Grunge and Neon Mass Make Tags

Hi friends! Consie Sindet here with another fun project for you. I love how inspiration can show up. This project came about because of a tag someone made me, a birthday gift of neon paints, and my love of reading and using book paper.

If you are looking for a delightful gift for a bunch of people, try this project! It is a great mass make. Let's jump in to how I made them!

Let's start with the supplies I used:

ATC Mixup Evan stencil by Jennifer Evans: L654

ATC Mixup Apter stencil by Seth Apter: L664

Feather Patterns mask and stencil by Valerie Sjodin: S939

Interesting Dots Repeating Patten by Jennifer Evans: S769

8.5x11 white cardstock

Cookie sheet or tray

Watercolors

Water spray bottle

Makeup sponges

Neon + black acrylic paints

Black Sharpie pen

White paint/gel pen

Book paper

Teabags

Paper cutter

Corner rounder

Scissors

Sewing machine

Black eyelet/grommet setter

I started by grunging up my white cardstock using watercolors in brown tones. I sprayed water onto a cookie sheet, added brown watercolor to the sheet, sprayed the cardstock a little with water and then laid it down into the watery watercolor. I flipped the cardstock back and forth a few times, adding more watercolor and water to get the color and darkness that I wanted. I also added splatter with the same browns to get a mottled effect. Let it dry.

To add even more grunge to the cardstock, I used the Interesting Dots Repeating Patten by Jennifer Evans: S769 stencil and a dark brown to add random marks all over the page. The final step to the background paper was to splatter orange neon paint all over. Let this dry completely. Then cut the cardstock into 8 equal pieces: 5.5" x 2.125". I used a corner rounder paper punch to round the bottom corners of each tag. Set them aside.

I then created the teabag overlays. Each teabag was able to be torn in half so it fit over the tag pretty closely in size. I used one of the masks from the Feather Patterns mask and stencil by Valerie Sjodin: S939 to add a multi-colored neon acrylic paint feather to each teabag. I then used a black Sharpie pen to loosely outline the feather. Remember to keep it loose and imperfect!

Back to the tags... using the ATC Mixup Apter stencil by Seth Apter: L664, I added a word on each tag along with some fun background marks with black acrylic paint. I kept the words the darkest and added the marks with a lighter touch. I did put the words on the bottom of the tags.

On my book paper, I stenciled the faces from the ATC Mixup Evan stencil by Jennifer Evans: L654 and then ripped each face out. I used one larger and one small face for each tag.

To add more neon to the grunge, I added touches of yellow to the faces and orange to the edges of the tags. The orange on the tags picks up the splatters that we did earlier!

I glued a set of 2 faces to each tag above the words. I paid attention to the marks on the tags and moved the faces a little this way and that to take advantage of what was showing. I also added a white highlight with a gel pen on the eyes of all of the faces.

If you do not have a sewing machine for the next step, glue or a stapler are great options! I folded the teabag over the top of the tag, then sewed with a straight stitch a few times back and forth across the top of each tag, leaving the strings for a fun messy look.

Using a black eyelet and grommet setter, I added more texture and function to the top of each tag. Add ribbons, string, a bulb pin, a paper clip depending on how you will use the tag.

I left the back of the tags blank for journaling, quotes, or anything else you want to add! Since these are made in sets of 8 from one sheet of cardstock, you can make 16 pretty easily for a fun mass make to send out as happy mail, give to your bookclub or art group.

I would love to see what you create using these stencils! You can tag me on Instagram and find me in the following spaces!

Website: AtopSerenityHill.com

Instagram: @consie_atopserenityhill

YouTube: @ConsieSindet

The Creative Playground membership

Megan Whisner Quinlan: June 2021 StencilClub Stencils

Although working in my art journal is my favorite mixed media space to play, when I am looking to create something smaller and experiment, I love to work on tags. Tags allow me to try the same technique over and over, while tweaking as I go. When I am done, I have a bunch of beautiful tags I can then use in future spreads in my journal, or use as happy mail for a friend. Here I decided to experiment with ghosting techniques with ink sprays, a technique that I love but always forget to use. Follow along to see how fun it can be to experiment with using these techniques and this month's StencilClub stencil set.

You can use any size tags for this project, but here I chose #10 Dina Wakley Media tags from Ranger Ink. I also chose Pomegranate, Desert Sand, Blue Lagoon, and London Fog ink colors from Dylusions (also from Ranger Ink). 

Spray a mixture of colors onto your tags and allow them to dry. Mop up the excess with paper towels. Hold your stencil over your tags and spray water through the stencil. Pull up your stencil gently, and roll your paper towels over your tags to remove the water. As they dry, a ghost image from your stencil will appear. 

As you experiment, try spraying your stencil first and then place wet side face down on your tags and lift your stencil to reveal the negative of the stencil. Mop up water with paper towel rollover your tags . 

With the 4" stencil, stencil through with some neon pink paint onto some water color paper and cut out the circle. Again, you can experiment with cutting some in half and adding them in different ways to your tags.

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Finally you can add bits of collage paper and photos to your tags and finish them off with a ribbon on the tops. It's a wonderful way to experiment and create something for down the road. 

Join StencilClub by June 15 to receive these three exclusive stencils and accompanying video tutorial with PDF, and 20% OFF STENCILS EVERY DAY!!

Hello! My name is Megan Whisner Quinlan. I have been art journaling and book binding for about 20 years. However, I took a 10 year break from paper arts when I had my first 2 children. About 5 years ago, I came back into journaling after some big life changes, including 2 more children. Journaling had always been a part of my life, especially to work things out in life on paper. When I first started out, I really only focused on making books by hand and some basic collage and stamping. I was intimidated by the amazing art journaling artists out there who could create elaborate, mixed media spreads.  When I came back to journaling after such a long break, I decided that I was going to really push myself to learn all the techniques I had been too afraid to try.  Painting and drawing have really allowed me to find so much joy in my creative process, and I now almost exclusively create mixed media every day. I feel excited to have joined the art journaling community and you can find me on Instagram @Megan_Whisner_Quinlan or on Youtube: Megan Whisner Quinlan.

Paint the natural world with intricate stencils by Margaret Peot

You are sure to create artistic delights with these oh-so-intricate, decorative, nature-inspired stencils designed by Margaret Peot.

Tiny scenes of animals, flowers, trees, and berries are snuggled together in the Floral Circle Frames Stencil. Gorgeous as an over-all background or mask off and stencil the frames individually to use as tags or ornaments.

 

Margaret foiled the frames and cut out the centers in the example above. The frames could also be used to draw attention to mini paintings, photos, or pressed flowers.

A stencil for all seasons, Floral Heart could be used to make a pretty tea towel for a Mother’s Day gift, a color-coordinated decoration for a wedding guest book, or a true love's Valentine. Inside this 9" x 12" floral heart stencil are two of everything: two hearts, pairs of birds, two mice, two owls, a nest with two eggs, plus berries, flowers, leaves, and vines. The inspiration for this heart stencil was artwork Margaret made as a gift for a b’nah mitzvah for fraternal twins, a boy and a girl, children of close friends.

"I grew up near a pond, surrounded by reeds and ferns and flowers," Margaret says. "It was always a thrill when a wild duck would nest in the grasses and bring her babies onto the pond in the spring."

Duck Nesting features flowers and ferns disguising a nesting duck and a hovering dragonfly. "This swirling stencil design can be used as a mirror-repeat for a border, or as the beginning of a narrative for an art journal page," Margaret says.

Tall straight flowers and ferns make a pretty meadow border. Use this versatile Tall Flowers Stencil for spring stationery, a border on fabric, or radiate the straight flowers from a central point to make a floral mandala.

Discover the natural wonder of all of the stencils Margaret has designed for StencilGirl®.

Gift it or Grid it Challenge from Shel and Peg

Hello,

Peg & Shel with you today. We are so happy to share a few gift and wrapping ideas with you. This time of year we are always looking for an easy gift to take to out host/hostess and friends, so let us share with you some quick and easy ideas.

We are using L736 Leafy Doodle Border, S708 Leaf and Clover Prints and L422 Herbs stencils. StencilGirl® carries many leaves, flowers and nature stencils. Did you know you can shop by category? It is so convenient. 

Peg Robinson's Gifts, Tags, Bags, and a Dispenser

In the picture above and in my video, I'll show you how I created gift bags, a decorative journal to gift in a bag, a pleasing gift tag and a decorated soap or cream dispenser. I chose to work with Archival inks and Gina K Glitter paste. Isn't that green shimmer lovely?

The bags are inexpensive sandwich bags in a kraft brown paper and a wax paper much like glassine.

The tag can be used to adorn homemade flavored vinegar or oils recycling old wine bottles. You can purchase soap and lotion dispensers at the discount store and decorate them with glitter paste and stencils. 

Did I mention the decorated sandwich bags are great wrappers for gifting stencils to your crafty friends?

Shel's Wrapping Gifts Up!

For the November Gift It/Grid It theme I focused on up-cycling beautifully stenciled gift packaging using the three stencils. 

For the first one I used spray inks and the Leafy Doodle Border stencil to make my own gift wrapping paper our of craft paper that comes in ordered boxes as packaging. Iused the same stencil & spray to make a belly band and tag for the package.

The second project was created with a used box that some essential oils came in. As it was just plain craft colored box I stenciled it using some acrylic paints with the Leaf and Clover prints stencil. 

I like this stencil because you can use the designs on top of each other to add highlight or shadow with different colored paint. This box can be used again and again and doesn't have to be wrapped. 

I made a matching tag to tie on the ribbon.

For the final gift packaging project I used a paper sack from the grocery store produce area with oranges in it. I used a regular dye based ink pad and the Herbs Stencil to cover the bag in stenciled rosemary leaves. Then I used a piece of cardstock to create a topper for the bag to keep it closed. You can also use the stenciled topper as a tag to write a greeting or the to/from information. 

I hope you found my stenciled packaging upcycling ideas fun and useful and give them a try this gift giving season.

Well, we hope this helps you with your last-minute gifts this season. Thanks for checking us out and a big thanks from Shel and Peg at StencilGirlTalk. 

Enjoy the holidays.

Peg & Shel

Stencils used:

Leaf & Clover Prints 6" x6" Stencil by Jennifer Evans

Leafy Doodle Border 9" x 12" Stencil by Valerie Sjodin

Herbs Stencil 9" x 12" by Jessica Sporn

StencilClub Voices Create with Post-Memphis

Greetings and Salutations! It's Carol Baxter from StencilGirl® waving at you. 

Mary Beth Shaw and I think the world of our StencilClub Voices!  This month, Peg Robinson, Kim Ross, and Pamela Levingston have stepped up to share the fun they had with the May 2018 StencilClub set, Post Memphis, designed by Andrew Borloz.

Get Festive with Peg Robinson

Peg writes: "These stencils started me thinking about Cinco de Mayo celebrations and the festivities. I think that is where the bright colors and fun character sprang from in these pieces." 

You can see Peg's process in a video tutorial on her blog.  

Shazam by Kim Ross

Kim writes: "Andrew’s stencils were exactly what I needed to bring my figures to life. When I first saw them, I thought they looked like a celebration of confetti! The swirls and twirls combined perfectly with the squares, triangles and circles, and I really loved the shazam power of the lightning bolts. I can’t wait to use these terrific stencils on future projects!"

Bam Pow by Pamela Levingston

"The page is called BAM POW. You can recycle your old art into something new.

Scan it, and print and it grab your club stencils and turn your old art into something new."

Catch Pam's blog post with a tutorial video about her art journal spread spread. 

Pretty Simple Cards by Carol Baxter

I wanted to make a birthday card for someone special who keeps telling me, "No birthdays!" I left room to write a sentiment.

The clock struck midnight and I realized I had been stenciling a few hours! Here's the results:

I've also been thinking I'd like to make some note card sets that I could have on hand to give to friends. Hence, Yes Ma'am

... and OK. Perhaps this needs an "a" to make it A OK?

The one above has stenciling under the washi tape. I will still send it off somewhere, because a wise person once told me that there were no mistakes in scrapbooking or card making, but I do think the one below looks better.

Oh! I just realized I have patterned rice paper that will match up with these Post Memphis stencil, paint color, and washi tapes. Now to find it so I can create an art journal spread! 


We hope you have enjoyed our projects.  You can join StencilClub or get more info by clicking on the photo below: