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I had a bunch of requests for how I made the ransom style lettering using gel prints and stencils from my last blog post. You asked, and I listened! Here’s the video showing you all the techniques I used. In there you’ll see how to stencil the speedy way if you’re doing a lot of it, how to use a pen to customize your letters, how to get texture into a letter, and more!
To get texture in a stenciled image or letter, try using Mousse. It is thick so it makes it possible to get a crisp image. Be sure to watch in the video how I clean up the stencil so that nothing gets wasted- and you’ll want to clean your stencil off promptly so the Mousse doesn’t dry on it.
![](https://acolorfuljourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/word-year-stencil-tutorial-carolyn-dube-1-600x600.jpg)
When you’re doing a lot of stenciling, using a roller makes it go quickly. These rollers that I used are on the pricey side and I’ve been looking for a less expensive alternative. In the supplies at the end of this post, you’ll see a black handled set of rollers. They are WAY cheaper but I haven’t tested them out yet. When I do, I’ll let you know.
![](https://acolorfuljourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/word-year-stencil-tutorial-carolyn-dube-2-600x600.jpg)
Why did I use a gel plate as my palette for the paint? Because that reduces waste. Once I’m done rolling on the paint, then I can take prints with the leftover paint on the gel plate.
![](https://acolorfuljourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/word-year-stencil-tutorial-carolyn-dube-3-600x600.jpg)
The Open Ended stencil is different from the other alphabet stencils. It has big open spaces that I designed to be filled in by you. You can journal in them, you can doodle in them, you can do whatever your heart desires in there.
![](https://acolorfuljourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/word-year-stencil-tutorial-carolyn-dube-8-600x600.jpg)
This stencil can straight and formal or loose and free. Notice how different it looks when I draw loose lines in the numbers? It’s darker, stands out even on a busy background, and has a very different vibe than the letters above. That means you can customize it to just what you need!
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The rollers do make things go faster, but they hold a lot of paint. If you wrap them in a plastic bag and make sure it’s airtight (I used a rubber band) then they stay wet and juicy for several days. That means you can come back and use them tomorrow without having to rinse them out.
![](https://acolorfuljourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/word-year-stencil-tutorial-carolyn-dube-12-600x600.jpg)
Once you have your papers, then it’s time cut them up. You can cut out only the letters you need or you can cut them all at once. I opted for doing it all at once just so it was done so the letters would be ready for lots of art journaling and mixed media play.
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Here are all the As in one pile. Lots of color and size choices.
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But how did I easily get them all sorted? It could have been a nightmare but sorting as I cut the pages of letters I kept each page in alphabetical order.
Then I found a few “volunteers” to help me put all the cut in piles by letter by taking a stack and walking around the counter placing each letter on its proper pile. Notice the little envelopes under each one? Placing a single letter in each envelope keeps them organized for future use.
![](https://acolorfuljourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/word-year-stencil-tutorial-carolyn-dube-11-600x450.jpg)
What did I do with the letters? I made a piece of art with my word for the year. You can see that process here. What I didn’t use is now a stash of easy to get letters since they’re already made and sorted!
![](https://acolorfuljourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/word-year-stencil-tutorial-carolyn-dube-16-600x600.jpg)
I have listed 2 types of rollers here in the supplies. The black handled ones look very similar to the orange ones I used, but a whole lot cheaper. I’ve ordered some of the black handled ones to try out- will update this post when they arrive.
Here are the supplies used. Some of these links are affiliate links which means I get a small percentage. It doesn’t cost you anything extra and it helps keep the free tutorials coming!
Omg. Can’t I just buy them from you??? For bring “impatient “, you sure accomplish a lot!!
Carolyn, love all your ideas. This is especially fun. Thank you for sharing your wonderful ideas here with us.
❤️Dee
Love your work and ideas !!???