Thursday's Dream Schemes

On Thanksgiving Day we will be kicking off our "Thursday's Dream Schemes" with our own Dream Team's Thanksgiving Day Parade of Christmas Cardmaking. If you are an early riser, pop by to view the team's creations...or if you get tired of cooking for that big meal or watching Dallas try to win another football game stop on by to get inspired.

To make this card, use the wheat stencil (LL462), and start by dry embossing it through your embossing machine or you can use a stylus and light table instead. Then to do the Strié technique just follow these directions:

First load your 3/4" stencil brush with harvest gold pigment ink by tapping it firmly on the ink pad.

Place the embossed card in front of you on a piece of scrap paper. Begin in the upper left hand corner and make sure the flat bristles of the loaded stencil brush are resting on this scrap. The majority of the color will be off loaded at the edge of the card stock. As you pull the brush in a straight line toward you, lessen the pressure you are applying and sweep the bristles of the brush upward coming off the card right in the center of the paper. (If you don't make this sweeping upward motion, the pigment will stop abruptly and make a smudging coloration right in the middle of the paper.) As much as possible, keep the bristles straight and then repeat this same action moving approximately a brush width at a time, all the way across to the right side of the card. The streaks of pigment hitting the edges of the dry embossed design will accent the upper half of the image. Now you have half of the card done. Turn the card a full 180 degrees and repeat this same action again, moving right to left. The card is now finished, however, if you want a more "linen" look to your card, you can turn the card 90 degrees and repeat the same "strié" technique again. To finish this linen look, turn the card 180 degrees again and finish the last side. Now, all four sides are done and you will have twice as much color on the card.