– Hello! Alison Heikkila here. I am so excited to share today’s video today because we’re using a product I haven’t used in quite a while. If you have never seen Amplify! before, you’re in for a textural treat. We’re going to use it with a cool stencil from A Colorful Life Designs.
*Some affiliate links are used in this post. That means that if you shop through these links, I may receive a small compensation, at no cost to you. For more information, please see my Affiliates page, where I also have some coupon codes.
Skill Level: Intermediate Time to Complete: 20-25 minutes
I think you can tell from the video that I had a blast making this card. I plan on making more like this soon, so I hope you’ll check them out. Thanks so much for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!
– In today’s blog post, I will show you a couple of ways to incorporate stencils into your cards using VersaMagic Chalk Inks, Brilliance Pigment Ink, and Delicata Inks. This is a wonderful way to use those stencils you have in your stash for an encouragement card or any holiday.
Skill: Intermediate Time: 1 hour
Directions:
Step 1: Use washi tape to secure a large floral stencil to a piece of cardstock or watercolor paper, making sure that the cardstock is slightly larger than the stencil image you are going to use. Use a sponge dauber to apply Mango Madness VersaMagic Chalk Ink onto the center of the flower. Optional: Move the stencil away from the image and heat emboss the center of the flower with clear embossing powder before replacing the stencil and moving onto the next step.
Step 2: Using a second sponge dauber, apply Pearlescent Purple Brilliance Ink to color in all of the flower’s petals.
Step 3: Using the same dauber, apply Purple Hydrangea VersaMagic Chalk Ink to the outer edges of the flower’s petals. Optional step: Remove the stencil and add embossing powder to your flower petals to help with smudging. Then return the stencil onto your paper in the exact same place on your paper.
Step 4: Using a black artist pen, trace the edges of the stencil’s holes (to add a border around each ink blended area of the stencil). Then remove the stencil and set it aside. (I decided not to add the black outlines to the innermost circle of the flower’s center as I was planning something different there. Later, I realized that I had not outlined one tiny triangle that I should have in the center of the flower.)
Step 5: Fussy cut the edges of the flower with a pair of scissors. Then use the sponge dauber to ink blend the edges of the flower with more of the Purple Hydrangea VersaMagic Chalk Ink.
Step 6: Attach the leafy part of the stencil to another piece of watercolor paper or cardstock with more washi tape. Using another sponge dauber, blend the inner part of the leaf with Tea Leaves VersaMark Chalk Ink and the outer edges with Hint of Pesto VersaMark Ink. Mix a little Turquoise Gem VersaMagic Chalk Ink with water and watercolor the center parts of the leaves. Optional: Remove the stencil and heat emboss the ink with more clear embossing powder. Replace the stencil over the leaf.
Step 7: Using the black artist pen, trace the edges of the leafy part of the stencil’s openings (to add a border around each ink blended area of the stencil). Then remove the stencil and set it aside.
Step 8: Fussy cut the stenciled leaf using a pair of scissors. Using the same sponge dauber you used to blend the rest of the leaf, blend the Hint of Pesto VersaMagic Chalk Ink around the edges of the leaf. (Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of the leaf with the ink blended edges.)
Step 9: Return the stencil to another piece of watercolor paper. Spray the paper through the stencil with Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Spray as well as Bahama Blue and Grape Jelly Fireworks! Shimmery Craft Spray. Allow the spray to dry or use your heat tool to dry the spray. After the spray dried, use a circular die to cut a piece of the watercolor paper that is slightly larger than the stenciled flower.
Step 10: Ink blend the whole edge of the circular die cut with more of the Brilliance Pearlescent Purple ink with a sponge dauber. Return the stencil to the circular die cut and use a variety of the same colors of ink to stencil the edges of the die cut using more sponge daubers. In blend the small flower with Mango Madness and Turquoise VersaMagic Chalk Inks, the dots with more of the Turquoise VersaMagic Chalk Inks, and the curved lines with Purple Hydrangea VersaMagic Chalk Ink. Optional: Heat embossed the ink with more clear embossing powder.
Step 11: Create the background panel by die cutting a piece of white cardstock or watercolor paper with an A2-sized die cut. Place a stencil with larger open leafy areas over the watercolor paper and then gently run Golden Glitz Delicata ink across the panel to add some soft gold accents. Ink blend several of the leaves with Tea Leaves VersaMagic Chalk Ink, making sure that there are some gold leaves and green leaves. Gently press the Golden Glitz Delicata Ink cube to the edges of the panel to leave a gold border around the edge of the panel. Splatter some gold watercolor across the panel and allow it to dry.
Step 12: Stamp a sentiment of your choice on the lower right part of the panel with Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink. Optional: Heat emboss the sentiment with clear embossing powder. Glue the circular die cut onto the center-right of the panel and trim the very edge of the circular die cut to match the background panel. Attach the leaf and flower to the card with foam tape. Glue small yellow sequins to the center of the flower and add purple and yellow sequins onto the card. Glue the whole panel onto an A2-sized white card base. Splatter a little more gold watercolor across the card.
Other TCW (The Crafter’s Workshop)-Stencil-Dahlia Blooms (6”x6”) Simon Says Stamp-Stencil-Mod Layering Leaves (1 of 2 stencils in the set) Simon Says Stamp-Stamp-Amazing Catherine Pooler-Sequins-Paisley Park and Saint Lucia sequin mixes Embossing powder in my stash Hero Arts-Die-Nesting Circle Infinity die set Honey Bee Stamps-Die-Deckle Edge A2 die set Altenew-Foam Tape-Instant Dimension Foam Tape Scissors Black artist pen Clear embossing powder Glue
We’re thrilled to unveil our 2024 Artists In Residence Design Team!
Get ready to be inspired by the remarkable creativity of our group of skilled designers.
Let’s get to know them a bit…
LV Handcrafted
Hi! I’m Linh – or LV Handcrafted on social media. I live in Seattle, WA with my husband and our two dogs. I’ve been crafting since I was in high school but took a long break as I started my career. Now (many years later) I am my own boss working as a business consultant, so I can balance my time and do more of what I love – papercrafting! There’s always so much to learn in papercrafting, and I find great joy in adding my own twist and sharing what I’ve learned. I love Imagine products. There’s such a wide range of media supplies. It’s so fun to experiment, have a bit of a play and create something exciting. I’m honored to be a part of this amazing team.
Hello! My name is Alison Heikkila and I have been a crafter my entire life. My mom started me off with coloring and stringing beads from a very young age, and I never stopped. I have an art degree with a specialization in jewelry and sculpture, but I love working in many mediums and styles. Getting inky is absolutely one of my favorite things!
I have an amazing husband who loves to see what I create each day (and even crafts along with me sometimes!) and two very creative kids. Sometimes the four of us craft together, which is so much fun. We’ve also got two dogs, and we reside in New York.
I love to create, as I feel it truly feeds my soul. Getting a little “playtime” in my craft room each day is really important to me. I look forward to sharing projects with you.
Hi, I am Amalia from Cool Cakes and Crafts with Amalia on YouTube. I am new to the team but a longtime paper crafter. I started my crafty adventures as a Wilton Method of Cake Decorating instructor for 17 years, (that’s where the “Cool Cakes” comes from) then a fellow instructor invited me to a SU! Party and I was hooked! I live and work in New York City and while it certainly is a big city you would be surprised how far outside of the city I have to travel to find paper crafting resources! Thank goodness for online shopping and Imagine! Aside from baking and card making, I also make beaded jewelry and create projects with polymer clay. As you can tell, I love all the creative things and I love sharing it with others and showing everyone how fun and easy it is to be creative.
Hi, I’m Nancy May, mother, sister, friend, licensed clinical social worker, creative, but you might know me as Handi Scandi. I have been crafting for many years – since my adult children were littles. It started as an inexpensive way to decorate my home to make it cozy for my family, and when my children loved to get messy with me in the process it became so much more. All of my children are creatives and creativity manifests itself differently in each of us. Stamping became my safe space, if you will, shortly after my youngest daughter passed away. I needed something to focus on rather than grief, and I remembered how much I loved stamping and card making. This crafty life has taken on a life of its own and I have been introduced to the wonderful world of card making on a much grander scale. As I learn more and more about art and the creative process I find myself drawn to mixed media, art journaling, grunge, stencils, sprays, pastes, and inks…glorious inks! I am an intuitive crafter who rarely has a plan, loves to get messy and inky and shows myself grace throughout the process. I reframe mistakes as opportunities and almost never throw things away. Through all of this I am developing my own style that I have coined grungy elegance. I am so excited to be a part of the Imagine Crafts team as it opens another door of exploration, creativity and discovery.
Hi! I am Helen. I am a stay-at-home wife and a mom of 2 daughters. I grew up in Indonesia and now live in Ohio with my family. I am working at home part time as a translator. I love paper crafting, Bible Journaling, working on mixed media and DIY projects. I love coffee, tea, and dark chocolate.
Hi, it’s me Simply Monica mother of two. I have an amazing grandson Jace and another one coming soon to join the bunch. I have been crafting over 20 yrs and love it. It’s my happy place and I hope to inspire others with my journey at Imagine
I’m a cat-loving card maker who also creates tags, art journals, and home décor pieces. I love stamping, mixed media, and experimenting with different supplies and techniques. I love to paper craft because there’s something so oddly calming about focusing on a project. My favorite part is when a project comes out the way I had envisioned it in my mind’s eye. I also like to share my creations online and always include full supply lists and detailed instructions on my blog posts.
Hello crafty friends! My name is Jessica Lin. You may have recognized me or seen some of my previous projects, and I am so excited to be back on Imagine’s design team! I am a crafty gal in my late twenties, but my passion for cardmaking started a long time ago when I was 9. I was introduced to wooden stamps and I haven’t stopped stamping since. Some of my other hobbies include sewing, washi tape collaging, and I hope one day I’ll learn how to crochet, too.
I grew up in Taiwan and speak Mandarin as my mother tongue, so my YouTube channel is mostly filmed in Chinese. This year, I decided to create a bilingual Instagram account. If you are inspired by bold, vibrant colors and enjoy detailed projects with lots of layers, come have a visit! I look forward to meeting and crafting with all of you!
I am Ceal Pritchett and I reside in the mountains of western North Carolina with my husband and our little fur baby Shih Tzu. I have been a crafter in some form since childhood. I fell in love with cardmaking around 15 years ago. I am a clean and simple cardmaker who sometimes dabbles in other things like art journals, bible journaling, and painting.
Anna Escalada York grew up on a farm outside of Phoenix, Arizona and moved to Portland, Oregon to go to college, where she met her husband. They have two children (one in high school and the other in middle school), a cat and two guinea pigs. She is also a proud teacher at her local high school for almost 20 years in SE Portland, Oregon (go Lightning)! Her other hobbies are reading, riding her bike, nerding out to Star Wars, and reading.
Anna has been crafting (almost exclusively card making) since 2004, but stepped away for a while when it was too hard to juggle the demands of being a mom of little children and working full time. She returned to her craft room in 2019 and started blogging consistently in 2020. One of her recent crafty achievements has been creating 700 cards in 2021. Her favorite craft supplies include heat embossing, using splatter, and coloring with markers. Her favorite style is sparkle!
Hello friends! This is Linh (or LV Handcrafted on all the socials). Do you make a lot of holiday cards either to sell or to send out? Check out this fast and fun way to create 100% one-of-a-kind cards for the holidays. These are great for making cards in bulk for fairs, to donate or to send out!
Skill: Intermediate Time: 5-10 minutes (depends on how many you make)
Hello friends! This is Linh (or LV Handcrafted on all the socials). Do you make a lot of holiday cards either to sell or to send out? Check out this fast and fun way to create 100% one-of-a-kind cards for the holidays. These are great for making cards in bulk for fairs, to donate or to send out!
Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate Time: 1 hour
Step 1: Use magnets to secure a 4” x 5.25” piece of Kraft cardstock onto the base of a stamping platform.
Position two snowflakes from the Snowflakes Large Clear Polymer Stamp Set so that one is facedown at the top left of the image panel and the other one is at the bottom right of the image panel. Ink the snowflake stamps with Emerald Green and Ruby Red Delicata Ink and stamp. Re-ink and stamp again if necessary to create good images. Clean and dry both stamps.
Step 2: Position the third snowflake stamp from the stamp set facedown between the stamped snowflakes on the image panel. Ink the stamp with Sapphire Blue Delicata Ink and stamp. Re-ink and stamp again if necessary to create a good impression. Clean and dry the stamp. Reposition the same stamp facedown on the other side of the image. Ink the stamp with Sapphire Blue Delicata Ink. Clean and dry the stamp.
Step 3: Position one of the snowflake stamps from the Snowflakes Small Clear Polymer Stamp Set facedown in the center top of the image panel. ink the stamp with Sapphire Blue Delicata Ink and stamp. Re-ink and stamp again if necessary to create a good impression. Clean and dry the stamp.
Continue the process of stamping snowflakes from the Snowflakes Small and the Snowflakes Clear Stamp sets with all three colors of Delicata Inks, taking care to clean and dry the stamps between colors. Heat set the image panel.
Step 4: Ink the sentiment stamp with Sapphire Blue Delicata ink and stamp onto a piece of Kraft cardstock.
Step 5: Use low-tack tape to secure a rectangle die to the sentiment strip. Run the sentiment strip through a die-cutting machine. Use a slightly larger rectangle die to cut a Kraft cardstock.
Step 6: Use a sponge dauber to apply Emerald Green Delicata Ink to the die-cut. Heat set.
Step 7: Use a Sponge Dauber to edge the snowflake stamped image panel. Heat set.
Step 8: Use Tear It! Tape to adhere the image panel to a Kraft A2 Card. Use Tear-It Tape to adhere the sentiment to finish the card.
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