Using Stencils to Highlight Your Lettering Style & SALE!

Hello Beautiful!

Trena Brannon here, and I'm so happy to spend a little time with you today, sharing a fun and simple project to create a greeting card that will make someone smile.

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This technique puts your hand lettering in the spotlight, with the stencils playing a supporting role. We'll also explore how to use different elements to connect the layers of your artwork, making the whole piece feel cohesive and engaging. 

STEPS:

• Building the base. I started by selecting a stencil (Curve Ball Tile S989) that was airy and open, allowing most of the white card base to show through. This creates a clean, minimal background that provides a nice contrast for the detailed design to come. I gently dabbed on some gouache paint with a sponge, keeping it slightly dry to get those nice, crisp lines.

  

• TIP: Use a baby wipe to clean your stencil and transfer the paint onto a journal or scrap paper. It's a great way to start your next creative project! I learned this from my stencil sister, Carolyn Dube!

• Connecting the layers. I used the same stencil on a piece of colored cardstock, using a similar color of paint to create a subtle tone-on-tone effect. This immediately begins to connect your different layers.

To see it better, here's a shot of the piece of cardstock on a black background:

• Adding a second connection. Next, I used a different stencil (Diamonds and Kisses Tile) and applied the color I used on my white card base. Repeating a color throughout the piece is another great way to create a feeling of connection.

• Making the details sing. Now for a bit of contrast! I used a tiny detailed stencil (Couture ATC Patterns) to add little pops of white. Using the same color as the white card base helps tie everything together and adds some interest through a contrast in scale.  For more flexibility in using the ATC sections, I cut them out of the larger stencils.

• Lettering with joy. Now for the most stylized part that personalizes the card —your lettering! I did a few quick very rough sketches on scrap paper to find the style I wanted. Then, I used a black brush pen to draw the letters on my orange cardstock, leaving enough space inside each letter to see a piece of the design. It's so important to have fun with this part! As you can see, my letters aren’t perfect—and that's okay! They are drawings of letters - that's what makes them unique. Initially, I forgot my "y." 😁

• Bringing it all together. Once my letters were cut out, I played with their arrangement until I found a placement I loved. Before I glued them down, I added a few small black dots to the base layer—a final chance to connect color in the letters to the base card. I chose a bouncy, playful look that conveyed a sense of joy.

• TIPS: 

After cutting your letters out, use a black marker to darken the edges. This gives them a nice, finished look and tidies up any stray cuts. I do this from the back side of the cardstock to avoid accidentally drawing onto the design side. 

Take a photo of your final layout before you glue anything down. It's the perfect guide to keep you on track.

 

• One more detail: To make the card even more special, I added a design element to the envelope to give the receiver a hint of what's inside. 

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Here are the Supplies I used: 

Stencils: 

• substrate/surface: white and color cardstock
• stencils: Curve Ball Tile S989, Diamonds and Kisses Tile, Couture ATC Patterns, 
• color: gouache paint dried in a palette, reactivated with distilled water - the white paint was freshly squeezed
• tools: sponges, black marker pen, color pencil, scissors, craft knife, cutting mat
• adhesives: low tack tape, permanent tape runner

All my stencils are on sale for the next two weeks! Use code: TB20.

When you create a card or another type of art piece with this technique, I would love to see it! Feel free to tag me on Instagram @trenabrannon and/or Facebook at TrenaBrannon Art & Design.

Take care and stay positive! 

Trena

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Autumn Leaves Three Ways

Hello stencil friends! Nicole here with an easy little project (or three!) to add a touch of fall to your home. I don’t know about the weather where you are, but here in Central Texas we recently had three days of amazing, fall weather. It was glorious! I made chicken soup, my favorite pumpkin bars, and had the most amazing (cold!) morning walks while dreaming of wearing pants and long sleeves. 

Unfortunately, it didn’t last long as our temps went back up to near 100. Ugh! However, despite our rise in temps, I officially declared it fall. I bought all the new fall things from Trader Joes and put out my fall décor.

One of my favorite things about fall, besides the weather, is the changing of the leaves and fall colors.  

With leaves and the colors of fall on my mind, I thought it would be fun to make something new for fall. I grabbed the Autumn Leaves stencil and began blending colors to create leaves.

First, like most of my painted paper projects, I began by adding watered-down gesso to some old book and ledger pages. This does a couple things. It adds some integrity to the sometimes-brittle pages and allows for a better surface to paint on. Since I don’t want to cover up the text and I don’t need a thick layer of gesso, I water it down. You can also use clear gesso.

Then, I grabbed all the fall colors of paint, an applicator and began to play. This is a fun, simple process but does require some patience. The Autumn Leaves stencil is a bit more delicate, so sometimes you have to hold down parts of it while you stencil. 

I love how fall colors blend together, especially purple and orange (trust me, try it!). 

A couple ideas and tips:

1. Less is more! Don't over-saturate your applicator.

2. However, if paint seeps under the stencil, don’t stress! Just go back and stencil again a bit when it dries. This creates a cool shadow look. 

3. Lift the stencil to peak at your leaf before completely removing it. Then, set it back down if you need to add more paint.

4. Use one color on several leaves, lifting the stencil each time, and then go back with another color, for more of a two-step approach (or even three). The paint blends a little less this way for a different look.

5. Try an ombre palette, or a candy-corn one. 

6. Start with a lighter color, add a darker one and then go back and blend more with the lighter color.

7. If you don’t like how one turns out, stencil over a bit with a darker color. 

8. Don’t forget a few solid leaves, too!  

9. Flip the stencil over half-way through for more variety (or to make your leaves double sided in the end, more below) 

10. Put your favorite fall movie on a screen and have fun!

My favorite fall leaves are the ones with spots of color, so when my leaves were finished, I splattered leftover paint on them.

After the splatters dried, I cut them out and grabbed some kraft-colored card stock to give them some strength.

I stuck them down with matte medium, front and back, and then also added another layer on top for extra protection. 

Then, once they dried, I had to cut them out again! I chose to leave a border each time, one with the original paper and one with the kraft paper. 

Check out the beautiful pile of leaves! 

Now that you’ve made some amazing leaves, what can you do with them?

Create a Garland 

Grab some bakers twine or thin jute and string them up! I am putting together a fall-themed thank you basket for a friend, and adding a garland to it is the perfect final touch. I’m also going to hang a small one in my house.

All you have to do is punch a couple of holes in each leaf and add them to the string of choice. I added some extra colors of twine by weaving it around my original one after I added the leaves.

Make a Mobile or Wall-hanger 

Similar to the garland, string some leaves to dangle from a branch, old paint brush, vintage wooden spoon, or anything you can think of! You could add some beads or other fall-themed items. 

Start a Thankful Tree Tradition

Use bakers twine or string to create single, hanging leaves. Place them in a container with a pen or makers. 

Then, find a fun branch and add it to a vase or other container. Each day leading up to thanksgiving, write something you are thankful for on the back of the leaf and hang it on the tree. You could use multiple leaves for each family member, or all write on the same leaf each day. After the fall season, save them in a special container for a fun keepsake from the year.

More Ideas

For the garland, mobile, or wall hanger, if you think your leaves might twist in the wind, you could always make them double sided. All you need to do is add a back-side leaf after you cut them from the Kraft cardstock. This will take a bit more planning to match up your leaves so you have a front and back one (stenciled from each side of stencil).

I have a few leftover leaves even after the three projects. I’m going to scatter some on our Thanksgiving table, tuck them inside letters and packages, maybe make a card or two, and I think I might add a couple to my door wreath. I might even need to make more. They are so fun to create!

You can watch how I made the leaves + the projects following in the video below: 

Happy fall!

-Nicole

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Stencil

Autumn Leaves

Supplies for the leaves:

• Gesso
• Vintage book and ledger papers
• Matte medium
• Fall colors of acrylic paint (I used Golden's SoFlat)
• Scissors
• Kraft card stock
• Palette paper
• Round applicator

Extra supplies for projects:

• Bakers twine or another string of choice
• Twig (and anything else you want to add to your mobile) 
• Branches, Vase, Bucket, Marker, etc... for your tree
• Hole punch