You can quickly and easily make some beautiful backgrounds for your cards with a few colours of Distress inks and a stencil. I would suggest choosing a stencil which has a small repeated pattern for these projects and you can use all or just part of the stencil to create the background.

Use good quality smooth white cardstock to stencil onto such as Sheena Stamping Card or Neenah cardstock, this will make the application and blending of the ink easier and produce better results. Cut your cardstock to size and tape the stencil in place on top of the card with low-tack tape to prevent it moving while you apply the inks. If you have a more detailed stencil or one with fine areas such as the one used on the ‘Just to Say’ card, I would recommend spraying the back of the stencil with a repositionable adhesive and sticking it to the card as the fine areas of the stencil can easily move when sponging on the inks.

Pick a few different Distress Ink colours and decide where you want the colours to go. Work a little of the ink into a Smoothie sponge or blending tool and begin applying the ink through the stencil using a circular motion. Add just a little colour to start with and build the colours up gradually so that they do not become too dark. You may want to lift the stencil carefully as you apply the inks to check how much colour is on the card – the colours may not look very dark but when you remove the stencil they can show quite bright against the white cardstock. Take your time to blend the inks when you change colours so that you have a soft blended colour rather than any lines. All you need to finish the cards are a few embellishments and a sentiment so that the stencilled background is the main feature of the card.

Choose your favourite colours to give this a go, you could create some beautiful rainbow effects or keep the colours simple with just two or three different shades.

1

Tape the stencil in place over the cardstock. Starting with Abandoned Coral, blend the ink in circular motions over part of the stencil

2

Blend Dried Marigold ink around the Coral area, blending the colours where they meet

3

Continue adding different colours across the centre of the stencil, blending them as you work. Keep the colour very light towards the edges so that it fades out

4

Remove the stencil to reveal the background

Ombré Stencilled & Butterflies With love Card
Learn how to create this card using Butterfly Memory Box dies, Tonic Studios Seamless Circles stencil & Woodware Just to Say stamp set
Stamping1 min read10 Oct 2019
DISCOVER

You will need

  • White 13x18cm card blank
  • Smooth white cardstock
  • Tonic Studios Seamless Circles stencil
  • Isabella Butterfly, Pippi Butterfly, Darla Butterfly and Vivienne Butterfly Memory Box dies
  • Woodware Just to Say stamp set
  • Abandoned Coral, Dried Marigold & Scattered Straw Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink
  • Pink Petunia VersaMagic inkpad
  • Creative Expressions Smoothie sponge
  • White vellum
  • Gems
  • Sequins
  • Low-tack tape
  • Manual die-cutting machine
Best Wishes
Create this card using Tonic Studios Fancy Fretwork stencil, Prim Poppy Memory Box die, Crafter’s Companion Dream Big stamp set, Ribbon & Sequins
1 min read10 Oct 2019
DISCOVER

You will need

  • White 10.5x21cm card blank
  • Smooth white cardstock
  • Tonic Studios Fancy Fretwork stencil
  • Prim Poppy Memory Box die
  • Crafter’s Companion Dream Big stamp set
  • Abandoned Coral, Dried Marigold, Scattered Straw, Peacock Feathers & Faded Jeans Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink
  • Aegean Blue VersaMagic inkpad
  • Creative Expressions Smoothie sponge
  • Ribbon
  • Sequins
  • Low-tack tape
  • Manual die-cutting machine
Thank You Stencilled and Die-cut Card
Create this card using Tonic Studios Bevelled Diamond stencil & Chandra Stem Memory Box die
Stamping1 min read10 Oct 2019
DISCOVER

You will need

  • White 13x18cm card blank
  • Smooth white cardstock
  • White glitter cardstock
  • Tonic Studios Bevelled Diamond stencil
  • Chandra Stem Memory Box die
  • Crafter’s Companion Essential Words Words of Endearment dies
  • Peacock Feathers & Faded Jeans Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink
  • Creative Expressions Smoothie sponge
  • Gems
  • Low-tack tape
  • Manual die-cutting machine
Just to say- bright blended butterfly stencil
Use stencilling and a smooth sponge to blend the butterfly background of this card and layer with mixed media embellishments and stamped sentiment
Stamping1 min read10 Oct 2019
DISCOVER

You will need

  • White 14.8cm-square card blank
  • Smooth white cardstock
  • White glitter cardstock
  • The Crafter’s Workshop Mini Butterfly stencil
  • Woodware Just to Say stamp set
  • Crafter’s Companion Lazy Daisy die
  • Abandoned Coral, Dried Marigold, Scattered Straw, Peacock Feathers & Faded Jeans Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink
  • Aegean Blue VersaMagic inkpad
  • Crafter’s Companion Stick and Spray repositionable adhesive
  • Creative Expressions Smoothie sponge
  • Gems
  • Ribbon
  • Low-tack tape
  • manual die-cutting machine