Make a Pocket Book out of Envelopes and the April 2026 Stencil Club Set

There is something quietly satisfying about a stack of envelopes—especially the kind you don’t quite remember saving. They surface in drawers and boxes, tucked between the practical and the sentimental, carrying with them a faint suggestion of intention. This project began, as many good ones do, with that kind of rediscovery: a small collection of envelopes made from thick, watercolor paper, too beautiful to discard and too intriguing to ignore.

Hello again—I’m Kim Hamburg, mixed media collage artist, and today I’m working with the April 2026 StencilClub stencil set, Ribbon Dance, designed by Jennifer Evans. In this project, I’ll be transforming a handful of envelopes into a small, sculptural book with exposed pockets—spaces ready to hold ephemera, tags, ATC cards, and whatever fragments of story you feel compelled to tuck inside.

Jennifer Evans’ designs feel particularly at home in this kind of work. She creates stencils that lean into abstraction—marks that resemble intuitive, almost instinctive gestures. They are wide, expressive, and open-ended, suggesting a structure without confining it. There’s a generosity in that approach: the stencil offers a starting point, but leaves plenty of room for the artist to respond, layer, and reinterpret.

And of course, when faced with envelopes and pockets, I had to make a pocket-book.

Supplies

• Envelopes (any size; I used five, but the number is entirely flexible)
• Acrylic paint (at least two colors)
• Paintbrush, brayer, or sponge
• Adhesive (I used PVA glue)
• April 2026 StencilClub Set - Ribbon Dance

Optional:

• Gelli plate
• Markers, pens, or other embellishing tools
• Additional collage materials or ephemera

The Process

I began by painting each envelope, front and back—thinking less about perfection and more about establishing a base layer of color and movement. Some envelopes were printed using a gelli plate, which gave them a soft, atmospheric variation. Others I painted directly, letting the brushmarks remain visible, like handwriting.

Once everything had dried, I returned with the stencil set and a second color. This is where the structure began to shift into something more expressive. One of my favorite moments in the process was layering all three stencil designs together on the gelli plate at the same time. The result was unexpected—a kind of visual overlap that felt almost chaotic, but in a way that suggested rhythm rather than disorder. Marks collided, repeated, dissolved. It created a beautifully abstract, slightly jumbled surface that I wouldn’t have arrived at if I had approached each stencil separately.

From there, the envelopes began to take on a new identity—not as individual objects, but as pages. Glued together along their edges, they formed a small book, each pocket left open and accessible. The structure invites interaction. It asks to be filled.

How to Assemble the Pocket-Book

Take two envelopes and place them with the flap side facing up. Tuck the flap of one envelope into the body of the other, so that one flap is secured inside while the other remains extended. That remaining flap becomes your connector—it slides into the next envelope, whose flap will then extend outward in turn.

Continue this rhythm—tucking one, leaving one—until you’ve linked together as many envelopes as you like. To finish, simply glue the final flap to the envelope it meets.

What makes this structure especially satisfying is its flexibility. Because nothing is glued along the interior spine, the book isn’t fixed in size. It can grow. You can continue adding envelopes, extending the piece over time—an expandable object that evolves alongside whatever you choose to place inside it.

Why This Works

There’s something compelling about using envelopes this way—their original purpose lingers, but shifts. Instead of containing a single message, they become containers for many small ones. A scrap of paper, a stamped tag, a handwritten note—each addition becomes part of a layered narrative.

And that’s really what this project is about: not just making something, but making space. Space for collecting, for holding, for returning to.

It’s a small book, yes—but also a quiet archive of whatever you choose to keep.

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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 Stencil Club here
Stencil Club

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

https://www.instagram.com/gluepaperscissors_/?hl=en

Kim Hamburg on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/kimhamburgart

Artist Jennifer Evans on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdoBz3l_piQ

Make Upcycled Cork Coasters Using Stencils with Michelle Schenker

Hello Stencil Fans,

My name is Michelle (@michelle.schenker.art on Instagram), and I am a mixed-media and watercolor artist who loves transforming trash into treasures. So, my first project for the StencilGirl® blog follows this passion. 

I often go to my local Goodwill to seek out unsung treasures, and I found a set of Bunco coasters for $2! I could not resist bringing them home to see if I could create a new coaster design for my house!

StencilGirl® Stencil:

• Portugal Tiles by Laurie Mika

Other Supplies:

• Cork Coasters
• Sandpaper
• White Gesso
• Lukas Acrylic Paint, Terracotta
• Lukas Acrylic Paint, Fern
• Lukas Acrylic Paint, Prussian Blue
• FolkArt Outdoor Satin Varnish
• Painter's Tape
• Makeup Sponge 
• Wet Cloth or Baby Wipes 

Step 1:

Gently peel off and sand the coaster surface to remove any plastic or other protective covering. Wear a mask if you are sensitive to dust, and consider working outside for this step. Dust off with a baby wipe or a wet cloth and let it dry before moving to the next step. 

Step 2:

Add tape if you wish to protect the sides. Paint White Gesso onto the sanded surface. Let dry.

Step 3:

Apply a layer of paint (I used Terracotta by Lukas for that old Europe vibe). Let dry. 

Step 4:

Once dry, center the Portugal Tile stencil on the painted coaster.  Apply paint with a sponge (I chose Fern by Lukas for a bright pop of green). 

Bonus Tip: If you wish to isolate certain colors to certain parts of the design, use painter's tape to block off certain areas of the stencil. Then, once each layer of paint is dry, you can move the tape to the next section to add your next paint, etc. (after Fern, I used Prussian Blue)

Step 5:

Remove the Stencil. Repeat with the other coasters, varying the colors as you desire. Let dry.

Step 6:

Repeat Steps 1 through 3 for each coaster.  Feel free to vary the colors or even the stencil design (since there are 6 tile designs to choose from!) if you want a variation on the theme for each one. Let dry.

Step 7:

Once all coasters are dry and you are happy with them, add 2 layers of FolkArt Outdoor Varnish, waiting 30 minutes between layers (or any water-resistant varnish). This helps them resist condensation from glasses.

Step 8:

Let dry overnight, remove the painter's tape, and enjoy!!

Cheers and have fun creating! If you decide to make these, please tag me on your social media posts (links below) - I'd love to see what you make! 

All the best,

Michelle Schenker

Michelle Schenker's website | Instagram | Facebook

Etsy | YouTube | Pinterest

Master Sheet Spring Tags

Hello friends, 

Tina here from, Tina Hois Art. Today we will be creating a stencilled master sheet and with it we will make some lovely tags that can be added to gifts, journal pages or made into a tag journal! 

I love working on master sheets or master boards mainly for the efficiency- rather than working on individual tags for example - working on a large scale paper also allows for more freedom and another favourite, creating beautiful depth with layers.

Step 1:

On a sturdy piece of watercolour paper collage the first layer of torn book pages.

Step 2: 

With a brayer spread the first layer of acrylic paint~ this is a very organic layer as are the ones to follow.

Allow enough transparency so that some of the first layer is visible.

Step 3:

The first stencilled layer will be with Lacey Lotus stencil designed by Jessica Sporn. With your favourite acrylic colours dab on the stencil randomly (I used purple, sea foam and yellow ochre) 

Step 4:

To add contrast I decided on the delicate Nosegay stencil, designed by Cecilia Swatton  black acrylic paint to create a silhouette.

At this point feel free to leave your master sheet as is or proceed to step 5.

Step 5:

For the final touch of interest I added some

Fluorescent pink splatters and marks using acrylic ink.

At this point  the master sheet is ready to be transformed into a variety of projects.

Supplies

Stencils 

Nosegay

Lacey Lotus

Acrylic paint

Book pages

Mod Podge

Brayer

Make Your Own Transparent Layers with Stencils!

Hello friends, Julie Peterson, @nuthouse73, mixed media artist and creative maker, here to share my love of stencils.  Stencils are such a versatile tool and can be used to enhance almost any surface.  I’ve been experimenting with transparent and translucent substates and I'm sharing with you today stenciling on transparency film. 

Supplies

Transparency film for inkjet

Acrylic Ink

Dishes or a palette

Make-up sponges

Stencils: 

    S405 Bullseye by Mary Beth Shaw

    L477 Versailles by Nathalie Kalbach

    L827 Emotions and feelings by Carolyn Dube

Grab a sheet of the transparency film and make sure it's on the right side, the side that you would print on if you were sending it through the printer.  Decide what colors of ink you want and put some in your dish or pallet, get your makeup sponge dab small amount of ink on the sponge, tap some off, you don't want too much ink on the sponge. Start of with light pounces, making light layers.  Sometimes you might have to go over it a couple of times depending on how dark you want the image.  

Now that you got the gist of the process you can explore layering two stencils together and using multiple colors on one stencil.  

                                                                                    

         

Using the transparency film

You can do a mass make and have them on hand for when inspiration strikes.  They can sometimes be a little tricky to get stuck down.  My favorite ways are a stapler, sewing machine, and double sided tape.   They can make great stand alone pages for your journal or cut them up to enhance whatever art you're making, even the smallest pieces can be used.   

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!