Stay tuned!
Mary Beth Shaw will be back again next month with another new VLOG post!
Wednesday, October 28, 2020
Tuesday, October 27, 2020
Shadow Box Key Holder by Sunila & Aditi
Hope you are all well! Sunila and Aditi here with a mixed media home decor project.
While we were brainstorming what to create (since we've done too many trays, and coasters and all those things), we found a box at home. This is supposed to be a napkin holder, however, we decided to create something else.
We changed the position a bit and decided to turn it into a shadow box and create a key holder. The idea of the shadow box seemed useful because that space can hold bills, posts, and anything else that we'd like apart from the keys. An easy solution that can be hung by the door.
Here's a look at our final piece:
We were inspired to use our new nature theme stencils for this project. That made it easy to choose our color palette and create a little garden of sorts.
If you'd like to create one for your home, here's the video tutorial:
This project involves layering stencils with texture pastes and stenciled focal elements. We've used the following stencils- L736 Leafy Doodle Border by Valerie Sjodin , L712 Lattice Medallion by Kristie Taylor, S482 Bare Branch Thicket by Trish McKinney; all these are in keeping with our nature theme.
Here are a few close-ups:
StencilGirl Stencils-
Leafy Doodle Border by Valerie Sjodin (L736)
Lattice Medallion by Kristie Taylor (L712)
Bare Branch Thicket by Trish McKinney (S482)
Supply List:
Cadence Zeguma Stone Effect Paste
Lindys Squirts- Beaver Tail Brown, Poutine Gold, Emerald Eh?
Lindys Spray- Lucky Shamrock Green
Lindys Magicals- Sea Mint Green, Freaky Franken Lime
White Gesso
CrafTangles chalk paint Chocolate Syrup
Dina Wakley Penny
CrafTangles Iridescent Gold wax
Cadence Gold Foil and Metal Mixion
We do hope you've enjoyed our project today!
Happy crafting!
Hugs,
Sunday, October 25, 2020
6 x6 Collaboration with Kristin Peterson and Tina Walker
Hello and Welcome to StencilTalk. Tina Walker here today with my newest StencilGirl® Collaboration Column post.
This month, my collaboration is slightly different. Generally, my collaborations include multiple participants with many projects. This month my collaboration is a one on one project. I am partnering up with the amazingly talented, Kristen Peterson, from Altered States Studio. I have been a long time fan of her beautiful work and couldn't be more thrilled to be able to work with her on this project.
The idea behind the collaboration was quite simple. Since fabric often gets forgotten as a stencil substrate, we each cut out 12 2 x 2 inch squares of random fabric pieces, added stenciling to each + embellished them with stitching and buttons. Once the 12 pieces were completed, we swapped 6 squares each so that we ended up with 6 original squares + 6 squares from each other. Then, we used the 12 squares to create a brand new project! I love using small bits to create a larger piece. It really adds so much detail and interest and is one of my favorite ways to create.
Let's check out Kristen's project. She took the small 12 squares, put them together to make a larger piece, THEN, made a calendar out of that. How freakin' cool.
Wanna see more of her project PLUS a walkthrough of her design process PLUS a short video of all 12 pieces? Check out her post HERE!
There are so many lucious layers, details, and beautiful marks and design elements, I just can't stop staring at it. ♥♥♥
Kristen used the following stencils:
Mid Century Modern Rocks & Leaves
For my project, I used all 12 squares as little pockets in a machine stitched book. You can never go wrong with little books with pockets. 😀
I even used some extra squares that I had made for my book tie. I ripped the squares into strips, then sewed them together. I love the look and am so happy with how it turned it.
I used the following stencils:
I hope you enjoyed our projects. I love how we used the same starting squares yet ended up with two entirely different projects. Although I've hosted many many collaborations, I am still amazed how different creative minds can use the same items to create such a variety of projects.
That's all for now. Until next time! Be safe and stay healthy.
XOXO
Tina
Saturday, October 24, 2020
ON SALE: Make art to decorate your castle - a set of CJS '19 tutorials
Nathalie's Studio presents... The Best of Creative JumpStart 2019!
The time is now to get Vol. 5 in the collection of CJS video lessons from the archives when the theme was "My Home is My Castle."
You will receive links to 12 downloadable video lessons from Creative JumpStart 2019 to enhance your castle.
This collection includes project and technique based lessons from a dozen different mixed media artists. CJS Founder Nathalie Kalbach, invited Mary Beth Shaw, a couple of StencilGirl stencil designers, one of our StencilGirl columnists, to be a part of the incredible cadre of artists involved in Volume 5.
You will be able to download the lessons to your library and enjoy learning at your own pace from a diverse group of Creative JumpStart classics.
This collection is just $9.99 and available immediately.
Get ready to JumpStart YOUR Creativity! Learn more and read a
description of the lessons RIGHT HERE.
Friday, October 23, 2020
Mixed Media Postcards by Mary C. Nasser
I hope you enjoy my Mixed Media Postcards project and make your own Mixed Media Postcards, too!
Have fun and happy creating!
Art Supplies I used in this video:
- Strathmore 400 Series Toned Tan Mixed Media Paper Pad 6" x 8" cut in half to postcard size: 4" x 6"
- Strathmore 400 Series Toned Gray Mixed Media Paper Pad 6" x 8" cut in half to postcard size: 4" x 6"
- Strathmore 400 Series Toned Blue Mixed Media Paper Pad 6" x 8" cut in half to postcard size: 4" x 6"
- StencilGirl® Stencils: Map with Roundabouts, Map Stencil, ATC Mixup - Nasser, Let's Go 1 and
Let's Go 2 - Vintage maps and gel print on newsprint (for collage ephemera)
- Metal Ruler (for tearing)
- UHU glue stick
- Yellow scraper
- PaperArtsy paints in Buff and Mermaid
- Utrecht white gesso
- 6B pencil
- Cosmetic sponge, InkBlusher and sponge dauber
- QOR watercolor in Pthalo Blue (Green Shade)
- Liquitex Heavy Body Artist Acrylic in Turquoise Deep
- Black uni-ball pen
- Pam Carriker's acrylic ink in Turquoise
- StazOn Ink in Jet Black and Blue Teal
- Black IDenti-Pen
- Map stickers: Vintage Hemispheres
- Wow! Embossing Pad
- Aegean Sea embossing powder
- Teal Golden High Flow Acrylic in Fineline Applicator (for splatters)
Thanks so much!
Thursday, October 22, 2020
Jane Dunnewold: Stenciling with a Heat Press!
Supply List
Heat press (Don’t try
this with an iron as you might melt the stencil.)
Silk handkerchiefs
(package of twelve)
OR larger size
Origami paper (This brand
works but I can’t promise others will)
2 Teflon sheets
2 or more pieces of white
craft felt cut to fit the Teflon sheets
Scissors
Old washcloths for clean
up
Spray bottle
Dishpan
Large piece of shelf
liner (or other plastic to protect your work surface)
StencilGirl® Products
Hi, everyone! Jane Dunnewold here! Last year I purchased a heat press because I wanted to adapt it for my botanical printing. Heat presses are usually used to apply transfers to flat objects like T-shirts, and in some cases as an assist to printing on paper. Little did I realize when I bought the press that it would also be a cool tool for stenciling!
You may not have access to a press, but if you do, this might be fun to try. Presses also come in smaller sizes that are relatively affordable and are frequently on sale, or you can find a good used one.
The machine in the picture is a clamshell style press, with controls for both temperature and time. Several hours of experimenting led me to conclude that two minutes of pressure at 300 degrees is ideal for stenciling.
In the course of figuring out botanical printing with the press, I’ve experimented with all kinds of papers and fabrics. I use colored papers for transferring during that process, which is how I stumbled on the use of the stencils with my botanical prints. You can experiment, but in order to limit variables, I’m going to show you how to work specifically with origami paper and lightweight silk handkerchiefs. There is a learning curve with this process, as you will see.
A heat press isn’t equipped to provide moisture, but a damp surface is imperative when you print the way I am. In order to introduce moisture into the equation, I work with craft felt. I wet the craft felt in the sink and then put it in the spin cycle of the washing machine, so that most of the moisture is spun out. A wet piece of felt is not your friend during this process, as it makes the images bleed and you lose control of details as you can see in these examples!
In order to work for stenciling the colored paper needs to the kind where the color goes all the way through the paper, rather than being printed on one side. Construction paper hasn’t worked for me. Some art papers work and some don’t, but the origami paper listed on the supply list works like a charm. It’s inexpensive and can be recycled, which is a plus. The six inch squares are a great size that allows you to play with several colors at once.
I discovered that I prefer
stencils that are overall designs for this process, but that might be because
when I concentrated on the silk I started to think of the patterns as my gypsy
series! From a technical perspective it’s important to choose stencils that
have fairly open lines. I tried one very thin-lined circle pattern and the
lines were too narrow to print satisfactorily.
So we’ve assembled our supplies and now we’re ready for the fun to begin.
Follow These Step:
1. Turn the press on to
300 degrees and lay out the shelf liner or other plastic to protect the work
surface.
2. Wet the felt pieces
and spin them in the washer until they are damp-dry.
3. Lay one Teflon sheet on the work table and put a piece of felt on top of it.
4. Lay the fabric on top
of the felt. Spritz it lightly to dampen, but DON’T overdo it or the print will
bleed.
5. Lay the stencil on top
of the fabric.
6. Dip the colored paper you have selected into water in the dishpan and then lay the paper on top of the stencil. In the photo you can see the stencil sticking out from under the colored paper.
7. Lay the second piece
of felt on top of the colored paper/stencil/fabric sandwich and then cover the
felt with the second Teflon sheet.
8. Carefully carry the “sandwich” to the press and position it on the platen. Close the press. The timer begins as soon as you close the press. It’s only two minutes so don’t walk too far away!
9. When the timer goes
off, open the press and take out the “sandwich.” It will be hot so be careful.
You may want to wear heat mitts for this step.
10. Carry the “sandwich” to the work table and take off the top Teflon sheet and felt.
11. Carefully peel off the paper and discard it and remove the stencils to reveal the pattern.
12. The color is set by the heat. Allow the fabric to dry unless you want to continue to build layers! Additional layers can be added immediately but you can also decide to add another layer after the fabric dries. Repeat the process again by dampening the fabric and papers and layering between the dry-damp pieces of felt.
TIPS:
Always work with clean felt. The colored paper bleeds onto the flat and can transfer to the background and stain or even ruin it. The gray background in this print was NOT intentional. Cut six-eight pieces of felt and wet them all at once to save time and avoid the tedium of washing the felt after each print. Launder it at the end of the session so it’s fresh and ready for the next session.
Don’t get discouraged if the first few prints bleed. Sometimes the result is actually beautiful and will make a gorgeous background for more printing or embellishment!
How to Add Another Layer
Color background without adding pattern by putting colored paper on the fabric without using a stencil. Colors blend so this is a great color theory lesson!
Add pattern by repositioning the stencil you used the first time or choose a different stencil to make the patterning super complex.
Conclusion
I haven’t decided what to
do with the beautiful fabrics I’ve made on my press. I may embroider on some of
them, or assemble them into a quilt. I’d love to add gold leaf and maybe even
some additional stenciling. We’ll see! In the meantime, I look forward to
discovering what else I can do with fabrics, stencils and colored papers, and I
hope you’ll try it too. If you do, send me pictures. It’s always fun to see
what someone else does with my ideas. Inspiration is everywhere!
Wednesday, October 21, 2020
West African Symbol ATC Mix-Ups by TreWen
You are in for something totally different today! StencilGirl is delighted to introduce an artistic collaboration on 4 dynamic ATC stencils, between Wendy Featherston and Trena Brannon.
The West African Symbols in this collection of ATC Mix-up Stencils are called Adinkra. Each symbol is a visual image that represents a concept or an aphorism - a pearl of wisdom.
The selected Adinkra symbols are a collaboration between Wendy Featherston and Trena Brannon aka TreWen. Wendy and Trena both have an appreciation for beautiful Adinkra symbols and for the words that describe them.
Ghana Adinkra symbols were originally created by the Ashanti of Ghana and the Gyaman of Cote d'Ivoire in West Africa. Adinkra symbols are used extensively in fabrics, pottery, logos, and advertising.
When Wendy and Trena received the stencils, they cut them into 9 rectangles :) If you are familiar with the “ATC format,” it gives you a bit more creative flexibility with your stencils.
 |
| L817 |
After the stencils arrived in the mail, Wendy (East Coast) told Trena (Midwest), "Let’s just get together and play!" And that’s what they did! Below is a video sharing a portion of the time they spent together - they ended up playing for an entire afternoon!
Here are some photos of what Wendy and Trena created with the symbols and words, starting with a photo step-out series in an art journal - there are so many, many possibilities!
Apply color with pastels (L819):
Gelli print, paint, and doodle to create greeting cards: (L818, L819, L820):
Gelli print and draw in an art journal: (L817, L818, L819,L820):
Drip alcohol ink and let it dry in place; spritz the stencil with isopropyl alcohol and make ghost prints from all that rich color (L819):
Paint and texture paste on canvas (L818):
Use texture paste on canvas and fill in openings with a paint pen (L817, L819,L820):
Use metallic paste on design paper for bookmarks (L819, L820):
Gelli
plate on fabric:
(L817,L818, L819, L820) rainbow
(L817,L818, L819, L820) aqua
Washi Tape Slap Down: Lay down washi tape randomly on a piece of cardstock, then trace the stencil on the back and cut it out (Shout Out to Mary Beth for the idea!) (L817, L818, L820):
Drawing and Painting in an art journal (L818, L820):
Drip watercolor over the stencils and let them dry in place (L817, L818, L819):
Wendy and Trena bid you:
"Thank you
for allowing us to share with you today!"
You can see all 4 of the West African ATC Mixup Symbols Stencils HERE :)
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