Create, Laugh & Play
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Do you love to DIY but struggle to find the time, inspiration and gather the supplies? Welcome to your auto-ship solution! Direct to you shipping each month, access to instructions and lots of variations and inspiration in our Chalk Elegance community groups. You will find your creative confidence with the silkscreen designs and have your projects ready to go in a short amount of time, every time!
What is included in my Club subscription?
Check out all the super exclusive items available to Chalk Couture Club Couture members.
Club Couture pricing $27.99/month + tax (FREE shipping!) (Need to crunch the numbers... Regular B-size transfer $19.99, 3 paste singles $11.97, Shipping $15.99 = $45.95... compared to Club price $26.99! WOW you save $19.96) ** All pricing in CAD
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Reverse watercolour technique with Chalk Couture
This DIY project is a simple and fun one that gives you unique yet controlled results. Let your inner child out with this easy reverse watercolour technique!
Supplies:
Silk Screen Stencil Plastic - such as plastic bag, laminating sheet, page protector Sharpie marker Water colour paints or Chalkology Paste Watercolour paper Paint brushes Mixing Trays Grabyour Chalk Couture supplies
Heat Embossing with Chalk Couture stencils
If you are a paper crafter you have likely dabbled with heat embossing powders and stamping. I love the way embossing powders enhance the look of your project. So of course we had to try using the embossing powders with our Chalk Couture stencils and it was fabulous creative success!
Supplies
Chalkology Ink Silk Screen stencil Heat embossing powder Heat gun Surface such as cardstock, wood We had an idea... dangerous I know. Would heat embossing powder work with our Chalk Couture silk screen stencils? So we tested it. After much thought, we decided that ink would be the better choice over paste because the ink is made to be heat set and the paste can have negative effects when heat set. Following the same process as normal for applying the ink--
100+ Items to use Chalk Couture silk screen stencils on
The possibilities are almost endless. Sometimes that means our mind goes blank when it comes time to create. So I have gathered 100+ items that you can use your Chalk Couture silk screen stencils on!
What I love about silk screen stencils is that they are reposition-able (I'm a measure once move twice creator!) but most of all I love that they are reusable- which means you can use the same design to create a wide variety of projects.
Here are my top ten favourite projects to make. 1. T-shirts. I love finding a nice blank shirt (usually on clearance) and creating my own graphic T with the silk screen inks. I love that my kids can join in a create their own shirts to proudly wear. 2. Artist canvas projects. There are so many possibilities with artist canvas. It's a surface of many possibilities 3. Watercolour paper. Yes paper. 4. Tote bags. Having a fun custom tote bag makes it way easier to remember to take them into the store with me. My daughter has a special one just for her library books! 5. Etched mirrors. Yes you can safely use etching cream with the silk screen stencils. 6. Wood burned cutting boards. You can find our DIY wood burning gel recipe HERE 7. Note books-- Finding a bargain and making it WOW, personally I avoid the plastic ones but all the others work very well! 8. Three tiered cart. Enough said- three tiered carts are awesome! And when you can make it your own it's even more glorious. 9. Chalkboards -- Love the ease of changing my welcome board design up whenever I feel like it! (about monthly). Themagnetic board is my favourite for full creativity. 10. Upcycled surfaces- Love finding a good dollar store, thrift store or garage sale find and giving it new life! Click here to get 100+ ideas to maximize the value of your Chalk Couture silk screen stencils.
DIY shirts with Hot mess ink background
There is nothing like creating customized shirts, whether it's for yourself or a gift this hot mess ink background will add a fun pop to your design.
Easy to do and unique outcome every time!
With just a few simple supplies we are ready to make gorgeous backgrounds. Add a silkscreen image or HTV image on top and be ready for everyone to love your outfit!
Supplies Parchment paper Permanent Ink 2+ colours for best results Sticky Mat Water & dropper squeegee Shirt/fabric Place the sticky mat inside of your shirt or under your fabric-- this will prevent ink from bleeding through to the backside of your shirt as well as stabilize your fabric while working. Set aside Spread ink in random places on your parchment paper. Approximately the size you want you background to be. Drip a few drops of water on your ink. Using a squeegee gently pull the colours together to create light blends. Carefully flip the shirt onto your parchment paper & press down, applying the ink to the shirt. Remove parchment and let the ink dry. Top your beautiful background with a silk screen image or HTV. See video below for a quick visual how-to!
DIY rolled paper flowers for shadow boxes and more
Easy to care for a beautiful every day of the year. Paper flowers make a great addition to your creative inspiration.
I love mixing paper flowers into my projects. Rolled paper flowers are one of the easiest to create. You can cut them by hand, with an electronic machine (like Cricut/ Silhouette) or even a hand die cut machine.
Rolled paper flowers are simple to make and there are a wide variety of templates available. You can cut them by hand, use your electronic machine or die cut machine.
Personally I love the simple coil or scalloped edge ones. Supplies: Paper - printer paper or cardstock Scissors (or cutting machine) Hot glue Quilling tool, bobby pin or toothpick Start by cutting out your template. A simple coil shape is easiest to cut by hand. Using your quilling tool (or bobby pin or tooth pick) start at the outer edge and begin rolling in towards the center. After rolling, allow your flower to "relax" a little by letting it go slightly to loosen it's coil. When you are happy with the shape, apply a small dot of hot glue to hold your flower on the base. If desired form & curl the top edges of your flower- depending on the template used this can enhance the look. I love using rolled flowers to add an interesting pop to our projects. So many ways to incorporate paper flowers into your projects!
DIY long lasting stickers and labels
Water bottles, plastic cups, Tupperware labels and more. Sometimes you want to personalize them to stand out for quick identification or a joyful look to your eyes!
This easy DIY sticker will allow you to create a long lasting, washable design with ease. For yourself or for a gift these will be an easy project for you!
 The image had washed off... so we fixed it up fancy with our DIY vinyl & silkscreen ink to create a long lasting sticker!
Supplies
Chalkology Ink Iron, heat press or mini press Stencil of choice Permanent vinyl-- my preference Oracal 651 parchment paper Your creativity Grab your vinyl colour of choice. You can pre-cut a shape by hand or use your electronic cutting machine like a Cricut or Silhouette Cameo. Or you can create your design and cut it out after-- a little fussy cutting (hand cutting close to the design) can create a unique look. * Fuzz of your stencil (Tap it a few times on a towel to remove a little of the stickiness, we don't want to pull the vinyl off it's backer yet!). * Place your stencil as desired. * With your inks and create, create create. Gently pull your inks across the design, remember no need for hard pressure. *Gently remove your stencil. Wash the ink out of the stencil so you can re-use it. *Allow your ink to dry on the vinyl, you can speed this up by using a cool air fan/hair dryer. *Using an a heat press at 300F or an iron (med heat), heat set your inks by placing a piece of parchment between the design and your iron. Press for 30 seconds -- just long enough to set your ink but not enough to melt the sticky off your vinyl! *Stick your vinyl to the item of choice & admire your fabulous work! Let's STICK on the creativity! I'd love to see your designs.
How to Heat set permanent Inks on cups,coffee mugs and more!
There is nothing like a customized coffee mug or wine glass created perfect for yourself, gifting or selling. We want that fabulous DIY design to last for days to come even after washing.
It's quick and easy with permanent inks and little bit of heat. Let's get creative!
Here are my steps for DIY inked mugs and cups success!
1. Select your cup or coffee mug. This will be going in the oven so ensure there is no plastic that could melt on it. 2. Wipe off dust/oils with rubbing alcohol (manufacturing-store dust, finger oils) 3. Select your stencil or plan out your free hand painting! 4. If using a silk screen stencil ensure to Fuzz it (remove excess sticky by placing it on a towel or your shirt a few times). These stencils love to stick but they are reuseable so we don't want to ruin them by stretching when removing! 5. Apply your inks. If painting with a paint brush get creative. If using your stencil gently pull across the mesh with your squeegee. 6. Allow to FULLY dry. This is important or it will run in the oven instead of setting. I like to leave it overniht but if it's really humid out you may need more time. I have also used a fan blowing on my design to speed up the drying process 7. Heat set time Place the cup/glass/mug into the COLD oven. Set the oven to 350F. Allow the cups to warm up along with the oven. .Once to temperature set the timer for 30min. Allow the cups to COOL down along with the oven. Your ink is now ready for use! I still recommend gentle hand washing for longest lasting results.
Ideas to Organize and Store your Silk Screen Stencils
Silk screen stencils (or transfers) are a fabulous product because they are reusable! You can mix and match designs for custom creations, unique looks and creativity. If you are like most crafters... inevitably you need to find a way to organize the supplies. Let me share a few ideas on how I organize my fabulous silk screen stencils (transfers).
The first thing to think about is that your transfers (stencils) should be stored flat, do not fold them! There are a variety of ways you can accomplish storing them flat in your space...
Think about your space- utilize the options that fit best for your room (it could be more than one, as is the case in my space). Do you have closet space? ... You can hang them on hangers, pants style with clips work well or use shower curtain rings to hang them off a bar. Wall space? ... Hang them up, the bags have a handy little hole perfect for hanging (thank you design department)! You could use a peg board easy to rearrange as needed. Or hooks on the wall- remember your stencils will get heavy as you add more on, so consider how they anchored. If planning to hang a lot on one spot, I would suggest securing a piece of wood across a couple of wall studs and then putting your hooks in desired the locations on the piece wood. This will help give you strength to hold without the inevitable hole in your dry wall. Door space? Similar to wall space. You can utilize the front or back of a door (closet/room). I love to use wreath hooks to hold my transfers. They come in a variety of sizes and colours. This is great for organizing too, should you desire to sort them. You will find lots of options around Christmas time. They are easy to remove from your door, when you are ready for a room makeover. Chalk Couture sells a "Transfer Tote". This is a great way to store your transfers as it fits all the way up to E size. You can see I have one hanging on a wreath hook along with my loose ones. I keep off-season ones in there, or use it to transport when I go be creative with friends. It holds A Lot with a handy little pocket for smaller designs or accessories. Drawer space? Go for it-- lay them in a drawer. You could use a cabinet drawer or many crafters love to use a tool box... Not just for the garage anymore, bring those beauties into your creative space! Shelf space? Store your smaller transfers in a binder, (A & B or cut aparts work well in here). Use page protectors and slip your design right in. Great way to sort them as well. Use a different binder for seasons or themes. I have all my Club Couture designs in one binder. Another shelf space idea use an Art Portfolio. They come in a large variety of sizes and similar to the binder they have page protector type pages inside so you can slip your designs right in!
Do you have a different way of storing your silk screen stencils? I would love to hear about it!
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Stephanie Nixon
A busy mom of three finding me time, therapy and fun with Chalk Couture and crafting! 
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