My favorite medium to use with stencils will always be acrylic paint. I primarily use 1 of 3 methods to get the acrylic paint onto my substrate: A Stencil Brush A Cosmetic Wedge Sponge A Gelatin Plate In today's blog post, I'm going to cover all three for you: Video Take Aways: Stencil Preparation: I use Dynasty Stencil Brushes, specifically the Stencil Pro Brushes -- like the 3/8-inch and 1-inch brushes. I tape my tags together, making it easier to work on them as one surface before separating them. You can use a repositionable spray adhesive, like Pixie Spray, to... Read more →

Do you like nice neat precise stenciling? Or are you more of a messy stenciling fan? Getting the look you want is all about understanding how the medium you're using needs to be handled. The wetter the medium, the more likely you're going to get roll under. But you can take some careful steps to avoid roll under with all mediums. And that's what this video is all about: In the video I use the "Messy Writing" stencil I designed for The Crafter's Workshop with... A Distress Ink Pad TCW Stencil Butter (modeling paste-ish) Heavy Body Acrylic Paint Fluid Acrylic... Read more →

Back in 2021, I made this video that shares several different methods for stenciling with watercolor for a soft look: Here are the actionable steps from the video: Gather Your Materials Stencils -- I used the Balzer Designs Garden Tile stencil. Watercolor paper. Damp brush (not soaking wet). Watercolors. Paper towels or baby wipes. Spray bottle with water. Basic Technique Lay your stencil on a piece of watercolor paper. Apply watercolors through the stencil: Using your damp brush and watercolors, apply the color through the stencil openings onto the paper. You can mix different colors to create the desired effect.... Read more →

I made a stencil. It didn't work. And so I fixed it! So much of success in art is perseverance, I think. I hope this video will motivate you to keep pushing through, even when you don't like the results. It’s a reminder that failure isn't the end, but just a step on the way to success. And here's a peek at some gorgeous prints using my fabulous new stencil and mask: I'm thinking that I might cut out some smaller versions of this design to use as well. Lots of possibilities! PS: As I mentioned in the video, Maker... Read more →

Today we are playing with TCW960: Cosmic Music. This is the last of the six stencils from this release, but the first stencil I designed for the release. I love how this stencil design is both rigid and free at the same time. It makes for very dynamic images. In this short video I'm sharing how I like to use a stencil brush and acrylic paint with stencils, along with how to make a simple card with your stenciled paper. This is the card that I made in the video: I have really enjoyed sharing these simple stenciling and card... Read more →

Today we are playing with TCW957: Quartered Blocked. This is the stencil that I previously mentioned was based on a photo of an old door. In this short tutorial video I'm showing you how I like to create ghost prints - with a reverse of the stencil - and combine various colors of those ghost prints for a simple and beautiful greeting card! Enjoy! This is the card that I made in the video: You may recall that I used a similar technique a few years ago, but with very different looking results. Stencil links if you wish to buy... Read more →

Today we are playing with TCW958: Splash Whoosh. Have you ever tried stamping through a stencil? It's lots of fun and if you use pigment ink, there's a bonus way of coloring in your image. I took the paper I stamped and turned it into a simple and beautiful greeting card, which I'm sharing in this video! Enjoy! This is the card that I made in the video: I enjoy making holiday cards that aren't quite the expected motifs. Stencil links if you wish to buy any of them: TCW956: Viney Flowers 12x12: https://shrsl.com/3clb8 6x6: http://shrsl.com/3clbe TCW957: Quartered Blocked 12x12:... Read more →

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you! Today I thought I would share a quick and easy card that you can make for someone you love. We are using TCW961: Basketweave to make the magic happen! Jaime, from The Crafter's Workshop, wasn't sure about this stencil when I submitted the design. But I'm pretty sure it's going to be in regular rotation for me. The fact is, selfish as it may be, I really design the stencils that I want to use, so I hope you like it as much as I do! In this short tutorial video I'm showing... Read more →

Today we are playing with TCW959: Rainbow Branch Circle. This is another stencil that Maker & Super Learner Members may recall was the SVG of the month several months ago. It's such a great design and I'm so pleased to be able to offer it to a wider audience. In this short tutorial video I'm showing you the single easiest way to use spray inks with your stencils, get great results, and get two prints with just one application of spray ink! Sounds too good to be true, right? This is the card that I made in the video: And... Read more →

Today we are exploring TCW956: Viney Flowers. Maker & Super Learner Members may recall that it was the SVG of the month many months ago. I couldn't stop using it, so I decided it had to be an official stencil. In this short tutorial video I'm sharing how to use ink pads on the gelatin plate with a stencil. This is the card that I made in the video: Stencil links if you wish to buy any of them: TCW956: Viney Flowers 12x12: https://shrsl.com/3clb8 6x6: http://shrsl.com/3clbe TCW957: Quartered Blocked 12x12: http://shrsl.com/3clbg 6x6: http://shrsl.com/3clbh TCW958: Splash Whoosh 12x12: http://shrsl.com/3clbj 6x6: http://shrsl.com/3clbm... Read more →