A Bug's-Eye View

Even the bugs are happy that spring is just around the corner. An adorable card for the little one in your life.

STENCILTUTORIAL

3/23/20233 min read

Would you like to play around with a design like this? You'll find a supply list below, including a link to the stencilsI used from A Colorful Life Designs . Follow the link below and use discount code ChrisFan10 to save 10% on your entire order! (Master Creator Bundles are excluded as they already have a 20% discount built in.)

Getting Started:

Card Base: 4.25 x 11, scored and folded at 5.5

Red border: 4 x 5.5

Card Face: 3 7/8 x 5 1/8

Card Face:

I used two stencils from A Colorful Life Designs for this card. The newly released Flower Garden is a 6 x 9 stencil - which means that I got two card faces out of one panel . I also used the Grass Edger #3. I love the folk art style of Flower Garden, but all the detail meant lots of masking as I worked with the flowers and leaves on Flower Garden to keep the colours clean. I was really happy with the result in the end. I used a combination of blending brushes and detailed blending brushes for this one, working to get intensity and blend as I wanted it. I also used Mint tape to both hold the stencils in place and to mask. (I love this product!) I added in the Grass Edger along the bottom : the style matches the whimsy of the rest of the piece beautifully.
When I was done with the stencils, I stamped the bugs directly onto the card face - of course, this wasn't going to work as bits of flowers and leaves would have shown through my bugs even after they were coloured. So I also stamped them with Memento ink on a separate piece of paper and coloured them with alcohol markers. Then I cut out only the bodies and wings. I didn't worry about any of the fiddly bits like legs, or antenae: I had already stamped them onto the card face, so I was able to glue the cut outs directly on top of the initial images, lining up the "fiddly bits" that were already there waiting.
I learned that tip from watching Jennifer McGuire on Youtube; another thing that I learned (also incorporated into this card) is to use a black glaze pen to intensify their eyes, and then (once that dries) a white gel pen to add the catch light to their eyes. that's three tips in this card, all brought to you by the amazing Ms McGuire.
I added a few more highlights here and there on the bugs.
I stamped and heat embossed the sentiment "just popping in to say" in clear embossing powder.
I added centers to flowers with metallic pens, so they have a bit of shine. I also used Wink of Stella on the wings of the orange and yellow bug.

Other:

I used a bit of scrap cardstock and heat embossed "happy birthday". with black pigment ink and clear embossing powder. Then I used a small banner die to cut it out. I cut a matching one out of red, and glued the two together, allowing the red to extend just a bit on the left hand end.

Assembly: