Create A Whimsical Infinity Roll for Your Mixed Media Projects

Hello again from Kim Hamburg, a mixed media collage artist who believes there is no such thing as too much paper. Today I’m sharing one of my favorite studio habits — making an “infinity roll,” a continuous strip of dyed and stenciled paper that you can tear from whenever your collage, junk journal, or assemblage needs an extra layer of texture and story.

Infinity Roll

ATC card with Infinity Roll Piece

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The Infinity Roll

A never-ending strip of possibility for your mixed media projects

There is something very satisfying about a roll of paper.

Not a precious sheet you’re afraid to ruin. Not a perfectly cut background. A roll. Continuous. Practical. A little industrial. The kind that used to live in a cash register.

In the studio, though? It becomes an infinity roll — a stash of ready-to-use collage magic you can tear from whenever your junk journal, assemblage, or mixed media piece needs “just one more thing.”

This month, I decided to make mine monochromatic. I made one in purple and one in teal, and I’m honestly in love with how the edges turned out.

Here are the completed Infinity Rolls -- one in blue, one in purple.

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Supplies

• March 2026 Stencil Club Set "Wonderfully Wonky" by Cat Kerr
  

• RIT Fabric Dye (any color)
  

• Shallow cup or small dish

• Cash Register Tape (any size)
  

• Sponge Roller Set
  

• Acrylic paint in at least two colors

• ATC Cards -- Blank
  

• Additional collage papers or fodder

• Glue Stick or Matte Medium (or Mod Podge)

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Step 1: Dye the Paper (Trust the Process)

First, tear off a workable section of your roll — about 3 to 5 feet. That’s the sweet spot. Long enough to feel abundant, short enough to manage without dye going everywhere.

Pour a little RIT liquid dye into a shallow cup or lid. Set one end of your paper strip directly into the dye so the edge can start absorbing color.

Let it sit for about an hour. If you want deeper color, leave it longer. After an hour, flip the strip and let the other end soak.

As it dries, the dye creates this beautiful watercolor bloom along the edges. It’s soft, organic, and slightly unpredictable — which is exactly what we want. Mine dried into these moody purple and teal gradients that feel rich but not fussy.

Let it dry completely before moving on.

Paper Cash Register Roll

RIT dye in shallow container

I flipped the paper over to dye the other half.
Notice how beautiful the dye takes to the paper.

Completely Dry 

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Step 2: Add the Stencils (Layer It Up)

Once your paper is dry, roll it out across your table.

I used this month’s Stencil Club set — “Wonderfully Wonky” by Cat Kerr. It’s a two-stencil set filled with imperfect, handmade-feeling marks. They’re playful and organic, which makes them perfect for something like this.

Using a sponge roller and acrylic paint, I randomly applied the first stencil across the strip. I didn’t measure. I didn’t space things evenly. I just moved along the paper and let the marks land where they wanted.

Be sure to stencil both sides. That way, no matter how you tear or layer it later, you’ll have interest.

After the first layer dried, I used the second stencil from the set and added another color on top. The layered marks give it depth and movement — and suddenly your plain roll looks like something you bought at a fancy art supply store.

Except you made it.

Using a sponge roller to add first layer of stencil images

Adding second layer with a contrasting color

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Step 3: Tear and Use

Now comes the best part.

Tear pieces off as you need them.

I used mine to create ATC cards (2.5" x 3.5") and layered sections of the infinity roll onto cardstock. Add collage papers, glue it down, build on top. The dyed edges create built-in softness, and the stencil layers make even the smallest scrap feel intentional.

Because the roll is continuous, you always have more. No pressure. No preciousness.

ATC Cards with Infinity Roll Pieces

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Why an Infinity Roll?

Because mixed media artists need building blocks.

Because junk journals are hungry for texture.

Because it’s easier to create freely when you already have beautiful components ready to go..

And honestly? There’s something really comforting about knowing you can just reach over, tear a piece, and keep making.

Plus it looks great sitting in your art space ready for the next creative idea.

Here are few tips you may want to use:

1.  This is super messy!!  Make sure to lay down paper over your work surface.

2.  You can add water to the dye to make it less intense.

      Instead of RIT dye, you can use watercolor liquid.

3.  You can leave the paper roll in the dye overnight and you will get a really great result.

4.  You can mist the paper roll with water while it is sitting in the dye.

5.  Make sure to let it dry completely before adding the stencil designs.

6.  These make really great gifts for your favorite mixed media friends.  You can actually use an old spool to roll the paper around and then add a fabric bow to hold it together.

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Wonderfully Wonky is only available to StencilClub Members who join by March 15th and will ship on that day.

Infinity Roll dry and ready to use

You get lots of great benefits as a club member, including a coupon for 25% off all regular collection stencils, a project and PDF from the artist, and an additional project by me that is for members only. So don’t delay!

Get more information about StencilClub

Stencil Club

I would love to see your work. Please tag me on Instagram — check out my IG 

Kim Hamburg Instagram

Facebook   Kim Hamburg on Facebook 

Final look at the completed Infinity Roll -- make sure to tag me when you make yours!

A Valentine’s Day Box (and a Little Bingo Nostalgia)

💗Hi, I’m Kim Hamburg—a mixed media collage artist who uses stencils constantly in my work and who truly, deeply loves the color pink.

 💗 The February 2026 Three-Corner Bingo stencils immediately pulled me in, not just because of the subject, but because of how abstract and playful they are. The set includes a bingo card, dauber blobs, wooden buttons with Bingo numbers, and other mark-making elements that feel more like texture than illustration—and I love that.

They also took me straight back to my senior year of high school, when I played Bingo nearly every weekend at the Bandwagon Bingo Hall. I’d show up with my daubers and a ten-dollar bill, usually with my sister or a friend, ready for a fun night out. I never won a big prize, but I did win $25 now and then—and once, memorably, a fondue pot. It was simple and joyful, and it turned out to be a pretty great way to get through my senior year.

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I decided to make a Valentine's Day Box.  I kept the color palette small: pink, white, black, and red. Limiting my colors helps everything feel more intentional, and it lets the shapes and layers do the work. Pink leads the way here, with black adding contrast and helping the stencil marks really stand out.

Supplies:

February 2026 StencilClub, Three-Corner Bingo by Kristin Peterson

repurposed household box like a shoe box, or cereal box

Acrylic Paint

Paintbrush or spatula

Paper, book pages, scraps of painted paper, collage fodder

adhesive (glue stick, mod podge, PVA glue)

Optional:

Posca markers

Acrylic markers

Black Fine line marker

other ephemera

Start by finding a box around your house and removing any paper or labels so you’re working with a clean surface. This doesn’t need to be precious—just ready for layers.

Next, gather collage fodder that already feels Valentine-appropriate: scraps, bits of text, painted papers, and anything else that catches your eye. I also painted vintage book pages in my chosen colors. Once those dried, they became perfect surfaces for stenciling.

After the painted pages were fully dry, I stenciled over them using black paint. The Bingo designs really shine here—the dauber blobs, numbers, and grid shapes read as marks first and imagery second, which makes them incredibly versatile.

I didn’t aim for perfection. Some prints are bold, others are faint or slightly off, and that variation adds energy. I’m especially drawn to the circles, which repeat beautifully and create movement without feeling literal.

These pages aren’t meant to stay whole—they’re meant to be cut, layered, and partially hidden.

Collaging the Box

Once I had a stack of painted and stenciled papers, I began collaging directly onto the box. You can use almost any adhesive—glue sticks, spray adhesive, or Mod Podge all work well.

I used a diluted PVA glue mixed with a little gloss medium, which gives me time to move things around and dries with a soft sheen. I worked in layers, letting each one dry before adding more papers and stencil elements. That pause between layers helps everything feel intentional instead of rushed.

I kept adding shapes—especially circles—as the box evolved, letting repetition tie everything together.

I used a Posca Pen for adding details. I love adding dots!

Make It Yours

Valentine’s Day boxes are a tradition many of us remember from childhood—made to hold classroom valentines, notes, and small treats exchanged at school. They’re usually created from repurposed household items like shoeboxes or cereal boxes, decorated with whatever supplies are on hand, and meant to be playful rather than perfect. 

This project borrows that familiar idea and gives it a mixed-media, stencil-loving twist.In the end, this Valentine’s Day box can be anything you want it to be. A gift, a keepsake, or a place to hold notes or art supplies. You can add words, marks, or extra layers—or stop when it feels finished to you.

Three-Corner Bingo is only available to StencilClub Members who join by February 15th and will ship on that day.  You get lots of great benefits as a club member, including a coupon for 25% off all regular collection stencils, a project and pdf from the artist and an additional project by me that is for members only.  So don't delay!  

Get more information about StencilClub here! 

I would love to see your work.  Please tag me on Instagram Check out my IG

Facebook Kim Hamburg Facebook 

Paper Pinwheels

Hello Creative friends,

Today we will take a trip back in time and revisit the famously fun paper pinwheel.

Paper pinwheels are adorable, they bring forth a touch of whimsy and can be made in just afew minutes. 

I for one love them and they are a great addition to my cards, journals or even party banners!

I love using stencils for this projects to personalize them and add further interest. 

Today I am using:

Words to Live By stencil designed by Carolyn Dube 

&

DNA Strand #3 stencil designed by Mary Beth Shaw

The Process:

• Apply paint to the gel plate and then the stencil 
• Cover the stencil with a blank piece of paper and lightly rub so that the stencil image is transferred
• Clean the gel plate and repeat the process on the opposite side of the your paper

• Fold the paper into quarters and cut (unless you want a GIANT pinwheel!)
• You will have four pieces of paper 

• Take one piece and fold it from right to left to create a trianlge and trim off the excess 
• you will end up with a square. Note this method works with any size square

• With the ruler draw light lines from corner to corner and a small circle in the middle where the lines joins - this will act as your cutting guide (do not cut past this guideor it will all fall apart)

• Once all the lines are cut add a small dab of hot glue to the center of the paper
• Bring the right corner of each individual trangle to the center, and hold in place until the glue keeps it there (repeat with all four corners attaching with glue as needed)
• Add a button or pom pom in the center for whimsy 
• Allow to dry completely 
• Turn over and glue on the straw

So fun! 

 Thank you for stopping by and enjoy.

Supplies

Tina Hois Art

My Pastiche by Wendy Baysa

Hello! Wendy here and so thrilled you have joined me! 

I have chosen my Pastiche to be of myself and one of my previous art journal pages that makes me smile each time I view it. 

A pastiche is a work of visual art, literature, theatre, or music that imitates the style or character of the work of one or more other artists. Unlike parody, pastiche celebrates, rather than mocks, the work it imitates.

I won't copy the colors et cetra. just the process in order to achieve this no-focal, masterboard style page that I love to do. Here is my original piece~ 

Let's get started, shall we ...

I start with a layer of Golden Gesso, I love this Gesso due to its brightness and non-gritty texture.

Next, randomly lay your favorite stencils and other mark-making tools on top of your journal pages. It is totally fine and often preferred that they overlap each other, which makes for some interesting images. I have used L809 Dave Daniels' Rooted in Nature, and L679 Trish McKinney's Grand Wisteria, negative packaging to cling stamps.

I decided to use Seth Apter's sprays due to such a direct spray mechanism, perfect for keeping the overdraft mist to a minimum. Colors (cool): Sunflower, Turquoise, and Spring Green. 

See how interesting the overlap is?

To help with some of the business (many more layers to come) I will use a brush and spread around some wet ink and/or apply gesso to help move some of the ink, another reason we added the first layer of gesso it adds time to move the ink around. 

full shot of spreading out some of the layering

Just like the previous layer, again, randomly place some of your favorite stencils on the pages. Here I have used~ L791 Cecillia Swatton's Palm Fronds, wisteria again, L797 Wendy Brightbill's Daisy Daisy.

I will be using a warm color in Pomegranate and Gold on this layer.

Prior to making some solid areas I also made some loose, random marks with Jerry's Artarama pencil in black ~ this is not a water-soluble pencil.

I also made some solid areas by mixing the spray with gesso. 1) for more control and 2) so it was permanent and would not bleed later.

Keep pulling and pushing like Mary Beth says ~ light then dark, colors used and pencil.

Adding some black by stamping and stenciling:

I use both Golden High Flow in Black and White to scribble and mark areas I want to stand out.

L591 Dube Vintage Type Numbers, L317 Dube Now is the Time I added some words and numbers and that's it. Another page I will turn to and smile :) 

Thank you for joining me today and I do hope that you give this a try. 

Have a blessed day, 

Wendy xxx