Tag: Stenciling

cardmaking · Die cutting · Stamping

It’s a Jungle! | August 2024 Hero Studio Release

Karen Brown13 Comments
3 cards created with Hero Arts August 2024 Jungle Theme Relsease.

I am so excited that it is Launch Day for Hero Studio’s playful August jungle theme release. I can’t wait to show you some of Hero Arts GORGEOUS new products, so kick back and hop along with the Creative Team.

Hero will give away a $50 gift card, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Sunday, August 11th at 11:59pm Pacific, and the winner will be announced on the Hero Arts blog the following week. Links to all the Hop Participants is below.

Create Your Own Jungle | Studio Card Kit of the Month

Colorful playful "have a wild birtthday" homemade card created with Hero Studio August 2024 Card Kit of the Month.

The August Card Kit of the Month is so playful with tons of wonderful elements to incorporate into your papercrafting projects. For my first card, I used the Heroscape stamp set to create a “wild” birthday card. I think the Nesting Postage Stamp Dies give an exotic travel feel to my card.

I masked and ink blended a tiny beach for my elephants to walk along, and then stamped the rest of my scene. I used Fawn (sand), Green Apple Core, Fresh Lawn Core, Pool Party, Deep Ocean, Pale Tomato and Tangerine. I then die cut my scene and a mat and adhered to my card base with craft foam.

What’s Inside the Kit?

Curious about this month’s kit? Let’s take a peek inside the August 2024 Hero Studio Card Kit.

KIT INCLUDES:
• Jungle HeroScape Clear Stamp Set, 6″ x 8″
• 12 Coordinating Dies
• 5 Fancy Dies
• Jungle Scenics Stencil, 6″ x 6″
• Olive Hero Wax
• White Plastic Palette Knife
• 3 Reactive Ink Cubes (Key Lime Fizz, Green Apple, Fruit Punch)
• 2 Reactive Glitz Ink Pads (French Pink, Byzantine Green)
• 5 Printed Sticker Sheets, 6″ x 6″

Kit Cost:

$46 with Subscription + FREE SHIPPING
$49.99 One-Time Purchase
While Supplies Last

5 Wonderful Kit Options:

For this blog post, I created with two kits and 1 Extraordinary Extra, but there there are 5 kits plus 5 Extras available. You can also buy the Whole Studio, which includes all 5 kits at a wonderful savings.

Jungle Serenity | August Extraordinary Extra

Colorful water lily card created with Hero Arts Jungle Serenity stamp and die bundle.

I used my favorite blues and greens for this cool and calm Jungle Serenity card. I stamped my images, colored with alcohol markers and layered my backdrop using my Rounded Rectangle Infinity Dies.

PRO TIP: There is a small die in the lower left corner that is easy to overlook when you are snipping your dies apart. Be sure to separate that piece before die cutting.

Jungle Serenity Stamp and Die Bundle

Colorful thkinkig of you sympathy card that is colored with alcohol markers and die cut.
Hero Studio Layering Stencil of the Month | Monthly Mini
Colorful laering stencil jungle foliage card with die cut accent elements.

If you want a background with loads of impact, then the August Layering Stencil of the Month is definitely for you!

I ink blended my background and then continued the foliage theme by adding die cuts and a sentiment from my August Card Kit of the Month. I love how the kit themes for each month all work together….endless possibilites!

Supplies Used:

Blog Hop Links:


Hero Arts

Seeka

Rosie Lopez

Rachel Kleinman

Natasha Vacca

Natasha Polite

Michelle Short

Lydia Fiedler

Karen Brown You Are Here!

Jennifer Kotas

Jeannie Lieu

Ilina Crouse

Heather Ruwe

Charlene Madrid

Channin Pelletier
I am so happy you stopped by today!

Cardmaking Kit

Sunny Beach Theme Cards | July 2024 Hero Studio Release

Karen Brown22 Comments
Colorful aquatic under-water theme Heroscape card created with Hero Arts Tropical Fishes stamps and die + Pebbles and Stones stencil.

Welcome to the July Hero Studio release, where we are bringing a summery beach theme in Hero Arts signature style and quality! Get ready to ignite your creativity and elevate your crafting experience with the brand new lineup of the July Hero Studio cardmaking kits. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting your crafting journey, these 5 cardmaking kits offer something for everyone.

Summer is here, and there’s no better way to celebrate the sunny season than with a couple of beach-themed handmade cards. Today I’ve created two delightful designs that I hope will help inspire your crafting adventures.

Tropical Underwater Scene Card | Extraordinary Extra

Today, we’ll dive into making a vibrant, underwater-themed card featuring a stenciled background and beautifully Copic colored die-cut tropical fish. This project is perfect for celebrating summer or simply brightening someone’s day with a splash of color.

How to create a water/ocean/lake background with Hero Arts Pebbles and Stones stencil.

This aquatic card was fun to create!

  • I tried a new trick for stamping and it worked great! I put the acetate sheet with the Tropical Fishes (SB406) stamps on the sticky mat in my StampWheel and taped my cardstock to the lid and stamped away. This was a real timesaver. So much faster than peeling each stamp off and positioning it.
  • For my background, I took a 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″ panel of Arctic cardstock and stenciled the Pebbles and Stones (SA276) with Pool Party ink and my XL Blending Brush.
  • I Copic colored my fish with blues, corals, aquas and tans and then die cut the elements.
Key Products Used:

Create Your Own Beach | Studio Kit of the Month

Heroscape Beach Scene handmade card with silhouette stamped fence, grass, cabanas and birds.

The July Studio Card Kit of the Month has SO many wonderful elements to create Heroscape Victornian beach themed cards. There are endless combinations and possibilities!

Watch a quick reel on how I created a second beach scene card.

What’s Inside the Kit?

Curious about this month’s kit? Let’s take a quick peek inside The July Hero Studio Kit:

KIT INCLUDES:
• Victorian Seaside Clear Stamp Set, 6″ x 8″
• 22 Coordinating Dies
• Sand Castle Fancy Dies
• Rock Cling Stamp, 6″ x 6″
• Victorian Seaside Reactive Palette Ink Pad
• 2 Sheets Map Hero Transfers (Rub-ons), 6″ x 8″
• 2 Sheets Each of Blue, Purple, Green Vellum, 5.5″ x 8.5″
• 2 Sheets Each of White Lava Holographic, White Rainbow Holographic Cardstock, 5.5″ x 8.5″

Kit Cost:

$46 with Subscription + FREE SHIPPING
$49.99 One-Time Purchase
While Supplies Last

My Process for This Easy Heroscape Scene Card:
Hero Arts July 2024 Studio Card Kit of the Month Beach Theme Handmade Card.

5 Wonderful Kit Options:

I created with three new Hero Studio kits and Extras in this blog post, but there are 5 kits and 6 Extraordinary Extras altogether. You can also buy The Whole Studio!

Blog Hop:

Hero Arts will give away a $50 gift card, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Sunday, July 7th at 11:59pm Pacific, and the winner will be announced on the Hero Arts blog the following week.

Hero Arts
Hero Arts Creative Team:
Channin Pelletier
Charlene Madrid
Heather Ruwe
Ilina Crouse
Jeannie Lieu
Jennifer Kotas
Kailash Naidoo
Karen Brown You Are Here 🙂
Lydia Fiedler
Michelle Short
Natasha Polite
Natasha Vacca
Rachel Kleinman
Rosie Lopez
Seeka
Special Guests:
Jenn Shurkus

Nichol Spohr

Emily Midgett
Kelly Taylor

Happy crafting!

Cardmaking Kit

Hero Arts | Sneak Peek at the NEW Studio Card Kit of the Month + Blog Hop and Giveaway

Karen Brown18 Comments
Sunset cityscape tag card created with Hero Arts June 2024 Studio Card Kit of the Month.

Today, the Hero Arts Creative Team is thrilled to offer you a sneak peek into their newly re-imagined subscription cardmaking kit called Hero Studio Card Kit of the Month. Each month will have a fresh beautiful collection of handpicked supplies that are sure to ignite your creativity. The kits will go live the first Monday of the month so you can view the entire kit on Monday, June 3rd at 2:00 PM PST. Or, you can pre-order today! Until then, here is your sneak peek….

To celebrate, Hero Arts is hosting a Blog Hop and Giveaway that you can find HERE.

As we countdown to the premiere, I wanted to share two sunset cityscape tags I created with The June 2024 Studio Card Kit. Liquid Watercolors make the MOST vibrant backgrounds, which is what I wanted for this project.

Crafting the Urban Skyline: A Sneak Peek into Hero Arts Studio Card Subscription Kit

My Process:

  • I started by using Liquid Watercolors to create my sunset background. I put a sheet of Luxe Watercolor Paper on my craft mat, brushed the paper with water and then painted bands of color with Dandelion, Orange and Brights Pink liquid watercolor.
  • I dried my panel and repeated step one.
  • I put my sunset panel on my Sticky Mat, attached the cityscape stencil to my background with washi tape and applied Onyx Pigment Ink with a Small Blending Brush to create my building silhouettes.
  • Using the next stencil, I applied Gold Wax to simulate lighted windows. While the stencil was still in place, I smoothed the wax with an old gift card. Work quickly so the wax doesn’t dry on the stencil. This will give you a good result when you peel back the stencil. I did let the wax set on the stencil while I finished my tags, but I soaked it for a bit and the wax washed right off.
  • I cut my tags with Nesting Infinity Tags.
  • I used sentiments included in this months kit and then added some black twine that I had saved from some packaging.
How to create a sunset handmade card background with liquid watercolors.

Here are links to all of the new Hero Studio Kits:

Be sure to stop by the other Countdown Posts, here are the links:

You are going to love this kit and I can’t wait for you to see the big reveal on Monday!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cardmaking Video · Rainbow Colors

Hero Arts Video | Coloring With Stencils 4 Ways

Karen Brown1 Comment
3 Bright Colorful cards using Hero Arts Mandala Flower Pattern Stamp and coordinating color layering stencils,

Welcome friends, Karen Brown here to share some bright fun cards using coloring stencils. Today, I used Hero Arts beautiful Mandala Flower Pattern stamp and the coordinating color layering stencils.

For a Step-By-Step Visual Tutorial, you can watch my video below:

If you are having trouble viewing this video, please click HERE to watch on YouTube.

I was so inspired by this mandala that I created 4 different cards. I love the versatility and endless possibilities!

Monochromatic Coloring

Monochromatic stamped and ink blended Mandala in blues, greens and aquas.

With a small blending brush, I started by coloring a monochromatic panel in blues, greens and aquas. I used Splash, Blue Raspberry, Blue Hawaii and Aegean inks for this card. I then die cut my panel and a Peacock mat using Pointed Arches Infinity Dies. I added a rub-on sentiment from the Birthday Party Hero Transfer set. I really LOVE Hero Transfers!

I used a StampWheel for both my stamping and stenciling.

Stenciling with Rainbow Colors

Next, I decided to add rainbow colors to my mandala. I did this two ways….first using the outline stamp and the second using only the stencil. I love both cards but I think the “stencil only” card is a bit more casual.

Hero Arts Color Pattern Flower Mandala: 2 Ways. With and without the outline stamp.

For both cards, I used Splash, Taffy, Pool Party and Creamsicle inks. For the card on the left, I used one of my favorite die-cut sentiments: Smile Friend Stamp and Cut XL.

For the “stencil only” card I also trimmed my Mandala with a Rounded Rectangle Infinity Die and used a sentiment included with the stamp set.

Stenciling with Glitter Paste

For my 4th card, I stenciled a layer of Hero Glitter Paste on my mandala and I love the result.

I recently purchased a GlassBoard Studio craft mat that was the worksurface in my video. I am very pleased with it and I have a 20% coupon code – KENNY20 – for anyone interested in upgrading their craft mat.

Hero Arts Flower Pattern Mandala Stamp and Coloring Stencils 4 Ways.

Thanks for stopping by….it was so nice to see you!

cardmaking · Mixed Media · papercrafting

Spellbinders | House Mouse Candy Hearts Vintage Look Valentine Card

Karen Brown3 Comments

There’s something undeniably captivating about a vintage valentine, where every delicate stroke of ink and carefully chosen sentiment carries a timeless charm. This new House Mouse Candy Hearts rubber stamp had a very retro look to me, so I went with an old-timey mixed media vibe.

Spellibinders House Mouse Candy Hearts (RSC-022) handmade Mixed Media Valentine Card.

Easy One Layer Vintage Look Mixed Media Valentine Tutorial:

  • I started by creating my background. I masked off a border and then used two shades of tan Distress Ink to ink blend my background. (Antique Linen and Frayed Burlap)
  • With the masking tape still on the cardstock, I then used the same tan inks to stencil and stamp bits and pieces on the background. Most of the stamping was “second generation” where I stamped first on a scrap and then onto my background so that the pattern would be subtle. I also added light stenciling to the background. Cathe Holden has some great stamps and stencils that I added here and there. I also used a bit of stamping with white pigment ink, but it is hard to see in the photograph. To finish I added a touch of Gold Wax to a few places around the border.
  • Carefully remove your masking tape. I used Post It Tape, which is the best!
  • After my background was dry, I stamped the Valentine Mouse with Versafine Black Pigment Ink.
  • PRO TIP: For a crisp look, keep the stamp in your Misti stamping platform and restamp the image after you are done coloring. You won’t believe how much this one step will elevate your project!
  • I used Faber Castell Polychromo Colored Pencils to color the mouse and candy hearts.
  • Remember to restamp the image and let dry.
  • The cute sentiment is included with the stamp set and finishes off my one layer valentine.

House Mouse Products:

One layer mixed media valentine featuring a cute mouse laying in a pile of candy hearts.

If you like this card, you might also want to visit my blog post on House Mouse Designs 3 Ways.

Thanks for stopping by!

Interested in more…You can also find me at these spots too:

@karens_mini on Instagram

Pinterest: @karenabrown

FaceBook: Karens_Mini

YouTube: Karen Brown

Mixed Media · papercrafting

Spellbinders | Mixed Media Gift Tags with Cathe Holden’s Christmas Flea Market Finds

Karen Brown1 Comment
Spellbinders | Mixed Media Gift Tags with Cathe Holden's Christmas Flea Market Finds

Vintage Vibe Mixed Media Christmas Gift Tags

Hello! My post today features a favorite new Spellbinders collection from Cathe Holden called Christmas Flea Market Finds. Cathe included stamps, printed die cuts, paper and stickers and they are SO fun to create with!

Using printed die cuts in cardmaking.

I created three mixed media tags with a vintage vibe. For all three tags, I created backgrounds using ink sprays. I mixed Ocean Waves aqua, Shimmer Spray for extra sparkle and a little water spray to slightly dilute the color. I dabbed my tag in the mixture, dried and then repeated two more times.

Next, I worked on my layouts. I knew I wanted to stencil grit paste on one card and I wanted all of the tags to be distressed.

Vintage look Christmas Gift tag with stenciled grit paste background.

I love the texture and interest that the grit paste adds to the tag.

Adding texture and interest with grit paste and a stencil in cardmaking.

Two of the cards also include stamps. To get the vintage-look inky blue, I combined denim and brown inks. White paint splatters were added to two of the cards and I thought they added a wintry look.

Distressed Christmas gift tag with pre-printed die cuts, stamp and stickers with a hand dyed aqua background.

When I create this type of mixed media project, I love to pull out all my supplies and just start playing. I made a huge fun mess!

How to get a vintage look when stamping papercrafts.

Spellbinders/Cathe Holden Supplies Used:

Other Supplies:

Cathe Holden Christmas Flea Market Finds Vintage look distressed gift tags.

Last week, I added a post with Cathe Holden Christmas cards which you can read HERE.

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

cardmaking · Mixed Media · papercrafting

Masculine Mixed Media Card

Karen BrownLeave a comment
Masculine Mixed Media Card.

Masculine cards can be tricky, but I think using bold gel press prints with a mega sentiment works well for the men in our lives.

Mixed Media Collage Card with Gel Press prints.

I sorted through my gel press prints looking for colorful pages that would work well together. I then tore them into strips and pieces and added some doodling with gel pens and Posca pens.

Products Used:

Gel Press

Acrylic Paints

Mixed Media Pad

Mega Hello Die

Leaves and Berries Stencil

Narrow Brick Stencil

Gel Pens

Posca Pens

UHU Glu Stick

Craft Foam

Using Gel Press Prints in Cardmaking,

I am so glad you popped by!

Karen

cardmaking · papercrafting

Altenew July 2022 Summer Sunshine Collection Release Blog Hop + Giveaway ($300 in total prizes)

Karen Brown55 Comments

Altenew Summer Wishes Stamps, Dies and Stencils + Handmade Card

Hello friend! I am excited to show you some of Altenew’s new products in their wonderful July release. To kick off the release, Altenew is hosting a fun Blog Hop and we hope you will visit each stop.

Altenew’s Summer Wishes Stamps, Dies and Stencils

I’d like to start with the Summer Wishes Bundle which is oh, so fun! For my first card, I created a cozy little beach scene comprised of an adirondack chair, umbrella, radio and flip flops.

I started by ink blending my background with Altenew’s Large Blending Tool + Ocean Waves Crisp Dye Ink. Next, I stamped the elements with black pigment ink and let them dry. I colored the images with the coordinating stencil. I really like the effect of ink blending through stencils and it is so easy to do! To set the stage, I cut a frame using the Rounded Rectangles Die Set. I then die cut each element and assembled my card with foam tape.

Die Cut Beach Scene Card with Adirondack Chair, Umbrella and Flip Flops
Beach Themed Card with Adirondack Chair and Umbrella

Products Used:

Altenew Summer Wishes Die Cut Sea Shells + Handmade Card.
Beach Themed Card with Die Cut Sea Shells

I made a companion card with the rest of the Summer Wishes shells. The background was again ink blended with Ocean Waves Dye Ink from the Cool Summer Nights Mini Ink Set.

Additional Products Used:

Clean and Simple Beach Themed Card.

Altenew Linear Life Tropical Garden

I love the modern look of these loose sketchy outline flower stamps and I know this set will become a favorite that I use over and over again. It is very versatile and would work great on clean and simple projects but I also plan to use it on some mixed media cards.

I started again by ink blending my background. I used the three lightest colors in Altenew’s Glacier Cave Mini Cube Set. I masked off a frame with washi tape and then started in the bottom right with Arctic and then moved darker toward the top left corner. I stamped the flowers and leaves with black pigment ink. Once the outlines were dry, I stamped the flower centers with Caribbean Sky Crisp Dye Ink. I die cut the blooms, assembled with foam tape and then added Glacier Caves Enamel Dots to finish the project.

Altenew Linear Life Tropical Garden Stamp and Dies + Handmade Card
Altenew Carribean Sky Crisp Dye Ink + Ink Blended Background

Altenew Mod Fruit Bowl Stamps and Dies

I LOVE citrus, so I couldn’t wait to get this set! I have three Meyer Lemon Trees that are like little babies to me and they were the inspiration for this project.

I wanted a bright happy card so I went with rainbow colors. I started by cutting cardstock into identically sized pieces so I could set up an assembly line for stamping the citrus elements. I stamped the segmented portion on the left side of my Misti and then I moved the panel to the right side and added the rind. With this assembly line, I had all the colors stamped very quickly. All I needed to do was wipe off the ink in between colors. My Mini Blossom Die Cutter made die-cutting a snap. I find it so handy to use on my desk for die cutting smaller elements. I attached the die-cuts (spaced 2″ apart) to a 6 1/4″ x 3 3/4″ panel and added my sentiment.

Altenew Mod Rainbow Fruit Bowl + Handmade Card
Rainbow Hued Handmade Citrus Card
Rainbow hand stamped Citrus Lemon, Lime, Orange Card

Free Gift

Get a FREE brand new Summer Sunshine  Mini Inspiration Guide with every order from 07/01/2022 through 07/03/2022. Shop HERE!

Get a FREE brand new Summer Sunshine  Stamp & Die Release Inspiration Guide Ebook  (worth $5.99) with every order of high-value Sweet Moments Bundles. Shop HERE! *Exclusions apply.

Get a FREE brand new Online Cardmaking Class with every order from the new Summer Sunshine  Stamp & Die Release Collection from 07/01/2022 through 07/07/2022. Shop HERE!

Giveaway Prizes

$300 in total prizes! To celebrate this release, Altenew is giving away a $50 gift certificate to 2 lucky winners and a $25 gift certificate to 8 winners! Please leave a comment on the Altenew Card Blog and/or each designer’s blog post on the blog hop list below by 07/17/2022 for a chance to win. 

Altenew will draw 10 random winners from the comments left on each stop of this blog hop and announce the winners on the Altenew Winners Page on 07/19/2022.

Blog Hop:

Altenew Blog

Jaycee Gaspar

Vicky Papaioannou

Erum Tasneem

Mindy Eggen

Jenny Colacicco

Caly Person

Nathalie DeSousa

LauraJane

Michelle Short

Bridget Casey

Terri Koszler

Karen Brown You Are Here!

Laurie Willison

Dana Joy

Virginia Lu

Tenia Nelson

Therese Calvird

Lilith Eeckels

Reiko Tsuchida ***Note: Due to strict regulations in Japan, you might not be able to leave a comment on her blog post.

Michelle Burnier

Agnieszka Małyszek

Angela Brennan

Emily Midgett

Linda Westfall

Maryam Perez

Laurie Patterson

Svitlana Shayevich

Annemarie Caister

Tania Ahmed

Penny Pynnonen

Adriana Arminio

Berina Rajakumar

I really enjoyed creating these cards. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Karen

cardmaking · Mixed Media · papercrafting

Spellbinders + Cathe Holden’s Flea Market Finds

Karen BrownLeave a comment
Quick and Easy Vintage Card featuring Cathe Holden's Flea Market Finds Ephemera, printed die cuts and stamps.

Cathe Holden’s “Flea Market Finds” Ephemera

Hello! I am so excited to show you Spellbinders new product line from Cathe Holden called Flea Market Finds. Cathe is a well known fabric designer and collector of vintage miscellany and she just released a wonderful assortment of printed die-cuts, paper samplers, stamps and stencils in collaboration with Spellbinders. Cathe put so much thought into every product and they all work SO well together.

For the past week, I have been playing in my craft room and I’d like to show you what I created. Hold on, becuase I have seven cards to share with you today. The card above was so fun to make!

My Recipe For Card 1:

On this card, I used all the products “as is” with no distressing. I started with the background where I layered 2 different papers, one from the neutral palette and one from the Blue Green pack. Next, I started adding stickers and diecuts. The bird image is framed with a third paper from Cathe’s Neutral Sampler.

Vintage Shabby Chic Card

Vintage Shabby Chic handmade card using Spellbinders Cathe Holden stencil and die cut ephemera.
Vintage Shabby Chic Handmade Get Well Card

For my Shabby Chic card, I started by ink blending Tumbled Glass Distress Ink on my panel. I added Frayed Burlap Ink around the ages for a vintage feel. I let the panel dry and then added Grit Paste through stencil #1 of the Layered Vintage Floral Stencil. I really like how the background turned out. I wanted an even more vintage look so I ran my Tea Dye Distress Crayon around the edges of the background and die cut and then blended the pigment with my fingers. The card base was covered with paper from the Blue Green Paper Palette.

Cardmaking With Ephemera

Vintage Collage Style Card using Spellbinders Flea Market Finds die cuts, stamps and stickers.
Aren’t the little bakers just the cutest?

My third card is a collage style card pieced together with designer paper, printed die-cuts and stamps. I used 1.25″ squares of paper cut from the Neutrals and Blue Green Samplers for my background. I distressed my background panel and the die cuts with a Distress Crayon and then added lots of ephemera.

Grunged Up Vintage Look Card

Grunged up Mixed Media Card using Spellbinders Flea Market Finds Stamps and Stickers.

I started my grunged up card by making a background panel. I blended tumbled glass distress ink and then added a bit of frayed burlap. I then ink blended a second panel for my die cut circles. I used Antique Linen Distress Ink and then added a bit of frayed burlap. I let the panels dry and then added Distress Grit Paste through my bricked stencil. I wanted it to look rough and old so I didn’t cover the entire stencil. After the grit paste was dry, I rubbed a Distress Crayon around the edges and blended it out onto the panel with my finger. I also gently rubbed some on the top of the panel so you could really see the crackle finish. Next, I die cut my circles and rubbed distress crayon around the edges and then blended onto the top with my fingers. I added two stickers to two of the circles and then stamped over them. The middle circle is just the roughly stamped cute flower truck. The matting is from the blue green sampler.

Quick and Easy Vintage Look Card

Quick and Easy Vintage Look Handmade Card using Flea Market Finds Printed Die Cuts.

This was the fastest and easiest card to make. I started with a page from the Neutral Sampler for my Background. I then layered on 3 Happy Thoughts and 2 Home Arts printed die cuts. I stamped a sentiment onto the flower basket and added a fun little paper clip from my stash.

Stenciled Background on Vintage Look Card

Spellbinders + Cathe Holden Layered Vintage Floral Stencil for Card Background,
Stenciled Background

Cathe Holden included a beautiful stencil in her collection and I used it for my background on this card. I added 2 stickers and 1 stamp to complete the card.

Using Printed Die Cuts in Cardmaking

Using Cathe Holden's Flea Market Finds in cardmaking

This was another card that came together very quickly using die cuts and stickers.

Using Flea Market Finds Miscellany on handmade cards.

Here is a group photo of the seven cards I created.

Cathe Holden Flea Market Finds handmade cards.

I had so much fun creating these cards. If you have a moment, let me know which is your favorite.

Thank you!

Karen

papercrafting

DIY Stenciled Gift Wrap

Karen Brown2 Comments
DIY Stenciled Gift Wrap using Altenew stencils.

Hello everyone, Karen Brown here! This post is on the Altenew Mixed Media blog and I also wanted to post it on my site as well.

I am so excited to show you how I created my stenciled DIY gift wrap. I love wrapping gifts and wanted to make some custom packaging for my daughter’s birthday and I knew Altenew stencils would be perfect for my projects. I spent an enjoyable afternoon creating the paper and wrapping my gifts. I used three favorite Altenew stencils: Bubble Wrap, Mega Bloom and Leaves and Berries.

How To DIY Stenciled Gift Wrap

HOW I CREATED MY GIFT WRAP:

  1. I had two colors of kraft paper plus a Gable Box in my craft room so I used them as the base for my projects. I sorted through my Altenew stencils and picked three that I thought would be beautiful on gift wrapping:
  2. I used painters tape to adhere my stencil to the kraft paper.
  3. I selected six bright fun shades of acrylic paint and squirted a dollop of each onto a plate. Using a stencil brush, I dipped the brush into the paint and then dabbed the brush on a paper towel. Too much paint on the brush will result in smeared stenciling. Next, using a circular motion, I applied the paint through the stencil opening. I went both clockwise and counter clockwise. I found the smaller brushes worked better than the larger sizes and I used one brush for each color.
  4. On the Bubble Wrap project, after I filled the stencil, I carefully lifted up my stencil and lined it up and filled it three more times so I would have a big enough sheet to cover the journal I was going to wrap.

PRO TIPS:

  • I found using high-contrast colors made for bright fun wrapping. I selected colors that stand out from the kraft background.
  • The stencils work best when when the paint is not too wet. I loved working with it right before it dried out.
How to Stencil Your Own Gift Wrap.

My daughter wanted a new journal so I made the Bubble Wrap paper specifically to wrap this cute bee themed gift. All it needed was a simple twine bow.

DIY Stenciled Gift Wrap using the Altenew Bubble Wrap Stencil and acrylic paint.
Bubble Wrap Stencil

The finished package is so happy and fun!

Stenciling with the Altenew Mega Bloom Stencil.
Mega Bloom Stencil

This Gable Box was very quick to create and the Mega Bloom stencil makes for a big showy design.

How to Make Your Own Gift Wrap with Stencils and acrylic paint
Mega Bloom and Leaves and Berries Stencils

I really enjoyed creating this custom gift wrap and I hope you found some inspiration. I love reading your comments so if you have a moment, let me know what you think about the gift wrap. Thanks for stopping by!

Karen