Seven Jewels Card with Marrian Piers

Hi!  I’m happy to be writing another blog post about ways to use the fantastic stencils from Artistcellar.

I love to think of ways to add texture and dimension when making greeting cards.  Using known products in a new way always excites me!

So… today let’s look at using the Seven Jewels stencil with alcohol inks.

Here’s a list of supplies:

• Seven Jewels stencil by Artistcellar
• Alcohol inks by Ranger plus blending fluid
• Cardstock in various colors
• Glossy gel medium
• High gloss paper
• Piercing tool (or a ball head pin)
• Needle
• Metallic thread
• Paper cutter
• Old reward card

Alcohol inks provide deep, rich colors that you can layer and blend. When using them you should always start with light colors first, because if you do darks first, the lighter colors will never show.  To do this, make sure not to layer other colors over those areas.

Begin by taping a piece of the glossy paper that measures 5 x 4” onto a piece of scrap paper.  Try to use the least amount of tape for this.  Next, tape the Seven Jewels stencil over top this piece, making sure to align it so that it is straight

Using a reward card as a tool, spread the gel medium over the stencil. Make sure to scrape it down so that the layer of gel is even over the entire card underneath.

Here’s a look at the card once you remove the stencil. The great thing about gel medium is that it washes off easily with warm water, so you won’t ruin your stencils.

Using a heat gun, or a blow dryer set to hot, dry the gel medium. Make sure to make quick movements back and forth when drying or the gel medium can bubble if the heat source is too close for too long.

Gather the alcohol inks you’d like to use, making sure to have a mix of dark and light colors.  Begin by using the lightest color first, adding just a few drops at a time. For this project, I used the Lemonade color from Ranger alcohol inks.

Next, add some Lettuce color in some places.

Lastly, add the Eggplant color ink. You’ll notice that there are white areas on the card, but we’ll fix that next.

To take care of the white areas, use a paintbrush with the Alcohol blending solution which dilutes the colored ink and allows it to flow and blend with the other colors.

Dry the inks on the card before you move on to the next step.

Begin by cutting off the edges of the cardstock piece so that it measures 4 ¾" x 3 ½”.

Next, you’re going to add some stitching to the design, (you don’t have to do this step if you’d prefer not to).

Using a ruler as a guide, make piercings in the paper inside of each circle of the stencil design.

You can use either a piercing tool, a ball head pin and in a pinch a pushpin.  You don’t have to stitch the entire design, just pick certain areas you want to add a little sparkle.

Stitch the cross shapes in the circles you picked. I used a metallic thread by Kreinik as I love the sparkle it adds and is thick enough to see it.

Gather the cardstock colors that you think would match the inked piece of glossy cardstock. Cut these pieces to the following measurements: the gold card stock measures 5" x 3 ¾”, the plum piece is 5 ½" x 4” and lastly a base card that measures 6" x 4 1/2”.

Glue all of the layers together and you’ve made a card that your friends and family will love!

If you enjoyed this project, head on over to startcardmaking.com to receive weekly projects sent to your inbox each Tuesday.

Also, check out the full course on using stencils - you may never look at your stencils the same way again!

In this course, you’ll learn lots of techniques with projects that have colored photos and detailed instructions. Your friends and family will be so impressed with what you’ve made and will feel special that you took the time to make them a beautiful card.

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