From Stencil to Stamp Guest Post for Balzer Designs

I have been following Julie Fei-Fan Balzer for a long time. I admire her creativity and strength. I love her work. I am a junkie for her stencils. Reading Julie's blog encouraged me to try out stamp carving. One does not simply just carve stamps. One becomes addicted to carving them. My only hang up is that sometimes I don't know what I want to carve. Today, I am sharing how I overcome that creative block on the Balzer Designs blog.

Caught on Camera by Christy Strickler | Layout: Supplies Patterned Paper, Die Cuts: October Afternoon; Stickers: October Afternoon, Freckled Fawn; Acrylic: Freckled Fawn; Stencils: Crafter’s Workshop; Medium: Modeling Cream by Viva Décor; Ink: Ranger, Prima; Other: Doily, Sequins, Thread

Stamp carving is very relaxing. I really enjoyed carving these stamps, specifically with this layout in mind. It all came together so easily. Do you carve your own stamps? If so, watch the Balzer Designs blog for inspiration. Or check out Julie's book,Carve Stamp Play.

Supply Options

Speedball Speedy Carve Stamp Making Kit	Speedball Linoleum Cutter Assortment 1	Speedball 4-Inch-by- 6-Inch Speedy-Carve Carving Block	Carve, Stamp, Play: Designing and Creating Custom Stamps
Darice Plastic Palette Knife Set	Viva Decor 90gm Modeling Creme, Pearl	Darice SEQ141D Sequin Pack, Orange	Hygloss 10041 100-Piece Round Doilies, 4-Inch, White
Crafter's Workshop Templates 12	Crafter's Workshop Templates 6	Crafters Workshop Balzer Bits Mask, 4 by 4-Inch, 2 Leaves	Daily Flash Snapshots Double-Sided Cardstock 12
October Afternoon Daily Flash Snapshots Paper Pad, 6 by 8-Inch	October Afternoon Daily Flash Snapshots Double Take Sticker, Shapes and Labels	Daily Flash Snapshots Double-Sided Cardstock 12	Oh Deer Me Kit
Chalk Fluid Edger Pad-Summer Field	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad, Mowed Lawn	Chalk Fluid Edger Pad-Blue Jay	Ranger Ink Jenni Bowlin Dye Ink Re-inker: Chili Powder

InLinkz.com

Additional Resources

The My Scrapbook Evolution Stamp Carving Pinterest Board

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Kitten in the Closet

My cats like to play in the closet while my husband gets ready. It's hard to capture all three of them in there at once, so I settled for this photo of Momo. He's learning to be like the big cats. I used the JBS Mercantile November kits to create the layout. When I first got the kits, I was unsure how I would use the paper with the men's and women's shirts. Watching my cats play in the closet sparked the idea for this layout.

Created using all three of the November kits.


















I used the stencil from the Artisan kit and some modeling paste to add a little flair to the title. It had to be done in stages. I decorated about 2-3 letters at a time and allowed them to dry before moving on to the next letter. I probably should have done this step prior to placing my letters on the layout. This is yet another example of why I love stencils. The dressed up letters add just a little more visual interest to the page and make it unique to me.

Don't be afraid when you receive something in a kit you are unsure of. Take a little time to think about how you can use the item. Consider altering it if you need to. I always find it a fun challenge when I get supplies I am unsure of and often end up with layouts I adore.

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Thanksgiving Pie

As promised, here is another layout created with the JBS Mercantile November kits. I find myself using patterned paper more and more often as my canvas these days. In this case, the leaves were the B side of the patterned paper in the JBS Mercantile main kit. The rich red patterned of the leaves was awesome for a fall themed layout. I coupled them with ephemera from the Antiquarian add on kit. Spoons and spice labels always make the perfect accent for cooking themes layouts.

Created with a mix of the main kit, Antiquarian kit, and tape from the Artisan add on kit.









My son enjoys helping me bake our thanksgiving pies. He's getting old enough and skilled enough to do the whole job on his own.I had enough photos of each step of the pie process to create a two page layout. I am so glad I had the add on pack of papers from the main kit. It had an extra sheet of the alphabet paper in it which allowed me to have the few extra letters I needed to create this title.

For a long time, I found it difficult to use ephemera such as antique labels or book papers on my layouts. My style tends to be more artsy and fun and I struggled mixing old products with new ones. When using ephemera, start by categorizing it into a theme. In this case, the spice labels, milk cap, and  spoons were perfect for cooking. The price labels make me think of things sold by the dozen in stores such as eggs or baked goods. If you are not creating a layout that works with the theme of the ephemera, think next about use. I recently used milk caps on a layout about a kitten. It works because many people associate kittens with saucers of milk. Your next step would be to use the ephemera based on symbolism. I could use spice labels to support a story about a kid with a saucy attitude, for example.

If you are still a little unsure about using older ephemera on a new layout, try a kit club like JBS Mercantile. Their DT can show you how to incorporate the items into your own layouts. The ephemera is packaged to match that months' kits which will also help you to decide how it's best to use it on your own layouts.

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The Scientific Method: Creating a Simple Rosette Embellishment

I love simple stencils. Not only can they be used to create a background for your layout. They can also be used to create your own custom embellishments. Today, I am going to show you how to use the Jenni Bowlin Seal stencil to create a simple rosette.

Supplies

JBS Mercantile Seal stencil

Banner stickers such as the Jenni Bowlin candy Stripe stickers (you can also cut your own banners from patterned paper)

A small piece of scrap cardstock approximately 3x3

A small piece of patterned paper approximately 3x3

Scissors

Buttons or other small embellishments and stickers

Step One: Trace a seal onto patterned paper, then do the same on a piece of cardstock.

Step Two: cut the seals out. When you cut the cardstock, you will need to cut it a little smaller than the design. I find it helpful to draw a smaller design within the original so that I know where to cut. Note: If you have a Silhouette Cameo, you can use the JBS cut files for steps one and two.

Step Three: Choose your banners. Cut one in half and adhere it to the back of the seal.

Then add three longer banners. You want to layer the shortest banners first and then add the longer ones slightly askew.

Step Four: Add the cardstock seal, journal and decorate as desired.

I love finding multiple uses for my stencils. I always consider them an investment tool as I can get so much use from one item. I love that my JBS Mercantile monthly kit comes with an exclusive stencil every month.  I also used the stencil with Ranger ink to create the background design on the mini album cover.

Created with JBS Mercantile November mini album kit

The Scientific Method will be a new installment on my blog. I'll be adding tutorials from time to time, as well as breakdowns on how layouts are created.

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