Showing posts with label stencil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stencil. Show all posts

Sunday, February 7, 2021

Happy Little Stampers Stencil Challenge - February 2021...

Hi! Welcome to another month of the Happy Little Stampers Stencil challenge. 

I created a very loose, artsy background with my stencils and Brushos.


This technique actually creates two backgrounds. So it is a great twofer technique. I had the other card as my inspiration last month. You can check it out here.

I used the Layered Hydrangea stencil by CrafTreat and Brushos to create the background. You can check out my video on this technique here.

Here is a closeup of the card. The sentiment is from the Fresh Freesia stamp set by Altenew.


Close-up of the stenciling.


Another look at the card.



I do hope you will join us in this great new challenge. Looking forward to your beautiful creations in our gallery.

Love,

Nandini







Wednesday, December 2, 2020

Slimline Card with CrafTreat 3D Decoupage...

Hi! I am on the CrafTreat YouTube channel with a very special slimline card. I used the beautiful Botanical Blooms 2 sheet to create the 3D decoupage. I also include some tips for extending your regular stencils to fit the longer slimline cards. You can watch the video by clicking here.


Here is a close-up of the card.


Close-up of the 3D decoupage


The flap flips up to show the sentiment


Here is the completed card once again


Entering this card in the following challenges:

Simon Says Wednesday - Anything Goes:

STAMPlorations December Stencil Challenge:


 STAMPlorations December CAS Challenge:


Mix It Up Challenge MIUCB#44:

Sparkles Challenge #134 - Use a Stencil:


Edited – 10-06-2021

Creative Creases Challenge #8


Love,

Nandini

 

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Floral Card with Layered Stencils...

Hi! I recently tried the layered stencils by CrafTreat. These have been around for some time now and I was curious to see how well they worked. I am already a huge fan of layered stamps and have a large collection in my stash. I also love stencils, both using them and designing them.
I bought the Tiger Lily stencil since I loved the large blooms and the samples I checked out on the CrafTreat blog. Here is the card I made with the stencil.


I started with a panel of white cardstock and distress inks. I taped the stencil to the panel and inked through the panel with a soft brush. I used shades of yellow and red for the two flowers. After the flowers were done, I masked them and inked the leaves. Here is a close-up of the flower.


The sentiment is from */* stamp set by Technique Tuesday. I stamped it directly on the panel.


Since I didn’t have a card base in the shade of green I wanted, I inked the base with distress inks. To finish, I just popped up the panel with foam tape and adhered it to the card base.

Here is another look at the completed card.


I hope you liked my card and will give layered stencils a try. They seem to be the latest and hottest trend, with lots of companies introducing their own designs. Since stencils have a lower price point, they are a great option for crafters who like the layered look. But don’t want to spend on layered stamp sets. Also, the range of products you can use with stencils is much larger and they can be easily used on surfaces other than paper.

I really loved the CrafTreat stencil. The layering is very easy and the quality of stencils is excellent. I would love it if CrafTreat includes a small layering guide with the stencil. It took me some time to figure out how the layers worked and a beginner crafter might find it intimidating. Also, a mask for the flower would be a welcome addition. That said I am looking forward to adding more of these beautiful stencils in my stash.

Entering my card in the following challenges:
Love,
Nandini

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Review of the Itsy Bitsy Stamp & Die Set...

Hi! I am here today to review the new Clear Stamp and Coordinating Die Set by Itsy Bitsy. You can find my previous reviews here, here and here. 

Itsy Bitsy recently launched 3 stamp sets along with their coordinating die sets under their brand Little Birdie. I selected the set called Florence which has beautiful roses along with buds and leaves. 




This set has 9 stamps and 9 dies. The price is only 999/- which makes this set very reasonable. The images are perfect for different coloring mediums. I loke that these are plenty of leaves. So building a floral cluster is very easy. I was also lucky to try the other two sets during my demo at the Itsy Bitsy store in Panaji. I will share those cards at the end of this post.


For my first card, I created a window card with some simple coloring.




I started with a white card base and a white mat. The stamping was identical on both. I stamped the large flower first. Then masked it with masking paper and stamped rest of the cluster. I used alcohol markers to color the image. I die-cut the images from the mat with the coordinating dies. This created a window that fits perfectly over my flower cluster. 




To add more interest, I inked the mat with a blue die ink. To finish, I stamped the sentiment and popped up the panel on some foam tape. Here is another look at the card.




For my second card, I decided to use some of the beautiful papers that Itsy Bitsy has. I used the Pretty Pastels paper pack. I also pulled out some handmade papers out of the Assorted Textures Value Pack. I love these packs and have several of them.


Each pack has an assortment of papers, jute, fabric etc. These packs come in really handy while card making. Here is my card.



I started with three sheets from the Pretty Pastels paper pack. I used a pink polka dot paper for the flowers and two shades green plaid papers for the leaves. I stamped the images and then cut them out with the coordinating dies. I inked the die-cuts with dye inks to add some depth and interest.


The card base is a dark grey. I stamped the smaller flower randomly with grey ink to create a nice tone-on-tone background. I cut pink, teal and white papers using the Itsy Bitsy oval dies. I stamped the sentiment on the white oval with pink ink.


To finish, I arranged the flowers and leaves in a pleasing pattern and adhered them to the card. Here is the completed card.


For my final card, I decided to do some water coloring and inlay die-cutting.


I took a panel of Little Birdie Watercolor Paper. This is a professional-grade, cold-pressed 100% cotton paper. It is thick and I love that it is bright white. I stamped only the leaves with black ink and then colored them with shades of yellow and green. Once the paint was dry, I splattered the background with the diluted paints. I also added some splatters of black and white.


I trimmed the panel and a green handmade paper with Little Birdie Rectangular Dies. These nested dies are a great addition to your stash as they are made to fit a standard A2 size card. I die-cut the leaves from the watercolored panel with the coordinating dies. I took a black card base and adhered the green handmade paper and the water-colored panel to it. I popped up the leaves and added them to the panel. This creates a lovely 3-dimensional background. Here is a look at the angled panel.


This card is now ready. I can either use it without a sentiment. Or just add a suitable one whenever I want to send the card. Here is another look at the card.


I hope you found my review helpful. I would definitely recommend these sets to crafters who like coloring and, like me, don’t like fussy cutting. At 999/- per set they are priced very well and each set has loads of options to create beautiful designs. Here are my three cards together.


I got the opportunity to use the other two sets as well during one of the demos that I do at the Itsy Bitsy store in Panjim. These demos are held every Saturday, with different techniques covered every week. You can contact your nearest store for more details. Here are the cards I made during the demo.

With the Florence set, using Song of the Sea pattern paper pack and some stenciling.


Masking and sentiment stamping. I colored the flower with the Little Birdie alcohol markers.


With the Bloom Vista set, some simple water-coloring and inking.


With the Florenza set, using the Song of the Sea pattern paper pack and partial die-cutting.


Stamp and die sets are great for creating twofer cards. The first card with an inked background.


Second card with a splattered background.


Both cards together.


I hope you will give these great sets a try.  You can buy them at any of the Itsy Bitsy stores. Or order online from the website here.

Love,

Nandini






Tuesday, January 28, 2020

White-on-white Elegance...

Hi! I recently finished the Mission: Inspiration class by Altenew Academy. The instructor, Nicole Watts, is an amazing teacher and the class focused on where and how to find inspiration. It also included several tips on organizing the inspiration and converting it into actual cards. If you are like me and end up spending a lot of time surfing on the net, this class is for you.

I made two white-on-white cards with loads of texture. This is the first card. I will post the second next week.



I started with a piece of watercolor paper and the Foliage stencil by Altenew. I used the Mixed Media Paste by Little Birdie instead of inks or paint for the first layer. Made by Itsy Bitsy India, the Mixed Media paste is a great product. Applied directly it works as texture or embossing paste. It can also be diluted with water and used as gesso. After the panel was completely dry, I used the Sparkle Paste, also by Little Birdie for the second layer. Here is a closer look at the panel.



I trimmed the panel and mounted it on a top folding ivory card base with foam tape. The sentiment is from the Cross Stitch Flower stamp set by Altenew. I stamped it with black ink on a strip of dark orange paper.


The sentiment strip is also popped up on foam tape for added dimension. Here is another look at the completed card.


I just love the gentle shimmer of the Sparkle Paste and the pop of the sentiment strip.



Hope you liked my card. I would love to hear from you.


Entering this card in the following challenges:

Yes, Virginia January Show & Share:



Simon Says Monday Challenge - All Loved Up:

Timeout Challenge #153 - Wardrobe:



I was inspired by the beautiful Chikankari Kurtis that I have. Chikankari is a form of traditional Indian embroidery that is done on thin cotton fabrics in white. The fabrics are generally white or very pastel colors. Here is a typical example.



As You See It Challenge #217 - Love is in the Air:

Love,

Nandini

Sunday, May 12, 2019

Mono-printing with Stencils...

Hi! I had a post on the Mudra Craft Stamps blog yesterday with some ideas on using mono-printing on your cards. You can check out the post here. I have a total of 8 cards and cover three different ways of doing it. You can also link your cards for the current Mudra challenge - Hello Summer.

I have always loved working with stencils. And Mudra definitely has a large variety to choose from. I created three cards from my mono-printed backgrounds.

Card 1:
The original panel with ink blending and stencilling.



Entering this card in the following challenges:

The Flower Challenge #32 - Embossing (Heat / Dry):



Simon Says Monday Challenge - Add Something Metallic:
I used Metallic Gold embossing powder by Ranger

May CAS Stencil Challenge:


Fab Friday #163:




Card 2:
The second panel after mono-printing. I absolutely adore the soft colours.



Entering this card in the following challenges:

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - For A Special Lady:

Just Add Ink #456:
I was very inspired by white flowers and really pale colours.



HLS May Watercolor Challenge:



Virginia's Show and Share:




Love,
Nandini