A Perfect Pair for Crafting Blog Hop

Hi, folks! I'm back today with a post for a fab little blog hop that Stampendous and Perfect Paper Crafting is having all this week. We are using some perfect tools for crafting our projects to share with you all and there are prize packages up for grabs, too!

Today I'm sharing a Winter Stack card with quite a fun background and OH do I have a nice bit of information I found out while making it. You'll need to get to the very end of my post to find out.

There is more to the hop today, so if you're ready here's the list to keep moving onward, or if you are just getting started from my blog today then take the first link in the list to get all the details!

Monday Stampendous Blog  Kristine Reynolds  Janelle Stollfus - you're here!  Tenia Nelson  Perfect Paper Crafting Blog

Now if you're still hanging around, I have a supplies list and instructions for this project.

Supplies:

Stampendous:
SSC1249 Winter Stack Perfectly Clear Stamps
FMS4043 Holly Pattern Metal Stencil
DWDEP Regular Paste
DWDPK Palette Knife
DWLM2010 Paste Spreader
MEM01 Memento™ Tuxedo Black Ink by Tsukineko®
MWP811 Mixed Media White Paper
SSH46 Large Perfectly Clear Acrylic Stamp Handle

Perfect Paper Crafting:
MPL100 Perfect Layers Mini Border Tool Set
PA200 The Perfect Airbrush Tool


Plus:
My Colors cardstock by My Mind's Eye
Color cardstock by Bazzill Basics®
Sketch™ markers by Copic® (B32, B34, BV04, G0000, G000, G09, G14, RV55, RV66, Y26, Y28, YR14, YR21, YR68)
Zip-Dry™ Paper Glue by Beacon Adhesives
3D Foam Square by Scrapbooking Adhesives by 3L®
Ribbon by  Creative Impressions LLC
Rhubarb Crumble Crystal Drops by Sonic Studio
Craft knife
Cutting mat
Removable tape

Instructions:

1. Fold a 5 1/2 x 8 1/2-inch color cardstock in half for a finished 5 1/2 x 4 1/4-inch card base. Set aside.
2. Tape down Holly Pattern stencil onto 4 x 5 1/4 inch kraft cardstock.
3. Scoop out an ample amount of Regular Paste and spread along the top edge of the stencil with the palette knife.
4. Spread paste across the stencil with Paste Spreader held at 30/45-degree angle. Place leftover embossing paste back into the container, clean rim and tightly close.
5. Clean stencil and tools in warm soapy water and dry.
6. Let embossing paste dry and then replace the stencil carefully over design taping back down.
7. Place a green marker in the Color Spritzer Perfect Airbrush tool over the stencil to color embossed design. Remove stencil and clean promptly.
8. Add drop dots of Rhubarb Crumb on each circle of stencil design. Let dry.
9. Trim around stencil design with Mini Layers 1/16-inch side letting the tool align against the design.
10. Glue stencil down onto pink cardstock and repeat trimming with the 1/16-inch side of Layers tool.
11. Tie ribbon in a bow around the stencil layers and glue down onto the base.
12. Stamp Winter Stack pieces onto Mixed Media White Paper and color.
13. Mask image and place on a protected surface. Lay down the clean Paste Spreader one-third of the way up from the bottom for a mask.
14. Use the Color Spritzer Airbrush Tool and a blue-violet marker to create the sky. 
15. Remove Paste Spreader and airbrush 1-2 time around snow piles for shadow. Remove mask.
16. Trim down to desired size and glue to purple cardstock and use the 1/8-inch side of the Mini Layers Tool to evenly trim down the mat.
17. Glue down matted image onto pink cardstock and trim with the 1/16-inch edge of the Layers Tool.
18. Stamp sentiment from Winter Stack onto Mixed Media White Paper and trim. Repeat steps with the 1/16-inch edge of the tool.
19. Glue all pieces down onto card base as shown in the above picture.

Step 9? That was my "oh wow", moment. I always end up getting my stenciling crooked so I wait for it to dry and either trim it with a paper cutter which smashes the embossing or doesn't cut the cardstock well because of the extra height of the embossing, OR I carefully line up my ruler and trim with a craft knife which takes time. The Layers Tool snuggles up against the embossing and because of its design will not smash the embossed stenciling and it's already measured for me so every side is trimmed the same.

Oh and those prizes I mentioned earlier, check them out!

Three commenters will get one of these prize combos.
Details are on the Stampendous blog today.