Create an Bright Floral Set of Thank You Cards

by Steph Ackerman

Create an Bright Floral Set of Thank You Cards with Fireworks Shimmery Craft Sprays

I love large floral stamps, but because of their size, they don’t always lend themselves to be the center point of a card design. Instead of thinking of stamped images always being in the center today I am doing a split off-set design. Not only do you create an interesting look it is a quick and easy way to create two cards in one crafting session.

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 1 hour + dry time

Directions


Step 1

Cut 2 panels of white cardstock, each 4″ x 5″. Place them side by side on the craft mat. Ink stamp with VersaFine Clair in Nocturne and stamp on both panel simultaneously.


Step 2

Place a stencil in the open/white space to the right of the image. Use molding paste through the stencil to add dimension. Let dry.


Step 3

Using a paintbrush, paint Fireworks Shimmery Craft Spray in Dandelion on the smaller flower. Paint a light layer of Fireworks in Tangelo on the larger flower then use Fireworks in Dandelion to blend the colors. Paint Fireworks in Rich Cocoa in the center of the flowers. Ink the edges of each panel with Brilliance in Sunflower Yellow. Stamp “Thank you” with VersaFine Clair in Nocturne on white cardstock. Use an art dauber to add yellow ink to the sentiments.


Step 4

Mat the panels with yellow cardstock. Create cards from orange cardstock and add the stamped panels to each.


Step 5

Mat the sentiments with yellow cardstock. Add the sentiments to the cards with foam adhesives.

 

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Molding Paste
  • The Crafter’s Workshop – stencil
  • Cardstock – white, yellow, orange
  • Foam Adhesives
  • Paint Brush

Use a Stencil Background to Create Artists Trading Cards

by Elina Stromberg

Use a Stencil Background to Create Artists Trading Cards

For me, crafting is my way to unwind and to relax. Sometimes I feel that I need to start crafting, but I don’t necessarily have a specific project in mind. The solution is to create background pages for later use. For making background pages, I take out a few white blank papers, my favorite inks or paints, stencils, and stamps, and I’m good to go. There are no strict rules to follow so I often start with the light colors, move towards the darker shades, and whenever I encounter issues I drop my original idea and jump over to plan B or C. If the result is a total catastrophe I throw away the page and start all over. For me, the end result is not as important as the pleasure the creative process gives me.

Skill: Beginner
Time: 1 hour

Directions


Step 1

On this background page, I started with inking the white paper with a light green color of Memento in New Sprout. I applied the ink directly from the ink pad on the paper, using the Dew Drop ink pad and a soft circular motion. If I had used a larger ink pad I would have used a brayer or a Jumbo Dauber for coloring the page.


Step 2

Then I used a darker green ink color of Memento in Bamboo Leaves and a Sponge Dauber to stencil a pattern on the page. Once finished, I splashed water on the page, letting the water-soluble ink react with the water before drying the page with my heat gun. Love those splash marks!


Step 3

Then I used another stencil and a bit darker green ink and added smaller patterns on the page. Just a hint here and there will do the trick!


Step 4

Adding a hint of both white and black is always a good idea. Those will refresh the page and make the other colors pop. I stamped some black text patterns on the page and added white color with a gel pen. I think it did the trick I was looking for!


Step 4

In the end, I had two almost identical decorated papers. I cut a few ATC card backgrounds and used a piece of the patterned paper for a background for a die-cut card.

I think that the stenciled backgrounds look good on my ATC’s!

Supplies

Imagine

Other

  • Mixed Media Paper – White
  • Cardstock – Green, Yellow, Orange
  • Card base – White
  • Pronty – Leaf Stencils
  • Carabelle Studio – Dots
  • 13Arts – Triangles
  • Heat gun
  • Katzelkraft – Dog stamps
  • Wycinanka – Text pattern stamp
  • Sizzix – Bird stencil, Oval stencil
  • Alcohol markers
  • Glue
  • Double-sided tape
  • Gel pen – White

Learn How to Make Quick and Easy Lavender Sachets

by Roni Johnson

Learn How to Make Quick and Easy Lavender Sachets with Fabrico Markers

Imagine’s Color of the Month for August is Lavender so I decided to create this lovely little “No-Sew” lavender sachet. This is a quick and easy project and with the help of Fabrico Markers and a bit of Tear It Tape, you can have a pile of these little goodies to use and to share.

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 30 minutes

Directions


Step 1

Cut cotton fabric to the desired size. Iron the material into a square. If desired add a flap at the top to create an “envelope”.


Step 2

Use Fabrico Markers to color directly onto the rubber stamp.


Step 3

Press the inked stamp onto the fabric. Use a hot iron to set the inks by running the iron over the stamped image 30 seconds.


Step 4

Open the fabric up and affix strips of Tear It! Tape to the edges of the fabric as shown. An extra piece was added on the flap to hold it closed as well.


Step 5

Remove the liner from the tape and carefully place a small pile of lavender in the center of the fabric. Fold the front of the sachet over and press the edges together to secure. Remove the tape from the flap and secure.

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Club Scrap – Lavender Stamps
  • Cotton Fabric
  • Iron

Learn to Emboss with a Stencil

by Martha Lucia Gomez

Purple and lavender Hello Friend handmade card featuring Memento Inks by Tsukineko available from Imagine.

Hello Fellow Crafters! Today, I am sharing some of my favorite stencil techniques with you! Layering stencils are trending now and we can create beautiful designs and make techniques with the different patterns. I am sharing an all textured card with a “Hello Friend” greeting. This month our challenge is stencils and the Color of the Month is Lavender.

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 30 minutes

Directions


Step 1

Select the color of cardstock and the stencils that you want to use. I am using Wisteria Wonder cardstock and the Layering Dahlia A & B Bundle Stencil from Altenew. Use the layers with different colors of ink. In my sample, I am using Memento Ink in Lulu Lavender and Grape Jelly. Apply the soft color on the stencil with more free areas and the dark color on the detailed stencil. To create the first layer of texture, place the stencil over the stenciled layer in the corresponding place.


Step 2

Create a special sandwich on your big shot to make the embossing. Remember that the pressures of cutting machines are different so you need to test and listen to your version. In my big shot the correct sandwich is:

  • Closed Platform
  • Rubber Pad
  • A piece of cardstock (shim)
  • Stenciled card layer
  • Stencil
  • Embossing Plate

Paste the ensemble sandwich easily through your die cut machine to emboss the stencil design and voila, you will have the first textured.


Step 3

Now it’s time to create the traditional embossing over your card. To make this I am using a Stencil Word from Jillibean Soup. Secure the stencil over the stenciled layer. Apply VersaMark directly with the ink pad over the “Hello”. Remove the stencil and cover the stamped word with Embossing Powder in White. Melt the powder with the heat tool. Paste the stenciled layer over a whisper white card base. Stamp a complement of the word and paste it over the card with On Point Glue.

Supplies

Imagine
Other
  • Altenew – Layering Dahlia A & B Bundle Stencil
  • Hampton Art – Hello stencil from Jillibean Soup
  • Big Shot – Rubber Mat
  • Glue Dots
  • Cardstock – Wisteria Wonder, Whisper White
  • Big Shot Die Machine
  • Masking Tape

Create Two Matching Cards with One Stencil Application

by Kassy Tousignant

Create Two Matching Cards with One Stencil Application

Stencils and Fireworks Shimmery Craft Spray are a match made in heaven! Stencils can be used in so many different ways and here I show you a cool technique to get more use out of your stencils and maybe see them in a different way. I was able to make two cards rather quickly with one ink application.

Supplies

Imagine

Fireworks Shimmery Craft Spray – Grape Jelly
GooseBumps – Sparkle
Creative Medium – Clear
Tear It! Tape
IrRESISTible Pico Embellisher -Tuxedo Black

Other

• Carabelle Studio – stencil
• Prima – Black gesso, Flowers
• Nuvo – Crystal drops
• Fine jute string
• Creative Embellishments – chipboard frames
• Glue Dots
• Cardbase

Create a Vibrant Art Journal Page to Tell Your Story

by Iris Rodriguez

Create a Vibrant Art Journal Page to Tell Your Story

Have you ever been attracted a shape, a pattern, an image, a technique and you don’t know why? For me, it’s been Asemic writing and abstract figures. Asemic writing is a wordless form of writing. It makes words look real, but it’s not meant to be read. This is a perfect way to express that you can write your own story every day and that nothing is set in stone. Imagine’s irRESISTible Pico Embellisher is a very fine mark-making tool and a medium perfect for Asemic writing. See how I make this vibrant journal page.

Skill: Intermediate
Time: 1.5 hours

Directions


Step 1

Spray the watercolor paper with water. Then brush on the All-Purpose Ink in Rose Pink, and Tropical Lagoon. Also, Brush on Fireworks Shimmery Craft Spray in Dandelion. Do not blend or the colors will turn into a mud color. Rather color in separate areas. You can lightly blend the edges with a brush. Dry the paper.


Step 2

Use an InkBlushers to stencil in patterns with VersaFine Clair in Tulip Red, Monarch and Warm Breeze. You can use any stencil pattern you happen to have.


Step 3

To get a dimensional look, like you see on the top right of the of the image above, stencil the shape with a dark color, then place the stencil over the same area and slightly offset it, stencil a lighter color ink.


Step 4

The Dina Wakley stencil contains the positive and negative shapes. The cutout (positive) piece is considered a mask. Place the mask on the substrate. Make an outline with the VersaFine Clair in Nocturne using a Sponge Dauber.


Step 5

Continue to add to the shadows around the silhouette.


Step 6

Place a few drops of All-Purpose Ink in White onto your craft matt and pounce the Inkblusher into it and color inside the silhouette. This ink is opaque, so a couple of drops is more than enough. This will make the silhouette standout, while slightly making out the color and patterns underneath.


Step 7

Make Asemic writing marks inside the silhouette with the IrRESISTible Pico Embellisher in Tuxedo Black. It helps if you think of several parts of a phrase, song, poem and abstractedly and write it out.


Step 8

On a piece of white cardstock paper, stamp out a sentiment, then cut it out. Glue onto the page. Draw a frame with the black IrRESISTible Pico Embellisher for added interest.

Thank you! If you would like to learn more about stenciling then please see a full tutorial: Learn the Basics of Stenciling

Supplies

Imagine

Other

  • Watercolor paper
  • Crafter’s Workshop – Rebekah Meier stencil; Star and Flower
  • Dyan Reaveley’s Dylusions Arrows stencil
  • Dina Wakley Casey & Penelope stencil
  • Alphabet stamps