Black and Gold

As promised, here is another wonderful idea for Dreamweaver Stencils LG625 stencil. I just love the beautiful washi papers by Hanko Designs, and the black and gold branches running through this beautiful paper were my inspiration for this combination. The cut edges on each side of the flower just seemed to blend perfectly into the oriental theme. While this looks a little more complicated than my Christmas design, it is not. This card is a standard A2 size (4 1/4" x 5 1/2") perfect for any occasion. Here are the steps:

• Tape your stencil to white cardstock (3 1/2" x 4 1/2")
• Apply Glossy Black Embossing Paste
• While the stencil is still on, use a small brush to pick up some Metallic F/X Gold Dust powder and tap the brush over the black paste so the powder falls randomly over the design. Keep doing this until you have as much gold powder on as you think looks nice
• Remove and clean the stencil
• When the paste is dry, use a 3/4" stencil brush to brush off any excess powder
• Measure in 1" from the bottom right corner and make a little mark. Do the same at the top right.
• Place a ruler over the design at the two marks and use a pencil to draw a light line from the bottom or top along the ruler until you reach paste.
• Cut away all the white paper along the right side following the paste outline (be sure to leave a little white edge)
• From the new bottom right corner, measure over 1 1/2" and make a mark, do the same at the top
• Now cut away the extra white on the left side of the design
• Cut a piece of black cardstock 1 5/8" x 4 5/8" and adhere it to the cut out flower
• The decorative washi paper was 2" x 5", with a black mat of 2 1/8" x 5 1/8"

A nice black mat under a colored layer always helps the layer really stand out. Hope you'll give this a try. The Metallic F/X powders can be sprinkled on, mixed it, or brushed on to any of the paste products...Mix 'n' Match!

Happy Creating,

Louise

Thursday's Dream Schemes

Here it is, the card you've been waiting to see! This week's challenge was Designer's Choice. We could use whatever stencil, products, and layout we chose. I love the versatility of this particular stencil. It is Dreamweaver Stencils LG625. Isn't it gorgeous. I believe Lynell calls it a peony, but I say it is whatever you want it to be depending how you use it. Today, I want it to be a Christmas flower! This is an amazingly simple card. Here we go:

• Tape the stencil to white or light colored cardstock
• Use stencil brushes to add color to the design (I only used Brilliance Rocket Red, Thyme, and just a touch of Ivy)
• Clean and dry your stencil and tape it over the colored design
• Apply Translucent Embossing Paste
• Remove and clean your stencil, and let the paste dry
• Mount on coordinating layers and beautiful background paper

That's it, I told you it was easy! This is a 5" x 7" finished card, perfect for the Christmas season. Check back on Saturday for another simple idea for this great stencil.

Don't forget to check out all the other designer's blogs by clicking on their names on the left hand side. And of course, you won't want to miss the DREAM it UP! blog as well.

Happy Creating,

Louise

Class Cards

I never tire of working with the beautiful stencils from Dreamweaver Stencils. Here are the cards we'll be making at my next class at The Cottage Stamper, in St. Charles, IL on December 7th. This is stencil LG625, Flowers and Leaves, and as you can see, it is amazing how different it looks depending on the technique. I'll have more details on these after the class.
Happy Creating,
Louise