Review - Creative Textured Collection Stencils and Dies
I was very excited when I received my set of stencils and dies (from the Creative Textures Collection) to test and review and couldn’t wait to start playing with them. I’d been sent the “Irregular Paint Drips” stencil, the “Splattered Ink” stencil, the “Hessian Texture” die and the “Partial Brick set (4)” dies. The problem was too many ideas and I didn’t know where to start.
I decided to start with the stencils and first made backgrounds with each using small ink pads. I found it very easy to just dab at the Splattered Ink stencil which created a nice paint splattered effect on the card; however, with the Paint Drips stencil the thin lengths of the stencil (giving the dripping paint effect) are quite flimsy and moved easily. I found the best way to ink with this was to sweep the ink pad up the stencil, from the bottom towards the larger open area. This did produce a nice result though.
I decided to play further with the Splattered Ink stencil and try mixing different colours. This I did by stamping first with blue, then rotating the stencil slightly to the left and ink stamping again with purple, then rotating again to the right and stamping a third time with a darker blue. The effect this created was very pleasing, particularly as, with all three colours, sometimes I had pressed lightly with the ink pad and other times quite firmly for varying colour densities.
I wondered how good the effect would be if the stencils were used for embossing so ran both through my machine, I have to admit the result wasn’t as good as I’d hoped as the card was only lightly embossed, though the effect can be seen.
With the embossed Paint Drip sheet I placed the stencil over it again and had a go at spraying it with Spectrum Noir Glitter Sparkle ink (a mix of the blue, Teacup, and yellow, Firefly) but due to the stencil being flimsy and not remaining flat the ink spread out around the edges of the embossed area, I then tried using the stencil with water pencils, to outline the stencil area and colour it in, then water down the colour. Again, with the long stencil lengths being flimsy it was not easy to keep them in place to draw round and I did slip a little. I tried again inking the stencil, this time with a mix of three colours, some being pressed heavier than others, and feel this was a much better way to use it.
I realised that the way I was using the stencil was causing it to be completely covered in ink, which then needed cleaning off before it could be used again. I wondered if this ink could be used, rather than just being washed away (I’m always up for using every last bit of craft material).
I first tried this with the Paint Drip Stencil, covering it with blue ink to create a background. I then placed the stencil the paint side down onto another sheet of card and embossed this. The result was great. The card has been covered in the blue ink (a slightly lighter tone) with the Paint Drip stencil effect lightly embossed and standing out in white. I also did this with green ink as I felt if you turned the white embossed (2nd) sheet round, it gave a heavier paid drip look which, in green, could also be a background of vines in a forest.
I tried the same idea with the Splattered Ink stencil but this time using three colours of ink for effect. This produced some more great backgrounds, particularly when I did a second generation reverse stencil/emboss, though I think I have a preference for the stamped splatters to the white embossed splatters. I also tried it with just pink ink and liked both the pink splatter and white embossed splatter (good backgrounds for girl cards).
Still on the idea of embossing with the stencils, I went back to my first Paint Drip (green) background and embossed this. I felt this helps the pattern to stand out better.
Going back to working with the Spectrum Noir Glitter Sparkle ink I wondered how this would look with the reverse stencil/embossing. I used the blue, Teacup, in a watered down spray bottle and though the effect wasn’t great on the first stencil background (again due to the flimsy stencil and the watered ink going under the stencil) the reverse/embossed background came out looking great.
As I was using sparkling ink I decided to also try this with grey card, as I have only used white card so far. I have to admit the result wasn’t as good as I’d hoped, though the reverse stencil/embossed Paint drip background has a lovely shimmer to it, everywhere apart from the embossed drips.
I now felt I’d created a nice pile of backgrounds with the stencils and wanted to have a play with the dies, creating cards at the same time and seeing what different themes could be done with these dies. Admittedly when I first saw the stencils I’d thought of mainly teen related cards, though the dies leaned towards a wider range of themes.
I cut a load of the ‘city’ brick in both white and brown card and using the grey card, with the Paint Drip embossed stencil. For this card I trimmed the edge of the white bricks, to make it look like the edge of a wall and stuck this at the side of the card, adding a die cut “Cool Dude” and Happy Birthday in gold. The embossed Paint Drip is quite subtle, though the shimmering card around (from the reverse stencilling) makes a nice effect.
I then took the first inked Paint Drip background. I cut a sheet of green card, smaller than the Paint Drip pattern, and then cut out the centre of the Paint Drip. I layered these together so the Paint Drip starts on the outer section and then continues on top of the green. With the Paint Drip in green I felt this leaned more towards a garden theme card so added a die cut butterfly in the centre with a simple Happy Birthday cut in a matching blue.
For my next cards I used the reverse stamped/embossed backgrounds with the pale blue Spectrum Noir Sparkle Glitter ink (Teapot). These backgrounds made me think of rain and so I used the City Brick die cuts in brown and white, swapping the brick centres for effect, and added an ivy vine to one and some fern leaves to the other with a die cut Happy Birthday to finish each off.
I then used the three colour Splattered Ink stencilled background with three lots of the City Brick die cut. I placed one on each side with the third overlapping the edges in the centre, to make a complete wall, and trimmed the edge brick blocks to fit. This was then finished with a Tattered Lace girl die and a topper in the corner with Happy Birthday. I also tried arranging a City Brick die cut, in brown, on the Paint Drip stencil done with pencils; for this I took some of the bricks out, but not all, so the dripping paint could be seen through them. This card arrangement was finished with another Tattered Lace girl and a purple backed “Happy Birthday” topper. I didn’t feel this one looked as good as the Splattered Ink one.
Sticking with the Splattered Ink backgrounds I cut the one done with one layer of blue into three sections. This I arranged on a blue background with a blue backed “Happy Birthday” topper in the centre.
I then moved on to try the Hessian Texture did and cut this in brown and white card. I arranged the brown Hessian on a black background with purple card underneath to edge it. I then arranged two fern leaves on the Hessian and placed a purple backed topper with Happy Birthday in the centre of them. The white Hessian I arranged on a black background with pink edging. In the centre of this I placed a pink backed topper with two Tattered Lace floral arrangements framing it; some bits underneath and others overlapping.
I next went back to playing with the Partial Brick dies. I used another of the three colour Splattered Ink stencil backgrounds and arranged one of the white City Bricks at the edge; again cutting off the edge to make it look like the end of a wall. This time I left the bricks in and drew round the edge of each with a black pen. I then shaded in all the bricks and edges with a light brown pencil, for a different effect. This card was then finished off with a Tattered Lace die cut van (as a paint van) at the bottom and a black backed topper in the top corner.
I next wanted to make some cards that had more of a garden theme, using the Country Bricks.
The first I did was with a pale purple background. I cut the bricks in white and brown again and stuck the white brick edges at the side of the card, filling in with the brown cut bricks. This was finished with a sprig of decoupage buddleia at the top and a purple backed stamped topper in the bottom right corner. I then used a pink/blue marbled background and stuck another white Country Brick panel at the side. I used the left over white bricks from the previous card and stuck them on as well, giving a single layer edge and double edge bricks. This was then finished with a floral corner in the bottom right and a pink edged stamped topper in the top corner. I did another card with the two layer bricks as I felt this worked really well, but this time with brown bricks. I used a grey, wooden panel background and finished this with another floral corner but also a butterfly on the bricks, to add a bit more colour,
Next I used the centre part of the Country Bricks dies and cut the bricks out of a pink marble background. I then placed a white cut brick section, lining up the edges with the bricks cut from the background. I added a die cut ivy panel on the other edge of the card and finished this off with the girl and a black edged stamped topper.
I liked the effect of cutting the bricks out of the background so thought I’d have a go cutting a whole ‘wall’ out with each type of brick. Using brown card, I placed the two centre brick die parts in two sheets of card and cut them out. I then cut bricks either side, lining them up along the edges.
I arranged the Country Brick “wall” on the reverse stencilled/embossed green background, turned the other way up. I then wove an ivy vine up one side, cutting it in a few places so parts of the vine could be put under the brick edging and added a couple of butterflies as well as a black edged topper in the bottom corner. The City Brick “wall” was arranged on top of one of the three ink Splattered Ink stencil backgrounds with another “Cool Dude” and a purple backed topper.
For my last card I used the Paint Drip stencilled background made with the Spectrum Noir Glitter Sparkle blue ink. This, with a shimmer to it, made me lean towards a watery theme so I cut off the white edging of the stencilled background and stuck it onto a blue/black marble background. I then added a blue backed topper and finished with some fish and seahorses cut from brown card.
My overall assessment:
I’ve got to say I love these stencils and dies.
The Paint Drip stencil isn’t the easiest to use but when used in reverse and for embossing it gave some great results. The Splattered Ink stencil makes some great backgrounds, either in one or many colours, and also looks good when used in reverse / for embossing.
The Hessian Texture die, though a little fiddly to knock all the small bits out, works really well as a background and I’m sure it would also be good used in smaller sections though I didn’t get round to trying this out. And both sets of the Partial Brick dies are good at creating backgrounds and elements for cards. I felt they worked particularly well when used to create a wall and when filled in with a double layer of bricks, particularly the Country Bricks.
All of this collection worked for a wide range of themes / recipients.