Stand-alone stencils and a new way to use them!

When working with those stencils in my stash that don't have coordinating stamps or dies, they can sometimes fall flat.  Adding dramatic colors can really correct that, but today I want to share another way to add detail - with a pen!

Here is the first card I made using the Waffle Flower Crafts: NPC Peony Stencil set...

Quite pretty with those deep tones of orange and brown

but without the pop of white and fun framing you can

imagine it could 'fall flat', right?

Working with Bonnie's wonderful colors at Color Hues #134 

I went back in with those gorgeous Peonies in bright pinks for

the blooms and turquoise for the 'sky' - then the switch was turned on using

a Copic fine multi-liner and stencils 1-4 in the set to 'outline' and

give details to the flowers and leaves.  

Perhaps it's better to show, than to tell!

I even added intentional 'splatters' for interest.  Then it was time

to finish the piece using a black mat, one of Penny Black's Double Frames,

and a lovely Better Press-ed sentiment from Spellbinders' Bouquet of Hugs sentiment sets.  Here are the inks blended for my stenciling...

I know there will be a ton of cards in Bonnie's gallery - and have you seen her card??  FABulous!  Hurry to TCH#134 to see it and all the other wonderful team makes!

=] Michele

Freshly Made Sketches #738

 

Will you be at all surprised when I tell you that our sketch artist

this week is Cecile?  I can see her CAS organic style all over it!

What to do?  I tipped her sketch on its side to accommodate one of

my favorite birds from Wplus9 - sorry that it's no longer available.

The 'stitching' was the first element to happen.  I used one of 

Kristina's Finishing Touches dies from Concord & 9th stopping

short of the edge of my card.  Two branches were cut from the same

Bristol card as my panel for the perch and the bird 

[from Wplus9's Vintage Ephemera] stamped in Distress Blueprint Sketch

and a bit of grey for his beak.  The eye was carefully colored with a 

black Sharpie and given shine with a drop of Nuvo Crystal.

Isn't that sentiment just the ticket?  [W+9 Just Breathe] 

He sure looks as if he's thinking of someone special - maybe Cecile?

Hope to see you in our Freshly Made Sketches #738 gallery this week!

=] Michele

Freshly Made Sketches #737

 

Isn't this a fantastic sketch?  Jen B. is our sketch artist this week and

I immediately thought of that wonderful embossing folder from 

Spellbinders: Molded Frame!

This card nearly made itself, honestly.  A simple pale 4x5.25" grey panel was

embossed with said EF then topped with a pair of SSS die-cut flowers:

Poppy Stem - the one on the right and Cosmos Stem on the left.

Both cut from Neenah 110# card and doubled up for mail-ability.

A sweet little sentiment that will have you singing along - all day! - and

my card for Freshly Made Sketches #737 is complete!

I can't wait to see what my team has made - and what YOU will make, too!

=] Michele

Color Hues #133

 

My sweet friend Tracey is hosting The Color Hues Challenge #133 and loved all of the cards the team made using these fun colors.  So I reached for my Distress Wilted Violet and got to work using that sweet little C&9th Just Picked Dies - particularly that clover again!  

I love the first card I made using it so why recreate the wheel?  Here is my CASE of that one...

A little bit of gingham on any card makes me smile!  The vase die

was used to cut a piece of embossed paper from a friend, and another

Better-pressed sentiment finishes it well.

Off I go to deliver this one to Tracey's gallery at TCH#133!

=] Michele

Thank you, Tracey!

Just us Girls #823

Lisa is our host for Just us Girls #823 and she has chosen a wonderful noun for their Word Week: Flowers!  I just so happened to have a brand-spankin'-new Altenew Flourished Flora in my hot little hands!  Thanks, Lisa!  Now let's hope I remember to link and share!

This is a 6-stencil set that took a little bit of shifting and planning to bring together but

in the end, I couldn't love it more!  You might notice that I did a 'no-line' look in the photo

above but soon decided that stamping those lines would really bring out some of the

fantastic details on this stamp.  Here are the [many] inks used - I over-stamped the

outline using the darkest of the blues from the Altenew Tranquility set: Dark Night.

I treated myself to the coordinating dies and after cutting discovered just how huge this image is!  A wee bit of surgery was required to make it fit on a 5 x 7" card!!

Isn't that wavy embossing great?  Spellbinders: Summertime Waves.

It was a great time pulling together all those colors!

Okay... I'm going right now to get this one in the JUGS#823 gallery!

Thanks for spending a bit of your weekend at my place!

=] Michele

Color Hues #132

I was delighted to know that someone was missing me here in blogland!  It isn't because I've stopped enjoying my crafty time, believe me!  Here is a little something I cooked up just for the gals at Color Hues #132 - thanks to a generous share from a friend, it came out so cute IMHO!

I was delighted to play with Donna's PTI Chicken - thanks so much my friend!

I did find a way to 'make her my own!'  PTI even makes these fun papers but the cloud and sentiment are ancient EH products!

Are you ready for the inside?

Can anyone relate? lol

I'd better get this one delivered before it's too late!

=] Michele

Freshly Made Sketches #736

My wonderful teammate Verena has a gorgeous CAS style about her cards - perfect for Freshly Made Sketches #736 and her happy sketch this week ...

I've also found it perfect for a fun 21st birthday card for my granddaughter!

Where have the years gone?  I'm sure she's thrilled about this milestone

birthday - but this grammy really wishes she was still 5!

These 'old birds' are from Ellen Hutson, designed by Brandi Kincaid, 

and go way back to 2019!  But I still love them!

Three of five 'chicks' found their way onto Verena's circles - though

I can't say they are in 'pecking order!'  Another oldie but goodie from 

MFT: Jumbo Ric Rac brought more fun as does the burlap texture from

HoneyBee's embossing folder.

I'll save the inside sentiment just for Lola!

Hope this and all the wonderful inspiration from my teamies get

your creative juices flowing - come play!

=] Michele