3D Challenge Tuesday...Stenciling Elegance for the Holidays

Looking for some last minute hand-made gift ideas still? How about a fun treat jar, beautifully stenciled? As my first posting as a Paper Craft Planet Supernova, I thought I'd share a fun stenciling technique with definite WOW appeal!

The supplies needed are shown above and include: metal stencils (Dreamweaver Stencils' Swirl Tree and Antler Snowflake), Translucent Embossing Paste (Dreamweaver Stencils), palette knife/spreader, glitter (Stampendous Multi Crystal), removable tape, and a candy jar (with flat sides).

Step 1: Tape stencil onto flat surface on all four sides using removable tape.

Step 2: Spread Translucent Embossing Paste over surface of stencil with palette knife at slight angle.
Step 3: Holding palette knife at 90 degree angle, scrape off excess paste and return to container.
Step 4: Remove tape from three sides of stencil. Using fourth side as hinge, lift and remove the stencil. Clean stencil and palette knife immediately in warm, soapy water with a soft scrub brush. Dry with soft towel.

Step 5: Pour glitter over surface. Pour off excess and return to container. Set aside jar to dry for 20 minutes.
Step 6: Repeat on other three sides.

Step 7: Follow the same steps to stencil the snowflake on the lid as well.

Since you are probably now thinking, "I'd hardly call this a quick and easy project!", that would probably be the case if you were only creating one. However, if you were to follow the same instructions to create several projects at the same time (gift bags, cards, tags, ornaments, etc.), then you can complete quite a few in the same crafting session. While one is drying and waiting for the next step, you can be working on the next...sort of a round robin of creative fun!
For more creative stenciling ideas, please visit the Dream It Up! blog for Dreamweaver Stencils.

Santa Gets Snarky

 I love the idea that even that "jolly old elf", Santa himself, can get a little cranky during the holidays. Murray's Law (from Gourmet Rubber Stamps) is full of humorous images, several with Santa in snarky mode. Since the "Santa Pony" image is obviously the focal point of this card, I kept it simple...I colored the image with Copic markers, added some highlights with Copic White, matted the image and adhered it to a Bazzill Maraschino card. I ran a strip of Bazzill Parakeet through my Big Shot Pro with Dreamweaver Stencils Christmas Lights, and finished it off with a ribbon tie. Oh, yeah, and of course I added a pompom on his hat!

WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH KRAFT, RED, AND IVORY?

My good friend and Dream Teammate, Wendy, suggested our colorway challenge for this week...kraft, red, and ivory. Great combo. I'm all over it! Somehow kraft cardstock evokes the thought of simple, so I tried to keep it that way...mostly. I ran my ivory panel through the Big Shot with the newly released "Stockings by the Fire" stencil. Okay, have to admit, my first thought was to airbrush the flames with my Copic system...but, trying to keep it simple here. Sigh. So, I replaced the stencil and rouged gold and brown ink from the Splendor Antique pad softly over the embossed areas. Then I paper-pieced the stockings with some cute gingham paper, and matted the panel with the same paper. The kraft card was distressed with ink and my ragged fingernails (great distressing tools, but not pretty), before wrapping the card with red and white baker's twine. The stockings are "hung by the chimney with care", (actually brad fasteners and bakers twine bows). The sentiment was just an epoxy sticker from Cloud 9 Design. Turned out cute and homey, kind of the sitting-by-the-fire feeling you want during the holidays, but not so much in the middle of summer. Oh, well, a girl can dream...



 So now you have your opportunity to visit the rest of the Dream Team for inspiration before breaking out your kraft, red, and ivory supplies to create something you can link to on the Dream It Up! blog!

Party with the Polka Penguins

I thought I was through with posting Christmas cards for this year, but I came across this one that I created for the Stampendous holiday catalog '09. It is one of my favorites, mainly because I love penguins, and I love the color scheme for this card. I took one white cardstock panel and stamped the Polka Penguins image, the sentiment, and the snowflakes. I watercolored all, and then cut the panel into three sections. Each were matted in black cardstock, adhered over this smoky blue MME paper, on a red card, and embellished with rick rack, ribbon, turn mounts, and red brad fasteners. A little glitter to highlight the frosty feel finished it off. Happy holiday stamping! Be sure to come back on Thursday for the Dreamweaver Stencil's Thursday Dream Schemes!
Pam

"Polka Penguins" from Stampendous (M172)
"Mini Flake" from Stampendous (AA014)
"Ours to Yours" from Stampendous (L190)
Onyx Versafine ink from Tsukineko
Multi Ultra-fine Crystal Glitter from Stampendous (GM220U)
Bazzill Maraschino cardstock
black, white cardstock
print paper (MME)
turn mounts, brad fasteners (Creative Impressions)
rick rack, ribbon
watercolors
corner rounder

Dimensional Poinsettia Card

One of my favorite things about using Dreamweaver stencils, is the large variety of ways to use them. You can stencil with ink, paint, chalk, etc. You can machine emboss, paste emboss, or de-boss (using the opposite side of an embossed image). In the case of this card, I machine-embossed the Poinsettia, and then cut around and popped up various petals/leaves for a more dimensional look. I love using black, white, and red together, so I kept these less traditional colors. I embellished with black rhinestones, doily edging, and fun ribbon. I had a hard time deciding where to add a sentiment until I remembered these epoxy sentiments from Cloud 9 that I had bought a while back. Really a very simple card, and another fun way to use these fabulous stencil designs from Dreamweaver Stencils.
Pam

"Poinsettia" from Dreamweaver Stencils (LL338)
red linen, black linen, and white cardstock
Cloud 9 epoxy sentiment
ribbon, rhinestones (Michael's)
Doily Edger from Martha Stewart
double sided foam adhesive