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Seamless Stamps with Larisa

by Larisa Hohman on Sep 23 2020

Hello, hello! Larisa here and today, I'm sharing two more cards featuring a couple of the new seamless stamps from the September Release. Be sure to hop over to the shop and check out all the new goodies! For my first card, I used the NEW All Wired Seamless Stamp! How fun is this! I only stamped it one time for my project, but the really cool thing about these seamless stamps is that the match up perfectly and you can stamp them multiple times to create a background in whatever size you want! For my card, I stamped it once, trimmed it into a square and mounted it on a piece of black card stock. I colored it up with my Copic Markers and added a few highlights with my white gel pen. I thought this background would coordinate well with BFF Claire. So I colored her up, cut her out with the coordinating dies, and popped her on top of my card using foam tape. Then I added a "happy birthday" sentiment from the Kylee Boo Stamp Set. I just love how this turned out! Such a fun way to say, "happy birthday." All Wired Seamless Stamp BFF Claire Bundle- Stamp and Die Kylee Boo Stamp Black Hybrid Ink Pad For my next card, I used the NEW Sweater Pattern Maker Stamp. This is another seamless stamp that matches up perfectly when you stamp it multiple times. For my card, I stamped it twice. You can't even tell. It really is seamless! I decided to pair it with the Jill Girl Stamp. I stamped her out first, masked her off and then stamped my background on top. I kept things classic and stamped the pattern in black on white card stock. Then I trimmed it into a rectangle and mounted it to the front of my card base. I removed the mask and colored the image up with Copics. For the sentiment, I used the NEW Fancy Christmas Sentiments Set. I stamped my sentiment on a chunky piece of black card stock and heat embossed it in white. Then I added it to the bottom of my card, and there you have it, one warm and cozy holiday card. Sweater Pattern Maker Stamp Jill Girl Stamp Fancy Christmas Sentiments Stamp Black Hybrid Ink Pad Thank you so much for stopping by! Hope you have a great day!!!

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New Release Projects with Larisa

by Larisa Hohman on Sep 02 2020

Hello! Larisa here and today I'm sharing a few projects using some of the new goodies released a couple weeks ago. Let's get started! For my first card, I used the NEW A World With Octobers stamp set. As someone who absolutely loves fall, I have to say, this stamp set is a MUST. I just love both of the sentiments on the set and that it can be used for Halloween or just fun fall card. To create my card, I stamped my images out on Copic-friendly card stock and colored them with Copics using the no-line coloring technique. Then I die cut the panel into a stitched square and layered that on top of some kraft card stock. I added a few patterned paper page flags underneath my panel and adhered the whole thing to some green plaid paper. Such a fun and simple card. Love it! Card Details: A World With Octobers Clear Stamp Set Copic Colors: Orange: YR04, YR16, YR18 Brown: E43, E47, E49 Green: YG21, YG25, YG67 Yellow: Y21, Y26 Red: R35, R56, R59 For my next card, I used the oh-so-sweet Your Friend Dear Stamp Set and paired it with the NEW Evergreen Stencil. I have to tell you, I had so much fun creating this card! To begin, I stamped out my image on Copic-friendly card stock and colored it up using Copic Markers. Then I created a mask, layered that over the top, and used distress inks to add my trees to the background. Then I removed my mask and colored in the ground using Copics. I also added some definition to the trees with my YG67 Copic Marker. I die cut the whole thing into a stitched square and layered that on top of a kraft card base. Then I added a sweet sentiment from the New Songbirds Set. Card Details: Your Friend Dear Clear Stamp Set Evergreen Stencil Songbirds Clear Stamp Set Copic Colors: Skin: E000, E00, E11, E04, R20 Hair: Y21, Y26, E87 Red: R24, R56, R59 Blue: B21, B24, B26 Orange: YR04, YR16, YR18 Tan: E50, E53, E55, E57 For my final project, I used the NEW Songbirds Clear Stamp Set to create some fun little tag pockets. I had the little kraft pockets in my stash and decided these little birds would be the perfect way to embellish them. First, I die cut some white tags from a die in my stash and added some ribbon and clothes pins to the top. Then I trimmed a piece of patterned paper to fit the front of the pocket and adhered that together. I colored up my birds using Copic Markers in fun, bright colors and die cut them out in a circle. Then I used foam tape to mount them on top of some scalloped circles and placed those on top of my pockets. A few glitter embellishments, some washi tape, and some stamped sentiments finish these little pockets off. Card Details: Songbirds Clear Stamp Set Copic Colors: Blue: BG10, BG11, BG13 Pink: R00, R11, R20, R22 Yellow: Y21, Y26 Green: YG21, YG25, YG67 Additional Products Used: Black Hybrid Ink Pad Life Changing Blender Brush Set Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great day!!!

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Fireburst Stencil in action with Erica

by Erica Andersson-Burke on Jul 07 2020

Hey guys! It's Erica, aka The Stencil Addict, back on the blog today! Today it's all about the Fireburst Stencil. This first card you might have seen already, but just in case you haven't, I have included step-by-step instructions here: Step 1: Make COLOURFUL background. I used Copics, and simply swiped them back and forth on the card stock to create this vivid rainbow. The markers in the photo are the exact ones, in order. Step 2: Spray your stencil with Pixie Spray and let it cure for a few minutes. Place over background where you want to create the pattern. Protect your project by covering the edge with Washi tape or something similar. I have used PostIt Tape here. Step 3: Pick out your Paper Glaze choices. I used Golden Rose and Black Pansy for this one. Work fast and apply the glaze. Thin if you want just shimmer and a little texture. Add lots if you want more texture. My base layer was Black Pansy. Step 4: For extra pizzazz, add a thin layer of another colour on top. I used Golden Rose here to add some gold shimmer. Step 5: Stamp sentiment on it and hey, presto! Done! For this card I used one from the After The Storm stamp set and stamped it up in Black Hybrid Ink with the help of a MISTI. On the next card I ink blended some fiery colours first, using Atelier Inks from Ink On 3 in Bee Sting Yellow, Marigold Orange and Marilyn Red, using Life Changing Blender Brushes. Leaving the stencil in place, I also added some Black Pansy and Golden Rose Paper Glaze around the edges. The middle I left clear so I could stamp up a sentiment. Because it's so fiery I thought the sassy 'My hobbies includes having no time for bullshit' was perfect. It's one of two in the Do Not Take Any Shit set. The final card is done with only Paper Glaze and the stencil flipped 45 degrees. It's so dramatic and elegant against the white background! I did make a bit of a mess at the top right corner, but never mind. To finish off the card I heat embossed 'happy birthday' from Fancy Sentiments, in gold on vellum. This strip I wrapped around the background and then adhered it to a card base. Well, that's it from me for today! I hope you found some inspiration here with me, and will try some of these techniques for yourself. Lots of love and happy crafting from Erica

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After The Storm Two Ways with Erica

by Erica Andersson-Burke on Jun 16 2020

Hi guys! It’s Erica back on the Picket Fence Blog today, with a couple of cards using the brand new After The Storm stamp set. Both cards are coloured with Copics and stamped up with the Black Hybrid ink. Because the After The Storm stamps are brand new, I used a Mini MISTI to make sure I got good stamp outlines. I wanted to create really dramatic and dark clouds, but not make them all grey or black. On a scrap piece of paper I scribbled all the grey copics I planned on using, then used some blues over them to see how they reacted. This scrap piece became my guide to how to colour in the clouds. For the rainbow I used one single marker for each section. On the second card I started with a lighter Grey Copic (C5). On the first one the darkest one is C7. On this one I used a more pastel colour scheme for the rainbow. I have also used two markers for each section to get more dimension. I added two more colours, plus a darker shade, to colour in the umbrella, as well as some browns for the bench. Once the colouring was done, this card was complete as the sentiment is already stamped up on it. To add more drama to the first card, I cut out a mask and placed over the coloured image. Then I ink blended some Chipped Sapphire that was left on one of my Life Changing Blender Brushes to add a soft dark sky behind the clouds. The final touch for the background was splattering some Golden Rose Paper Glaze on the card for some shimmer. I mixed a tiny dollop of it with water and splattered it with a paint brush. I keep one specifically for this as it dries rather hard, and this paint brush is no good for anything else now. The sentiment for this card is one from the After The Storm stamp set, and it says ‘Rainbows only form after a storm’. To create this effect, I masked off the ‘rainbow’ and stamped the rest of the sentiment with Black Hybrid ink. Then I masked off the ‘rainbow’ part in sections and stamped each section in a different colour. I have used Atelier Inks from Ink On 3 in Marilyn Red, Marigold Orange, Bee Sting Yellow, Goddess Green, Peacock Blue and My Jam Purple. If you look closely, you will notice that I have used the colours in the same order as my rainbow is coloured. Nice little touch, eh? Well, that’s it from me for today. Thank you for spending this time with me, I hope you found some inspiration here and if you want to add this gorgeous stamp set to your stash you can find it RIGHT HERE. Lots of love and happy crafting from Erica

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Quick WaterColor Trees And Bushes Sunset Card with Erica

by Erica Andersson-Burke on May 26 2020

Hi guys! It's Erica back on the PFS blog today. Sadly my May Release stamps are still on vacation ie somewhere in the postal system. So I thought, I'd stop in with a card I made with an older, but fabulous, new-to-me stamp: Watercolor Trees and Bushes. I haven't used this one yet, and now I can't see why not??? It's so lovely, and you can do so many techniques with it too. I decided to indulge my current obsession, which is doing Copic coloured backgrounds. With the chisel end of the Copic, I drew fat lines of all these colours and then blended them in to create a vibrant and vivid sunset. The bottom bit is done with just one green marker to give a bit of colour behind the hill that I stamped at the bottom. This panel was a bit bigger than the card I had planned on doing, so I trimmed it down to 5.5". The width was already 4.25". With the help of my MISTI, getting a good solid imprint with the Hybrid Black ink was easy peasy! I only added the hill and one of the tree clusters from the stamp set. I didn't want to crowd the card and also to leave space to stamp one of the sentiments from the stamp set. Because I can never leave a card simple and as it is, I mixed up some Golden Rose Paper Glaze with water and splattered this all over the panel too. It's possible I went in a bit crazy, but gold splatters is one of my favourite details to add! When this was all dry, I adhered it to a card base and that was it! If you don't have time to wait for the splatters to dry naturally, you can speed up the drying process by using your heat tool on it. Just make sure you do it gently and don't rush it too much or your paper will warp. Thank you so much for stopping by today! I hope you found some inspiration here with me. Lots of love and happy crafting from Erica

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Face The Sun In Bright Colours with Erica

by Erica Andersson-Burke on Apr 28 2020

Hi everyone! How are we doing? Keeping safe and occupied or going stir-crazy? It’s ok to swing back and forth between the two, I know I do! These are trying times and we can only do the best we can do deal with the situation but please do be safe and stay home if you can! Today’s card is a sort of juxtaposition of my feelings, in that it’s a flower but coloured in very non-natural colours. At least for this kind of flower. I love the Face The Sun sunflower, and yes, I’m well aware that I say I love all the flowers! LOL! I can’t help it, big flower lover over here. I started out by stamping it on a Neenah card base, directly, with the Hybrid Black ink and of course with the Mini MISTI to get a super detailed image. This stamp has so many fine details I’d definitely recommend using a stamping platform tool of some sort to make sure you get all the little bits stamped. Scanning my Copic Hex Chart, from Sandy Allnock, I picked out teals markers to colour the stem and foliage bits. Instead of colouring it as I normally do though, I decided to try something new. I have drawn one line with one colour, starting with the darkest, and then with the next colour I have slightly overlapped it, without making any attempts at blending them. I wasn’t sure how this would turn out but I must admit, I love it! Next it was time to colour the actual flower itself and the only choice was another bold colour! I went for an array of deep red, fushias and light pink. The petals I coloured in the same way as the stem and foliage and it turned out pretty cool too. I also added lots of white highlights with a white Posca pen. I have had zero luck finding a gel pen that doesn’t dry up on me right away so I’m sticking to the Posca pens from now on. Of course I could have stopped there but did I? No, ma’am, I did not. I decided to shade the flower in grays and a light blue to make it pop. It didn’t exactly turn out as I was hoping but I’m not hating it either. The only thing left to do was add a sentiment. I picked one from the Face The Sun stamp set, and it says ‘Spread seeds of happiness, joy and love’. Which I thought was quite perfect. Looking for the silver lining in every situation makes it easier to deal with it, at least I find that. Well, with that, I’m done. I hope you found some inspiration here today. Lots of love, germ-free virtual hugs and happy crafting from Erica

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Release Day!! Rainbow BFF My Tribe cards with Erica!

by Erica Andersson-Burke on Apr 14 2020

Hi guys and HAPPY RELEASE DAY!! Today is the 14th, which means a new release from Picket Fence Studios! I'm popping in with a couple of cards made with the BFF My Tribe stamp. In these uncertain and scary times where we can't be with our friends, it's a nice reminder that, whilst not physically together, we are stronger together. Even in spirit or via FaceTime. I did two cards for this post, one with Copics and one with Zig markers. There is also a YouTube video over on my channel if you want to have a look at the rest of the release as well as the making of these cards. With the help of my new black, shiny and pretty Mini MISTI I stamped the BFF My Tribe up with Black Hybrid ink on Neenah #110 card stock and Bristol Vellum paper. The one on Bristol I also stamped with VersaMark ink and sprinkled Clear Gloss embossing powder on, which I set with my heat tool. However I cleaned it off with the Stamp Scrubber in between though. I don't want to contaminate my ink pad and the Stamp Scrubber gets all the ink out of the nooks and crannies. I love the fact that it only has to be wetted with water, and you don't have to use any nasty smelling chemicals with it, for it to work. Then when it's dirty, you just wash it with some soap and you are good to go! The BFF My Tribe images themselves have been coloured in a rainbow fashion, I tried sticking to the same colours and shades in the same places, as much as possible on both cards. Not sure why I felt the need to do that, but I love how they turned out. I do have to work on my skin tones a bit though, especially with the Copic markers, but that's ok. The colouring challenge #TheDailyMarker30Day is still going on, thank goodness, so I'll be practicing a lot. With the colouring done on them both, I trimmed the panels down just a smidge to 5.25"x4" and then adhered these to white card bases. A fun sentiment from the I Freaking Love You set, stamped up with Black Hybrid ink later and the cards were done. I *almost* added some clear sequins but managed to rein myself in. What is the world coming to, eh?? LOL! Well, that's it from me for today but don't forget to check out the rest of the release HERE. Thanks for stopping by, lots of love and big hugs from Erica.

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Early Tulip Bouquet Cards Two Ways with Erica

by Erica Andersson-Burke on Mar 24 2020

Hi everyone! It’s Erica here on the PFS blog today, with two spring-feel cards, using the lovely Early Tulip Bouquet stamp. The first one is a simple sympathy card, with the image part coloured with water colours and lots of white space. I stamped up the Tulips along the right hand bottom corner, using the Black Hybrid Ink. On this card I kept it horizontally. This is Ranger water colour paper and I used the smooth side. After setting the ink with a heat tool, I used some purple tape and taped the panel down. I placed the tape over the image, along the edges, to keep those parts covered. The colours I have used are Daniel Smith water colours and I did the tulips in spring like colours. When it was dry, I stamped up the sentiment in the top left corner with Black Hybrid ink and with that the first card was done. For the second card I used Kraft card stock and stamped up the Tulips with Inkon3 Fadeout ink. To switch things up a little, I did it vertically for this one. I used coloured pencils to colour it in and whilst it takes a long time, it’s so worth it! To finish off this card I stamped up the Tulips with the Fadeout Ink in the top left corner. Mainly just to fill the space a little. On top of this I heat embossed the sentiment ‘You Are Lovely’ in Metallic Rich Gold embossing powder from WOW! Embossing. Whilst this one took a lot longer than the first one, it’s lovely to see how different the outcome is using different mediums and card stock. Even such a little thing as switching up the way you stamp the image on your card stock can make a big difference. That’s it from me for today, thanks for stopping by and I hope you found some inspiration in this post! Lots of love and happy crafting from Erica

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Sassy BFF Maggie Mae cards with Erica

by Erica Andersson-Burke on Jan 21 2020

Hi guys! Welcome back to the Picket Fence Studios Blog, it’s Erica here with a couple of very CAS cards. These are not my forte at all, but I am working on it and they are coming *slightly* easier these days. I still feel like they are a bit naked and need something but basically sit on my hands to stop myself from adding more stuff to them. It’s weird but it works, lol! On water colour paper I stamped up BFF Maggie Mae with the Hybrid Black ink and set it with my heat tool a little bit. I do this especially when I am going to use lighter water colours or Copics. For this card I have used Daniel Smith water colours. The colouring itself of Maggie Mae is pretty easy breezy, and not to detailed. I added light colours and in the areas where I wanted more contrast and details, I have added more of the same colour or a slightly darker one. I didn’t want to go too vivid for this one. When she was all done and dry, I used the coordinating diecut to cut her out and set her aside while I stamped up a card base. I wanted to use the sentiments from Seriously, Literally, Always because they are so sassy and funny. Using the Hybrid Black ink again, I stamped them up directly onto the card base. I was only going to make one but while I had my Mini MISTI out and card bases ready, I decided to do one more. This is the SUPER Clean And Simple one. I am in two minds about it. It’s funny and to the point but I do think it needs a bit of colour or something more. The BFF Maggie Mae image I glued down directly onto one of the card bases and with that the cards were done. So easy but how funny is that? I love how it turned out with the softer colours on Maggie Mae too. Maybe I will try one with more vivid colours next time though. Just to compare. As long as it’s fun, why not, right? Well, that’s it from me for today. Thanks for stopping by and spending this time with me, I hope this post inspired you. Lots of love and happy crafting from Erica

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A (Colourful) City In The World with Erica

by Erica Andersson-Burke on Jan 02 2020

Hi guys! Erica back on the Picket Fence Studios blog after some technology-mishaps/vicious vendetta issues. I swear it's not me, it's IT. Today's card is using the A City In The World stamp and is inspired by the many cute villages around where I live. My husband and I moved to Valencia, Spain less than three months ago and I'm completely obsessed with the architecture, the gates and wrought iron that's so prominent here. I love it! I stamped it up with Black Hybrid ink on water colour paper. The colouring is done with Atelier re-inkers from Inkon3 and although it doesn't show up that well in the photos, the houses are all shimmery. My jug of water had some gold shimmer at the bottom and I didn't think it mattered but oh boy, when it was dry, it was so noticeable! I'm chalking this one up to a happy accident as I actually love how it turned out. While the colouring was drying, I stamped up the City image again on masking paper and fussy cut that out. This I placed over the coloured image to protect it while I ink blended the background. I've used some yellows, orange and dark currant coloured inks to create a really dramatic sky. The ink blending itself is of course done with the Life Changing Blender Brushes. Because I'm a weirdo, I haven't added a sentiment to this card. I have this thing where I don't like covering up my colouring... I can't explain why, I simply don't like it, so I left this as it is. Leaving it free to be a whatever card! Or maybe Happy New Home? That could be something. That's it from me for today, thanks for stopping by and Happy New Year!! Lots of love and happy crafting from Erica