Create Bold Backgrounds with Tone-on-Tone Stenciling

Lisa Tilson

Hello there, Lisa Tilson here with you today to share a card where I create a bold background using tone-on-tone stenciling. This is a technique I use often as I love to play with stencils and although I love bold backgrounds, I don't want them to detract from what is sitting on top. I try to make them work together.

I started off by taking an A2 (4.25" x 5.5") panel of Ultra Pink Cardstock and placing it down onto my sticky mat. I laid the Petal Burst Stencil down over the top and using a Large Blending Brush I applied Ultra Pink Core Ink through the stencil. I repeated this several times to get a heavy saturation. 


Next, I die cut the Morning Glory Fancy Die from Deluxe Smooth White Cardstock and also from Kiwi Cardstock. Using a Small Blending brush I blended Ultra Pink Core Ink onto the flowers, leaving a small area free of ink around the edges.

To darken the centers of the larger flowers and the bottoms of the small buds, I then applied Amethyst Core Ink. I set this to one side to work on the green die cut.


Again, using a Small Blending Brush, I applied Moss Core Ink onto the base of the leaves and parts of the stem. I then trimmed my flowers from the other die cut and adhered them onto the green piece using Precision Glue XL.

I then started to assemble my card. I adhered the stenciled background panel onto a top folding A2 white notecard that I created from Deluxe Smooth White Cardstock (4.25" x 11", scored at 5.5"). I then took two panels of white cardstock and cut two openings using the Arches Infinity Dies.


The first arch panel was added directly onto my stencilled panel using glue and the top one was adhered using some foam tape. This gives me a little bit of height between the two layers and allows me to tuck in my flowers.

I cut the Morning Glory die cut into two and adhered both pieces along the bottom of the arch. The sentiment is from Message Strips Stamp & Cut XL and it was stamped onto Pitch Black Cardstock using Clear Embossing & Watermark Ink. I applied White Detail Embossing Powder and heat set it before cutting it out with the sentiment strip die. It was popped over my flowers with some foam tape.


I finished the card by adding some Spellbinders Berry Color Essential Gems into the flower centers and around the card.

I fell in love with the Petal Burst Stencil when it came out a few years ago. I love the movement of the petals and using it with a tone on tone background means that your flowers don't get lost in the mix. 


Thank you for joining me here today. I hope you have a great day!