Crafter’s Companion Subscription Box 20 – January 2020

Birthday Card, Crafter's Companion Subscription Box, Handmade cards, How-To, Tips, Tools

Happy New Year! It is incredible to think we have entered a new decade. It seems like yesterday we were all so worried about Y2K and “Partying like it was 1999” and here we are 20 years later! They say time flies when you are having fun so no doubt this months kit will make the time fly by quickly! Back in July of 2019 the card kit was all about stencils, and so is this one! The difference is that these stencils are layering stencils which makes it even more fun. My suggestion is to just experiment with different patterns and colors and just have fun. Then, think about how you can make all of these backgrounds into cards or art work!   Let’s take a look at what is in this month’s kit…

Sara Davies, the owner of Crafter’s Companion, has given you just about everything you need to make amazing cards. The January kit includes 395 elements in total! You will get 27 stencils, 11 clear acrylic stamps, 18 card blanks in four different sizes with coordinating envelopes, 250 pearls, 48 flowers, 48 watercolor cards fronts, 24 sheets of colored cardstock, and ribbon in 3 sizes – wow! My kit was delivered with auto-ship through HSN as always.  You can check out Crafter’s Companion website for more information.  This kit is a wonderful bargain. Each kit offers different items and will show you new techniques.

There is a Facebook group that you can join once you subscribe which provides lots of community support and loads of examples; plus, Sara also has a monthly card kit site that you can refer to for demos/project pages. 

In addition to this kit, I did use a few extra items.  I used a low tack tape to hold my stencils and papers in place.  There are so many kinds of tape you can use, but I have most success with micropore tape.  It is inexpensive and does not ruin your papers when you peel it off.  All of the inks used were Spectrum Noir Harmony inks.  I also used a few sheets of the Crafter’s Companion Watercolor Cardstock – it is a good weight and it is a bright white too. To secure my projects I used a combination of collall wet glue for most of the projects, and I also used a 3-D silicon glue to help raise some of my elements.   Crafter’s Companion sells a 3-D glue gel that adds dimension depending on how thick you lay it on.  I highly recommend this glue!!!  I would also recommend the Crafter’s Companion glass mat.  It is a true game changer.  Once you work on a glass surface you will agree!

Here are some of the layered stencils cards I have made with the stencil subscription box – let me know if you have questions on any of the techniques I used……

I like to start with lighter colors on the bottom stencils (usually more larger/open stencils) and get darker as the stencil spaces get smaller. That gives you better shading for your images.
Sometimes I don’t use the layer stencils but I vary the colors – for this card I used blue and green for the daisy and you can also color the white pearls to match!
For this card I used tape to mask parts of the stencils. Do not be afraid to tape off the parts you don’t want to use – it gives you more variety with your stencils!! I left one butterfly open and taped off the rest so I could place the butterfly where I wanted it, and I did the same for the circles.
Notice on the flowers that they match so well – you can dip your flowers into your inkpads to have them match you card!! Another way to stretch the kit!
You’ll notice on this card and the next – it is the same stencil but different colors. Changing up the colors can make a big difference – this first card is intended for a woman and the next for a man…
Same stencil as above but a more masculine look with the grays/black….
Once you make all of the backgrounds, you can decide how you want to use them or save them for another day when you don’t have time to get inky! I really like the gray tones.
My favorite of the bunch – that center layer looks like a picture – I used pinks and purples on the watercolor background to blend everything together.

Remember tape is your friend!! Not only use it secure your work, but you can also tape off areas for new looks too! Mix and match and have fun with these stencils!!

I hope you will try some of these techniques – there is no right or wrong way to do this!! The possibilities are endless!!! Let me know if you have any questions. I would love to see what you create too so please feel free to share! Happy Crafting!!

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