One of the things I love about new products is the opportunity to experiment with different techniques. That’s not to say the techniques are new and unique, sometimes it’s just something I haven’t done in a while. It was only as I was finishing off today’s project using the Encircled in Beauty Dies that an idea popped into my head. I have to say I’m really pleased with the result.

ENCIRCLED IN FRIENDSHIP

My project began with the “just a note to let you know that someone thought of you today” sentiment from the Encircled in Friendship Stamp Set. Despite the length of the sentiment it’s quite compact and uses a really pretty font. It’s designed to fit inside one of the die-cut ‘doilies’ from the Encircled in Beauty Dies, but would work with lots of other dies and punches too. However today I decided to stick with the coordinating dies.

I started by stamping the sentiment onto some Basic White Card using Night of Navy ink. Then I cut it out using the #3 die from the Encircled in Beauty Dies (counting from the smallest up). At this point I wasn’t sure where my project was going, so I set the die-cut piece aside for a moment.

For my card base I used my Paper Trimmer to cut and score some Misty Moonlight Card. Then I folded it along the scored line and sharpened the crease with a Bone Folder.

This seemed to be turning into a masculine/gender neutral project so next I went looking for a suitable background. In the end I chose the Misty Moonlight plaid design from the 2020-2022 In Color 6″ x 6″ Designer Series Paper (DSP) Assortment. In fact my decision was made in part because I found piece that was 1-7/8″ wide and didn’t want to waste it. So I simply trimmed the DSP to 5-1/2″ long.

To provide contrast between the card base and the DSP I chose Night of Navy Card. After cutting the card to 2-3/8″ x 5-1/2″, I mounted the DSP onto it using Multipurpose Liquid Glue (Tombow). Then I glued the assembled layers directly onto the card base.

ACCIDENTAL IDEA

As I began thinking about attaching my die-cut sentiment to the card I decided that the white was just a bit too much of a contrast. That could be easily solved with a little inking around the edges. So I picked up a Blending Brush and the Night of Navy ink pad and started work. It didn’t take long, and the result was definitely worth it. Then I simply added the sentiment to the card front with more liquid glue behind the solid centre.

That just left the inside of the card and coordinating envelope to do.

My original thought was to go back for some more of the plaid DSP. That was until I saw the inky pattern left on the scrap paper on my desk… It was only then that I thought of using the Encircled In Beauty Dies to create a custom stencil.

So using the same die I cut another piece of card and placed it over the corner of a 4″ x 5-1/4″ piece of Basic White Card. Next, using the Blending Brush and Night of Navy ink again, I gently added some ink through the die-cut piece and just over the edge. Then I moved the ‘stencil’ to the opposite corner of the card and repeated the process.

The result was quite subtle, but perfect for a “thinking of you” card. So using liquid glue I fixed the layer inside the card base.

To finish I decorated the front of a Basic White Medium Envelope using the same stencil technique. A couple of minutes later I was done and my project was complete.

I have to say that I love how this card turned out. It’s a fairly simple design, but the decorative sentiment layer adds a special touch don’t you think?

PRODUCT LIST

BUNDLE BONUS – I bought the Encircled In Friendship Stamp Set and Encircled In Beauty Dies using a single ‘bundle’ item number. This meant I saved 10% off the cost of buying the two items separately. I’ve included both options below so you can compare these if you wish.