Beyond Basic Backgrounds
Good day, fellow crafters. Today, I want to share with you the delightful process of creating my own stencil using nothing but my trusty tools and a touch of creativity. This was a very easy project to complete and I highly encourage you to take up the challenge to make your own stencil. Embrace the ease of the process and let your imagination guide you. And remember, the joy of crafting lies not only in the final product but also in the journey of self-expression and discovery. I hope you enjoy.
To create the background for this card I started with the Altenew Dodec Cover die, white cardstock and some wax paper. Yes wax paper, but let me explain. I used the cover die to cut through both the cardstock and the wax paper to get my desired design, then I ran the aligned pieces through a hot laminating machine until eventually the wax paper melted and fully fused to the cardstock. This took about five passes but left the card stock very stiff, resembling my purchased plastic stencils. This technique opened up a lot of ideas for me to use, especially if I were to incorporate the use of my Cricut to cut out the designs.
Once I had the stencil created I carefully tapped it down over a piece of premium white watercolor paper in preparation for the next step, which you should easily guess was of course, water coloring. To create the effect you see on the card I carefully used my Altenew metallic water color pigments to make individual colors to paint onto the card through the newly created stencil. I really like how the metallic shimmer stands out. After it was painted I set it aside to dry.
To add the final touch of elegance and express heartfelt gratitude, I turned to Altenew's Fancy Thanks die. Using additional black cardstock, I carefully double stacked the die-cut sentiment to create a sense of dimension and visual appeal. This technique added a touch of sophistication to the card, making the sentiment pop and capturing attention.
I hope that you have found some inspiration in my design. I encourage you to let your imagination soar as you experiment with different combinations and techniques, creating masterpieces that are sure to leave a lasting impression on those who receive them.
