We are a family-owned, independent manufacturer & distributor of some very cool templates and stencils. We began as a small paper arts shop in 1997, selling lovely papers, fine art supplies and all sorts of delicious things. One day in 1998, we realized that the only thing missing was a great assortment of unique templates. And Voilà! The Crafter’s Workshop templates & stencils was born!
Jaime, our designer and founder, creates most of the designs. Ted, the Head Honcho, is the driving force behind the whole production. And Suzanne [not pictured] is our
no-nonsense (quilt-a-holic, don’t-tell-me-it’s-impossible) task-master who makes sure your orders go out as soon as humanly possible. And then of course there’s us, the cast of elves who are busily making, packing, picking and shipping all of your orders (yes, we make and package everything right here in the USA!) Whew! It’s a big job keeping Scrapbookers, Stampers, Cardmakers, Quilters, Fiber Artists, Decorative Artists and everyone-in-between-Artists happy. But somehow we do it.
If you have any ideas, comments, questions, requests or suggestions – we’re all ears (and eyeballs). Just give us a call at 914-345-2838 (Eastern US time if you want to find a live person) or drop us an email.
Is there some way I could receive your newsletter or blog-blogging
because I only have an e-mail address … nothing else.
When can we purchase the new stencils (Julie Balzer and Dina Wakley) I saw at Summer CHA Chicago?
HI Jane. You can click on: http://www.thecraftersworkshop.com/The_Crafters_Workshop/Where_to_Buy.html
Most stores should have them now or at least soon!! -Jaime
I was just reading through your blog and saw you posted the stencil album I did that was inspired by Ronda Palazzari. Thank you so much! It was a treat to see that. I love all your products and appreciate all you do for us mixed medial folks.
where do I sign up for your newsletter ?
thanks
What are the best (easy to clean) coloring mediums to use with your products? I tried a spray acrylic on an old stencil I never use, and it was impossible to clean. Some of the products I’m particularly interested in are: acrylics mixed with glossy gel/medium, glimmer mist, Adirondack Spray Wash and rubber stamping inks. What is the best way to apply acrylics—stencil brush or palette knife? Do you have any videos demonstrating your products?
Than you,
Jan Krassner
All good questions. Thanks Jan!
ie: Soap, babywipe, windex, fantastic…it depends upon how “dirty” the medium is. Sometimes it just needs a rinse of water.
My rule of thumb for cleaning is; Use whatever cleaner/soap/solvent that you’d use to get that same “medium” off a kitchen counter (the old-fashioned kind that we had when we were kids…or still have if you live in a house from the 1940′s like we do)
Another important thing is to wash your stencil immediately (or soak it) if you want a clean stencil. Julie Fei-Fan Balzer prides herself on having “dirty stencils”. To each, her own. Right? Modeling pastes MUST be soaked and washed off or else you will have a 3-dimensional art project on your stencil!
For acrylics, less is more. So the trick is to apply only a little paint at a time or else it will bleed underneath. A “dry” sponge (not a lot of paint) or a stipple/stencil brush would work well. Less is more.
Here are some places that we have videos: http://thecraftersworkshop.com/The_Crafters_Workshop/Video_How_to.html as well as on Julie Fei-Fan Balzer’s blog: http://balzerdesigns.typepad.com/