For this project, I played with the following fabulous Picket Fence Studios products:
- Life is Better with a Furry Friend Stamp (sentiment and pillow)
- Life is Better with a Furry Friend Die Set (sentiment and pillow)
- Happy Paws Stamp (puppies)
- Happy Paws Die Set (puppies)
- Fetch Layering Stencil Set (rainbow paws and bones)
- Twinkle Lights Clear - Paper Glaze Luxe (bones)
- Basic Die Cutting Set 1 (dome panel)
- Celestial Skies Gems (embellishments)
- Pint-sized Paper Pouncers (blending out the Sentiment)
- Black Hybrid Ink Pad (stamped images)
- Platinum 6 Die Cutting Platform
- Copic Markers
- White Gel Pen
- Gold 1.0 Karin DecoGel Pen
- Misti Tool
- Palette (inside Misti for stamping)
- Palette Knives
- Life Changing Blender Brushes (ink blending)
- Squeezed Lemon, Picked Raspberry, Broken China and Black Soot (Distress Oxide Inks)
- Barely Arts Glue
Creating the Background
The base of the card features a colorful background with paw prints and bones, and here’s how I achieved it:
- Stenciling the Rainbow Paws: I used Life Changing Blender Brushes with Distress Oxide Inks in Squeezed Lemonade, Picked Raspberry, and Broken China. These blend beautifully to create a cheerful gradient across the paw prints.
- Adding the Twinkling Bones: Using the bones layer of the Fetch Layering Stencil Set, I applied Twinkle Lights Clear Glaze for a subtle shine. This glaze adds dimension while keeping the background clean and playful.
The Dome Panel
To create the focal point for the card:
- I die-cut the dome shape using the Basic Die Cutting Set 1.
- For the shadow under the pillow, I masked the area with a sticky note and blended Black Soot Distress Oxide Ink using a Life Changing Blender Brush.
- I layered the adorable puppy duo from the Happy Paws Stamp and Die Set on top of the shadow, popping them up with foam for dimension. These sweet friends were colored with Copic markers and enhanced with white and gold gel pens for highlights and tiny details.
Sentiment and Color Coordination
The sentiment, “Life is better with a friend,” perfectly matches the cozy scene. To keep the theme vibrant:
- Once the sentiment was positioned in the Misti, I then added the Squeezed Lemon to the middle of the stamp and diffused the edges of the ink using a Pint-sized Paper Pouncer to blend it out. I then moved on to the Picked Raspberry on top and the Broken China on the bottom. Diffusing each color with the coordinating Pint-sized Paper Pouncer. This colorful sentiment mirrors the rainbow tones from the background.
- This cohesive approach ties the entire design together beautifully!
Crafty Tip: Seamless Die Cuts
When working with multiple die-cut images that have white border edges, you can create the illusion of a seamless join by following this trick:
- Die-cut your images and arrange them to determine where they overlap.
- Fussy cut the white edge off one of the images where it overlaps with the other.
- To clean up the cut edge, run a black marker along it to mimic the stamped outline.
- Glue the two pieces together, and voilà! Your die-cut images will look like one continuous piece.
This tip works perfectly for the adorable puppy duo on this card!
Finishing Touches
To assemble:
- I adhered the stenciled background to a card base.
- The dome panel was popped up with foam tape for added depth.
- For the final touch, I scattered Celestial Skies Gems around the design, adding a hint of sparkle.
This card is bursting with personality, from the happy pups to the rainbow hues and sparkling details. It’s a heartwarming reminder that life truly is better with friends—especially the furry ones!
Have you tried the new Picket Fence Studios December release yet? Let me know your favorite products and creations in the comments. And don’t forget to watch the reel on Instagram for all the behind-the-scenes crafty fun. Until next time, happy crafting!
