I Started the Christmas Cards!

Finally, after a few weeks of 'getting around to it', I finally started them. I ordered some card blanks from PDA Card & Paper, and went for a Landscape folded C5, as most of the stamps/stencils I planned to use fit that shape better. Stuck with C5 size as I have loads of envelopes to use in that size.I've also decided that this years will be a mix of designs- usually for all my smaller cards I use one design, but I end up getting sick of doing 100 or so cards all the same. So I have a few designs this year, probably amount to 20 or so of each, and we'll see how that goes.
For the first batch, I've been using a Dreamweaver NOEL stencil.
I started by doing some in Silver paste, and adding silver glitter to the snowflake. All going well. Then I switched to Gold. It seems that the Gold paste has gone 'off', as when I put it on, the colour did not look right. I've used it before, and it definitely looks Gold. This is almost a pinky/brassy sort of colour, so they are on hold for a day or two, while some fresh paste arrives! I can still go ahead and do my Gold Christmas tree stencil with it though, as I plan to sprinkle glitter over the whole tree, so the colour of the paste won't be seen. With the NOEL stencil, I'm sprinkling silver glitter over the snowflake, leaving the letters silver.








The stencil taped in place using low tack artist masking tape. I cut each strip in half, to make it easier to place the stencil without touching the previously pasted word, and to make the tape go a bit further. You can't really re-use it on the next stencil, as it will have paste on it.

Its best to tape all four sides, as this can get messy, and its far too easy to have paste go over the edge of the stencil.

Its rather like buttering a piece of toast! Keep your spreader (Mine is from a cheap pack of Artist tools from The Works) at a slight angle to the stencil, and try to spread across in one sweep, if possible. Too many sweeps across can tend to push the paste under the edges of the letters. Smooth across, then sweep off any excess and return to the jar.

Next start peeling off the masking tape, leaving one side still attached to act as a hinge. It doesn't matter which, just whichever you find easiest to work with, or, if you are like me, whichever one is left when you remember not to peel them all off!


Now gently lift the stencil, folding it back on the 'hinge'.

Peel away from the card.

And if all went well, leaving you with a stencilled design on your cardstock.



At this stage, the advice is drop the stencil in a bowl of water, so the paste does not set, and then clean it up. I found this not very user-friendly, to be honest.

You get water dripping everywhere when you lift the stencil out, and it is far too easy to accidentally bend the stencil whilst cleaning it.
 My choice is to have a baby wipe lay on my desk, drop the stencil on that, and fold the wipe over it. I leave it like that while I do the glittering step, then come back to cleaning it. For that, I use a second baby wipe to wipe all over both sides, while it is still flat on the table. Then I move it onto a piece of kitchen towel and dry it over with either another piece of kitchen roll, or a towel.

This way you are highly unlikely to do any damage to your stencil. Do be aware of the various parts to your stencil though. This one is quite good, with no parts of the design that are only connected at one end. Those parts are very easy to bend by accident, so always just pat those clean and dry, rather than rubbing.












 The cat stencil here is a perfect example of this problem- the piece that shapes his back haunch is very easy to bend out of shape, as its only attached at the bottom, which results in paint/paste going underneath it.
 I have seen people suggest running it through a 'bug or big shot to flatten it if this happens, and I should imagine that would work well.

Now for the glitter, and I use an old teaspoon to place it fairly accurately, as the snowflake is quite close to the letters.I'm using a silver with rainbow sparkle.


When you come to tip off the excess, try to curve your cardstock slightly, to funnel the glitter straight down. Its not always possible to avoid a little going on to the edge of the letters, but most of the time it works ok.

 The finished piece. I will make all my panels before starting to construct the cards. I found I can get 6 panels per A4 sheet of card.






Now to the Gold.

 It looks ok with the glitter over it, as the colour does not show through, but the paste is not drying out to the right colour. It should be a nice, shiny Gold, this is dull, and most definitely not Gold.

 So thats where I am so far. Today I shall mostly be doing the Gold trees, then some more Silver Noels, as well as some Silver Trees.