Kathy, I'm so glad you got your package. I haven't checked this thread since the end of the challenge so I just saw this now that Connie posted another pillow-top card and put AIR16 in the subject line. I was getting worried that you might not have received it. The two white "stencils" are actually die cuts meant to be used as card fronts. Try putting some pretty paper or inked or watercolored paper behind the openings. I find that the more variation in color and the brighter the color, the better. They can also be used as stencils. Maybe I should have sent more! I confess that I liked that stamp set so much, I bought one for me too! It'll be fun to see what you come up with when using it. (Hmmm. Did that stamp set come with a stencil? I think it did. Maybe that's the stencil you're talking about.)
Connie, I love your backgrounds and card. It was fun to see that someone was still working on this technique. Like you, I found I liked the effect best with lines that were not too far apart. I settled on a half inch space between them. I also am now using a glass mat that has grid lines on it. That way, I can temporarily attach the cardstock to the mat so that the opposite corners line up with the same grid line and just move the piece of plastic. I mentioned this to Cindi, and she suggested putting the grid paper in a page protector if you didn't have a glass mat. Great idea! The hardest part for me was to use a light hand. No pressure. I tapped the ink onto the plastic along the edge and then very lightly transferred it to the cardstock. I had to keep reminding myself to go slowly and not to press down. It worked better to just go over it a couple of times instead of pressing down to apply ink. I had great luck using Memories Inks Made for Hero Arts Shadow Stamps. Yep, that's what they were called. The colors are soft. The nice thing about this technique is you can make it what you want, whatever suits the mood of your card--pastel, soft, bright, vivid; serene or wild.
Oh, one more thing. My rejects, even the worse one, looked great when die-cut with an intricate die. I used a sentiment die.
I think I'll add these final tips to the original thread in case anyone checks it out to learn the technique.
Thanks for playing.
Daria