Hands of Faith

© Michele Emerson-Robert 2016

When I was playing several weeks ago with paints, stencils and handmade paper backgrounds, I found the whole process addictive and just keep going and going! Each background “speaks” to me as to how it wants to be completed. Sometimes it is with a stamp and a ribbon, or perhaps it is a die cut and a ribbon. Changing the colors can make a huge difference in the “feel” of a stenciled background (compare the blue and white card to the peach and blue card from Aug. 19^th--the same stencil was used. 

Supplies:

·       Any of the Arnold Grummer® paper making kits

·       Blender, cello sponges and soft towels

·       A sunny window

·       Scraps of white paper (think junk mail, etc.)

·       The PaperCut™ White and Royal Blue card stock for card bases

·       Envelopes to fit cards (or create your own using the AG envelope template)

·       Die: Quiet Fire Designs™ EC#1159 “Faith”

·       Spellbinders^TM Grand Calibur™ die cutting and embossing machine

·       Westcott™ paper trimmer and scissors

·       Scor-Pal™

·       Beacon ZipDry^TM adhesive

·       Stencils: Dreamweaver™ Mosaic Circles, hand cut “filigree” stencil (used a die cut that didn’t cut well……smile)

·       Stamp-A-Mania™ MH7084-H “Each day……..”

·       ColorBox™ Dye based ink pads in black, royal blue, turquoise and hot pink, Stylus™ handle & white tips

·       Ribbon: Winter White seam binding

·       Iron to make the paper smooth

Instructions:

1.     Follow the instructions found in any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits to create white slurry and create one or more sheets of medium weight handmade paper.

2.     Allow the paper to dry.

3.     Iron the paper to make it smooth.

4.     5 x 7” card: Score and fold the royal blue card stock to create a 5 x 7” card.

5.     Cut a white layer piece and a smaller white piece to stencil.

6.     Use the Stylus™ to apply royal blue ink through the Mosaic Circle stencil. Vary the color.

7.     Allow the ink to dry.

8.     Layer the stenciled piece onto the white piece.

9.     Attach the seam binding ribbon to the back side and tie a bow in the middle top of the layered piece.

10.  Attach the layered piece to the center of the card front.

11.  Die cut the word “Faith” from a scrap of heavy weight handmade paper.

12.  Attach the die cut word to the bottom of the layered piece.

13.  4 ¼ x 5 ½ “card: Score and fold the white card stock to create a 4 ¼ x 5 ½” card.

14.  Cut a piece of handmade paper to stencil 3 ½ x 4 3/8”.

15.   Use the Stylus™ to apply the turquoise and hot pink inks through the filigree stencil. Clean the tip between colors.

16.  Allow the ink to dry.

17.  Stamp “Each day…..” with black ink on the right hand side of the stenciled piece

18.  Attach the seam binding to the back of the stenciled piece. Tie a bow at the front.

19.  Center & attach the stenciled piece to the front of the white card.

Beautiful Backgrounds

© Michele Emerson-Robert 2016

Some handmade paper, a few ink pads and re-inkers, stamps and stencils and what have you got? Literally hundreds of backgrounds for cards, collage and mixed media pieces! Beware! Creating these backgrounds is addictive!

 

Supplies

·       Any of the Arnold Grummer® paper making kits

·       Blender, cello sponges and soft towels

·       A sunny window

·       Scraps of white paper (think junk mail, etc.)  

·       The PaperCut™ various colors of cardstock for card bases and envelopes

·       Stencils: Dreamweaver™ LJ901, Arabesques handmade stencil

·       Tonic Studios™ paper trimmer and scissors

·       Scor-Pal™

·       Tonic Studios™ Craft Tacky glue

·       ColorBox™ dye based ink pads in tans & rusts, blues, greens, peach, black, Stylus™ handle and white tips

·       Winter White seam binding

·       Stamps: Stamp-A-Mania™ MH7125-H “Love….”, “Heart Of a Friend” (sorry I have lost the #)

·       Iron

Instructions:

1.     Follow the instructions found in any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits to create white slurry and create several sheets of medium weight handmade paper. 

2.     Allow the paper to dry.

3.     Iron the paper to make it smooth.

4.     Cut a layer piece for each card 3¾ x 5”.

5.     Cut a background piece for each card 3½ x 4 7/8”. (Remember to always save the scraps!)

6.     Use the Stylus™ handle and tips to lightly apply the inks onto the background pieces through the stencils varying the colors.

7.     When the stenciled ink is dry, stamp “Love is the river of Life in the world” to the blue/peach background with black ink and “And the song, from beginning to end, I found in the heart of a friend” on the rusty back ground with dark rust ink.

8.     Attach the seam binding to the back top parts of the cards, tie a bow.

9.     Layer and attach the background piece to the white layer.

10.  Score and fold the card bases from various colors of card stock (match one of the colors of ink).

11.  Attach the layers to the card fronts.

12.  Add your message inside the card.