Stendoodle Valentine's Day Card

Have you ever thought to use one of your dies as a stencil?  I never did.  Until last week when something unexpected happened and it turned into a new technique for me. 

I wanted to make a Valentine's Day card using the Silverdale Heart die from Memory Box.  I was expecting to get the design of the die on the card front but ended up with a solid heart on the card front and the design I liked as a separate piece.  Looking at this piece on my table, I saw a stencil....and viola...a new technique.  And, I can even "Stendoodle" with it!  And now you can too.

Materials used:

Silverdale Heart die by Memory Box  
Stencil Girl Stencils - Journal Texture #2, Mini Downward Stairs, and Circle Rays 6

Manila folder or cereal box (at least one piece should be 4" x 5 1/2")

Zig Chisel Tip glue 

Artist/sketch pencil and eraser

Permanent Marker

Piece of watercolor paper - 4" x 5 1/2"

Gel medium

Brush
Craft Sheet 
Dylusions Ink Sprays by Ranger in Calypso Teal, Lemon Zest, Pure Sunshine, Fresh Lime, and Postbox Red
Fine tip brush or waterbrush 
Double sided tape or other glue

Step by step:

1.  Using a die cut machine, cut the Silverdale Heart 3 times from a manila folder or cereal box.  Make sure that one of your cuts is cut from the piece that measures 4" x 5 (this will be a template).  

Using the Zig chisel tip glue, glue the 3 pieces together.  When dry, give it two coats of gel medium.  

The 3 pieces glued together with a few coats of gel medium.

You now have a stencil. And, because you used the gel medium to stiffen the stencil, you can also use it with sprays and pastes.

2.  Lay the template on top of the piece of watercolor paper and trace the outside of the heart with the pencil.  Trace the pencil lines with the permanent marker and then erase the pencil lines.   

3. Place the "stencil" you made in the center of the heart outline and slowly trace the design with a pencil. 

Then go back over the pencil with the permanent marker and then erase the pencil lines.

4.  Now, using parts of the 3 Stencil Girl stencils, trace them in the different sections of the design - first in pencil then in the marker.

For the two sections under the heart in the center, I used the Mini Downward Stairs stencil.

For the heart in the center, I used the Circle Rays 6 stencil.

For the sections on each side of the heart, I used the Journal Texture #2 stencil.

After you have traced the parts of the stencils in pencil.

5.  Now to color.  For this project I used Dylusions Ink Sprays.  I love using these as a coloring agent, not in a spray.  Pour just a dab onto the craft sheet and apply the ink with a fine tip brush.  Or, if you have a waterbrush, you can use that also. 

6.  When dry, stamp phrase, layer on a piece of black cardstock and then onto a red card front. I also drew some dots and dashes around the heart.  

Sign and give to someone you love!!  

Hope you liked this card and new technique!!

Beijos e abracos (Hugs and Kisses)

~Michael