AECP: A Gift Set for Guys

hello (thinking of you) card

This first card was the foundation of the entire set. If you recognize the Cube Builder stencil panel, yes, it is the one I created in the video! It’s been sitting in my scraps pile for weeks now. I always save gems like this to speed up projects later! It’s a pretty straightforward design, with a little twist of vellum. That little bit of diffusion breaks up all of the sharp lines and draws the eye around in an unexpected way. 

Techniques:

• Celebration – Stencil Techniques: shifting the stencil
• For the Guys: Geometric designs
• Easy Die Cutting: stamps & matching dies
• Let it Shine: glossy elements (enamel dots)
• Color Your Day: focus on a minimal, specific color palette with a neutral
• In the Mood For Color: Blue – for calm & tranquility

How To:

1. Prep the card base by adhering a 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″ piece of Storm Cloud cardstock to the card base. 
2. Stencil the Cube Builder design on a piece of Neenah Solar White Super Smooth cardstock using two shades from the Sea Shore Mini Cube set. 
3. Stamp the “just saying” image on the stenciled panel, using the hello die to make sure you leave enough space to the right.
4. Diecut a sheet of vellum using the Heffy Doodle Imperial Stitched Rectangles. Adhere it to the stenciled panel using Zig 2-way glue (it doesn’t show through!). Trim the panel to 4 1/8″ x 5 3/8″ and adhere to the card base.
5. Stamp the “hello” image and diecut. Diecut a second “hello” in Storm Cloud cs. Adhere the Storm Cloud layer so it leaves a shadow behind the stamped diecut. Adhere to the card.
6. Add enamel dots.

Here’s a video on using the Cube Builder Stencil!

birthday card

Brian needs four masculine birthday cards for the year. Most of the birthdays have passed, but this timeless gem will work later this year, or next! After the first card, I decided that Super Script and stencils would be the additional unifying theme in addition to the color palette. We know that a color palette will help create a unified set, but sticking to a specific stamp set and other common elements (like the stencils and even the enamel shapes) really get us matchy-matchy – in a good way!

Techniques:

• Celebration – Stencil Techniques: shifting the stencil
• For the Guys: Geometric designs
• Easy Die Cutting: stamps & matching dies & inlaid (or eclipse) diecutting
• Let it Shine: glossy elements (enamel dots),  gold & black embossing
• Color Your Day: focus on a minimal, specific color palette with a neutral
• In the Mood For Color: Blue – for calm & tranquility

How To:

1. Prep the card base by adhering a 4 1/8″ x 5 3/8″ piece of Storm Cloud cardstock to the card base. 
2. Stencil the Feeling Dotty design on a piece of Neenah Solar White Super Smooth cardstock using one shades from the Sea Shore Mini Cube set. 
3. Stamp the “celebrate” image on the stenciled panel.
4. Shift the stencil and use Versamark to add embossing ink to random parts of the stencil. Emboss with gold.
5. Diecut the “celebrate” sentiment from the stenciled panel. Diecut a second “celebrate” using foam sheets or chipboard. Adhere the two together. 
6. Stamp the “hello” image on a vellum strip. Emboss in black. Snip the left end at an angle and trim for length.
7. Adhere the stenciled panel to the card base. Then, adhere the diecut sentiment back into the space. Add the little cutout bits if desired.
8. Adhere the vellum flag with glue dots and add enamel dots.

Here’s a video on the distressed offset stencil look!

encouragement card

This one is Brian’s favorite! I love how crisp and bright it is. It was at this point that I was glad that I went for more of an aqua blue than a traditional blue as it really pops against the white, black and gray. The double stencil technique really results in some “advanced” looking stenciling, but it’s so easy! Adding in the sketching somehow reminds me of comic books, and the dots look like little Pac Man dots. Oh, and that little bit of blending on the center panel – that was money! It softened up the stenciled lines and allowed the diecut sentiment to stand out. I think this one is a favorite for me too!

Techniques:

• Celebration – Stencil Techniques: double stencil technique
• For the Guys: Geometric designs
• Easy Die Cutting: stamps & matching dies
• Let it Shine: glossy elements (enamel dots)
• Color Your Day: focus on a minimal, specific color palette with a neutral
• In the Mood For Color: Blue – for calm & tranquility
• Ink Blending Techniques: add ink blending to soften details
• Beautiful Details: sketch in extra detail

How To:

1. Stencil the Calligraphy Maze and Feeling Dotty designs using the double stencil technique on a piece of Neenah Solar White Super Smooth cardstock using two shades from the Sea Shore Mini Cube set. 
2. Use a fine-tipped black pen to add in sketchy lines, following the stenciled maze. 
3. Trim the stenciled panel to 4″ x 5 1/4″. Diecut the center using a Heffy Doodle Imperial Stitched Rectangle die.
4. Softly blend in some ink over the center diecut panel to soften the edges of the stenciling. 
5. Stamp and diecut the “awesome” image.
6. Using the “awesome” die as a placeholder, arrange the “you are” and “just saying” stamps and stamp on the cutout stenciled panel. To get “just sayin’”, mask off the “g”. Once stamped, use the fine-tipped black pen to add in an apostrophe and put parenthesis around the words. Adhere the “awesome” diecut in the space.
7. Diecut a stitched rectangle in vellum. Make sure it is larger than the stenciled cutout. Adhere the two together.
8. Cut a piece of foam sheet to back the diecut layer. Adhere the background stenciled image to the card base, then add the diecut center to the card base, making sure the stenciled images line up.
9. Add enamel dots.

Here’s a video on the double stencil technique!

anniversary card

This is another favorite for me because I love the halftone background, and the watercolored flowers. I have a feeling I might find this card back in my possession in December, unless Brian gives it to someone else to use for their anniversary. I don’t normally let elements stray so far off the edge of a standard card size. I made an exception for this one as I figured it will be hand-delivered! ?

Techniques:

• Celebration – Stencil Techniques: flipped stencil
• For the Guys: Geometric designs
• Easy Die Cutting: stamps & matching dies
• Let it Shine: glossy elements (enamel dots), gold & black embossing
• Color Your Day: focus on a minimal, specific color palette with a neutral
• In the Mood For Color: Blue – for calm & tranquility
• Beautiful Details: watercolor solid images

How To:

1. Prep the card base by adhering a 4″ x 5 1/4″ piece of Storm Cloud cardstock to the card base. 
2. Stencil the Halftone pattern in one direction using one shade from the Sea Shore Mini Cube set. Then, flip the stencil 180-degrees, making sure the first stenciled images fit in the spaces evenly, then stencil a second color from the same set. I like the high contrast look, but you can go with two closer colors for a more subtle difference.
3. Diecut a sheet of vellum using the Heffy Doodle Imperial Stitched Rectangles. Adhere it to the stenciled panel using Zig 2-way glue (it doesn’t show through!). Trim the finished panel to 3 7/8″ x 5 1/8″.
4. Arrange the “you are”, “my” and “everything” stamps to the lower left corner of the stenciled panel. Stamp and emboss in black. Then adhere to the card base.
5. Stamp, emboss and diecut the “celebrate” image. Adhere to the card base.
6. Stamp floral images from Lacy Scrolls. Watercolor the flowers using shades from the Sea Shore Mini Cube set. Stamp leaves in black. Diecut the images and arrange. Adhere to the card base using foam adhesive to pop it up.
7. Add enamel dots.

Here’s a video on watercoloring solid images!

Upcycled Gift Bag

I am not a “thing hoarder” or a “tchotchke” person, so I don’t often save items that can be upcycled. BUT, I get these lovely muslin bags from an online beauty company, and I just can’t seem to part with them. The logo is so small that I knew there was a way I could cover it up to make the bag my own. In this case, GESSO to the rescue! (I love that stuff!!)

Techniques:

• Celebration – Stencil Techniques: Ombre stenciling, create a stencil from a die
• For the Guys: Geometric designs
• Let it Shine: Gold embossing
• Color Your Day: Focus on a minimal, specific color palette with a neutral
• In the Mood For Color: Blue – for calm & tranquility
• Clean & Simple Boutique Cards: Packaging & creating gifts

How To:

1. Prep the material, ironing if necessary to remove wrinkles. Mask out an area for applying gesso. Insert a piece of plastic/acetate or cardboard in the bag to keep the gesso from bleeding through – even if you plan on painting the back.
2. Apply gesso (white, tinted or black) over the area, covering any undesired logos. Dry (air dry or with heat gun). Add additional layers of gesso if necessary to cover any show-through.
3. Create a stencil by cutting the Gradient Stripes Cover Die out of heavy weight cardstock or chipboard.
4. Place the stencil on the gessoed area. Cover the edges with wide masking tape. Stencil in one or multiple shades from the Sea Shore Mini Cube set. If necessary, shift the stencil to the left or right to allow the pattern to extend all the way across the area. Allow the inking to dry (air dry or heat gun).
5. Mask out an area for the gold embossing. Swipe Versamark across the masked area and emboss in gold.
6. Stamp “for you” on the bottom colored stripe.
7. Spray the finished design with a fixative such as clear spray lacquer (matte, semi-gloss or glossy).

**Note: even though the finished design is protected with a spray finish, avoid getting the bag excessively wet as water can still get to it from inside the bag. Wipe any stains or water with a cloth. Do not wash.

Here’s a video on upcycling a cloth bag!