A stencil is a thin sheet of metal or plastic out of which a design has been cut.
VOA: special.2009.09.02
Maya Lin cut out the shapes of three bodies of water using thin layers of wood.
VOA: special.2009.05.06
Choice slices, cutthin enough to let light pass through, and polished to show the crisscrossed patterning of unalloyed nickel and iron, are as sublimely gaudy as Faberg??, and can be nearly as pricey.