The inspiration for these cards came from the archives of Kelly Taylor's videos -  Layering Balloon Stencil 5 Ways: Birthday Parties .  Knowing I had these stencils in my stash I dug them out and set out to ink blend a few panels.  I wanted to try a couple of the ideas I saw in her videos.   I ink-blended my balloons using Distress Ink in Villainous Potion, Peacock Feathers, and Cracked Pistachio onto my first panel.  I wanted to add more interest, so I pulled out another stencil and layered it over the second layer of balloons, while the balloon stencil was still in place, and added some tone-on-tone details.  Once I had a completed panel I wanted a bold sentiment, but instead of adding the sentiment over top of the panel, I opted for a die-cut inlay.  Which left me with the reverse, which I could have tossed or used later.  Instead, I made two cards for the price of one.   Rense and repeat.  This go round I used Mustard Seed,...

Taylored Expressions has some fun and unique stenciling products, including the stamp and stencil set I used on this card.  I love my ink blending and stencils but decided to kick it up a notch on this card, after watching Kelly's video -  Hero Arts Holiday Catalog, Holiday Birds & Wreaths .  She added depth and dimension to a stenciled wreath and it seemed like the perfect way to punch this card up a bit.   With this set, the leaves of this bouquet are stamped with a red rubber stamp before layering the flowers to build the bouquet.  Each stencil in the set is etched with outlines of the leaves, making it easy to line up each stencil layer.  When building this card, I used Distress Inks for stamping the leaves, as well as the ink blending.  Yes, you can stamp with Distress Inks.  In my opinion, stamping with Distress Inks creates a smoother impression with red rubber stamps than with clear stamps. For additional interest, I also used the...

I love my stencil collection, but I don't think I use them anywhere nearly enough. I'm also a huge fan of the stencil layering technique. Layering stencils expands the supplies you already have in your stash, creating countless possibilities. For this card, I used a basic circle stencil and the Organic Matter stencil from The Crafter's Companion. Let's talk about how striking this large sunflower is!  When I purchased this set I had the full intention of coloring it with Copics, which I will eventually, but I really wanted to let the line art take center stage on this card.   What better way to make an image pop off the page than with a big pop of color?  I started by applying a circle frame stencil over top of a panel of Neenah Bright White cardstock. ( Quick tip:  I use a repositionable spray adhesive on the back of all my stencils).   Over the top of the circle, I layered the Organic Matter stencil. Using a blending brush I applied Squeezed Lemonade Di...