I love stencils. They are my jam!
Whether I’m using them in my journal layouts or on a greeting card, I just can’t seem to get enough of them.
More recently, I was asked to explain my stencil process – i.e. what types of stencils I like to use, the inks I use, etc., so I will share everything I possibly can.
First, stencils come in a variety of shapes, sizes, thickness, designs, and colors.
When I select my stencils, I tend to shy away from the flimsy easily bendable kind. It’s not that they are bad stencils, I just know the flimsy types are harder for me to use with the type of designs I like to create. In other words, it’s difficult to control the stencil when I apply inks (it bends, folds, or moves too much).
I much prefer the stencils that are made of thicker heavier plastic. The majority of my stencils are by Ranger, Dylusions, Stencil1, and The Crafters Workshop.
With journal layouts, I am more prone to use Distress Inks on my stencils over any other ink. Distress inks are waterbased inks and that makes for easy cleaning. I just grab a baby wipe and clean off the stencil in no time. If I have a bunch of stencils to clean, I just place them in the sink, gently scrub them with a sponge, and rinse in warm water. Inks that are not waterbased will stain the stencil (I learned that early on!).
The distress inks are easy to apply over a stencil with a sponge application tool and I have yet to experience any bleed through with several different types of journal paper. The majority of my journals contain thicker paper generally 100 or 120 gsm (read more about paperweight here and here).
Another method of stencil applique, is outlining. When I outline stencils, I often use a pencil, these markers (pastel and bright), or a black drawing pen. If I am using the same stencil repetitively within a layout, I will periodically clean the markings that collect on the back of the stencil just so it doesn’t smear everywhere when I slide it across the page.
Something else to consider when using stencils is the color scheme. When I design my layouts with stencils, I decide on the entire palette beforehand. This is important because if I do a full bleed stencil layout using a dark color, it’s more difficult to read what I write down for the week (unless I write with the gelly roll pens that write on dark paper). Therefore, in my opinion, the stencil layer must be the lightest colored layer.
For my December calendar, I am using a snowflake stencil from Stencil1. Stencil1 makes beautiful quality stencils and they have some really unique designs too! Check it out.
Supplies
- Notebook
- Snowflake Stencil
- Distress Ink
- Foam Application Tool
- Grey Brush Pen (N45).
- White Gel Pen
- Alphabet Stamps
- Alphabet Block
- Number Stamps
- Black Stamp Ink
- Square Stencil
- Black Drawing Pen
Step One
When I was thinking how I wanted my December calendar to look, I decided it needed a snowy blizzard look. So the entire notebook spread needed various sized snowflakes all over. After placing the stencil down, I applied blue distress ink with an application tool. Rather than gliding the ink over the snowflake, I dabbed it on. I didn’t want the foam tool to catch onto the intricate design of the snowflake. I continued this process until there was no more room for snowflakes.
Step Two
Next, I used a grey dual brush pen (fine tip side) and square stencil and made 31 boxes for the calendar.
Step Three
I took the same grey brush pen and lettered the month. I added a bit of details with a white gel pen. For more on my lettering style, check out my lettering guidebook on Etsy. I have a 20% off sale going on right now, plus, purchase the lettering book and receive the days-of-the-week practice sheets free.
Step Four
Then I used my alphabet stamps and black ink pad and abbreviated the days-of-the-week.
Step Five
With a black drawing pen I added the dates to the calendar and that is it.
