Did You Know? Fun Facts and Crafty Tips! May 2019 Edition

Hello crafters!!! It’s Nina-Marie Trapani here, bringing you the May 2019 edition of “Did You Know?”

If it’s your first time seeing this feature, each month we bring you fun facts, creative tips and even crafty hacks about your favorite supplies and brands; you can then use these awesome tips that you learn in your next crafting projects! Are you ready to learn some fun tricks? Keep on reading!

ThermoWeb Stencil Pal

I’ve always loved stenciling, but I feel that with the release of ThermoWeb’s Stencil Pal at the beginning of 2019, stenciling just got even more fun and easier! The Stencil Pal is a large scraper, that in one simple swipe, gives your paste-covered stenciled design a perfectly smooth finish. In the past, it was quite a pain-staking task to try to create a smooth finish using just a palette knife. Stencil Pal has truly become one of the most important tools in my studio!

Waffle Flower Media Mat

If you love to watercolor with “all the things” then you’ll probably be a big fan of the Waffle Flower Media Mat; I know I am! This silicone mat is a white surface, perfect for showing the true colors of whatever medium you have sitting on top. There are clever little wells on the side of the palette, that will hold all your favorite colors; and they just so happen to be the exact size of a mini ink cube (talk about easy)! 

Transparent Texture Paste

We all love a gorgeous glitter paste – especially since glitter pastes are one of the “non-shedding” glitters! But sometimes we need that “perfect” glitter paste color and we just don’t seem to have it in our crafty stashes. This is where the Transparent Texture Paste from Ranger comes in handy! Mix with your favorite ink and/or glitter …. voila! You have a DIY glitter paste in the *exact* shade you were looking for! It really is quite simple and the results are always stunning.

DIY Outlines for Word Dies

Speaking of DIY, have you ever wished you had an outline for one of your favorite sentiment dies? I know I have! I find that when I don’t have an outline die for a specific greeting I want to use, it takes no time at all to make one on my own! Simply lay your sentiment die face down onto the paper you want to have the outline cut from; then lightly trace around the die with a pencil. Using some fussy cut scissors, cut along your traced lines and use a soft eraser to clean up any lines that are still visible after cutting. Fake it ’til you make it, right? 

Congrats Grad die

Many of you probably picked up our Congrats Grad die from our latest release, Blossoms and Butterflies. You might be inclined to think that once all the graduations are over, this die is going to end up in the back of your stash… not so fast! Not only did we include some versatile accessory pieces in the set (for example, the gift card slots and the congrats greeting), but the body of the die set (the piece that makes a graduation cap), can be used beyond grad caps! Simply cut the large graduation cap body twice from your choice of cardstock; trim 1/4″ off the flat ends of each die cut panel. Glue the square areas together and fold along the score lines to make flaps. You’re left with a super-clever and adorable gatefold card that can be used all year long! 

We hope you have enjoyed this month’s installment of Did You Know?! Tune in again next month for a brand new edition of this fun series!

SUPPLIES

Therm O Web STENCIL PAL Deco Foil…
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Waffle Flower WATER MEDIA MAT WFT001
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Ranger TEXTURE PASTE TRANSPARENT…
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Ranger TEXTURE PASTE TRANSPARENT…
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Simon Says Stamp CONGRATS GRAD Wafer…
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cardmaking blog grab bag

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  1. Great tips! I haven’t tried texture paste on stencils yet, and now I know about the Stencil Pal, I’ll have to get that.

  2. I love this series — it always makes my wish list grow. I especially loved your technique for making outlines for word dies — that’s something I’ll definitely be doing. Thanks so much.

  3. Loved all the tips especially the one to make a gate fold card out of the graduation die.

  4. Thank you for the great tips! Since I’m lunching with my crafty friends today, I’m anxious to share your shadow word die tip.

  5. First time I have seen this series….and now I have to go back a find ALL the crafty tips!! :) Thank you for the super-helpful info.
    <3 J

    jwoolbright at gmail dot com
    HerPeacefulGarden.blogspot.com

  6. I didn’t know about some of these products. Thank you for all the tips & tricks. Very useful information!!

  7. Thanks for showing us. The scraper looks great because it looks like it is pretty rigid, and is very large!

  8. Thanks for the great tips! I’m especially interested in the transparent texture paste, I’ve had some pastes in the past, because I live in AZ and a super dry climate, they dry out quickly. With this paste I could have just one, add color/glitter to it and not have to worry about many pastes drying out. Thanks Nina!

  9. Wow! I love all the new products and tips! The Congrats Cap die has been on my wishlist and now you’ve given me more reason to get it!

  10. Thank you for the great information! I am not aware of the paste you used on the stencil. Does it dry I a layer or is it just like ink? I have been using spray distress oxides and distress inks using an applicator.

  11. 1. I have never heard of the stencil pal….a great idea!
    2.L♥VE this Media Mat and got to have it (although I STILL don’t have their color swatch stamps, which are also a “must have” for me!)
    3.L♥VE the idea of the Transparent Texture Paste for this purpose…
    4.A fabulous idea for the outline dies! DAH! (Why didn’t I think of that???)
    5.Perfect timing for the Grad die info Nina! This is exactly why I love following you and Simon! You are amazing at sharing what you know. Thanks for doing this series, it is always so informative.

  12. The stencil pal made me laugh – it’s a dough scraper, I’ve had one in my kitchen for years! All kidding aside, that’s a great use for it and I’m glad you posted it. Eager to try the transparent paste, too. Thanks for the ideas!

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