My Stencil Organisation

Hi guys

I thought I'd pop by today and share with you how I store my stencils. 

I've had them in a ring binder for a while, which is where they still live, but I wasn't happy with the internal organisation.

For about a year I've just had them in normal A4 punched pockets but it wasn't a good use of space.  After being on the lookout for ages I managed to find some A4 photo sleeves which were divided into two pockets.

I trimmed down some copier paper to slip into each pocket...

And I can now store at least four stencils in each sleeve, either side of the paper insert, as opposed to only two previously.  And I  have labels on the outside of each pocket with the manufacturer and design name.

Stencils measuring 7" by 4 1/2", such as those by STAMPlorations fit happily...

My Dutch Doobadoo stencils measuring 8 1/4" x 6" fit snugly, only protruding very slightly above the pockets...

Any 6" x 6" such as My Favorite Things and Altenew can be housed in here too, only protruding very slightly out the top...

I have a few smaller stencils, these are from GlitzCraft and these fit nicely side by side...

The sets of mini stencils by Tim Holtz I've got stored together in their own pocket, and they only overlap very slightly...

Just the taller Tim Holtz stencils I have stored in standard punched pockets, two side by side as they are too long to store horizontally...

And here's the cute binder I use to store them (Bramble Wood range from W H Smith, here in the UK).  I bought a few binders from the same range a while ago (not sure if they are still available).  I'm also in the process of creating some swatches, which will also be stored in one of these but using coin pockets.

As I don't have a proper craft 'room' I don't have enough shelf or drawer space to store mine so this binder fits nicely in the cupboard within my desk.  I also have all my stencils catalogued using Evernote online software, and they are organised alphabetically in the binder by manufacturer, so super easy to find what I need.

So there you have it.  I hope this might give you some ideas if you're looking for a way to store your stencils.

Bye for now :)

Less is More Challenge #370 - Sketch 23

Good morning, crafters

Over at Less is More for the next fortnight's challenge we have a Sketch challenge for you.  It's been a while since we had a sketch so here it is...

Our sponsor for April is the wonderful Happy Little Stampers and our monthly prize winner will be eligible to purchase stamps or dies with a gift certificate.

And today we have the second of our February winners joining us as a Guest Designer, Sue of Sue's Card Craft.  So please do pop over to her blog to say hi :)


Just the one card from me this week.  Sketches are the challenge genre I find the most difficult and I've not been feeling great this last week either so apologies that I don't have more to share.

I thought I'd pick up my ProMarkers for this one as I've not used them in ages.  Oh dear, you can tell!  I started by stamping and masking and stamping some more then coloured in the balloons and clouds.  I stamped the sentiment on a cloud shaped die cut and popped this up on 3D foam.  Then the main panel was also popped up onto the card base.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Up in the Air, Wild Thing (sentiment)
• Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Die: Clearly Besotted - Cloudy Days Die Collection
• Coloured with ProMarkers and FlexMarkers

Challenge entries:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #289 - CAS
Always Fun Challenges - Challenge #55 - CAS
Creative with Stamps - Challenge #25 - CAS + Sentiment

Although I find sketches tough my teamies have had no problems creating some great projects.  There's a wonderful array of diverse designs over on the main challenge blog so please do check them out, and I hope you can play along over the next two weeks.

Framed Heart

Hi guys

Today I'm sharing a card that I meant to share a few weeks ago!  I'm so disorganised, sorry!

Last month my boyfriend and I celebrated another year since our first date and every year we share anniversary cards...awwwww! lol

This is the card I made for him, super simple but I love how it turned out...

I started with a panel slightly smaller than the card base and die cut a square aperture.  I then die cut a further pierced square with the centre cut out to create a frame and adhered this over the panel to give the aperture some interest. I temporarily placed the panel over the card base and then stamped the heart through the aperture in blue pigment ink directly onto the card base, before embossing with clear powder.  This is clearer in the photo below...

To finish I stamped the label sentiment below the frame and popped the panel up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Hero Arts - Love Flourish; Altenew - Label Love
• Ink: Versa Color - Lagoon Blue; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Dies: MFT Die-namics - Pierced Squares
• Embossing Powder - Wow! - Clear Gloss

Challenge entries

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #289 - CAS
Always Fun Challenges - Challenge #55 - CAS
Creative with Stamps - Challenge #25 - CAS + Sentiment
Penny Black & More - April Challenge - Black and White Plus One





That's all for today but I'll be back on Saturday morning with details of the next Less is More challenge.  Hope to see you then :)

New Challenge from Skull and Cross Buns

Hi there

NEW CHALLENGE ALERT!

Skull and Cross Buns Rubber Stamps have a little something new for you all, a weekly Instagram Tuesday Challenge!

So every week the challenge will be to create something using rubber stamps and stamping techniques to a certain theme and a favourite each week will win a prize from the Skull and Cross Buns stamp range or from another small creative business.

Skull and Cross Buns stamps don't need to be used unless specifically stated for certain challenges (but of course we would love to see them being used!) and it's not limited to cards, feel free to create anything using your stamps.

This is an Instagram only challenge initially so all you need to do is take a photo of your make, post it on Instagram and tag your entry with #skullandcrossbunschallenge and when the week has passed Emily will choose a worthy winner!  You can find SACB's Instagram profile here.

This week's challenge is Colours of the Rainbow.

Use the colours of the rainbow to inspire you in this challenge.

This week's challenge ends on Monday 30th April 23.59 BST and a winner will be chosen shortly after.

Good luck and happy stamping!

Less is More Challenge #369

Good morning, crafters

Back with a fresh new challenge over at Less is More and for this fortnight's challenge we have a really fun Theme for you.  Here's the cue...

...something that you've not used on your cards in ages / out of fashion or favour /

older stash items

We have two fabulous Guesties joining us this week, Cara and Sue, our previous January and February Winners.  Please do pop over to say hi and to see what they've been bringing back for this challenge.

Our sponsor for April is the wonderful Happy Little Stampers and I've been using HLS stamps on all of my cards for this challenge.  And don't forget that by playing along you also get a chance of becoming our monthly prize winner!

For my cards today I've chosen some old items from my stash which I've not used in a LONG time.

The first stash item I grabbed was my chalks, and I made two versions of the same design...

On a panel of white cardstock I stamped the dandelion image twice in VersaMark ink.  I then dabbed on some chalks using a cotton pad.  Once most of the design was covered in chalk I then blended the colour a little more to pick up the detail of the images.  As you're adding chalk to an ink that's still sticky it's best to dab first instead of swirling so as not to blur the stamped images.  I then used a co-ordinating green ink to stamp the sentiment.  The panel was then popped up on fun foam onto a pink card base.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Happy Little Stampers - Dandelion Wishes
• Ink: VersaMark; Versa Color - Bamboo
• Chalks: Craf-T Products - Decorating Chalk
• Coloured cardstock from stash

Challenge entries:

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #287 - Make Your Mark (chalks)

Moving Along with the Times - Challenge #69 - Springtime

For my second version of this design I used the chalks on black cardstock...

The process here was the same but instead of using VersaMark I used a white pigment ink to which the chalk was then added.  The sentiment and stems here are in fact green but it doesn't show up too well in the pic.  The panel was then popped up on some black fun foam onto a green card base.  You do get more of a haze around the images on the black cardstock but I think that adds a nice softness to it.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Happy Little Stampers - Dandelion Wishes
• Ink: Hero Arts - Unicorn
• Chalks: Craf-T Products - Decoration Chalk
• Coloured cardstock from stash

And for my third card, and the one I shared over at the main LIM post, I had fun once again playing with shrink plastic!

I started by stamping the butterfly onto the rough side of some shrink plastic and then coloured it in with my coloured pencils.  You don't have to be too particular with the colouring detail as it will shrink to seven times smaller than it's original size.  I die cut the butterfly with its co-ordinating die and then used my heat gun to apply the heat required to shrink it.  It will curl while shrinking but it generally returns to a flat image, although my butterfly's antennas did get a little twisted in the process but I quite like how they look!  When still warm I just placed an acrylic block over it to ensure it was completely flat.  Here's a closer look...

On my card base I stamped the 'happy' using my MISTI with four different inks to create an ombre effect, stamped the rest of the sentiment in black and then adhered the butterfly using Glossy Accents to ensure it would adhere well.

Materials used:

• Happy Little Stampers: Butterfly Birthday (and co-ordinating die), Mix Mash, Everyday Sentiments
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Versa Color - Canary, Marigold, Orange, Camellia
• Coloured with Faber Castell Polychromos
• Shrink Plastic: Funstamps - Frosted

Challenge entries:

Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes: Vibrant Colours

STAMPlorations - April Challenge - Focus on the Sentiments

Creative with Stamps - Challenge #25 - CAS + Sentiment
Happy Little Stampers - Anything Goes with HLS Stamps

I had great fun returning to these old techniques and products.  My teamies are bringing back some great products and techniques on their projects over at the main challenge blog so please do drop by and visit them if you have time.

Can't wait to see what emerges from everyone's stash for this one!

Happy Little Stampers April 2018 CAS Challenge

Hi there

We're at the start of another new month which means it's new challenge time over at Happy Little Stampers and today marks the start of the next CAS challenge. 

I'll get straight to it with the cue card...

Our winner for this challenge will receive a $20 coupon to spend at the shop! Check out all the details HERE.

IF YOU USE STAMPS BY HAPPY LITTLE STAMPERS AND YOU ARE OUR RANDOM WINNER, YOUR PRIZE WILL BE DOUBLED!

My DT card uses three different HLS stamp sets...

I trimmed a piece of grey cardstock to slightly smaller than the card base.  Then, using my MISTI to line them up, I stamped the chevrons in VersaMark ink and heat embossed in white.  The sentiment was stamped in black and the panel adhered flat to the card base.  I stamped and heat embossed the butterfly in white then blended with three shades of Distress Ink before die cutting with its co-ordinating die and popping up on 3D foam pads.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Happy Little Stampers - Mix Mash, Wish You Were Here, Butterfly Birthday (and co-ordinating die)
• Ink: VersaMark; Versafine - Onyx Black; Distress Ink - Abandoned Coral, Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed
• Embossing Powder: Altenew - Pure White
• Coloured cardstock from stash

Thanks so much for popping by.  My teamies over at the HLS challenge have lots more chevron inspiration for you so please do stop by and take a look.  This CAS challenge, along with the rest of the HLS challenges (some starting over the next few days) will run until the end of the month so there's plenty of time to play along and link up.

Muse Challenge #260 - Layered Dahlia

Good afternoon, folks

I hope you've all had a wonderful Easter weekend :)

Today, it's back with me to be your designer over at Muse.  I realised there was a card (actually two cards) I made last month that I hadn't yet shared on my blog so I thought this would be ideal for my next Muse inspiration project.

There were very few products used on this one layer card but I love how pretty it is and it's the first time I used these layering stencils.  This was the card I made for my Mum for Mother's Day.

This was so simple to create.  I masked off the edges of the card as I wanted a white border.  Then I fixed the first of the stencils down and blended the lightest colour, then blended the darker shade through the second stencil to create the layer details.  A simple sentiment stamped in black finished the card.

Materials used:

• Stencil: Altenew - Layered Dahlia
• Ink: Altenew - Soft Lilac, Lavender Fields; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stamp: Altenew - Extra Special

Challenge entry:

Altenew - April 2018 Inspiration Challenge

And above, I mentioned two cards.  I made this one for my boyfriend's mum...exactly the same but using a different colour palette...

Materials used:

As above but inks were Altenew - Sunkissed and Orange Cream.



Thanks for visiting today, I hope you are able to play along this week.

AAA Cards Game #112 - Guest Designer!

Hi guys

I was super excited to win Challenge #109 at AAA Cards and today I'm thrilled to be once again joining the lovely team for their new challenge, you can find the main post here.

The challenge is...

I decided to combine two of my favourite techniques when creating my card, ink blending and the watercolour lifting technique.

On a small piece of cardstock I stamped and heat embossed the leaves in white.  There's actually a third technique here too that I love, emboss resist, where the image is revealed when ink blending over the top.  Here I used three green shades of Distress Ink.  I then 'painted' the leaves with water and lifted away the colour using a paper towel.  I filled in the berries using a white pigment pen before die cutting the image out with a pierced square die.  Using a larger die from the same set I embossed a larger square into the card base and adhered the blended panel on 3D foam.  The sentiment was then stamped with co-ordinating ink.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Papertrey Ink - Lovely Leaves
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Ink - Mowed Lawn, Peeled Paint, Crushed Olive; Versa Color - Green Tea
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Dies: MFT Die-namics - Pierced Square Stax

Challenge entry:

Just Us Girls - Challenge #434 - CAS

The challenge is running for two weeks so plenty of time to play along using your favourite techniques.

Thanks so much for visiting today.