Life is Beautiful

Life is Beautiful

I’m so enjoying popping up here regularly as one of the Guest Designers for StencilGirl. We’ve had a pretty dismal summer here in Scotland but this spread is a reminder that there were a few sunny days in among all the rain as it was made outside in glorious sunshine. And for me it’s also a way to show you just how very versatile StencilGirl stencils are. Maria McGuire's Just Breathe, A Serene Goddess stencil is one of the best ones to demonstrate this, filled as it is to the brim with different patterns and textures. Hope you will get to love it as much as I do.

Here are the step by step instructions:

1.       Gesso pages in Dylusions Journal

2.       Scrape on blue and green paint and rub back with a baby wipe through Now is the Time stencil.

3.       Repeat step 2 using purple paint and stencil Just Breathe, a Serene Goddess.

4.       Using grass green paint, stencil through parts of Just Breathe and Now is the Time.

5.       Repeat step 4 using white paint.

6.       Glue on vintage music and imagery as shown.

7.       Glue on images from paper napkins (using only the top layer of the napkin).
I used two different ones, one featuring pink birds and butterflies, and one featuring vintage postcards.

8.       Using a wooden block spiral stamp and purple paint add spirals as shown.

9.       Glue on magazine images (poppy seed heads and flower). 

10.   Let yellow Liquitex ink as well as purple pearlescent ink (from F&W)
drip down the pages encouraged by water spray.

11.   Spray using Just Breathe stencil and Tropical Blue Mica Mist for that extra bit of sparkle.

12.   Outline with black and white markers and a black Stabilo Pencil.

(c) Frieda Oxenham, 2015-09-01. To see more of Frieda's work, please visit her BLOG.