Homemade wreath builder stencil...

I've seen so many pretty cards created by using something called a wreath builder stencil. It didn't look very complicated, so I decided to use my Silhouette Cameo to create my own.

This is what my wreath builder stencil looked like after I cut it out and laminated it. I actually used it before I laminated it, just to make sure it would actually work. You can see in this photo that I haven't trimmed away the excess laminate yet, but I'll do that before I use it again.

To create it, I used my Cameo to draw two 4-inch squares. I overlapped them with one of them turned at a 45 degree angle and welded them together to create a single image. Then I drew a 6-inch box around them. Once I had everything centered, I cut out both the 6-inch box and the 8-point image, which left me with the stencil you see above.

To use my stencil, I cut a 4-inch square of cardstock, grabbed some stamps and my stamp positioner, and went to town stamping as I turned the 4-inch square, fitting it into the points of the stencil.

Here's the result:

It was fun to watch the wreath come together. What took the longest was searching through my stamps to find enough tiny ones that would work. I added the dots with a Promarker to fill in any spaces that seemed to need a little something more.

Here's a little closer look at my wreath. Not all my stamps were quality stamps. Some were on the soft side and didn't stamp a clear image, but I was ok with a little "fuzziness" here and there.

On the inside of my card, I used a few of the stamps to create a little bouquet in the corner.

This was so much fun to make. If you search for "wreath builder stamping" on YouTube, you'll find several videos that show just how it's done. I think there are even some videos that show how to make your own stencil.

We were supposed to have a snowstorm the other night, but the cold front stopped just short of the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. We didn't get so much as a flake! Yay! I am so OVER the snow and cold.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.
Cheryl