Live Out Loud!

and in full colour!

TUTORIALSTENCIL

6/17/20233 min read

Would you like to experiment with a design like this? You'll find a supply list below, including a link to the stencil I used from A Colorful Life Designs . Follow the link 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.)


when I saw this stencil - "Row of Houses" - I saw the potential for creating crayons. I had to give it a try.

Let’s Get Started:

Card Base: 5.5 x 8.5, scored and folded at 4.25

Card Face: 4.75 x 4.25

Small Scraps of Cardstock for the stripes down each side

A piece of 80 lb cardstock to put in the printer, which was later cut down to approximately 4.75 x 1/2

Card Face:


  • I fastened the stencil to the card face with Mint tape, got out my inks and my brushes and set to work.

  • I was very careful to mask off areas on the stencil that I didn't want to get smudged with the wrong ink colour; and likewise with the exposed bits of card face that were near the section being inked. I ended up using a number of pieces of tape, but I managed to keep the card surface clean.

  • I brushed colour into the individual "crayons" with my regular blending brushes, but switched out to a detail brush in each case for the tips. I used a heavier hand on the triangular tips, as well as on the left hand side of each crayon .

  • I added tiny dots into the left of each crayon where the heavier ink is, to provide a little more depth.

  • After all of my crayons were in place, I got out several different stamps that resembled streaks, blobs or smudges, and stamped them in various places and various colours, all over the card face.

  • I pressed some ink onto a couple of acrylic blocks, and spattered here and there on the card face, just to fill in a bit of the white space that remained.

  • I cut the card face in two horizontally, approximately 1/4" above the tallest crayon.

Other:


I created the sentiment using Canva (an online graphics program) and printed it on 80 lb cardstock. (My printer will not accept anything heavier than 80 lb.)

I selected an outline font for the word "colour", and then filled in the appropriate areas with alcohol markers.

Assembly:

  • I tend to prefer asymmetry - so I cut my card strips to two different widths: one was 1/8" and the other was 1/6" wide.

  • I glued the 1/8" strip tight to the left hand edge of the card base.

  • I glued the sentiment strip to the back of the bottom of the card front, and then glued it in place on the card base, snugly against the strip of cardstock.

  • I glued the top of the card face in place, allowing enough space for the sentiment strip to be seen: this caused the top of the card face to extend beyond the card face on the top - I used my paper trimmer to cut it off flush. (I could have measured here - this seemed faster in the moment.)

  • To create extra definition for the sentiment strip, I used a fine tip black marker and a ruler to add a narrow strip both on the top and bottom of the strip.

  • I took the second strip of cardstock (1/6" wide) and centered it on the remaining visible strip of card base. This left a narrow white strip on either side.


Final thoughts:


This card is unusual for me - it turned out pretty much how I envisioned it! I'm really happy with the colourful, playful result.

(usually I start with an idea, and then veer away in a different direction during the process .... so many ideas, so little time!)

Supplies: (and links where possible)

I have listed which products I have used, and where they were purchased. It's a huge marketplace and in most instances there are multiple sources and many alternatives to choose from.


Stencil: Row of Houses, A Colorful Life Designs

Stamps: all Stampin' Up, various sets. All retired

Ink: Stampin' Up!

Mint Tape: Scrapbook.com

Blending Brushes. Stampin' Up!

Shading blending Brushes: Waffle Flower, Scrapbook.com

Adhesive: Tombo Aqua, Michaels

Red Card Stock: Stampin' Up!

Card Base: Accent 100 lb., Amazon

Card Face: Accent 80 lb., Amazon






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