Thursday Dream Schemes Free Week--Welcome Spring

Ah, yes. So much for wishful thinking! I woke up to discover that April is right around the corner, but the high temps in Michigan are still in the forties. In honor of the impending spring, despite the weather, I am posting an Easter card from my next card class.

In person, this card is ridiculously sparkly and has a beautiful color changing shimmer. Of course, it was made with fantastic Microfine Art Institute Glitter. I used one of my favorite techniques (just ask anyone who saw me demonstrate at CHA, or followed the trail of glitter back to my hotel) the "Double Glitter Technique".

First, you need to "soap" the back of the stencil. I used the LJ 907 Damask stencil. Put your soaped stencil on Double Sided Adhesive paper. On this project, I used paper that had been cut into the Egg shape with the help of the LG 670 egg stencil.

Then, glitter the project. I used the Microfine glitter made by the Art Glitter people because it is not only gorgeous, but one of the few glitters that can get into all the fine details on this damask stencil. Because it is so light weight, it actually needs to be burnished, or rubbed in with your fingers. Make sure you get all the little spots.

Once you are confident that you got all the little spots rubbed in, take a large, soft brush to the whole thing and brush off the excess. Then, brush it again. Put your project stencil side down on a hard, flat surface and peel off the double sided adhesive paper very carefully. You don't want to bend the stencil as you remove it.

Finally, pour glitter over the top of your adhesive paper. Since I used the Microfine glitter, I was careful to burnish it in very well. I really had alot of fun with this, and the shimmer of the egg changes color depending on how you hold it to the light. Such glittery fantasticness!

These are the extra ones that I made. After I finished the bunny, it faded into a couple of these different choices, which is how I wound up with the blue on blue. You can see, however, that it was a tough choice. Take a good look at the top of the bottom egg (I hope that makes sense). Do you see that blue blob? THAT is what happens when you don't brush the first color off well (hence the suggestion to brush it twice).

Anyway, the bunny was made with the very same technique. I prepared the stencil, placed it on the adhesive paper, and filled the eyes and nose with black glitter. A little brushed off onto the back and ears, but I really liked it that way because it added to the shading. I then used flock instead of glitter to make the pink inside the ears and the tan shading. I followed this with all white flock. The secret behind fun flock is to make sure that you use alot of it and press it down very well. Also, you have to brush and brush again to remove the excess before you peel off the adhesive. I mounted him on a little lightweight chipboard (the packaging of a punch) before I put him on the egg.

The shape of the card is actually the egg. I folded a piece of white cardstock and then used the stencil to trace and cut it out on the fold. (The white sliver on the back of the picture is the back of the card.)

Well, that's it. If you are in the area and would like to have a hands on with this card in my class, give Scrap Tales a call to sign up.