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Stencil Embossing with Bathtub Caulking

By Barbara Kipper
Rubber Roadsters
Advanced Stamping Team Designer

Supplies

• Everything Dances Stamp Set (TAC)
• Stencil of Bird Houses (Plaid)
• White Bathtub Caulking (Hardware Store)
• Clear Embossing Ink (Ranger)
• White Detail Embossing Powder (Stampin’ Around)
• Folk Art Blue Acrylic Paint (Plaid)
• Liquid Silver Marvy Paint marker, fine point (Michael’s)
• White card Stock; cut to sizes 7 X 9,” 3 ¾ X 5” (Staples)
• Medium Blue card Stock; ½ sheet (Xpedex)
• Blue Print Wallpaper; Cut to size 5 3/8 X 4 3/8” (Old Wallpaper Book)
• Heat Gun (Uchida)
• Personal Paper Cutter (X~acto)
• Scissors (Fiskars)
• Removable Tape (Staples)
• Plastic or Metal Palette Knife (Michael’s)
• White Tacky Glue (Michael’s)
• Foam Pop up Dots (Michael’s)
• Fine Line Pentel Pencil (Staples)
• Popsicle or Stir Stick (Home)
• Small Plastic Mixing Container (Home)
• Flat Plastic Container and Old Toothbrush for Stencil Cleanup (Home)

 Fits envelope size:  5 X 7 3/8”

Instructions

NOTE: Any appropriate patterned paper for background layer on the card may be substituted for the wallpaper.

1. Cut the white card stock for a basic card and fold.

2. Cut the white cardstock and blue patterned paper for the front of the card.

3. Using clear embossing ink, stamp three sizes of butterflies two times on the plain blue cardstock for a total of six. Stamp the word “Fly,” three times.

4. Dust the stamped images with white detail embossing powder; tap off and save excess.

5. Using the heat gun, melt the embossing powder on the images.

6. Cut out the embossed butterflies and the words, leaving a narrow border of the cardstock showing around the images.

7. Using the small plastic container and stir stick, mix approximately 3 tablespoons of Bathtub Caulk with 1/2 teaspoon blue acrylic paint.  Add more paint if you wish a darker blue. Add more caulk if it is too dark.

8. Place the stencil on the small white cardstock, tape it down on two sides with removable tape.

(It is always good to try the stencil on a practice paper.)

9. Use the palette knife to spread the caulk mixture across the stencil. Try to make only one sweep across the stencil openings. Going back multiple times presses the mix under the edges of the stencil.

Lift the stencil immediately. Lift straight up carefully, to give a sharp image.

10. Clean up:

Place the stencil in warm water or wash off immediately. Kitchen detergent or a General Cleaning Solution works well to clean the Stencil and Palette Knife. Use an old, soft toothbrush.

11. Let stenciled image dry thoroughly. Careful use of the heat gun can hasten drying.  Do not get too close to the image with the heat or it will bubble.

12. Glue the blue print paper to the white card, then glue the birdhouse layer to the blue print.

13. Add the butterflies by gluing one of each on the front layer and then add another of the same image onto the first, with a foam dot. Place them slightly askew to give the impression of wing motion. Follow card example.

14. Glue the words “Fly,” onto the card. Follow the card example.

15. Add a light pencil dash line, which designates the path of butterfly flight. After you have the dashes where you want them, go over the dashes with the Silver Pen.

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