Stencilling with Mica Powders

This month, the Group of Cardmakers are experimenting with stencilling with mica powders.  Some of them will work without a binding agent.  Others need something like Heat & Stick powder to get them to adhere.  I tried both.

First of all, with the binding agent, in this case SU Heat & Stick powder.  

I pressed Versamark ink through my holly stencil, removed the stencil, then sprinkled the card panel with Heat & Stick, and used a heat tool to melt powder.  I washed and dried the stencil, placed it back over the image, and brushed green Pearl-Ex over it.  I die cut the best section of it with a label die.  I had some green glitter cs that matched the Pearl-Ex really well so cut the next size up of the label die set and bordered it with that and then put it on a dry embossed background.  Added a sentiment on a banner and red gemstones for the berries.

I then used a different holly stencil on black cs but with Perfect Pearls which work without a binding agent.

Like the first card, I pressed Versamark over the stencil, washed and dried the stencil, replaced it over the image, and brushed green Perfect Pearls over it.  A Swiffer cloth removes any excess.  Trimmed the panel with another label die and popped it up on fun foam on a panel embossed with another holly embossing folder.  I used a Lavinia stick-on sentiment on this one.  And again red gemstones for berries.

There is quite a difference between the two in terms of texture.  The use of Heat & Stick results in a noticeably textured finish whereas the mica powders that don't require Heat & Stick have a very flat, very smooth, and more pearlescent finish.

I went on to make a third card.  This one uses Heat & Stick and LuminArte mica powder on black cs. 

I kept the whole panel as a background and bordered it with silver glitter cs.  I die cut a Star of David out of the same silver glitter cs and also out of scrap cs and glued them together for more dimension.  Added it to the background, along with a strip of fancy ribbon that has six-pointed stars to tie in with the Star of David.  I put the Happy Hanukkah sentiment inside as I didn't want the front to be more cluttered.

I find the black background on the above Hanukkah card a bit heavy so I made one more with the same stencil on a white cs.  Again it uses the Heat and Stick, this time with a lighter blue mica powder made by Arteza.

I trimmed it down to a square, topped it with a die cut menorah in silver and gold glitter cs, and a small sentiment heat embossed in silver.  It's on a white shimmer card base. 

I think I have a strong preference for doing this on a white background rather than a black one.  Please let me know in the comments which you prefer! 

We'd love to see anything you might make using stencilling with mica powders.  Let us know if you have any hints for us.  There are more examples and more detailed instructions over at Group of Cardmakers. 

 

Supplies:
Stamps - unknown sentiments
Ink - Versamark, Memento Cottage Ivy
Paper - white and black cs, silver glitter cs, green glitter cs, gold glitter cs, white shimmer cs
Size - A2, last one 4.75" square
Accessories - SU Heat & Stick powder, green Pearl Ex powder, green Perfect Pearls powder, Dutch Iris LuminArte mica powder, pale blue Arteza mica powder, Penny Black holly stencil, SSS Holiday greenery stencil. Spellbinders label dies, sentiment banner die, Sizzix holly embossing folders, fun foam, red gemstones, SSS Star of David die, silver ribbon, Neat and Tangled star stencil, Spellbinders rectangle and square dies, silver embossing powder, PTI menorah die

A Gilded Reindeer, Red Ornaments, and a Horse and Sleigh

I'm working very hard on Christmas cards as my fundraiser (where I sell my Christmas cards and those kindly donated by Loll and Christine) is this Sunday.  Thank goodness for challenges that spark ideas in me!  I've got three cards today.

Fiirst up for the Christmas Kickstart Challenge "Just Add Antlers", I've got a reindeer with some very impressive antlers.

I sponged Cosmic Shimmer glue through a reindeer stencil, removed the stencil (and washed it immediately), and applied copper flakes to the glue.  Trimmed the panel with a hemstitch square die, layered over copper shimmer cs, and added a die cut sentiment out of the same copper cs. 

Colorful Options wants to see mostly red.

I stamped and heat embossed the ornaments in red sparkly embossing powder, and the sentiment in black embossing powder.  To make the border layer match the sentiment, I ran ink around the edges of the border layer of cs and heat embossed in the same black embossing powder.

The 12 Months of Christmas want to see a sleigh.  

The background is from my UFO box (a stencil monoprint created after making another background where I sprinkled Magicals through a stencil and spritzed with water - the leftover wet Magicals powder on the stencil was then used to create this background print - trees don't really come in this colour but it makes a lovely shimmery background!).  I tore a strip of white shimmer cs for the snowy ground, and added a gold die cut sleigh and horse, and a gold sentiment die cut with a banner die. The card base is white shimmer cs.

   

Supplies for card 1:
Paper - off white cs, copper shimmer cs
Size - 5.5" square
Accessories - reindeer stencil, copper foil flakes, Tim Holtz noel die, Spellbinders hemstitch square die

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Indigo Blu ornaments, Paper Smooches sentiment
Ink - ColorBox red, Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - white cs
Size - 5.75" square
Accessories - Old Island Red Dragon embossing powder, black embossing powder, Spellbinders square dies

Supplies for card 3:
Stamps - unknown sentiment
Ink - gold
Paper - mixed media cs, white shimmer cs, gold shimmer cs
Size - A2
Accessories - TCW birch trees stencil, Magicals, sentiment banner die, Memory Box horse and sleigh dies

 

Christmas Scarf and Washi Wreath

Sparkles Christmas Challenge wants to see "festive wear".   I've got a cat all bundled up in his green Christmas scarf.  It's also going to We Love Stamping "Anything Christmas" and Stamping Sensations "Christmas".

A simple card, stamped and watercoloured, trimmed with a wonky stitched rectangle die, and bordered with copper cs.

Simply Clean and Simple wants to see "Holidays / Winter".  It's also going to Try It On Tuesday "Get Ready for Christmas".

My lovely friend, Darnell, gave me some very wide fancy washi tape that has lots of Christmas images and matching dies - perfect for quick CAS cards.  I taped the washi tape onto white cs and then die cut it. For this card, I only used the wreath. Added it to a pale gold shimmer card base, and found a sentiment die that would fit in the centre of the wreath.

    

  

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Tim Holtz
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - watercolour paper, copper and white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - watercolour paints, MFT wonky stitched rectangle die

Supplies for card 2:
Paper - light gold shimmer cs, white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - PinkFresh Holiday Elements washi tape and die, Penny Black Be Merry die

Gentle Christmas and Floral Thanks

For the Cut It Up challenge, we have to use a die cut and our favourite colour.  Mine is blue.  I have a friend whose husband just passed away so I need to send her a different kind of Christmas card.  "Merry Christmas" won't really apply for her first Christmas on her own.  So I made this:

I created a faux mother of pearl background with blue Distress inks and silver paint, laid the die cut over it, stamped and heat embossed the sentiment.  I like this sentiment for people who aren't going to be enjoying their first Christmas after a major loss.

I've also got a thank you card today for The Flower Challenge "Thanks".  And for the Sisterhood of Crafters "Thanks".

 I created a background using various light greens and blues of Distress Oxide inks.  Then stamped and heat embossed the flowers in white, and painted them dark blue.  Trimmed the panel and put it on an embossed layer.

  

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Impression Obsession sentiment
Ink - various Distress blue inks, ColorBox silver
Paper - white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - silver paint, unknown die, platinum embossing powder

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - PB flowers, unknown thank you
Ink - various light blue and green Distress Oxide inks
Paper - white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - SU embossing folder, white embossing powder, blue paint, stitched sentiment banner die

CAS Christmas Bird and a Winter Scene

I've got a CAS card of a sweet little chickadee with some berries for The Paper Players "CAS Favorite Holiday Image" - I love birds on Christmas cards and have many bird stamps.  It's also for Time Out Challenges "Your Favourite Holiday to Celebrate" (Christmas is my favourite holiday) and Sweet Stampin' "Use Red for Remembrance" (the only colour in my card is red).

Very CAS and very quick to make - stamped, watercoloured the berries bright red, trimmed with a stitched rectangle, bordered with red, popped up on fun foam, and Glossy Accents added to the berries.

 

My second card took longer to make.  It's for the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown that wants a winter scene.  I've got a white (i.e. snow covered) winter village against a very frosty sky.

The background uses the mixed media smooshing (see this tutorial on SCS). I used a few shades of blue and one of purple Distress inks, tapped them on my craft mat, added a bit of white shimmer paint and a bit of iridescent medium, spritzed all with water, and smooshed and dragged my watercolour paper in it. The village die cut and card base are white shimmer cs.

   

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Magenta chickadee, Rubber Soul sentiment
Ink - Versafine Clair Nocturne, Memento Rhubarb Stalk
Paper - white and red cs, watercolour paper
Size - A2
Accessories - red watercolour paint, Lil Inker stitched rectangle die, Glossy Accents, fun foam

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Rubber Soul sentiment
Ink - Distress Faded Jeans, Stormy Sky, Dusty Concord
Paper - watercolour paper, white shimmer cs
Size - A2
Accessories - village die, Tsukineko Frost White liquid paint, Windsor & Newton Iridescent Medium

Gingerbread Men

The Peace on Earth challenge is celebrating its 100th challenge!  I've been on their Design Team since challenge #7 and I've enjoyed every single one.  Darlene and Diane come up with the best mood boards that always inspire me. 

The new mood board is full of gingerbread men.  I don't have any gingerbread stamps and I couldn't find my die.  But I did find some patterned paper covered in gingerbread men and I had an old card with a tiny cluster of die cuts that included one so I pulled it off the old card and used it for this card.

The sentiment is one of the great Kay Foley sentiments - I have quite a few of her sentiments and I just love them.  Sadly, the company that carried them (River City Rubber) has closed.  This sentiment mentions baking fancy cookies so I thought it went with the gingerbread men theme.  It also mentions decorating gifts with gold sparkly stuff so I included some gold thread behind the die cuts.  I stamped it in brown, layered it over the patterned paper, and added my little cluster of die cuts.

Please come and join us at Peace on Earth.  Maybe you'll be inspired by the mood board.  If not, "anything Christmas" goes.

I'm also linking it up with the Word Power Challenge where the sentiment is the focus of the card.

Supplies:
Stamps - Kay Foley sentiment (River City Rubber)
Ink - Archival Acorn
Paper - white cs, gingerbread men patterned paper
Size - A2
Accessories - tiny die cuts, gold thread