StencilGirl® Talk

Friday, February 14, 2025

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

Friday, February 7, 2025

How to De-stash Without Filling a Landfill

My Art Desk is a HOT MESS.

When I had my shop, Ephemera Paducah, it was not unusual for customers who had amassed a large quantity of art or craft supplies to ask if they could unload on me — assuming we would use the supplies in the studio.

The first time it happened was overwhelming. Mainly because of the sheer quantity of items but also because most items were unopened and some still had the Ephemera Paducah price tags on! This happened 2-3 times a year, most often when an artist had decided that a certain medium was no longer for her — dollmaking, paper crafts, quilting, etc.

After the first experience, I would accept donations but instead of increasing my stash, I would set up tables on the patio under the overhang to house them. My staff and I would cull through what we thought the studio “needed” or we wanted, after which I contacted a list of local public school art teachers letting them know they could take all that they desired. Miraculously all of the supplies found good homes that way.

I’m 62 and looking around my studio I have a lot of stuff. I am seeing de-stashes online from folks my age as we come to conclusions like: “I am never going to make jewelry so what am I going to do with all these beads?” Or “No, I am NEVER going to use that scrapbook paper.”

An Indoor Art supply Yard Sale hosted at Ephemera before closing

And, I still get enticed by new-to-me art supplies, as one does.

Not every small independent art store can handle a personal de-stash so I’ve researched some options for you if you are thinking about narrowing your focus or unloading supplies that do not bring you joy.

Although there is not one in my hometown of Paducah I know of two “Creative Reuse Centers” in Nashville, SMART and Turnip Green. I had a friend drive a carload of supplies from Murphy, NC to SMART and they were excited to see her walk in the door! Mary Beth recently posted about the St. Louis Teacher’s Recycle Center above her Studio! Lucky girl! The point is, there may be a Creative Reuse Center close to you to donate OR shop!

You know as well as I do that public school teachers use their funds to help stock their classrooms and studios. Get to know these awesome folks and see if they need any of your stash!

Create an event with your art buddies! I have a friend who is a masterful yard sale shopper/trader. She hosted an annual event that involved about 20 friends at a Swap Your Accessories Party. This could easily be tailored for arts & crafts supplies! Have each of your guests package up their unwanted or unloved supplies in bundles that would go for $10 at a garage sale. Here is a great outline to get started: Throw a Swap Party Send any leftovers to after-school programs, Creative Reuse Centers, or Teachers.

Ask the host of your next in-person class, crop, or regular art get-together if you could arrange a swap for specific items. Oh, I don’t know, let’s say you have stencils that you have never figured out how to integrate into your style. I’m sure everyone has a couple. See if the other members of your group would like to trade stencils before or after your class. If your event is at a store, please ask permission before showing up with free giveaways!

Are you in online art groups? Create an art supply swap where everyone mails certain items to another person in the group.

You might also get really adventurous and host a huge consignment sale event for nothing but Art and Craft Supplies. The Consignment Connection has hosted one for 10 years in Murfreesboro, TN, right outside of Nashville.

Finally, so many “institutions” use art supplies to help people. Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Facilities, Scout Troops, Rehab Facilities, Day Cares, Kid Sunday or Saturday School Classes, Women’s Shelters, Children’s Hospitals, Boy’s and Girls’s Clubs, Senior Citizen Centers, YMCAs — the list is almost endless. Just be polite and call before inundating them with supplies.

Let me know ways to de-stash that I’ve missed or if you’ve had a great experience with someone’s discards!

Friday, January 24, 2025

Creative Playtime in a One-Page Folded Journal

Hello stencil friends! Nicole here with an invitation to join me and make a one-page folded journal. Then, use it for creative play with your stencils. It's the perfect way to spend a few hours getting lost in paint, splatters, drips, and layers.

front and back cover

I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I've not been very creative lately. The last couple of months were filled with vacation, several holidays and a cold that just would not end. With everything going on, my “just because” creative time was pretty much non-existent which matched my energy, too.

This of course, left me with no idea of what to create but at the same time overwhelmed with ideas.

page 2 & 3

If you’re like me, you probably have a list somewhere, or in my case many lists in many places, of ideas and things you want to try. One idea on my list is playing with the one-page folded journal. I’ve seen it here and there, but never tried it myself.

I love the concept of this journal because no stitching or glue are needed.

page 4 & 5

Most of the one-sheet journals that I’ve seen use plain copy paper. However, I knew I wanted a bigger and stronger surface. So, after looking at several tutorials of how to fold the paper, I set out on my own to try it.

page 6 & 7

Making the Journal

For my journal, I used a piece of watercolor paper that measured 12x18 inches and gessoed both sides. I had no idea if this was going to work! I opted to gesso both sides to add integrity to the paper, even though both sides aren’t created on. With all the water and drips and mess, I thought it would be best to add that layer of protection!

Then, it was time to make the journal. A step-by-step with photos is below, however you can also watch the folds in action in the video tutorial.

Step one: Fold the paper in half on the long side

Step two: Open and fold the paper in half on the short side

Step three: Fold each end up to meet the middle.

This creates a W or M with the paper.

Step four: Cut the center of the M/W shape starting at the centerfold until you get to the next fold line

Step five: Squish this center back together and fold the flaps down in the opposite directions.

Step six: Fold the center again to create the book!

I used a bone folder to help crisp up my folds.

When finished, there are several pages that have pockets. You can choose to tape them together, or keep the openings for places to tuck things into. I taped most of mine and left 2 openings. Use a strong tape, like the acid-free masking tape I'm using.

Then, either use matte medium or gesso to ensure the tape stays put.

Voila! You made a journal! Congrats!

Now coms the fun part.

Creative Play with Stencils

I grabbed my bin of all the bits of papers that I can't throw away. They are just too good to end up in the trash can, and are perfect for this small journal! I stuck them down randomly on all the pages.

I didn't really think about where this was going to go, as my intention is pure play and creative time.

All these random bits now need to come together, so I used gesso to embed them into my journal pages and add back in some white space.

Once the gesso dried, it was time to add stencils! Each time I stenciled, I made it my own by adding drips, splatters, or removing some of the paint in a process I call "scruffing up" the stencil. You can watch me do this in the YouTube video. However, here's a walk through of all the stencils I used in the order I created with them.

I had no plan in place. I simply let the stencils lead the way! I chose a variety of stencil types from industrial to floral to marks and patterns plus a few faces, too!

Ruins with Payne's gray on page 7

Night Sky with Payne's gray on page 3 (plus I traced around the stenciled areas with the stabilo-all pencils)

Nosegay with burnt umber and some Payne's gray on page 5

Tri-Textured Sheet Metal with titan green pale on page 2

Abstract Marks with transparent black spray paint on page 6

Added more Nosegay with burnt umber on page 4

Nosegay with burnt umber on page 1 + some dirty paint water (front & back cover)

Create Face with Payne's gray on page 4

Tri-Textured Sheet Metal with titan green pale on page 1 (I used the baby wipe technique here)

Abstract Marks (just the rectangle like shapes) with transparent black spray paint on page 1, and I traced around the shapes with the stabilo all.

I stamped the excess off on page 8

Ruins with Payne's gray on page 8 (back cover)

Romance Face with Payne's gray on page 8 (back cover)

123 with Payne's gray on page 1 (front cover)

Alpha Drips with Payne's gray on page 1 (front cover)

Nosegay with burnt umber on page 8

Laugh Face with Payne's gray on page 2

Final Touches

To finish the journal, I added a couple photos, some additional ephemera bits and a phrase on the front cover. I even tucked a couple surprises into the pockets that I didn't seal with the masking tape and closed those up with a mini stapler.

My final step was to finish the journal off with some Dorland's wax medium. This will add a wonderful finish (it's not waxy at all!) and ensure that the pages do not stick together.

Lessons Learned

Phew! I had so much fun not only making this small journal, but creating inside it! This was the perfect exercise to wake up my creativity, and now I can't wait to make some more of these journals.

I loved letting the stencils take me places on each page with no plan in place.

The larger watercolor paper and gesso worked great. However, when I do this again, I think I will also enforce the page centers with some tape. In the end, a small part of one of my pages started to rip. It's very minor and most likely won't continue. But, I'd recommend maybe adding some tape to the page creases.

Watch how the journal came together in the video below. (Warning, it's a bit long, because I was having so much fun!)

I hope this inspires and encourages you to not only try making a one-page journal, but also to simply create and allow the stencils to lead the way!

If you make one, I'd love to see it!

-Nicole

Connect with me on

Stencils

123

Nosegay

Tri-Textured Sheet Metal