Otterly Smiles

I thought I'd pull out some stencils and play around with creating my own background. It was fun, even if it's not exactly how I thought this background would turn out. Still, experimenting is a great thing and now I've got a few other ideas I want to play around with on the next project.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Superhero Sunshine

My Favorite Things -  Happy Haunting stamp, Mini Cloud Edges stencil, Simon Says Stamp - Sunshine die, Lawn Fawn - Puffy Cloud Borders die

And now, it's time for something a little different - an encouragement card for a boy. I decided to use the adorable superhero from My Favorite Things' Happy Haunting stamp set to make a fun scene.

I used the Mini Cloud Edges stencil and some black soot distress ink to make a stormy sky. Then, I grabbed a piece of patterned paper that had a sun-rays and I die-cut the bottom with the puffy cloud border. I layered everything together, popped on the superhero and put a fun little sentiment at the bottom.

Thank you for taking a look.
~Elle~

Tutorial: Autumn Stencil Background

Thank you for joining us on our LDRS Creative inspiration week blog hop! We are showcasing lots of gorgeous projects using products from our new release. You can even see them in action with step-by-step projects by our amazing designers on their blogs and our own LDRS Creative Youtube channel (make sure you subscribe)!

We have TWO new designer paperpads bursting of colours, with awesome patterns all ready for your projects called Happy Fall and Wicked, with a perfectly coordinated Wicked cardstock pack! There are EIGHT stamp sets that are simply fabulous: Winds are Blowing, Happy Fall stamps, Happy Fall sentiments, Winnie Broomstick, Winnie Dracula, Winnie Magic, Fall Full O Leaves and The Magic of Fall sentiments! But wait, there is something brand NEW in the store, stencils! We have leaves and plaid patterns just in time to use with the NEW mini ink cube sets (Cobblestone and Jewelry Beads)! We also have new die sets that can be used as accessories or full backgrounds:  Spooky Hat, Punkin, Wicked Boot, Apple A Day and Autumn Breeze Peek-A-Boo. And for the first time at LDRS Creative, you can grab them in bundles, because you KNOW you need them all!

Simply use the list at the end of the post to keep hopping!

Each day we are giving away a $50 LDRS Creative gift card to one lucky hopper! To enter leave a comment on each blog in the hop, plus follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Winners will be announced on the LDRS Creative inspiration blog on September 4^th.

AND for the release event we are excited to offer some great savings!

Save 15% on the new release* and use code HAPPYFALL

(*Coupon valid until midnight EST 9/3/18)

For today's project, I have something special -- a full tutorial on how to create a fun and unique plaid background! Grab a cup of coffee (or tea) and settle in for some fun!

The first step in this tutorial is to grab a piece of masking paper. I used the LDRS Creative Stamping Mask Paper - which is very thick and sturdy. I wanted a sturdy paper, in particular, because I could reuse it on a couple of cards and not have to worry about my ink bleeding through.

The next step was to die-cut some shapes with your dies. I wanted to use circles, so I grabbed a variety of circle die sizes from my die stash. You can just as easily use other shapes you have available - or even stick to cutting one die out several times. To get just the right placement, I die cut the circle shapes out of scrap cardstock first and played around with the placement. When I had the layout I was happy with, I ran the masking paper through my die-cutting machine.

 

Next, I peeled off the masking paper backing and added it to a white A2-sized panel. Then, I added the gorgeous Plaid stencil on top and secured it with some painters' tape.

Now it's time for that craft room workout session: ink blending! I used the rich mini inks in the Jewelry Beads set - but you can use any ink you might have in your stash. What drew me to the palette in Jewelry Beads was how rich and bright the colors were, and I thought they looked just perfect for an autumn card.

 

And here's the fun part -- removing the stencil and the mask! I love this step as it always feels a little bit like magic. Once the stencil and the mask are removed, you're left with a CAS background that's visually interesting and draws the eye in.

I finished off my card by adding a stunning image from the Winds are Blowing stamp set that I colored with my alcohol markers. I added a sentiment in Raven Hybrid ink and scattered a few enamel dots for embellishment

Hop along and leave a comment so you could win!

Day 3:

LDRS CREATIVE BLOG
Becky
Raluca
Melanie
Rebecca
Andrea
Kirsten
Elle [You Are Here]
Thi

And make sure to be back tomorrow for more inspiration!

Sky's the limit

My Favorite Things - Mini Cloud Stencil, Lawn Fawn - Blue Skies stamp

Today's card is another relatively clean and simple card using a chipboard sticker, stencil and a matching stamp sentiment. One of the things I'm really into lately is mixing and matching different supplies. A stencil from one company, stamp from another and ephemera from a third. I think it really helps stretch out all those supplies and hopefully inspires someone else out there.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~