Edited: Learned a lot using these Prettier Plaque stencils. I cannot use for mass production, yet. Need to do each cookie individually. Wash the stencils and do the next. You couldn't see the masked space when it has airbrush color on it. Notice the shading is outside the frame. It looks better where I didn't shade but it is still off. I love them though. Probably only me that notices. It was hard to decide which way to position the stencil...lots of options. It didn't fit too well on the other plaque so I used the heart instead. --Katy
Julia M. UsherFounder and Host, Cookie Connection; Owner, Recipes for a Sweet Life
katydoescookies posted:
Learned a lot using these Prettier Plaque stencils. Cannot be used for mass production. Need to do each cookie individually. Wash the stencils and do the next. You can't see the masked space when it has airbrush color on it. Notice the shading is outside the frame. It looks better where I didn't shade but it is still off. I love them though. Probably only me that notices. It was hard to decide which way to position the stencil...lots of options. It didn't fit too well on the other plaque so I used the heart instead. --Katy
I actually do many in a row and don't wash in between, and haven't had any difficulty; I just place the mask in the same space it was before and all works fine. Eventually the background stencil needs washing like any other stencil though.
The shading stencil wasn't intended to shade completely within the frame, but rather within the masked area to bridge the break between the frame and the rest of the background pattern - to close that small gap, if desired. Take a look at my Noel set or I'm Yours video for other ideas about how to use the shading stencil. I do think the shading looks best though, when it matches the frame color, rather than being an entirely different color.
Learned a lot using these Prettier Plaque stencils. Cannot be used for mass production. Need to do each cookie individually. Wash the stencils and do the next. You can't see the masked space when it has airbrush color on it. Notice the shading is outside the frame. It looks better where I didn't shade but it is still off. I love them though. Probably only me that notices. It was hard to decide which way to position the stencil...lots of options. It didn't fit too well on the other plaque so I used the heart instead. --Katy
I actually do many in a row and don't wash in between, and haven't had any difficulty; I just place the mask in the same space it was before and all works fine. Eventually the background stencil needs washing like any other stencil though.
The shading stencil wasn't intended to shade completely within the frame, but rather within the masked area to bridge the break between the frame and the rest of the background pattern - to close that small gap, if desired. Take a look at my Noel set or I'm Yours video for other ideas about how to use the shading stencil. I do think the shading looks best though, when it matches the frame color, rather than being an entirely different color.
I need more practice then....I made a mess of the mask area and I couldn't get the stencil to line up exactly. When you do them in steps what do you do before you move the stencil to the next cookie...all the backgrounds, then all the shading, frames, and words? I was trying to do them by colors..all the reds, then all the purple..etc. I'll have to rethink my procedure.
Julia M. UsherFounder and Host, Cookie Connection; Owner, Recipes for a Sweet Life
katydoescookies posted:
Julia M. Usher posted:
katydoescookies posted:
Learned a lot using these Prettier Plaque stencils. Cannot be used for mass production. Need to do each cookie individually. Wash the stencils and do the next. You can't see the masked space when it has airbrush color on it. Notice the shading is outside the frame. It looks better where I didn't shade but it is still off. I love them though. Probably only me that notices. It was hard to decide which way to position the stencil...lots of options. It didn't fit too well on the other plaque so I used the heart instead. --Katy
I actually do many in a row and don't wash in between, and haven't had any difficulty; I just place the mask in the same space it was before and all works fine. Eventually the background stencil needs washing like any other stencil though.
The shading stencil wasn't intended to shade completely within the frame, but rather within the masked area to bridge the break between the frame and the rest of the background pattern - to close that small gap, if desired. Take a look at my Noel set or I'm Yours video for other ideas about how to use the shading stencil. I do think the shading looks best though, when it matches the frame color, rather than being an entirely different color.
I need more practice then....I made a mess of the mask area and I couldn't get the stencil to line up exactly. When you do them in steps what do you do before you move the stencil to the next cookie...all the backgrounds, then all the shading, frames, and words? I was trying to do them by colors..all the reds, then all the purple..etc. I'll have to rethink my procedure.
Yes, you have to take some care to line up the stencils, or things won't land where intended. Just be sure to do all aligning relative to what's already stenciled on the cookie. My videos show this process pretty well, I think. It becomes second nature after using these stencils a few times.
Re: mass production - First, I don't think it's accurate to say these particular stencils "cannot be used for mass production". My stencils are inherently no different than any others in terms of how coloring gets applied; any stenciling process with any stencil will take longer if you start using more colors. All of my designs can be done with one or few colors and still look great if speed is a primary issue.
More tips on mass production: I always try to do similar steps at one time to minimize stencil and color swap-outs - this is true of any stencils I use (not just mine) and of all work processes, whether I am using stencils or not. So generally, I prefer to do all backgrounds (on all cookies) before moving onto the next stencil layer. As mentioned above, when you start introducing lots of color into the backgrounds (or into any stencil of any make/kind), you're going to slow down the process because of color swap-outs. If you want to avoid any slow-down, then the best thing to do is stick with one color. Typically though I try to use colors in my backgrounds that blend well, and I start with the lightest color first. This way, I can move from one color to the next without thoroughly cleaning out the airbrush between colors. I just spray or dump out any excess color and then backfill with the next.
I will say that if I was going to do hundreds of these cookies (or, again, any stenciled cookie), I would invest in more than one stencil, to minimize cleaning between runs. (I only clean between coloring applications if there is an excess build-up of coloring on the stencil though). And if I was going to use lots of colors on any stenciled cookie, I'd set up more than one gun, to minimize color swap-outs. Of course, the latter might not be cost effective if you're just doing a few cookies, but if you're doing large runs of stenciled anything, then it quickly becomes economical to have more than one gun.
Learned a lot using these Prettier Plaque stencils. Cannot be used for mass production. Need to do each cookie individually. Wash the stencils and do the next. You can't see the masked space when it has airbrush color on it. Notice the shading is outside the frame. It looks better where I didn't shade but it is still off. I love them though. Probably only me that notices. It was hard to decide which way to position the stencil...lots of options. It didn't fit too well on the other plaque so I used the heart instead. --Katy
I actually do many in a row and don't wash in between, and haven't had any difficulty; I just place the mask in the same space it was before and all works fine. Eventually the background stencil needs washing like any other stencil though.
The shading stencil wasn't intended to shade completely within the frame, but rather within the masked area to bridge the break between the frame and the rest of the background pattern - to close that small gap, if desired. Take a look at my Noel set or I'm Yours video for other ideas about how to use the shading stencil. I do think the shading looks best though, when it matches the frame color, rather than being an entirely different color.
I need more practice then....I made a mess of the mask area and I couldn't get the stencil to line up exactly. When you do them in steps what do you do before you move the stencil to the next cookie...all the backgrounds, then all the shading, frames, and words? I was trying to do them by colors..all the reds, then all the purple..etc. I'll have to rethink my procedure.
Yes, you have to take some care to line up the stencils, or things won't land where intended. Just be sure to do all aligning relative to what's already stenciled on the cookie. My videos show this process pretty well, I think. It becomes second nature after using these stencils a few times.
Re: mass production - First, I don't think it's accurate to say these particular stencils "cannot be used for mass production". My stencils are inherently no different than any others in terms of how coloring gets applied; any stenciling process with any stencil will take longer if you start using more colors. All of my designs can be done with one or few colors and still look great if speed is a primary issue.
More tips on mass production: I always try to do similar steps at one time to minimize stencil and color swap-outs - this is true of any stencils I use (not just mine) and of all work processes, whether I am using stencils or not. So generally, I prefer to do all backgrounds (on all cookies) before moving onto the next stencil layer. As mentioned above, when you start introducing lots of color into the backgrounds (or into any stencil of any make/kind), you're going to slow down the process because of color swap-outs. If you want to avoid any slow-down, then the best thing to do is stick with one color. Typically though I try to use colors in my backgrounds that blend well, and I start with the lightest color first. This way, I can move from one color to the next without thoroughly cleaning out the airbrush between colors. I just spray or dump out any excess color and then backfill with the next.
I will say that if I was going to do hundreds of these cookies (or, again, any stenciled cookie), I would invest in more than one stencil, to minimize cleaning between runs. (I only clean between coloring applications if there is an excess build-up of coloring on the stencil though). And if I was going to use lots of colors on any stenciled cookie, I'd set up more than one gun, to minimize color swap-outs. Of course, the latter might not be cost effective if you're just doing a few cookies, but if you're doing large runs of stenciled anything, then it quickly becomes economical to have more than one gun.
Anyway, I hope some of these suggestions help.
Julia I edited my original post. Thanks for all the tips. I love your stencils. You are right in saying that using a lot of colors in the base coat slows down the process. By using green I didn't have related colors. Maybe that is why it seemed to slow it down. I'm anxious to try them with RI. --Katy
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