Decorate a Journal Cover Using Stenciled Address Labels

Hi art friends, it's Martha and I'm excited to share a project today for my second StencilGirl blog post! This is an idea that was inspired by a mixed media artist named Cat Hand. I saw her video sharing this technique about 10 years ago when I first started doing mixed media and thought it would be fun to try it again. There is a link to her video down below.

I'm decorating a book cover using stenciled address labels. The first step is to choose a book you would like to use and paint the cover. I happened to choose a book that has a cover similar in color to the painted background I wanted. 

Next, it's time to add paint to those label sheets. I decided a mid-century modern theme would be cool for my book cover. Here are the paint colors and stencils that I chose to use.  I've listed the supplies below.

I used standard white mailing labels as you can see. For my project I wanted an off white background on the labels so I used a brayer to cover two label sheets with Titan Buff paint.

The next step is to decide in which order to use the paint colors and stencil shapes. Something to keep in mind if you are trying this project is which shapes and colors you want to stand out and which ones you want to be more in the background. If you are unsure practice first on a piece of copy paper. That's what I did. 

I decided to use the yellow color and this stencil as the first one in the background. This is the lightest paint color I used and it will look nice as a background color. I will use darker colors as I go along which will stand out more.

Next is the orange color. As you can see, I taped off the part of the stencils that I wanted to use. Another tip is to vary the shapes and sizes of the images.

This shape in green adds a nice contrast to the pattern and colors I have so far. Note that I am overlapping some of the shapes. I don't want to cover every single part of my labels but do want to spread out the shapes and colors so that when I pull off the individual labels they will have a nice variety of colors.

Continuing with this curly shape in dark blue. I want these next stenciled parts to stand out more. 

A rectangular shape in magenta is next - another nice contrast to what I have so far. 

Finally, I stenciled the shape that I wanted to stand out the most in turquoise. I love the way these colorful sheets look so far!

The last step before I start adhering the labels to my book cover is to outline and add marks to some (not all) of the shapes with a gold pen. This is optional of course, but I like this look for my project.

Here's a close up of one of the label sheets. As usual it's difficult to photograph the shiny gold, but hopefully you get a good idea of what they look like.

I used a thin layer of gel matte medium to adhere the labels. Starting on the right side of the cover I moved left in perpendicular rows toward the spine. Each row is staggered a bit and I left a small gap in between each label to create a tile like pattern.

This is what the front of my book cover looks like before I trimmed the top and bottom. I let that dry really well then followed the same process on the back cover, leaving the spine area open. 

Here is what my final project looks like. I like to add a closure to most of my journals (also an optional step) so I attached a couple of charms to a black elastic. I wanted to keep it simple so as not to detract from the busy and colorful patterns on the cover. I really love the way this bright and happy cover turned out! I have not worked on the inside yet, but plan to use the pages on the inside of this book to do some art journaling. I hope you're inspired to give this a try. There are so many different options with colors and styles.

Suplies Used:

Hardcover book

Paint

Address labesls

Stencils

Make up sponges 

Paint marker

Gel matte medium

Scissors

Stencils Used:

Mid Century Modern Vibe 2 https://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/stencil-Mid-Century-Modern-Vibe-2-Jennifer-Evans-p/s584.htm

Mid Century Rocks and Leaves https://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/stencil-MidCentury-Mod-Rocks-Leaves-Jennifer-Evans-p/s586.htm

Slices 6  https://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/stencil-slices-6-terri-stegmiller-p/s094.htm

I recorded my process if you'd like to watch the video:

Cat Hand inspiration video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvEYq7O2ImU&t=14s

Follow me at:

https://www.instagram.com/mymixedmediafun/

https://www.youtube.com/@madebymartha

Learn to Let Go~ an affirmation keepsake

Happy Heart Day friends;

Today I want to share with you a little heart keepsake that I was inspired to create using the I Am Words stencil created by Cat Kerr.

One thing to note about me is that I am a glass half full kind of girl and I am all about positive self talk, setting boundaries and self love.

The I Am Word stencil is all that for me as it serves as the perfect reminder and hence it was chosen to be the star of today’s project.

I will be using inks on an old canvas today but the project can also be made on fabric and with acrylic paints and a sponge rather than sprays.

Some slow stitches add another layer of interest as does the tattered edges.

For the tattered edges I used drop cloth ~ yes the kind you find at the hardware store!! 

Choose bits of fabric, lace, ribbon or simply leave it as is.

Think of the process as making a sandwich.

There is a bottom layer, a middle and a top layer! 

Let’s start:

Set the stencil on your fabric and apply paint or spray ink of your choice. I am working on canvas and decided to use Distress Spray stains

Now remember the sandwich reference- here are the steps.

*Cut out a heart from your stencil fabric

*Cut a piece of batting the same size

*Cut a third heart about 1/2” bigger than the stencilled one.    This will be the base.

 I used a piece of rescued denim. 

Now we will layer them together.

I used fabric glue to hold them together.

*glue the batting on to the base fabric. In this case the denim.

Next cut pieces of fabric that will serve as the tattered edges.

The length will depend on the size of heart. For this one I cut 2.5” strips and folded in half (just to save time pus it makes it easier to stitch)

With the fabric glue tack them all around the heart shape ensuring they overlap the batting just a bit.

Take the stencilled heart and with the glue tack on top of all this goodness.

I found using some pins to keep it secure also helped with the slow stitching. 

Stitch around the entire heart by hand or the sewing machine.

Now as I said up top, this step can be omitted but it does add a raw rustic feel which I love.

Lastly, add a positive note or several ~ that you can refer to when needed 💓

Thanks for stopping by and remember be kind to yourself because you are worth it!

Let’s connect Tina Hois Art

Supplies:

Stencil I AM words

Fabric

Batting

Inks or paint

Needle and thread

Fabric glue 

Paper Pinwheels

Hello Creative friends,

Today we will take a trip back in time and revisit the famously fun paper pinwheel.

Paper pinwheels are adorable, they bring forth a touch of whimsy and can be made in just afew minutes. 

I for one love them and they are a great addition to my cards, journals or even party banners!

I love using stencils for this projects to personalize them and add further interest. 

Today I am using:

Words to Live By stencil designed by Carolyn Dube 

&

DNA Strand #3 stencil designed by Mary Beth Shaw

The Process:

• Apply paint to the gel plate and then the stencil 
• Cover the stencil with a blank piece of paper and lightly rub so that the stencil image is transferred
• Clean the gel plate and repeat the process on the opposite side of the your paper

• Fold the paper into quarters and cut (unless you want a GIANT pinwheel!)
• You will have four pieces of paper 

• Take one piece and fold it from right to left to create a trianlge and trim off the excess 
• you will end up with a square. Note this method works with any size square

• With the ruler draw light lines from corner to corner and a small circle in the middle where the lines joins - this will act as your cutting guide (do not cut past this guideor it will all fall apart)

• Once all the lines are cut add a small dab of hot glue to the center of the paper
• Bring the right corner of each individual trangle to the center, and hold in place until the glue keeps it there (repeat with all four corners attaching with glue as needed)
• Add a button or pom pom in the center for whimsy 
• Allow to dry completely 
• Turn over and glue on the straw

So fun! 

 Thank you for stopping by and enjoy.

Supplies

Tina Hois Art

Enjoy this blissful moment- by Jane Bellante

Hello everyone!  Jane Bellante here - back with one of my favorite ways to use my stencils and masks.

I love using sprays of all kids, and the Oxide Sprays from Ranger are no exception.  For this short but sweet tutorial, I grabbed my Longwood Florals Mask (which has become one of my very favorite masks lately!!), and the Kitsch Flamingo, Walnut Stain and Vintage Photo Oxide Sprays.  

I'm using some handmade paper that has bits of flowers in it.  It's rather thick, so I wanted to explore how the sprays would react on this particular paper.  

I sprayed through the mask, and then I flipped it over to get the negative on the right.  I just love the contrast here!

The Oxide Sprays sunk into the paper, but the paper is thick enough that it did not totally saturate the back of the paper - which I loved because my final plan was to bind this into a little book.

Next, I grabbed some rub on transfers and some words and created a little fairy land on top.  I adore how it turned out!

You can watch the full (and quick!) tutorial right here, and you can also see the gorgeous eco paper from Jeanie Barnes that I used for my book cover.  It is soooo pretty!!!

Supplies Used:

Longwood Florals Mask

Kitsch Flamingo, Walnut Stain and Vintage Photo Oxide Sprays

Rub on transfers

Random words

Eco Paper from Jeanie Barnes

Waxed Thread

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and that you will experiment with sprays and StencilGirl Stencils.  It's a never ending exploration that I just love!

You can find me at janebellanteart.com and @janebellanteart on all social media platforms.  

Thank you for being here!!

xo, 

Jane

Trena Brannon: Ideas for Journal Pages and Bookmarks

Hello Beautiful People! Today, I'm sharing a couple of ideas for how to use stencils to bring some colorful joy to yourself and to others. 

IDEA 1: Starting with colorful joy for you, an idea for your art journal. I chose fashion for the focal point in the example below, you can choose a focal point that brings you joy. 

In my 9x12 Canson XL watercolor journal, I selected my word stencil I Get to Choose for my background. I believe the words are empowering.  I used a dry dauber sponge so the words would be crisp and dabbed acrylic paint in a diagonal pattern using my favorite color - the rainbow. :) Of course, you use your favorite color(s).  Some of the words were smeared because I had a little too much paint, which is ok. It's the background.

 

After the paint dried, I used the same dauber sponge and a few of the same colors to create vertical streaks.  To warm up the page, I used a larger sponge to apply a thin coat of Golden Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold - I  learned that from Mary Beth!

After the layer dried, I painted my model form and let her dry.  

Next, it was time to dress her! I painted her dress using magenta and bright orange, trying not to blend too much - I dig the painterly look.  I used acrylic paint, pencils, gouache, and pens to draw her features, her hair, and make-up.  One of the reasons I really like using acrylic paint is that you can easily fix any boo-boos. I had to redo her make-up and hair a few times, and also her chin. LOL! In the end, I dig how she turned out.  That’s the most important thing - when you look through your journal, you dig the art!

For the design in the lower part of her dress, I used the symbol for Democracy, Unity in Diversity from West African Symbols ATC Mixup 4, one of the stencils in a collection of symbol stencils that Wendy Featherston and I collaborated on. I painted a metallic watercolor through the stencil using a small paint brush and a small amount of water so that the color would not run under the stencil. 

Below is a photo of the supplies I used. 

IDEA 2: Make someone smile with a customized bookmark. I like to give books as gifts - art books, self-powering, leadership, romance - all the books!! Whatever the recipient is into.  Along with the book, I give a customized bookmark.  

Stencil Girl: Mixed-Media Techniques for Making and Using Stencils.

For this bookmark, I used Positively Positive and the August StencilClub set.  I bought this blank bookmark and sleeve pack of 5 years ago when Sunday International was a USA company. The cardstock included has a glossy coating.  I found bookmark sleeves at clearbags.com and I also found a variety on amazon USA.  Read closely to make sure you get the quantity you want, they can come in large quantities. You can use the paper of your choice and cut it to fit the sleeve.  

To make this bookmark I worked in layers, starting with rubbing Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold using a paper towel. Because the paper is glossy, I got a ‘swish type’ texture. I left some white on purpose.

With the intention of making the gold less transparent, I added a flesh-colored mat paint to the gold, using a dauber sponge through a corner section of the 9x12 club set stencil. Had a happy accident - my sponge dauber was damp from the previous cleaning and made an interesting-looking design.

 

Next, I added random shapes with a dry dauber sponge and the 4x4 club stencil.

Using a dry dauber sponge, I filled in the female mask cutout stencil with flesh tone opaque paint and gold, which created the looking I was going for. :) 

I then laid the mask over the cutout shape and colored in the open sections with a pencil. I really like the scratchy pencil look. 

For the positive words, I used a sharpie to color each letter. Note: I adjusted the stencil for the second line to make sure the letters fit onto the bookmark. I then colored over the bridges to make the letters flow together.

To give a bit of a 3-D look, I laid the stencil back in place and then shifted it left ever so slightly and drew in a thin black line on the left of each letter. 

Add a ribbon and it is ready to use! I usually add their name to the tag as well.  IMPORTANT NOTE: Be sure to let your bookmark dry completely before sliding it into the sleeve.  I was excited to finish it and made a little smear. So, this one will be mine and I'll create an unsmeared one as a gift. :D

For more ideas, tips, and techniques for words and African symbol collection, check out the videos below:

Creating with word stencils.

Lots of ideas for the West African Symbols ATC Collection.

You can find all of my StencilGirl® stencil designs HERE and HERE!

Take Care and Stay Positive! 

trenabrannonart.com

Instagram: @trenabrannon

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