Sign me up!

 Taylored Expressions came out with their "Create-In-Quads" stencil system before Christmas and their first set was Mistletoe.  I watched the videos and like the concept but I felt Mistletoe was too limiting and did not buy it... but then....

She put out the Create-In-Quads Snowflake set -- sign me up!!! This is a stencil set that uses a larger stencil sheet and each stencil set makes up 4 card fronts. The Snowflake set has 4 stencils. Each stencil is numbered so you know which order to use them. With this being a larger stencil set I had to decide how I would store it and I decided to use the plastic job ticket sleeves that I bought at Staples long ago to store my solid 8 1/2 x 11 card stocks. I used the label maker to label the stencil set:

On the back of their packaging tells you about the stencil set and a sample of what each stencil looks like. I have used this stencil set twice and I am in love -- made 8 cards using this system this morning. Here is my stencil "system" -- I use the stencil mat from Wendy Vecchi that I have used for my stencils for some time -- some crafters use spray adhesive on their stencils to hold them in place while they are applying their inks but the stencil mat with magnets works fine and I do not have to go outside to spray the adhesive on my stencils. Here is a photo of my 'set up':

I have the card stock on the stencil mat with magnets. Next to that I have a piece of drawer liner left over from kitchen drawers and I keep my ink pads on that to keep them from sliding around on the work table. This photo was taken after I started the turquoise card fronts I was working on.  Here is a photo to show the stencils as I was adding the inks:

Once I finished with each stencil I used a baby wipe and gently wiped the inks off and set it aside. Continued on until all four stencils were finished and wiped down. Here is a photo of the turquoise set finished before it was cut apart for card fronts:

sorry for the blurr.... Once this colour combo was done I decided I would change it out and work with totally different colours -- used my 2nd to last sheet of Taylored Expressions Kraft card stock for this next stenciled set of card fronts:

For both stenciled card fronts I used Distress Inks for my card fronts -- except for the white snowflakes on the kraft card fronts. Here is a photo of both sets cut apart and ready for card bases:

Some card bases are scored on the side and some are scored at the top. I embossed and stamped matching greetings for the cards and put the card fronts on the cards:

On the turquoise cards I used these Distressed inks in this order:

Stencil #1   Mermaid Lagoon

Stencil #2   Wilted Violet

Stencil #3   Tumbled Glass

Stencil #4   Peacock Feathers

Here is the second set of card fronts finished:

For these card fronts I used these Distress inks in this order:

Stencil #1   White pigment ink

Stencil #2   Barn Door

Stencil #3   Festive Berries

Stencil #4   Hickory Smoke

The stencils are clearly marked so it is easy to see you are lined up correctly. Taylored Expressions sells packs of pre-trimmed card stocks for this stencil set but I used card stock from my stash and trimmed it to the 8 x 10 1/2 size I would need for stenciled card fronts. Once the blending is all done just trim your larger stencil piece into 4 pieces for your card front that measure 4 x 5 1/4.  So easy and quick to make 4 card fronts that have the same theme but are not the same card over and over again. 

Happy Taylored Expressions has this "Quads" line in stencils and hoping for future patterns as well! Will also say once I finished with the stencils I rinsed them off in the sink with cold water and all inks came off easily -- the white pigment and the reds of the Distressed Inks. Clean up is quick and easy and the stencils are good quality and not too thin with all the detail they have on the snowflakes. 

For my cards I used a banner die set I have in the stash for the greetings and I added holographic gems from Sunny Studio to the centers of some of the snowflakes on the card fronts. I also die cut from scraps small snowflakes using a small snowflake die I got for free with my Sunny Studio order. For some of those little snowflakes I used glittered card stock from the stash... Quick and easy stencil system and am looking forward to other future releases for this line . . .