Hi friends! Do you ever look at the pile of supplies in your craftroom and feel badly that they are collecting dust? Well today we will put some neglected supplies to use: stencils, Gelatos, gel sticks, watercolor crayons, pastels, distress crayons, ink pads you name it. And don’t even think that you can’t do this project because I am sure you can find something in your stash that will suffice. No excuses:) I had been feeling badly about the small fortune I spent on Distress Crayons (because quite frankly I was not impressed with them and then I felt bad that I wasted my money) but then I thought, well, they are bought and paid for, I might as well see what I CAN do with them and turns out they worked darn well for this technique!
No more Distress Crayon guilt for me! Do you have any supplies you feel guilty for buying and not using? Let me know in the comments and hopefully today’s video will inspire you to use them!
Video!
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Supplies:
- Stamps from Art Neko: Marine stuff, Steampunk, Postcard
- Bristol board or smooth cardstock (cut 4.5″x6″)
- Stencils
- Water-soluble crayons or oil pastels (Distress crayons, Gelatos, gel sticks, gel crayons, portfolio water-soluble pastels, Prima water-soluble pastels or watercolor crayons.)
- Die based ink (Like Distress Ink)
- Black Pigment ink (Like Versafine Onyx black)
- Baby wipes
- Make up sponges (cosmetic wedges)
- Heat Tool (optional)
- White gesso or acrylic paint
- Low tack painters tape or masking tape
- Cheap aerosol hairspray (I like Aqua Net for this)
- Most importantly, time to play and have fun!
Directions:
1. Cut cardstock or 9″x12″ Bristol board into quarters. You can stamp postcard info on the back or use this as a card front.
2. Place a big stencil on top of the panel and secure with tape. Sponge ink over the stencil.
3. Ink up some pattern stamps with the same color ink and stamp over stencil, it does not have to be perfect.
4. Add similar color pastels to the openings of the stencil and blend with a baby wipe.
5. Place a smaller stencil on (over the big stencil still in place) and stencil with gesso.
6. Remove stencils and add ink to the panel if desired. You can stencil more with the gesso too if you like!
7. Stamp your focal image with black pigment ink and ink the edges in black.
8. Spray with a fixative or cheap hairspray to seal the postcard.
Remember if you don’t want to use this as a post card or if you mess up the back this makes a pretty card front as well. You can even use this technique on an art journal page! I would love to hear what you think of this project in the comments below and if you liked it please consider sharing it using one of the handy social media buttons at the end of this post. Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!
The Frugal Crafter Blog 
I don’t have any of the coloring items you mentioned, gelatos, watercolor crayons, distress crayons, paint, etc. Do you have any suggestions for other medium that can be used? I do have water color pencils, and acrylic paint. I was planning to get the distress crayons but glad I didn’t after I saw your earlier comment. Thanks!
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use acrylic paint with a make up sponge, pounce the excess off on a scrap of paper than then dab it on or apply int with a brush (like we sketched with crayons) and smudge it with a sponge or baby wipe.
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Thank you!!
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I like making my own backgrounds too. So much fun. I don’t have Distress Crayons or Gelatos and I cannot find gel sticks in Canada either but the Distress Inks I do have and use all the time.
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Definite thumbs up… I even have the same stencils you used, lol! My guilt is over the Inka Gold Metallic Rub jars from Viva.I think I bought all the colors and have only used the one that is actually colored gold – I hope they have not dried out. I had such lofty plans to use with embossing folders.
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Hi Lindsay, Any suggestions for using Twinkling H20s? Thanks
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Hi, I’m writing in this newsletter to keep out of way of the brush giveaway in the next newsletter …. I only paint in watercolors.
You mentioned to throw away the sleeves that protect brushes when you buy them …. I always keep them and use them to print small circles in all sizes. They hardly take up any space and can also be used in this project. They are so durable I can’t even get myself to throw away dupilcates!
Also, your handwriting on the mailbox is wonderful! I wish I could do brush-writing like that! You should see MY handwriting … people politely suggest to TYPE my letters and I don’t blame them. Nobody gets it how come I can draw but not write just as nice …
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Great tutorial, Lindsay! I shall definitely use this for masterboards, creating backgrounds to cut up and add accent stamping for individual projects. I was given some oil pastels recently and didn’t really know what to use them for, but I can definitely try them for this.
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I always enjoy your creative videos and your upbeat attitude Lindsay! I, too, have guilt over unused art supplies. I have several clear stamp sheets and many stencils I have not used
This video has inspired me to pull out my stencils again! I am wondering about the ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY’ writing on one of your cards. Is that a stamp or did you actually write that out by hand?! Thank you!
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I love it! I only wish you could buy the two stamps you used without having to buy the entire set. I couldn’t find them singly on their site. I have so many shells etc. already so I don’t need to add to it.
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So glad I had saved this blog post in my email. I love those postcards. Especially that jellyfish stamp. And you really made me laugh with that big can of aqua net! Thanks for the ideas to use those darn distress crayons that I used one time😄
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