Step-by-Step Tutorial: Rainbow Star Card Using Stencil Deck Vol. 1 - by Natalia

Hello everyone! Natalia here, on the Lisa Horton Crafts blog, with a fun, vibrant step-by-step project. Today, I’m sharing how to build a rich, multi-colored starry background using two mini stencils from the Stencil Deck Vol. 1 collection combined with Cloud 9 Matt Blending Inks.

Let’s dive into the process!

Products & Tools Used:

• Lisa Horton Crafts - Stencil Deck Vol. 1 (Mini Star Stencil & Large/Small Star Element Stencil)
• Lisa Horton Crafts - More Fabulous Fonts Stamp & Die Set
• Cloud 9 Matt Blending Inks: Juicy Pineapple, Strawberry Sundae, Sugar Candy, Rhubarb Jam, Surfs Up, Eucalyptus Leaves, Tranquil Waters, Woodland Moss, Margarita, Sweet Violet
• Rotating Crafting Platform (or Glass/Craft Mat)
• Card base
• Ink blending brushes / detail brushes
• White cardstock panel

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Step 1: Focal Stars & Base Colours

Place your white card panel on the Rotating Crafting Platform (or on a regular craft mat secured lightly with tape if needed). Take the single star stencil from Stencil Deck Vol. 1 and position the largest star shape near the top right corner, blending bright Juicy Pineapple ink through it with a detail brush. Shift the stencil slightly to add smaller yellow stars nearby. Next, move down into the upper-middle area and ink several stars in vibrant pink and magenta tones using Strawberry Sundae and Sugar Candy. Finally, place the stencil near the bottom left corner and blend rich Sweet Violet ink over larger star shapes to establish your main focal points.

Step 2: Layering Small Stars & Rainbow Gradient

Switch over to the multi-star pattern stencil from Stencil Deck Vol. 1. Position it over the top right area and layer tiny stars in Sugar Candy and Sweet Violet across the yellow base stars. Work your way down toward the bottom left corner by overlaying vibrant blue tones using Surfs Up and Tranquil Waters around the purple focal cluster. To extend the galaxy look across the entire diagonal line of the panel, introduce fresh green shades like Margarita, Eucalyptus Leaves, and Woodland Moss around the bottom centre and lower edges.

Step 3: Soft Ink Blending & Depth

Once all your crisp, stencilled star layers are complete, lift the stencils off the card panel. Grab a soft blending brush with subtle leftover ink and gently sweep across the remaining white areas to connect the distinct colour zones. Softly diffuse Eucalyptus Leaves and Margarita along the bottom right and lower edges, light pink across the top, and subtle Tranquil Waters around the lower-left cluster to create a seamless gradient behind the sharp stencilled stars.

Step 4: Dark Contrast Accents & Finishing Sentiment

To bring extra depth to the design, select a rich, deep shade like Rhubarb Jam. Place the small star stencil back over chosen spots within both the top-right pink cluster and bottom-left purple area, applying the dark ink sparingly through just a few star centres. To complete the card, add a bold sentiment using the More Fabulous Fonts Stamp & Die Set, die-cutting and placing it across the centre of your background to perfectly balance the vibrant colours!

Final Result:

You now have a mesmerising, colourful card with a rich starry gradient background and a crisp focal sentiment ready to send to someone special!
I hope this step-by-step inspires you to pull out your Stencil Deck Vol. 1 and experiment with multi-colour ink blending!

Thank you for crafting along with me today. Sending colourful crafty hugs,