Passages Through Time by Linda Edkins Wyatt

Hello.

Time travel has fascinated me for years. I wonder about past lives, wonder if I have lived before, and if so, who I was. I have sometimes had the experience of being in a new place, yet feeling like I know it, like I have lived there or been there before. I often watch films and television shows about time travel, and one of my very favorite books is Time and Again, by Jack Finney.

This feeling overcame me when I moved to New York City 40 years ago and was exploring different neighborhoods. On the Lower East Side, I saw a park and a row of old houses that I felt I knew. I hadn't seen a photo of it, or read a book about it. But I did feel like there were memories of the park and houses inside me waiting to be discovered. I had the same feeling in Paris, when I visited Montmartre. It seemed so familiar, and I wondered if I had lived there and been part of an art scene from yesteryear. I felt that odd familiarity with a new place driving through an old tenement area, which was under renovation, near Albany, NY. Most recently, that "I know this place" feeling hit me when working in Harlem.

So to illustrate the StencilGirl® travel/passages theme, I thought, "Time Travel!" and decided to create a little old-fashioned city-scape to illustrate the idea.

Here's a video which shows my process:

The woodblocks and matchboxes were painted with a few coats of white or black gesso.

I have been collecting cardboard boxes that hold wooden matchsticks. Paired with some house-shaped wooden blocks that I snapped up for $1 each at a discount store, I had a good foundation for the project. I painted one of the blocks white, and the other black, and did the same with the matchboxes.

Next, I used the December 2018 StencilClub set, Fancy Houses, designed by Valerie Sjodin, to create the buildings. I stamped a Versamark pad through the stencil, then sprinkled the white shapes with black embossing powder, and the black shapes with white powder, then zapped it with a heat gun. On the back of the blocks, I got a little more experimental, using gold embossing powder on one, and on another, adding color with Derwent Watercolor Blocks.

Areas from the Fancy Houses StencilClub set were used to decorate the blocks and boxes.

I had to be verrrry careful with the matchboxes...there was a fine line between melting the embossing powder thoroughly and burning the box! I also had a little trouble getting a crisp image on the box, especially on the sides where there was a textured strip for striking the matches. Since I was using mostly black and white, I touched up any unwanted blobs and speckles with a black sharpie or a little bit of paint on a small brush.

My stencils were larger than the boxes and blocks, so I selected strategic areas of the stencil, like using just the light post on the edge of one of the blocks. On the other sides of the boxes and blocks, I used the windows or doorway areas, and also a key stamp to add interest. On the back of the blocks, I got a little more experimental, using gold embossing powder on one, and on another, adding color with Derwent Watercolor Blocks.

The sides of the boxes and blocks were also painted and embossed.

The cabaret paper doll fits inside the matchbox. Here, she dances atop the backside rooftops.

I couldn't resist making a little cabaret-inspired black and white paper doll to live in--and dance on top of--my time-travel village.

The old-fashioned doll was made with a Rubber Moon stamp and a Graphics Fairy vintage hat image.

A subtle detail was flipping the clock image before printing to give the idea that time was going in a different direction. I used a vintage image from The Graphics Fairy.

While I may never actually time travel, my little village makes me think about the possibility, and definitely makes me want to read my old favorite book again.

Linda

Silhouettes, Houses, Floral Spirals, and more stencils and masks!

You have arrived at the right place for stencil variety because Jennifer Evans and Valerie Sjodin each have new stencils!

Nineteen wheels are caught in a moment of harmony in Jennifer Evans' Spoked Wheels Collage Mask.

Spoked Wheels Mask, S709, 6" x 6"

Winding to a center blossom, the Spiral Dot Dash Stencil, M262, resembles berries or bud with leaves. 

The curling pattern of the Leaf Spiral Stencil, M261, is reminiscent of an unfurled fern frond. This mini stencil makes a delightful addition to your art journal for writing along the stem.

A gentle breeze seems to wind around the plant in the Spiral Vine Stencil, M263. 

You can make beautiful collage papers with these stencils, get painterly in your art journal pages, make encaustic art, or make greeting cards.

Each of these stencils is 4" x 4".

Art Journal Collage with Watercolor and Pen.

Leaf and Clover Prints Stencil, S708, 6" x 6"

Whispery and delicate are the leaves and buds of the Leaf and Clover Prints Stencil. Use this stencil when you want to achieve a painterly look with watercolors or capture a feeling reminiscent of pressed flowers in your artwork.

Figures: Couples Stencil with Masks, L730, 9" x 12"

Couples Stencil with Masks: Use as individuals or as couples. These upright figures can be configured and integrated in many ways. Use as silhouettes or as a paper doll base to build clothing and personalities of the figures. When combined with the Small Figures stencils, distance and depth are easily achieved. These figures are compatible in size with the Figures Praising. 

Washi Tape, Acrylic, and Pen Tags

Small Figures Stencil, S707, 6" x 6"

This small version of the figures stencils adds the human touch and depth of distance when combined with the other figure stencils. These are perfect for small cards and ATC’s. 

Acrylic Bible or Art Journal Spread

Praising Figures Stencil with Masks, L727, 9" x 12"

Praising Figures are compatible with the Bible journaling Figure stencils, expanding the possibilities for Bible journaling. Use as silhouettes or as a paper doll base to build clothing, and personalities of the figures.

Sheet Music, Acrylics, and Pen Collage.

Fancy Houses Mixie Stencil/Mask, L729, 9" x 12"

There are so many things you can make with this versatile Fancy Houses Mixie Stencil Mask. Use as a mask and/or stencil. Tape off portions to make building blocks of new unique houses. The small houses fit ATC (Artist Trading Cards) and the larger fit within a 5x7” card. Mix and match with Figure stencils to add the human touch. They make a wonderful companion to StencilClub Fancy Houses, December 2018 (exclusive to club members).

Play Diorama.

Look how easy it is to use this hinged stencil:

How-to: Stencil a Fancy House Village Complete with People:

Acrylic Art Journal Spread

You'll find the latest stencil releases from Valerie Sjodin and Jennifer Evans at StencilGirlProducts.com.

Check out the houses in our town ~ StencilClub Voices built it!

Greetings Stencil Lover! Carol Baxter here. I have had these stencils in my possession for a while and they have been crying "build a town"!

Guess what!  Our fabulous StencilClub Voices, Shel C, Jill Holmes, and yours truly, built neighborhoods with Fancy Houses, the StencilClub set for December, designed by Valerie Sjodin.

Take a tour through StencilGirl Town! 

Shel C's Holiday Scene

Watch as Shel builds her wreath adorned town street:

 https://youtu.be/IjOksa-fqv4

Jill Holmes' Holy Night

Jill writes: 

"I had a lot of fun playing with Valerie’s December StencilClub set. The architectural designs are the same sizes such as to be interchangeable. I combined different sections of the different stencils to create my small village scene. The largest stencil features almost 12-inch building designs and my Strathmore Multimedia journal measures only 10 inches tall. 
     It was a lot of fun creating smaller, yet seamless designs with all of the building elements."

You can see Jill's process on her blog.  

Carol Baxter's Counterculture

Valerie's Fancy Houses called to me and said, summer, fall, winter, spring. Spring gave me flowers which led me to think of flower children so maybe this is The Haight. 

The other stencil you see is Jessica Sporn's Feeling Groovy set from April 2015. There are so many tree stencils that would set off these Fancy Houses too! I am looking forward to enlarging my town.

There are many possibilities for interchanging roofs and dormers, etc, and making these stencils at home in your art journal or larger art projects but you need to be a member of StencilClub.

Not only does membership come with the stencils, but there is a special project by the designer that you can download in video and pdf form, a coupon, and you can be a part of our art community.

Check out the details.

If you would like to watch Valerie reveal the inspiration behind her Fancy Houses, click here.

Fancy Houses Stencils are here for StencilClub members in December!

Oh, the windows you'll paint and the artistic doorways you'll open with this StencilClub set by Valerie Sjodin.

Houses in Amsterdam, the Rice Museum, and playing trains with her grandson inspired her to design Fancy Houses!

Valerie will show members how to make a town full of fancy houses as a standing accordion journal.

 

There are so many ways to interchange the levels and rooftops of these buildings, you are sure to combine them for a dream home or town in your artworks, but the only way you can build them is to be a part of StencilGirl's Stencil Club by December 15th, 2018.

Find out more/join now, RIGHT HERE.