CC&S #130: Sweet Poppy Stencils, Translucent Paste & Micro Beads

Lizy has given us a nice uncomplicated sketch at CAS Colours and Sketches and I have combined my DT card with three other challenges this week. I like to try and design to the sketch we have been given as far as possible and this week it has given me the chance to use my recently acquired stitched rectangle dies.

The technique of using stencilling/pastes features in two challenges this week; Theme week #229 at Less Is More and Game #42 at AAA Cards. I taped my stencil onto my die-cut rectangle having printed a computer-generated sentiment. I then inked gently through the stencil using two different colours of distress inks. I removed and washed the stencil leaving the ink to dry. Then I replaced the stencil and applied some translucent paste. Carefully removing the stencil I covered the image with micro beads and left it to dry overnight. I absolutely fell in love with this technique having first discovered it on Eileen Godwn's blog and then watching the lovely Lucy from Sweet Poppy Stencils demoing at a show. I especially like how the tiny beads also stick to the sides of the paste where it is raised giving a beautiful translucent outline to the image. Some of the stencil is too narrow to ink through successfully but when finished this gives a lovely clear accent to the coloured areas.

Inspiration for the colours has come from CAS-ual Fridays CFC: #140 Michelle's Idea of Summer where we are challenged to create a CAS project using tan, white and one bright colour.

I mounted the finished image onto a piece of tan linen cardstock using some twine at the base of the image to tie in with Lizy's sketch and then onto a white card blank.

Supplies Used:
Die: Stitched Rectangle Layers (Memory Box)
Stencil: Dove (Sweet Poppy Stencils)
Inks: Broken China & Antique Linen (TH Distress)
Paste: Translucent Paste (Sweet Poppy Stencils)
Beads: Clear Micro Glass Beads (Creative Expressions)
Sentiment Font: Bodoni MT
Snippets: White & tan linen cardstock, Turquoise baker's twine

Thanks Lizy for a fantastic month of colours and sketches. Hope you'll have time to play with this week's sketch!

Stef x

Thistles and Wild Flowers

I've been playing around with stencils and paste and made this card for my friend Tracy's birthday. The background was made using textured paper coloured with Pan Pastels. The stamped thistles are from one of my favourite companies Lavinia Stamps with Distress inks. The paste is a pearlescent one from Dreamweaver used with a Sweet Poppy stencil (designed by Tracey from Lavinia Stamps) called 'Wild Flowers'. Inspiration for the shape came from this weeks 'Less is More' challenge.

I would like to enter it into the following challenges:
Lavinia Stamps Challenge #3: Add Something Pink
Less Is More Lucky Dip Week 165: Round and Round

Thanks for looking!
Stef