Friday, September 16, 2016

Art Journal & Cards with StencilGirl Products

Stenciled Shimmer Sheetz Art Journal & Cards
by Judi Kauffman for StencilGirl Products
Hi, everyone! Judi Kauffman here! Excited to be back as a Guest Designer sharing new projects! I’ve turned to Shimmer Sheetz yet again because it’s so much fun to stencil and I love the sparkle.

With just two stencils and one mask, plus two 5” x 12” pieces of Shimmer Sheetz, a blank journal, some paint and cardstock, I was able to complete the front cover of an art journal and six note cards – nary a scrap wasted.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Paint the front cover of an art journal using teal metallic paint or any other color(s) you prefer. (The covers of my book were originally black and after adding torn paper scraps for added texture I base-coated both front and back with black paint prior to the teal metallic.) Don’t worry if some of the paint gets onto the coil binding rings. Optional – repeat for the back cover.
2. Use black paint and the stencil shown at the right in the photo below (or a stencil you prefer) to add pattern to the front cover of the journal. Optional – repeat for the back cover.
3. Use bronze paint and the mask shown at the left in the photo above to create another layer of texture along the left side of the cover. After the bronze paint is dry, repeat with black to create a third layer and more distinct pattern. Optional – repeat for the back cover.

4. Alter one 5” x 12” piece of Australian Opal Gemstone Shimmer Sheetz with alcohol inks in Stream and Metallic Gold, using more Stream than Gold. Alter one 5” x 12” piece of Black Iridescent Shimmer Sheetz with the same two inks, but using more Gold than Stream. Tip: Use an Ink Applicator Tool to randomly dab on the inks. Drying time: only a couple of minutes.
5. Using the two stencils shown in the photo above, stencil over the alcohol ink-altered Shimmer Sheetz using bronze and black acrylic paints (the same colors used for the journal cover). Drying time: Depends on the weather (longer if it’s humid) and how thickly paint is applied.

6. While you’re at it, stencil three or four 4” x 6” pieces of burgundy laid-finish cardstock with the same three stencils that were used for the cover and the Shimmer Sheetz pieces. Save these pieces until step 10.

7. Back the Shimmer Sheetz pieces with double-sided adhesive sheet. Die cut at least two 2.75” diameter circles from the Shimmer Sheetz, taking care to center the stenciled circle pattern within the die when cutting. (See *Reminder just above the supply list for tips on die cutting Shimmer Sheetz.)
8. Cut at least two rectangles for the front over. Shown: Top rectangle = 2.5” wide x 3.5” high; bottom rectangle = 2.5” wide x 2.25” high. Cut at least two of the circles die cut in step 7 into two pieces. Use the lines within the stenciled design as a guide – the circles are not cut precisely in half. 
9. Add the two rectangles and 4 sections of the circles to the cover as shown in the photos above (or create a collage that better suits your eye!).
10. Use the remaining pieces of Shimmer Sheetz, along with the stenciled burgundy cardstock, to create collage-style note cards.

MORE OPTIONS FOR JOURNAL FRONT AND NOTE CARDS

Using black cardstock for the card base adds an elegant touch, but it doesn’t have to be black and it doesn’t have to be a solid color. Make a batch that is all one style or mix things up!

Do more stenciling or painting; add torn cardstock or paper layers as well as die- or hand-cut shapes. (Cut Shimmer Sheetz with scissors, paper trimmer, craft knife, or dies – it’s Mylar and can’t be torn.)

Add low-relief dimensional embellishments, found objects, and/or paper ephemera (canceled stamps and such).

Do some hand- or machine-stitching on the cards. (Do not machine-stitch through adhesive-backed Shimmer Sheetz. It will gum up the needle and cause problems.) To hand-stitch on the journal cover, use an awl to pierce a few widely-spaced holes.
*Reminder: To die cut Shimmer Sheetz – if you are cutting with a thin metal die like the ‘Stitched Circle’ I chose, you MUST use a metal adaptor plate inside your machine’s standard cutting plate ‘sandwich’ or the Sizzix Big Shot with the Precision Base Plate. However, if you are using a Sizzix Bigz die OR have access to a full size AccuCut GrandeMARK machine and standard dies you do not need the metal plate.

SUPPLIES
Other –
  • 5” x 7” coil-bound journal with black covers
  • Shimmer Sheetz in Australian Opal Gemstone and Black Iridescent – 5” x 12” sheet in each color (Elizabeth Craft Designs)
  • Stitched Circles die set; two 5” x 12” Clear Double Sided Adhesive Sheets; Clear Double Sided Adhesive Tape in width of choice (Elizabeth Craft Designs)
  • Sizzix Big Shot with Precision Base Plate
  • DecoArt paints – Dazzling Metallics in Peacock Pearl and Bronze; Americana Acrylic in Ebony Black
  • Stencil brush
  • Alcohol inks in Stream and Gold Metallic; Ink applicator tool (Ranger)
  • Cardstock in Burgundy with laid-finish (subtle stripe texture); Black with vellum-finish (smooth)

15 comments:

  1. Beautiful work! I know I have a couple of shimmer sheets in my stash somewhere, I have to dig them out and play! thank you..........

    ReplyDelete
  2. These are way past stunning -- I love them! The color combinations, the composition of the assembled elements in each piece ... everything is a delight!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love these Judi!!! Simply wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  4. It amazes me that you cant take the same supplies (paper, ink, Shimmer Sheetz) and created a ton of different projects!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great job, Judi - love your projects! I was not familiar with this product line, but will definitely be checking it out now!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you for the great comments. I had so much fun making the cards that I'm already planning another batch and the journal is going to get a lot of use. Maybe if I'm invited back as a guest designer I can show how the inside pages evolve and share the next batch of cards as well.
    Judi Kauffman

    ReplyDelete
  7. These are really gorgeous. Love the color choices and those wonderful stencils.

    ReplyDelete
  8. WOW! These are all awesome pieces of ART! Love how you used Shimmer Sheetz with the stencils - two of my fave products!! Thank you for the inspiration, Judi!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Your projects make those stencils look like must-haves!

    ReplyDelete
  10. They are stunning and remind me of a cartouche...

    ReplyDelete
  11. these are beautiful love the use of the shimmer sheets

    ReplyDelete
  12. Love this! It has a steampunk vibe, which I love seeing. Great use of stencils and supplies. Thanks for the tutorial.

    ReplyDelete

If you are entering a GIVEAWAY, please add your email address in the event we need to contact you.

To avoid SPAM, please write it like this:

marybeth (at) stencilgirltalk (dot com)

Thank You!