Faded Water Stenciling

Hi Everyone.  Prior to starting our Group of Seven Cardmakers blog, our group kept in touch during Covid and started trying out new and (revised) older techniques.  We are including them as a reference for those that are interesting in trying them out.

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February 2021

Video:  Faded Water Stenciling by Dina Kowal

Supplies:

• Watercolour paper (or mixed media, bristol, etc.)
• Stencil
• Distress Inks or Distress Oxides - Two colours (one dark, one light)
• Sponges
• Water mister
• Paper Towel for blotting

Technique Instructions:

Following the video above ...

• Secure watercolour paper to work surface
• Place stencil over top and tape down at top of stencil, securing the tape as a hinge so that the stencil can be flipped up
• Flip up stencil to work directly on watercolour paper, sponge top third of paper using darkest ink, fading out as you reach about 1/3 down the paper.
• Continuing with just watercolour paper and using the second ink colour, blend up through the faded ink and then down the card about 1/2 way.  Continue with the second colour of ink, fading out the colour below the 1/2 way point.
• Flip stencil down over the watercolour paper.  Blend with the second colour, starting at the 1/2 way point and downwards.  Most pressure at center of paper, fading out towards the bottom.
• Flip of stencil to see if you are happy with the look.  Place stencil back and continue blending if you want more colour.
• Lightly mist with water on the top of the card.
• Blot lightly with paper towel.  This will fade out the colour at the top.
• Let paper completely dry.

Faded Water Stenciling

Darnell

Loll

Sponging over Gesso Stenciling

Hi Everyone.  Prior to starting our Group of Seven Cardmakers blog, our group kept in touch during Covid and started trying out new and (revised) older techniques.  We are including them as a reference for those that are interesting in trying them out.

* * * * *

January 2021

Video:  Lavinia Stamps with Gesso Stenciling by Eileen Godwin

Supplies:

• Regular card stock or mixed media paper
• Masking tape
• Stencil (one for background)
• Gesso
• Sponges
• Distress or DOX inks (two - three colours are best)
• Silhouette stamp (or stencil)
• Black ink

Technique Instructions:

Following video above ...

• Mask off borders on card front.
• Place stencil over top and lightly sponge gesso through stencil inside the bordered card front.
• Let gesso dry.
• Sponge over top of the dry stenciled gesso using a light touch with two to three colours of ink.
• Let ink dry.
• Stamp or stencil image over top using black ink.
• Remove masking tape.

Sponging over Gesso Stenciling

Bonnie 

Brenda

Christine

  

Darnell

Loll

Susan

Loll

Stencil Sponging Bleed

Hi Everyone.  Prior to starting our Group of Seven Cardmakers blog, our group kept in touch during Covid and started trying out new and (revised) older techniques.  We are including them as a reference for those that are interesting in trying them out.

* * * * *

December 2020

Video:  Stenciling by Kristina Werner

Supplies:

• Regular white card stock
• Stencil
• Inks
• Masking tape (optional)
• Small sponge brushes 

Technique Instructions:

Following video above ...

• Place stencil over top of card stock and tape down to secure.
• Using small sponge brushes, add in colours of ink to sponge over the stencil (may required masking if your brushes are not very small).
• Remove stencil and masking tape.
• Lightly sponge over the different images of your stencil to add a "bleed" of sponging.  This will fill in most of the white space between images and make the design softer.

Stencil Sponging Bleed

Bonnie

Brenda

Darnell

Loll

 

Powdered Inks with Versamark

Hi Everyone.  Prior to starting our Group of Seven Cardmakers blog, our group kept in touch during Covid and started trying out new and (revised) older techniques.  We are including them as a reference for those that are interesting in trying them out.

* * * * *

November 2020

Supplies:

• Watercolour paper (hot or cold press)
• Solid stamp
• Versamark or watermark ink (clear)
• Powdered Inks (Magicals, Brushos, Bister powders, etc.)
• Cheap paint brushes

Technique Instructions:

• Ink up stamp with Versamark ink.
• Using cheap paint brushes, brush on powdered inks (very little powder is required).
• Lightly spritz with water and stamp onto watercolour paper.

Powdered Inks with Versamark

Bonnie

Darnell

Loll

Susan

Geometric Sponging

Hi Everyone.  Prior to starting our Group of Seven Cardmakers blog, our group kept in touch during Covid and started trying out new and (revised) older techniques.  We are including them as a reference for those that are interesting in trying them out.

* * * * *

October 2020

Video:  Geometric Sponging by Eileen Godwin

Supplies:

• Straight Edge
• Light inks - three (versions of primary colours work well)
• Sponge brushes
• Card stock or mixed media paper

Technique Instructions:

Following video above ...

• Place straight edge on paper.  
• Lightly load a sponge brush with your first colour (remove excess ink so you only have a little ink on your brush)
• Lightly stroke your brush on an angle from the straight edge, fading out as you go (feathering)
• Continue to move straight edge and repeat with the other two colours
• Add more lines of sponging until you're happy with the look

A simple technique that makes an artistic and geometric background.

Geometric Sponging

Bonnie

Brenda

Darnell

Julia

Loll

Susan

Dry Embossed Toilet Paper

Hi Everyone.  Prior to starting our Group of Seven Cardmakers blog, our group kept in touch during Covid and started trying out new and (revised) older techniques.  We are including them as a reference for those that are interesting in trying them out.

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October 2020

Supplies:

• Toilet paper (4-6 pieces)
• Water mister
• Embossing folder
• Embossing Machine

Technique Instructions:

• Layer pieces of toilet paper, misting in-between each layer and on top layer.
• Place into embossing folder and run through machine.
• Dry before using.
• Alternatively, you can add ink to the inside of the embossing folder before adding wet paper towel.

This makes a surprisingly, beautifully embossed panel.

Dry Embossed Toilet Paper

Bonnie

Brenda

Christine

Julia

Loll

Susan

Perfect Pearls - Watercolouring

Hi Everyone.  Prior to starting our Group of Seven Cardmakers blog, our group kept in touch during Covid and started trying out new and (revised) older techniques.  We are including them as a reference for those that are interesting in trying them out.

* * * * *

September 2020

Supplies:

• Perfect Pearls powders
• Die-cut images (heavy card, watercolour paper, or mixed media paper)
• Paint brushes
• Water

Technique Instructions:

• Mix water and Perfect Pearls on your craft mat or palette.  The water activates the binding agent and sets the colour.  Less water gives an opaque (solid) look, more water creates a transparent look.
• Use paint brushes to paint onto die-cut images.  If using more than one colour of Perfect Pearls, add colours lightest to darkest.
• Two coats will help with solid coverage.

Variation:  Watercolouring with Perfect Pearls mixed with ink:

Mix Perfect Pearls powders with ink and then watercolour as above.  Adding pearl-coloured powder will not change the colour of your ink, but will give it shimmer.

Perfect Pearls Watercolouring

Bonnie

 

Brenda

 

Christine

 

Darnell

 

Loll

 

Susan

 

Perfect Pearls - Smooshing

Hi Everyone.  Prior to starting our Group of Seven Cardmakers blog, our group kept in touch during Covid and started trying out new and (revised) older techniques.  We are including them as a reference for those that are interesting in trying them out.

* * * * *

September 2020

Supplies:

• Perfect Pearls powders
• Mixed media or watercolour paper
• Inks
• Water mister

Technique Instructions:

• Press ink pad onto craft mat or palette (or use leftover inks from a previous project).
• Sprinkle with Perfect Pearls (just a little).  Using pearl-coloured powder will not change the colour of your inks.  Or use a coloured Pearl powder mixed with inks to create different colours.
• Spritz with water and smoosh with mixed media or watercolour paper.
• Let dry before using.

The Perfect Pearls adds shimmer to your smooshed inky backgrounds.

Perfect Pearls Smooshing

Bonnie

Brenda

Christine

Darnell

Loll

Susan

Perfect Pearls - Basic

Hi Everyone.  Prior to starting our Group of Seven Cardmakers blog, our group kept in touch during Covid and started trying out new and (revised) older techniques.  We are including them as a reference for those that are interesting in trying them out.

* * * * *

September 2020

Supplies:

• Perfect Pearl powders
• Soft Brushes (always keep dry)
• Versamark or watermark ink
• Any colour cardstock (dark gives most contrast)
• Stamps
• Soft, dry brush or a small piece of swiffer cloth to clean up excess powder
• Fine water mister (mini mister works well) to set Perfect Pearls

Technique Instructions:

• Cover stamp with Versamark or watermark ink and stamp onto card stock.
• Using a soft, dry brush, add just a small amount of Perfect Pearl powder.  Rub over stamped image (pounce to burnish).
• Remove excess powder with soft, dry brush.  Recommendation:  small piece of swiffer cloth.
• Spritz lightly with water to set powders.
• Once dry, rub finger along image to make sure the powder is set.  If not, lightly spritz again.
• Let dry before making into card.

Perfect Pearls (Basic Technique)

Bonnie

Brenda

Christine

Darnell

Loll

Variation to basic technique:  use coloured inks instead of Versamark for a different look

Loll

Bonnie