stencils for this background I had in my stash from a previous foiling session:
I have this foil plate and matching stencils for a while, and had foiled the panel quite a few months ago, but hadn’t got around to using it. I used the opportunity with the current colours for The Color Throwdown.
Onto the silver foiled panel, I used all the layering stencils, and the three Distress Ink pads you see in the photo. I set this aside and die cut the arch from another white panel, then used a Stampin’ Up embossing folder to create the texture on it.
I wanted it to be almost like a stained glass window.
I then adhered the ink blended panel behind the arch aperture, using 3D foam to stick them to a card base.
The sentiment is also from a previous foiling session.
The ink blending took most of the time creating this card, but the choosing of the colours to use was easier as I have just finished swatching all my Distress Inks and Distress Oxides, so I can easily flip through the swatches to choose the colours.
I also realised there are 3 colours of Distress Inks I don’t currently have – that will be amended in the next couple of days….!
Hello. I have created a card using some Taylored Expressions products from the March 2023 Crop & Create:
The background stems are stamped and heat embossed with brass embossing powder.
I then used each of the four stencils to ink blend the flowers and leaves using a light yellow and a light orange ink from Pinkfresh Studio.
The layer for the darkest part of the flowers are on one stencil, but I used an itty bitty blender brush – also from Pinkfresh Studio – and blended a darker orange and a darker yellow onto the respective flowers. This wasn’t as daunting as you may think – those teeny tiny blending brushes worked a treat.
I then cut down the panel and mounted onto a white card base, adding the heat embossed sentiment – layered three times for extra thickness – and added some green gems which has some gold on them. I think these are from Spellbinders, and another virtual event – but I may be wrong…..
Hello. I have a card to share using a snowflake set from the recent Pinkfresh Studio Create and Connect event:
I created the background by stamping the snowflake image in Abandoned Coral Distress Oxide. The frame is from Pinkfresh Studio also, die cut in white, the inner portion die cut out, a layer of vellum also die cut with outer-most layer, glued to the back of the frame, and placed on top of the background.
I then stamped the snowflake in a light brown ink, left my snowflake where it was in the Misti, used all three layers of the stencils to colour it in, masking off portions so I had dark blue towards the middle, and light blue towards the outer portions. Those small blending brushes came in very handy for the itty bitty parts of the snowflakes.
I then placed the panel back into my Misti, and stamped with black ink.
The technique of stamping in a light colour, using the stencils, then stamping again in your darker colour, was learned from Pinkfresh events. It is a little anxiety provoking the first time you do it, and you have to ensure your card is placed into the corner both times of stamping – and you don’t remove the stamp, but I do like the darker outline when you stamp at the end.
I used the matching die for the snowflake, die cut another one to add to the back for a little more stability, then glued onto the card.
The sentiment is foiled and added with glue, then I added some gold sequins around the snowflake, and some dew drops to the four points and the centre.
The theme for the challenge is ‘birthday‘. Here is my card:
The main floral images are from Pinkfresh Studio, stamped twice, then coloured using the matching layering stencils. I varied the colours on each layer of the stencils, not just sticking to one colour each layer, and used a liberal amount of masking/low tack tape to cover some areas up – I am quite a robust ink blender when it comes to stencils.
I gave a deeper pressure towards the centre of the flowers to try and give some dimension, then die cut with the matching die set.
The background is a hot foil plate – also from Pinkfresh Studio – and used as more of an interest in the background. Once this panel was adhered to the card base, I attached both of the floral images as you see with 3D foam, added a foiled sentiment strip, and some gold sequins dotted around.
I hope you can come and join us in the challenge this month with your birthday themed projects.
Hello there. I am hosting the new challenge at ABC Christmas Challenge. We have reached the letters ‘N’ and ‘O’ and the themes for those letters are:
‘N’ for No Layers – card base only, no added layers, and/or ‘O’ is for Ornaments.
Here are my cards:
The ‘No layers’ card was created by using layering stencils from Pinkfresh Studio called ‘Winter Foliage’. I first stamped the image then used the stencils to colour in the images, and added some gold dots to the berries. I also went in with the gold marker and added some extra gold dots in the more open spaces.
The sentiment was heat embossed.
The ‘O is for Ornament’ card was created using a foil plate from Hero Arts – silver onto black card stock, adding a foiled sentiment in the centre, and even though I tried to restrain myself with the silver gems – I couldn’t resists just filling in the centre of the bauble with them……..
I hope you can come and join us with your Christmas/Festive creations using one or both of our themes. I even have a couple of stamp sets up for grabs to a random winner – so everyone is in with a chance of winning these:
loopyloocards 