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Avoid the Ink Blending Rut | 3 Mixed Media Stencil Techniques

Do you ever feel like you're stuck in an ink blending rut with your stencils? I love ink blending - don't get me wrong - but stencils can do so much more! Today I'm sharing three completely different mixed media backgrounds that go way beyond basic ink blending, and I think you're going to love the variety of looks you can create.

In this video tutorial, I'm using the gorgeous new Beautiful Botanical Stencils from Vicki Boutin's first release with Sizzix. These botanical designs are stunning, but here's the best part - all of the techniques I'm sharing work with any stencils you already have in your stash. Whether you have florals, geometrics, or texture stencils sitting unused, this is your invitation to pull them out and play!

Three handmade mixed media cards by Juliana Michaels featuring layered botanical florals in blue, purple, and peach tones created using Vicki Boutin Sizzix stencils, stamps and dies.

What You'll Learn

I'm walking you through three different mixed media stencil techniques to create unique card backgrounds:

Technique 1: Monoprinting with Stencils This technique creates one-of-a-kind prints that add unique layers of texture and interest. It's one of my favorite ways to add subtle pattern and interest without overwhelming your design.

Technique 2: Layering Texture Paste We'll explore using both translucent and opaque Distress Texture Paste through stencils to build dimension and depth. The combination of the two types of paste creates such beautiful, organic texture.

Technique 3: Distress Foundry Wax Splatters Adding splatters with Foundry Wax brings unexpected texture and visual interest to your backgrounds. It's such a fun, loose technique that adds that signature mixed media feel.

Mixed media botanical floral card by Juliana Michaels featuring Vicki Boutin Sizzix stamps, dies and stencils

Beyond the Backgrounds

I'm also sharing the techniques I used to create the floral embellishments on each finished card. You'll see how the Vicki Boutin stamp and die sets work beautifully with these mixed media backgrounds, and how versatile these products are when you approach them from a technique-focused perspective rather than just following the "intended" use.

Mixed media botanical floral card by Juliana Michaels featuring Vicki Boutin Sizzix stamps, dies and stencils

Shop Your Stash Approach

The beauty of these mixed media stencil techniques is that you don't need to buy anything new to follow along. Yes, the Vicki Boutin Sizzix release is gorgeous (and I'll link everything below), but these techniques work with whatever you already have. Pull out those stencils that have been sitting in your drawer, grab your texture paste, ink pads, or wax, and let's create something beautiful together.

Whether you're new to mixed media or just looking for fresh ways to use your stencils, I hope this inspires you to break out of that ink blending routine and try something new!

Mixed media botanical floral card by Juliana Michaels featuring Vicki Boutin Sizzix stamps, dies and stencils

Watch the Full Tutorial

Ready to dive in? Watch the full video tutorial below to see all three techniques in action:

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I'd love to hear which technique you're most excited to try! Leave a comment on the video or send me an email - I always love hearing from you.

Happy creating!

Supplies

Below you will find links to the supplies I used to create these cards. Affiliate links and codes are used at no extra cost to you. I truly appreciate your support. When you use an affiliate link or code to make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. This commission helps me to continue to provide free content and tutorials. Your support means the world to me. Where available, I've provided multiple purchasing options. If you have a favorite online store, I encourage you to shop there. Supporting small businesses is something I believe in wholeheartedly. However, I've also included links to Amazon for your convenience, as I understand it's a preferred shopping destination for many. Thank you for being here and for your continued support!

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Craft Room Tour 2026 | Storage That Really Works

Welcome to my 2026 Craft Room Tour! I'm excited to take you through my creative space and show you how I organize and store my craft supplies. When you compare this year's tour to 2025, you'll notice the changes are fairly subtle, but I wanted to share where my craft room stands at this stage of my creative journey. The lack of major changes really speaks to finding an organizational system that works beautifully with both my workflow and the supplies I reach for most often. That said, I'm always tweaking things here and there as my creative process evolves, and you'll catch some of those smaller adjustments as we move through the space.

One constant in my craft room? I'm still committed to regularly purging supplies. My dedicated "spare box" continues to serve its purpose, collecting items I no longer use or love. When it fills up, I find those products new homes—whether through donations or sharing them with fellow crafters who will appreciate them. This ongoing practice keeps my space functional without requiring additional storage solutions or furniture. I've discovered that having too many choices actually limits my creativity, so curating my collection allows me to work with only the products and supplies that truly inspire me.

Juliana Michaels 2026 Craft Room Tour

2026 CRAFT ROOM TOUR

If you'd like to watch a video tour of my craft room, you can find that HERE or watch it below.


If you're interested in any of the storage items you see in the video, you can find links to those that are still available in the description box below. When you shop through those links, you're supporting me, and I truly appreciate that. This is just a peek at some of the storage in my craft room—for a better look at everything, I highly recommend watching the full video tour above.

Behind my desk is a wall of shelving and organization that holds all of my most-used supplies, from stamps and dies to my Tim Holtz Distress Inks and more. This unit sits to the right of my desk, which is in the center of the room as you face that wall. Here you can see my Tim Holtz Distress Ink and Distress Oxide Ink Pads stored in Stamp N Storage Distress Ink Pad Holders.

Juliana Michaels 2026 Craft Room Tour

New to my room this year are the Scrapbook.com TiltBins! I'm currently trying them out to hold some of my everyday Tim Holtz Ideaology pieces, hoping that having them out where I can see them will inspire me to use them more frequently. They come in various sizes, and each size stacks together beautifully. If you don't have tabletop space for them, you can also hang them on the wall with the included hardware.



Here's a look at the Ikea Kallax unit where they sit, along with some of the other storage and organization I have in these cubes. The wood bins are from Target, but I'm not sure if they're still available.


Right behind my desk is an IKEA Billy Bookcase with a couple of shelves that hold some of my vintage treasures and handmade items. Here you can see my Totally Tiffany Stadium Organizer, which is now holding my Distress Spritz and Distress Mica Stain Sprays.


Below this is my Tim Holtz stamp set collection. I continue to use the Scrapbook.com Medium Envelope Organizer to store them, but my collection has grown beyond just these three units! You'll see additional organizers in other areas of my craft room—I have a dedicated unit just for my Christmas stamps and another for my Halloween stamps.


Below that are my Tim Holtz Sizzix dies and embossing folders, stored in my absolute favorite storage pieces in my entire craft room. These wooden drawers from Hobby Lobby are sadly no longer available.


On the other side of the room you'll find another Kallax unit with even more supplies. The ink pads are stored in Stamp N Storage Ink Pad Organizers, and this is my collection of Ranger Archival, 49 and Market, Versafine Clair, and other miscellaneous ink pads.


Here are a couple of photos showing the storage setup I have in this Kallax unit, including the Scrapbook.com Stadium Organizer, Ink Pad Holder (which I use to hold A2 size paper pads), and Skinny Stadium Organizer.


The green bins are vintage hardware bins that are heavy-duty and perfect for holding heavier items like dies. They're not the easiest to lift and carry around, but I absolutely love the vintage look. These are still available brand new—minus the rust!


Next to my desk I have an IKEA Raskog Cart loaded with all of my most-used tools. This is the Scrapbook.com Heat Tool Organizer.


In front of my desk, I have an IKEA dresser. Here's a look inside some of the drawers, which hold many of my essential craft supplies—things I need but don't necessarily use on every project. Here you can see my Distress Paints.


And here's a look at my Distress Spray Stains and Distress Oxide Sprays. I'm absolutely loving the new Ranger Distress Labels and have replaced all my old labels with these! They can be wiped clean, won't be impacted by inky fingers, and they're easily removable.


Here's a look at all of my reinkers, stored in Scrapbook.com Storage Bins—the same bins I use for all of my sprays.


Finally, here's a look inside my craft closet. I tend to keep most of my paper and cardstock on the second shelf, and I really like using drawers for my most frequently used papers. The drawers are also perfect for holding paper scraps!


Here's a look at some of the other shelves with various storage pieces, including more drawers, more Scrapbook.com Bins and Multi-Craft Storage Bins, along with more of those wood crates that hold a variety of miscellaneous craft items.

And there you have it, a quick craft room tour of how I like to store and organize my supplies. Again I highly recommend checking out the video for even more details and ideas.


SUPPLIES

Below you can find the storage and organization pieces I've shared in this craft room tour. When you shop through those links and whether you purchase that exact item or something else entirely, you’re supporting me at no extra cost to you. The commission I receive helps me cover the costs of my blog and other expenses, and allows me to continue to provide you with FREE inspiration and tutorials. If you want to learn more about what an affiliate link is, you can see my full affiliate and product disclosure statement here. Thank you so much for your love and support!

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My Desert Island Cardmaking Supplies: The Essential Tools I Can't Live Without

Hey everyone! Today I'm sharing something I get asked about all the time - what are my absolute must-have cardmaking tools and supplies? With so many craft products out there, it can feel overwhelming trying to figure out what's actually worth investing in. So I'm cutting through the noise and sharing my true desert island essentials - the ones that if I could only keep a handful of items, these would be it!

What Makes Something a "Desert Island Essential"?

When I started thinking about this project, I realized that my desert island list looks very different from what someone else's might be - and that's exactly how it should be! These aren't just popular products or things everyone says you "need." These are the tools and supplies that have proven their worth in MY studio, based on how I love to create cards.

For instance, my Distress Ink palette leans heavily toward earthy, grungier tones because that's my aesthetic. If you gravitate toward bright colors or pastels, your can't-live-without ink collection would look completely different. And that's the beauty of this approach - it gives you permission to think about YOUR own essentials rather than just copying someone else's list.

I've organized everything by category - from die cutting essentials and stamping must-haves to my carefully curated Distress Ink palette, adhesives that actually work, and workspace game-changers. Whether you're looking for gift ideas for the card maker in your life or building your own cardmaking stash strategically, this video walks you through exactly why each item has earned its permanent spot on my desk.

Watch the Video

Ready to see what made my desert island list and hear why I can't live without each one? Watch the complete video below, or head over to my YouTube channel to check it out!

What Would Make YOUR Desert Island List?

I'd love to hear from you! If you had to pare down your cardmaking supplies to just the essentials, what would make the cut? What's the one tool or supply you reach for constantly? Drop a comment on the YouTube video or send me a message on Instagram - I'm always curious to hear what other card makers can't live without!

My Desert Island Cardmaking Supplies

Below you'll find all the supplies I featured in this video. When you shop through these links—whether you purchase that exact item or something else entirely—you're supporting me at no extra cost to you. The commission I receive helps me cover the costs of my blog and other expenses, and allows me to continue providing you with FREE inspiration and tutorials. If you want to learn more, you can see my full affiliate and product disclosure statement here. Thank you so much for your love and support!

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Watercoloring with Tim Holtz Mini Distress Oxides | Vintage Christmas Card Tutorial

I don't know about you, but I'm super excited that the final 24 Mini Distress Oxides from Tim Holtz and Ranger Ink are here! This means the entire Distress palette is now available in mini oxide form—perfect news for those of us with "whole collection syndrome"!

Why I'm loving the minis:

  • They take up less space in your craft room and on your work surface
  • They enable techniques that are difficult (or impossible) with larger pads
  • When watercoloring, you're not wasting nearly as much ink
  • They create a beautiful creamy, dreamy watercolor effect

Watercoloring with Distress Oxides: Yes, You Can!

You might be wondering: can you actually watercolor with Distress Oxides? Yes! They're water reactive, just like regular Distress Inks. The only catch? You'll want to restamp your images after watercoloring to bring back the crisp details. The result is that gorgeous creamy, dreamy effect—dimensional watercolor with rich, opaque color and sharp definition. I'll show you exactly what I mean in this tutorial.

A Sweet Personal Touch

Before we dive into the technique, I have to share a special detail on this card. That vintage postage stamp? It's a real stamp from the Netherlands, sent to me by my sweet friend Saskia! Look closely and you'll see the stamp features my name—it's a Queen Juliana stamp (she was Queen of the Netherlands). Saskia generously sent me several of these treasures, and while I usually struggle with "ruining" anything vintage by actually using it, I forced myself to incorporate it here. It was the perfect finishing touch for my faux vintage postcard background, and I couldn't love it more!

Now let's get into the making of it!

Creating the Vintage Postcard Background

I started with Distress Watercolor Cardstock cut to 4 x 5.25 inches. I ink smooshed it into Old Paper Distress Ink spritzed with water, then dried it with my heat tool.

Next, I stamped various postcard images onto the paper using Black Soot Archival Ink and stamps from Tim Holtz, Elizabeth Craft Designs, and Gina K Designs. (I might or might not have a small collection of postcard and postage-themed stamps!) I hand-wrote a note, added a festive faux address, and stamped a postmark cancellation image in the bottom left corner to add another touch of red and create a visual triangle.

After inking the edges with Frayed Burlap and then Scorched Timber Distress Oxide, I added the vintage postage stamp and additional postmark cancellation images. I distressed the edges with the backside of my craft knife and added a few pieces of Tim Holtz Cellotape for vintage flair.

The finished background was adhered to kraft cardstock that I'd inked with Scorched Timber Distress Oxide and spritzed with water for a beautifully aged effect.

The Watercoloring Technique

Here's where the magic happens! For the focal images, I used stamps from Tim Holtz's Forest Floor 2 collection, stamping them with Black Soot Archival Ink onto Distress Watercolor cardstock.

Pro tip: I highly recommend using a stamping platform for this technique. Here's the step-by-step process:

Step 1: Stamp Your Image

Stamp your image with Black Soot Archival Ink (or any permanent, waterproof ink) onto Distress Watercolor cardstock. Leave the paper in the exact same spot in your stamping platform—don't move it!

Step 2: Prepare Your Colors

Smoosh your chosen Distress Oxide color onto your craft mat. Use a waterbrush or paintbrush with water to pick up the ink.

Step 3: Apply Lighter Colors First

Apply your lighter colors to the open areas of the stamped image. Work from light to dark for the best results.

My color choices:

  • Berries: Barn Door (light) and Aged Mahogany (dark)
  • Leaves: Shabby Shutters (light) and Forest Moss (dark)
  • Stem and tree slice: Frayed Burlap (light) and Scorched Timber (dark)

Step 4: Add Darker Shades

Once the lighter colors are applied, add your darker shades to the shadow areas indicated in the stamped image. This creates beautiful dimension.

Step 5: Let It Dry

Allow your watercoloring to dry completely before the next step.

Step 6: Restamp for Crisp Details

Here's the game-changer! Once your watercoloring is dry, reink the stamp and restamp your image right over the watercolored area. Look how it brings the image back to life!

Why Restamping Makes All the Difference

Because Distress Oxides contain pigment ink (along with dye ink), they're more opaque than regular Distress Inks. This creates that beautiful, creamy, dreamy watercolor effect—but it can also cover up fine stamping details. Working in your stamping platform allows you to perfectly restamp the image and restore all those delicate lines and details.

The result? Gorgeous, dimensional watercolored images with crisp definition. It's the best of both worlds!

Adding the Sentiment

The final touch was the "Merry" sentiment, which I die cut multiple times to create dimension. I used the Simon Says Stamp Festive Sentiments die set (sadly no longer available) and cut the sentiment from both black cardstock and gold metallic cardstock. I offset the gold layer slightly to create a shadow effect that adds visual interest.

Since my watercolored focal images were adhered with 1mm foam adhesive, I needed to build up the sentiment to match that same height. I die cut the sentiment several additional times from black cardstock and stacked them together using liquid adhesive. As I added each layer, I trimmed off portions depending on where they hit the other layers to keep everything level and create a smooth, even build-up.

Once all the layers were stacked and dry, I adhered the dimensional sentiment to the card using liquid adhesive, positioning it over the watercolored images to complete the design.

Give It a Try!

I hope this technique inspires you to try watercoloring with your Distress Oxides! The creamy, dreamy effect they create is truly beautiful, and the mini pads make it so easy to work with multiple colors without taking over your entire craft space.

If you give this a try, I'd love to see what you create! Feel free to share your projects with me on Instagram or in the comments.

Supply List

Below you can find the supplies I used to create this card. When you shop through those links—whether you purchase that exact item or something else entirely—you're supporting me at no extra cost to you. The commission I receive helps me cover the costs of my blog and other expenses, and allows me to continue to provide you with FREE inspiration and tutorials. If you want to learn more about what an affiliate link is, you can see my full affiliate and product disclosure statement here. Thank you so much for your love and support!

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Mass Producing Christmas Cards: 2 Vintage Grungy Card Tutorials

I'm excited to share not one, but TWO vintage grungy Christmas cards with you today—and even better, I'm going to show you how to use compartmental cardmaking techniques to mass produce them! If you need to make multiples this holiday season, this tutorial is going to be a total game changer. I'll walk you through two different card designs that share a similar aesthetic but offer different complexity levels, so you can choose the version that works best for your time and supplies.

Mass Producing Christmas Cards by Juliana Michaels | 2 Vintage Grungy Card Tutorials

What is Compartmental Cardmaking?

If you're not familiar with compartmental cardmaking (also called batch making or assembly line cardmaking), it's all about breaking down your cardmaking process into individual steps and completing each step for ALL your cards at once. Instead of making one card from start to finish, then starting the next card, you do all the background stamping for every card, then all the spray inking, then all the stenciling, and so on. This approach saves SO much time and makes the process much more efficient when you need multiples.

Joy To The World Christmas Card by Juliana Michaels A Vintage Grungy Card Tutorials

Two Cards, Two Complexity Levels

Both of these cards feature vintage typewriters, holiday greenery, and that moody, textured aesthetic I love. The "Joy to the World" card is a bit more involved with layered techniques including Distress Spray Stains, Distress Spritz, Grit Paste, and embossing powder. The "Holiday Greetings" card gives you a similar vintage grungy look but with fewer steps—perfect if you're short on time or want to simplify your supply list.

The beauty of these designs is that you can batch make either version, or even make both cards in the same session using compartmental techniques!

Holiday Greetings Christmas Card by Juliana Michaels A Vintage Grungy Card Tutorials

Watch the Full Tutorial

Ready to see all the details, tips, and tricks for creating these cards AND how to approach them with mass production in mind? You can watch the complete tutorial in the video below, or head over to my YouTube channel to check it out.

I'd love to hear from you—are you planning to mass produce cards this year, or do you prefer making one-of-a-kind designs? Leave a comment below and let me know! And if you make your own version of these cards, I'd absolutely love to see them. Share your creations with me on social media!

Supplies

Below you'll find the supplies I used to create these cards. When you shop through these links—whether you purchase that exact item or something else entirely—you're supporting me at no extra cost to you. The commission I receive helps me cover the costs of my blog and other expenses, and allows me to continue providing you with FREE inspiration and tutorials. If you want to learn more, you can see my full affiliate and product disclosure statement here. Thank you so much for your love and support!

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