Tutorial: Simply Scrappin' Stencils

This "Christmas Jingle" Simply Scrappin' 12" x 12" scrapbook page is from the November 2009 issue of Stampin' Success magazine which came in the mail today. As soon as I saw it, I wanted to recreate this page, but I had already used my "dec. 25" die cuts on another project. But then I had an a-ha moment: I still had the used die cut sheet, so I could use the negative as a stencil! I was so excited when I figured this out that I wanted to share this idea with you right away.


Tutorial:

1.) Cut out the portion from your used die cut sheet that you want to use as your stencil. For this sample, I used the "dec. 25" image. When cutting, leave as much white space around the image as you can. This will help protect your scrapbook page if you stray a little bit outside the lines when coloring. (Note: if you have not used the actual die cut yet, peel it off and use it later on a different project.)

2.) Peel off the backing and lightly adhere the stencil onto your card stock. (There were separate little pieces for some of the letters on this image, so don't forget to use them!) When adhering the stencil, don't rub it or press down hard; remember, you will need to be able to remove the stencil from the card stock when you're done. Do not use the stencil on Designer Series Paper because you might tear the surface of the paper when you go to remove it.

3.) Use sponge daubers to apply Craft ink. I used Old Olive first, followed by Real Red. The craft ink is pigmented so it shows up on dark colored card stock.




4.) Once the ink has completely dried, slowly begin peeling the stencil off the page. If you see a spot you missed, lay it back down and use your sponge daubers to dab on more ink. Allow the ink to dry again, then continue removing the stencil. Here is the finished image!



There are a lot of great shapes in the "Christmas Jingle" Simply Scrappin' Kit that you can use with this technique! There are ornaments and circles in many different sizes. And of course, my favorite is the scallop circle die cut that had the image of the Dasher reindeer. I just love anything with a scalloped edge!

Alternate version of this technique: If you use Classic ink on light colored card stock, you will not need to wait for the ink to dry.

If you try this technique, please leave a comment and let me know how it went!