AECP Level 3 Final Workshop - Stencilling Techniques

Warning: This is a long blog post but if you are interested in the Altenew Educator Certification Program (AECP) journey, this is definitely a post that you should read!

The Altenew Educator Certification Program (AECP) was a journey of 25 online classes learning and honing various techniques and I would recommend it to anyone who loves crafting. I learned techniques and also about myself when it comes to trying new techniques.

Three most memorable online classes for me were as follows, in no particular order:

1. Transcending Tattoo Techniques by Jaycee Gaspar. Why? Because it was so out there and I had never heard of Trash Polka. Here are my cards created for this online class. This class is the reason I have got a Copic airbrush system which I absolutely adore. More of this to come in future videos.

2. Creative Coloring with Erum - Advanced Techniques Online Class by Erum Tasneem. Why? Colouring intimidates me and seeing Erum do it with such ease always leaves me in awe. Here is what I created for this online class. I must say that there are further techniques in this class that I will be exploring in future posts and videos.

3. Zentangle for Cardmakers Online Cardmaking Class by Amber Davis. Why? Because it is so freeing and I love the repetitive structured lines drawn to create an image. It is a little time consuming, nonetheless I love it as there is no wrong in this technique. Here is what I created for this online class.

This is not to say in any way that the other 22 online classes were not enjoyable, but the absolute opposite. Even in techniques that I was familiar with, I managed to pick up a tip or two. My journey took longer than usual as I made a video for each submission because I wanted to get more proficient in making videos (that I post on my YT channel, Angela Brennan Creations) in tandem to honing my cardmaking and craft techniques. I am so glad that there is a program like this as it gives me the impetus to craft with confidence! If you are thinking about it, do not hesitate, there is no time limit to complete the course and you can progress at your own pace.

There are three parts to the course and there is a challenge at the end of each part. Here is what I created for AECP Level 1 Challenge (Part 1 & Part 2) and AECP Level 2 Challenge (Part 1 & Part 2), and of course the challenge for the final part which is AECP Level 3 is the workshop on Stencil Techniques that I hosted on 14 Jan 2023.

AECP Level 3 Workshop - before workshop

There is quite a bit of thinking and planning to do before the workshop itself and here are the steps I followed:

1. Technique: Decide on technique to showcase and teach at the workshop.

2. Product: I chose stencilling as I find it such a versatile tool and it is also at a lower price point.

3. Time of 2 hours v. number of cards: When I was preparing on what cards to create, I got very carried away and shared quite a few with Erum, who gently reminded me that we only had 2 hours - so I narrowed it down to 4 cards, with 2 bonus cards!

4. Project handout: When I decided on the four cards (and 2 bonus cards) I also created a project handout that details the products used and steps to create the card (as I detail below). For ease, I linked all of the products so it’d be easier for participants to view products, but not necessarily to purchase them, but to see what Altenew products that they had in their stash that could be used instead. Video on all techniques shown (and more) can be found here.

5. Time of workshop: I am based in the UK and workshop was scheduled for 3pm as all of my participants were based in various time zones in the UK with AECP coordinator, Erum Tasneem based in Pakistan. So I chose the timing will all parties in mind. I also had Bridget Casey in attendance observing me to ascertain my suitability to be part of the April 2023 Altenew retreat. This added to my nervousness, but I hope I played it cool. (Note: I was thrilled when Bridget offered me a slot at the April retreat after the workshop! The retreat is on 1 April 2023 and it is free - so look out for it as there are some amazing crafters presenting)

6. Advertise with flyer: Then I created a ‘flyer’ of sorts to advertise my workshop so I could get attendees to join. It’s important that you tell the potential attendees upfront that they will need to attend and create the main cards (not necessarily the bonus cards) and share pictures of these cards with you within a specified time. I ‘advertised’ my workshop at the ‘Altenew Fan Group’ on Facebook.

7. Keep track of attendees: I was excited when crafters actually wanted to attend the workshop based on the flyer, which meant they liked what they saw - yay! As individuals responded I recorded their names and email addresses, so I have a record to share the project handout and also to keep track of the numbers as a maximum of only ten is allowed. Eight wonderful crafters registered to attend the workshop and the excitement (and I’m going to be honest, nervousness, as well) grew.

8. Remind attendees of commitment: Share Project Handouts with each individual as they sign up to the workshop and remind them about commitment as mentioned in #6 above, highlighted in yellow.

9. Tech challenges: Now that the fun crafty elements were decided upon and shared, time to turn to the tech side of the workshop. I am comfortable using zoom as I use it for work everyday. However the challenge for me was to have two screens, showing my face and my hands as I work through the techniques. This proved a little challenging, until I saw this video which was highlighted to me by a wonderful fellow crafter, Claudia. I love the crafting community as everyone is so willing to help each other selflessly. I also had the help of my husband who patiently helped me set up the tech aspects.

10. Test tech: I did a tester with zoom and two displays, the day before the workshop with my sister who lives in Singapore.

11. Prep products by card: Finally I prepared all of the products required for each card and put it into a small box, so when I create each card, all of the required products are already picked out and to hand.

AECP Level 3 Workshop - day of workshop

I logged into zoom about 15 minutes earlier and Erum was already dialled in and provided encouraging words - thanks Erum!

My palms were a little clammy to start with as I have never taught a class but once I got started it was fine. In hindsight, I would probably focus on three cards especially when there is a different technique for each card. However I think the participants were all wonderful and showed amazing talent and persevered.

Now to show off all the cards that were created - a big thank you to all the participants who sent in pictures of your lovely creations.

Card #1 - Ink Blending

Steps to create card:

1.       Place Lacy Tile Stencil on 80lb white card, secure with Satin Masking Tape.

2.       Apply Crisp Dye Inks Warm Sunshine, Orange Cream, Ruby Red, Deep Iris, and Lagoon with a Small Blending Brush.

3.       Keep stencil on card and run through die cutting machine with a suitable ‘sandwich’.

4.       Note: ‘Sandwich’ for Gemini Junior is as follows:

a.       Clear Plate

b.       Plastic Shim

c.        Metal Shim

d.       Stencil

e.       Card

f.         Purple Mat

g.       Clear Plate

5.       Cut stencilled and embossed card panel to slightly smaller than black card base, so there is a black border.

6.       Attach card panel to card base with double-sided tape. Optional: Back card panel with fun foam for some dimension.

7.       Treat black card with anti-static powder, stamp sentiment with Clear Embossing Ink, sprinkle with Pure White Crisp Embossing Powder, and melt embossing powder with heat tool.

8.       Cut down sentiment to a strip and adhere to card front with adhesive foam strip.

9.       Embellish card with gems and/or sequins as you see fit.

Cards created by workshop attendees:

Card #2 - Faux Watercolour

Steps to create card:

1.       The ink on the stencil from Card #1 will be used for this card.

2.       Use the Mini Mister and spritz a few sprays of water onto the stencil’s inked front. Place the inked and water spritzed side of the stencil onto a watercolour paper panel, place a paper towel onto the back of the stencil and gently press pigment onto the watercolour paper. Note: This is akin to ‘stamping’ with an inked stencil.

3.       Leave card panel to air dry or use a heat tool on a lower setting to speedy up drying process.

4.       Cut down watercolour paper to base card size.

5.       Place die letters ‘h’ and ‘i’ on card panel from the Bold Alphabet Die Set on the watercolour paper, spelling the word ‘hi’. Attach the dies with satin masking tape. Then run the card panel through a die cutting machine. Keep all the die cut pieces in a small container. Then die cut the letters ‘h’ and ‘i’ three more times. Note: This can be done with white card or coloured card to give a more prominent eclipse look.

6.       Treat area below the cut out ‘hi’ with anti-static powder and stamp ‘have a super day’ from Sentiment Strips 2 Stamp Set with Obsidian Pigment Ink. Sprinkle Crystal Clear Crisp Embossing Powder and melt embossing powder with a heat tool.

7.       Attach watercolour panel to white card base with double-sided tape.

8.       Use liquid glue to attach the three layers of ‘h’ and ‘i’ die cuts, then attach the faux watercolour ‘h’ and ‘i’ die cuts on the top layer. With liquid glue attach the layered ‘h’ and ‘i’ to the front card panel where the ‘hi’ was die cut

9.       Embellish card with gems and/or sequins as you see fit.

Cards created by workshop attendees:

Card #3 - Stencil Embossing

Steps to create card:

1.       Ink blend Crisp Dye Inks – Bamboo, Parrot, Moss on 80lb white card with Small Blending Brush.

2.       Place Leaf Bed Stencil on inked panel and secure with satin masking tape, and run through die cutting machine with a suitable ‘sandwich’.

3.       Remove Leaf Bed Stencil, use large blending brush and lightly apply Crisp Dye Inks – Moss, Dusk on the embossed card panel.

4.       Cut down the embossed card panel to the size of the card base and attach to card base with double-sided tape.

5.       Treat Emerald cardstock with anti-static powder, and stamp sentiment with Clear Embossing Ink, sprinkle Pure White Crisp Embossing Powder, and melt embossing powder with heat tool.

6.       Place circle die [1.5” diameter] on the sentiment, secure circle die with satin masking tape, and run through die cutting machine.

7.       Die cut two leaf stems from the Just Leaves Die Set with Emerald cardstock and white cardstock.

8.       Attach the leaf die cuts with liquid glue to card front, and secure the circular sentiment overlapping the leaf die cuts with fun foam.

9.       Embellish card with gems and/or sequins as you see fit.

Cards created by workshop attendees:

Card #4 - Emboss Resist

Steps to create card:

1.       The Sweet Spring Stencil comprises two images on one stencil – the silhouette image and detailed image.

2.       Attach the silhouette image of the stencil with satin masking tape to the bottom half of an 80lb white card. Apply Crisp Dye Inks – Pastel Sunrise, Bamboo, Dew Drops with small and detail blending brushes, as required, for smaller and larger areas.

3.       Then remove satin masking tape and turn stencil, aligning the detailed image over the stencilled image in step #2, and secure with satin masking tape. With detail blending brushes apply Crisp Dye Inks, Canyon Clay, Olive, Teal Cave.

4.       Remove satin masking tape, and turn stencil again, aligning the silhouette image over the stencilled flower spray. Apply Clear Embossing Ink directly onto the card panel, over the silhouette stencilled image. Note: Ensure to reink Clear Embossing Pad so it’s juicy and provides adequate coverage to the inked image.

5.       Remove stencil and sprinkle Crystal Clear Crisp Embossing Powder onto image. Ensure good coverage. Take heat tool to image to melt embossing powder. Note: If there are areas uncovered by clear embossing powder, repeat step #4 covering required areas.

6.       Treat area above the stencilled flower spray with anti-static powder, and stamp sentiment from Well-Read Sentiment Stamp Set with Obsidian Pigment Ink. Sprinkle Crystal Clear Crisp Embossing Powder onto melt embossing powder with a heat tool.

7.       Place Narrow Brick Stencil over image. Note: For best results with this stencil, spray back of stencil with Pixie Spray, this is a low tack repositionable adhesive. Use small blending brush and apply Crisp Dye Ink Silver Lake for the background around the stencilled flower spray, darker closer to the flower image and fading out.

8.       Cut down card panel to slightly smaller that card base to leave a border.

9.       Back card panel with fun foam using double-sided tape for sturdiness and dimension.

10. Attach fun foam backed card panel to black card base.

Cards created by workshop attendees:

Bonus Card #1 - Double Stencilling

Steps to create card:

1.       Place Narrow Brick Stencil on 80lb white card and secure with satin masking tape.

2.       Apply Crisp Dye Ink – Polar Bear, Blush, Chamomile with small blending brush.

3.       Without removing the Bubble Wrap Stencil, place the Narrow Brick Stencil on top of the Bubble Wrap Stencil and secure with satin masking tape. Then use darker shades of inks used in step #2. Apply Crisp Dye Ink – Icy Water, Snapdragon, Rouge with small blending brush.

4.       Remove both stencils and lightly apply Crisp Dye Ink – Sunray, Blush, Polar Bear with small blending brush, this staining the stark white background with soft hues of the lighter ink colours used.

5.       Cut down card panel to slightly smaller than card base so there will be a small border.

6.       Treat bottom left corner of card panel with anti-static powder and stamp image from Vase Fillers Stamp Set with Obsidian Pigment Ink. Then sprinkle Crystal Clear Crisp Embossing Powder on stamped image and melt embossing powder with heat tool.

7.       Repeat step #6 when stamping sentiments ‘cue the confetti’ and ‘let’s celebrate!’ from Sentiment Strips 3 Stamp Set and Sentiment Strips 2 Stamp Set respectively.

8.       Attach card panel to black card base with double-sided tape.

9.       Embellish card with gems and/or sequins as you see fit.

Bonus Card #2 - Stencil moving & ink blending

Steps to create card:

1.       Place Modern Circle Stencil on 80lb white card and secure with satin masking tape.

2.       Use mini blending brushes to apply Crisp Dye Inks – Chamomile, Persian Blue, Parrot, Lagoon on the semi-circles.

3.       Move Modern Circle Stencil around until the entire card panel is covered with the stencil images.

4.       Cut down the card panel to slightly smaller than the card base.

5.       Spell out ‘sweet’ with Mega Brush Alpha Stamp. Stamp word out on a scrap piece of paper, then cut down to width of card panel. Place card panel in a stamping platform and scrap piece of paper on top of the card panel. Then place each alphabet stamp on the alphabets stamped on the scrap paper and ‘pick up’ the alphabet stamps with the stamping platform door/lid and remove scrap paper.

6.       Prepare the stamps with stamp conditioning eraser. Treat card panel with anti-static powder, ink with Obsidian Pigment Ink; and stamp on card panel. Once the word ‘sweet’ is stamped, sprinkle Crystal Clear Crisp Embossing Powder, and melt embossing powder with a heat tool.

7.       Repeat step #6 when stamping the sub-sentiment, ‘birthday wishes’ from Sentiment Strips Stamp Set. The sub-sentiment is only part of the sentiment in the stamp set. By partial stamping a sentiment, you can get more out of your stamps.

8.       Take a black marker, Black Sharpie Marker, and draw a thin straight line on the edges of the card panel, effectively creating a faux matt.

9.       Back card panel with fun foam using double-sided tape and attach to green card base. Note: If you do not have the exact green card base, take a white card base and ink blend all four edges of the card base with the exact shade of colour desired using ink blending brushes.

10.    Embellish card with gems and/or sequins as you see fit.

Words on Experience

The AECP journey as I intimated above has been phenomenal and truly opens a whole world of crafting wonder to you and that does not even include the amazing people you meet along the way. Encouragement from Erum and Virginia (when she was part of the AECP coordinator team) has been invaluable. Anyone thinking of joining the AECP - I have three words for you - Just Do It!

Lessons Learned

The lessons learned here is all related to the workshop.

1. Keep the cards simple. I had the view that the cards needed to be technique-filled and worthy of the attendees’ time. Nope not true, some of the most beautiful cards are simple and not fussy. Bottom line is that we all want to create beautiful and eye-catching cards. Also beauty truly lies in the eyes of the beholder - as a card that I think is beautiful may not necessarily bring someone else the same joy. So just be true to yourself and do what brings you joy.

2. Keep the techniques simple. I had mentioned in the handout to ensure participants know the ‘sandwich’ to emboss with a stencil. However quite a few participants were not able to achieve dry embossing with a stencil. Improvisation was required and it went fine. Though a few of the participants did email me later to inform me that they had figured out that we able to dry emboss with the stencil after all.

3. Keep to three cards. This will ensure that there is no rush and thus more interaction with the attendees, and you are able to relax a little and answer some questions.

4. You cannot prepare for everything! During the workshop my younger son called my mobile for a pick up from the train station! Thankfully my husband was not too far away and could pick him up and the workshop participants were most understanding for I had to disappear for a couple of minutes to contact my husband.

Final Words

I want to thank each and every attendee at the workshop, including Erum who attended as AECP Coordinator and Bridget who attended to observe my teaching skills. I could not have done this workshop without you and I do appreciate all of you who emailed me pictures of your wonderful creations. If you want more inspiration on stencilling techinques, do check out this video of mine.

Thank you to the Altenew team who has created this unique program (I do not know any other program such as this in existence) that allows an ordinary crafter like myself to partake and complete at my own pace. Life has thrown a few bumps to me along the way since I started the AECP in May 2021 and I did take breaks but did eventually pick it up again and found the joy in crafting.

If you are sill reading this blog post, thank you very much and I am looking forward to teaching at the April 2023 Altenew retreat. It is free and I hope you are able to join. Look out for information of this. Looking forward to the next chapters of crafting for me and I do wish all of you happy crafting, learning, and most importantly finding joy in crafting.

Do leave a comment below as I would love to hear your thoughts on this post.

Supplies Used

Disclosure: Where available I use compensated affiliate links which means if you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you so much for your support!