This card was made to offset the cold, rainy weather that doesn’t seem to want to go away. The calendar says late May, but where I live, the cooler weather seems to be hanging on forever!

How I made this project:

• Tape down the leafy stencil over a 4” x 5.25” piece of Bristol smooth cardstock.
• Using a stencil brush, blend green ink over the stencil, blending and softening as the ink is applied and the desired intensity is achieved.
• Stamp butterfly images onto a piece of white cardstock using a Copic-friendly ink. The butterfly images will be colored with Copic markers.
• Color butterfly images with Copic markers.
• Die-cut (if you have coordinating dies) or hand fussy-cut the butterflies.
• Stamp sentiment in the middle of the blended, stenciled background.
• Arrange the butterflies around the sentiment, raising them with foam squares.
• Adhere the card front onto a piece of green 4.25” x 5.5” (A2-sized) piece of cardstock.
• Mount the entire card piece to a horizontal A2-sized card base.

Supplies used in making this project:

• Stamps: Simon Says Stamp: Beautiful Day stamp set (butterflies and sentiment).
• Stencils: Simon Says Stamp: Leafy Frame stencil.
• Inks: Simon Says Stamp: Jellybean ink (leafy frame background); Memento Tuxedo Black ink (outline of butterfly images); Versafine Onyx Black ink (sentiment).
• Copic Markers: RV09, RV17, RV19, RV21, RV34, RV66.
• Dies: Simon Says Stamp: Beautiful Day coordinating die set (butterflies).
• Cardstock: Strathmore Bristol Smooth cardstock (card front); Neenah Solar White 80# (stamped butterflies); Papertrey Ink: New Leaf cardstock (mat); Neenah Solar White 110# (card base).
• Other: Stencil brush.

Notes:

• I prefer to use a stencil brush with a delicate stencil such as the Leafy Frame stencil because you have more control in blending and softening the color when creating a fade-out background. Also, the brush is easier to use on a delicate stencil. There is less chance of “bending” the cut-out areas on the stencil while blending the background.

Hope you like this project! Have a great day!