Stenciled Poetry Art Journal - The Raven - by Jennifer Gallagher

Hello! 

It's Jennifer Gallagher here with you again, this time with a thematic art journal page for this month's theme 'Stenciled Poetry'. I found this theme quite intriguing and rather difficult. I don't usually create pages in my journal that are based upon anything other than my imagination. Even though it was out of my comfort zone, I was up for the challenge. 

One of my favorite poets is Edgar Allen Poe. After glancing through my ever-growing stencil collection, I knew I had just the right ones to create an homage to 'The Raven'. I did work a little differently than usual, as I found myself going back and forth adding layers in a rather haphazard fashion. I think this was because I was working with a theme, visually speaking. So I'll break it down for you in a way you can follow. Let's get started.

First, I prepared two pages in my journal with a thick coat of clear gesso to prepare it for many layers. After the gesso completely dried, I sprayed both pages with Marabu Art Spray in Reseda and Mint. I smeared it around a little with a wet paintbrush.

Moving quickly before the sprays could dry, I laid down the Dangled Pod Stencil and removed color with a wet baby wipe. I repeated this on both sides. Be advised! You need to move quickly.

I cut out some curved shapes to mimic hillside out of cheap kraft cardstock. I laid it down and with some green paint I mixed from olive and black, I painted some hills onto the left side page.

With Liquitex Basics Acrylics in Bright Aqua Green and Light Blue Violet, I darkened the dangled pods stenciled area to bring it to the foreground. I chose this stencil because it is an organic shape that will create movement across the page.

Next, I laid down the Windswept Tree Mask and the four-inch stencil from the November 2018 club set, I applied vintage photo distress ink all across the left page. 

I had leftover paint from the olive and black mixture that I used earlier. I added more black to it and then placed the tree mask back down and applied the darker paint around the borders of the page.

This six-inch stencil from StencilClub February 2019 set had the perfect section for a winding walkway. I applied Liquitex Basics Quinacridone Magenta through the stencil. I used this color because so far the page is very dark and green. I wanted to add some color that would allow it to pop off the page and be slightly translucent to allow background design to shine through.

On the right-hand page, at the bottom, I added a stone wall with the olive green mixed paint and the September 2018 StencilClub release Caves and Ladders. Next, I added a Window (Window Ledger Stencil) and another stone path in magenta. You'll also notice that at this point I went back over the two pages with the dangled pods stencil and additional layers of Liquitex Basics Light Blue Violet.

I added a raven at the bottom right-hand page with the Three Crows Stencil and black acrylic paint. I then added a touch of black to darken the window design too. I added a layer of vintage photo distress ink to the right page, being sure not to get any on the window as I'll be adding yellow highlights there later.

To add another little background detail, I spritzed a fine mist over the pages. I let it sit for a few seconds and dabbed it carefully with a paper towel. It leaves behind this speckled appearance.

On both pages, I added half a medallion from the StencilClub July 2018 set: Ceramic Tiles in white acrylic paint. I went over the medallions and window with Marabu Art Crayons in sunshine yellow and chili. Next, using white and black gelli roll pens, I added outlines and doodles around most of the images and shapes.

Then on the computer, I printed out a stanza from the poem and fixed it to my pages with matte medium. Then to age it a bit, I rubbed some vintage photo distress ink over them.

That is it for this month. I hope that you find this walk-through inspirational. I know a lot of us tend to stick to what feels safe and comfortable. I do it, too! I would like to encourage you, however, to step out of your comfort zone and try something new. Maybe play along with us on this theme and use stencils to create something inspired by poetry. Until next time!

If you would like to see more of my work you can visit my blog or Instagram feed.

Happy Creating,

Jennifer Gallagher

Just a Few Minutes with Mary Beth March 2020

At the beginning of 2020, I had the feeling this would be a remarkable year, but of course, I missed the mark as to WHY it would be remarkable.  Turns out that my ideas about StencilGirl® Products 10th anniversary, my upcoming birthday celebrating a new decade (ahem) and my grandson graduating from high school were NOT the reasons the year would be auspicious. 

No, you all know the reason, that li'l thing called a pandemic takes the prize.  

Celebrations have been gutted and life as we know it vastly changed. 

The new normal, they call it. 

Take a brief look behind the scenes. 

We hope you enjoyed this episode of Just a few minutes with Mary Beth!

Stay tuned!

Mary Beth Shaw will be back again next month with another new VLOG post!

Sidewalks of Puerto Rico ~ 6 New Stencils by Mary Beth!

When asphalt is cracked we lament that road repairs are needed.

But, being an artist means taking the time to look at the world through all your eyes and seeing possibilities.

When Mary Beth and John took a walk down the color abundant streets of Puerto Rico a few months ago, it was the interesting, beautiful cracks in the pathways under their feet that triggered Mary Beth's imagination.

Use paint or texture mediums depending on the depth you want in your art and collage papers with these stencils.

The sidewalk cracks depicted in these stencils will leave people wondering how you painted the intricate, organic, almost lacy designs.

Mary Beth made the samples this way and you can too:

1. Prepare Distress Oxide Background on Mixed Media paper, allow to dry.
2. Using a palette knife, spread Distress Texture Paste over top the stencil. Remove stencil and clean paste off it right away.
3. While Texture Paste is still wet, sprinkle Distress Embossing Glaze over top and gently tap so it is distributed.
4. While Paste is still wet, emboss.

Here is a more detailed look at the Sidewalks of PuertoRico Stencils and art samples:

Sidewalk 1 of PuertoRico

Sidewalk 2 of Puerto Rico

Sidewalk 3 of Puerto Rico

Make these Sidewalks of Puerto Rico Stencils your own.

Mixed Media Painting with StencilGirl® Stencils

City of Scarlet by Mary Sanders Lazenby

Hey everyone, I’m Mary Sanders Lazenby of Blue Goose Studios.
"City of Scarlet” was a fun piece to make. I named after the bird, which resembles a Scarlet Tanager. I began this piece by using an old hotel room card to push Modeling Paste through the stencil and allowed it to dry completely. Each following layer is either paint or paint combined with Glazing Liquid which allows me to change the opacity of the colors. I hope you enjoy this demo and I hope it will inspire you to create your own unique designs. Happy creating!

StencilGirl® Products used:

What's the Point? Stencil

Herbs Stencil

Rembrandt’s Words

1700s Buildings Stencil

Our work can be found at www.blue-goosestudios.com and https://www.etsy.com/shop/BlueGooseStudios.

Follow Your Heart, a mixed media scrapbook page by Sue Plumb

Hello stencil lover!

It's Sue Plumb here to share my latest project created for the StencilGirl® Creative Team. This time around our team was challenged with the themes of "Stencilled Poetry or Spring Break Stencil Party." As soon as I saw the word spring, my mind immediately went to flowers and my decision was made instantly. 

I am a huge fan of using flowers in my creations. In fact, I probably own more floral-themed stencils than any other type. And regardless of how many floral stencils I already have, I am always drawn to new ones because each one always offers something different. For this page, I decided to showcase one of my most favorite floral-themed stencils - Wildflower Bouquet designed by Wendy Brightbill. I wanted to allow the stencil to really shine, so I kept the remainder of the background quite minimal.

I began with a sheet of white cardstock and some Distress Oxides in Spun Sugar; Worn Lipstick and Picked Raspberry. I began with the Spun Sugar and applied the ink to my non-stick craft mat. I then spritzed it with some water and swirled it through with my fingertip to mix the color. I laid my cardstock over the top and smoothed it down with my hand to absorb the ink. I then dried it off and repeated the process with the other colors, which I used more sparingly than the first. (This was so I didn't overwhelm the stencil design that was going to be placed over the top.)

With the inks in place and dried off, it was the time to add my stenciled design over the top. I chose a Colour Blast by Bee Arty Colour Paste (Deep Water) to apply the design, as I wanted to use a product that would also add some texture. My paste color choice was largely dictated by the photo I was using, but also because I wanted something beautiful and bold to show off the floral design. To apply the paste I simply taped the stencil down onto my cardstock using washi tape; then masked off the stems of the bouquet, and then used a palette knife to spread the paste through the stencil and then set it aside to dry.

Once dry, I decided to add another stenciled layer to my background. This time I used another Distress Oxide (Lime Citron) and sponged the ink through the stencil. The stencil I chose was a soft, flowing script called Rembrandt's Words (small), designed by Carolyn Dube. The addition of the green provided an instant lift to the background, and the loose, organic design of the stencil added an extra layer of softness as well.

The final step for my background was to add some ink splatters. I used two inks - black and an emerald green, and a small stiff brush to add tiny splatters around my page. This added a bit of a "grunge" factor and helped tie in my photo. I then set my page aside and turned my attention to working on the layers that would go on top.

I gathered together a variety of patterned paper pieces that I cut and tore into different sizes and shapes and then stacked them together, securing the pile with a couple of staples. I then used tape to fix the stack onto my background before adding some frayed gauze and then my photo on top.

Now it was time for some more flowers! This time I didn't use a stencil however, it was time for some paper ones instead. I grabbed a selection of pink flowers and some green leaves from my stash and created 3 clusters with them, framing around my photo.

There was just one thing my layout was missing now - butterflies! When I think of spring and flowers, I also think of butterflies, so that was just what I needed to complete my page. I grabbed my Paint Tin and Butterflies stencil designed by Cathy Taylor (another of my favorites); Archival Ink and a sponge dauber. I chose a piece of watercolor style pink patterned paper and stenciled 3 butterflies of varying sizes onto the paper. I then fussy cut around them and adhered them onto my page.

Now it was time for the finishing touches. I added a few enamel dots on top of my butterflies to give them some extra detail; as well as placing a few extra scattered enamel dots around my page. I added a page title using a clear sticker from MAMBI, and a few coordinating clear heart stickers.

Here are a few close-ups of my finished project so you can see some of the details...

And here's a closer look at the three fabulous stencils I used to create this page:

Wildflower Bouquet

Rembrandt's Words (small)

Paint Tin and Butterflies

Thanks for stopping by so I could share this with you. Until next time, happy creating!

You can also find me on my channels here:

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Storing Poetry Fragments in Stenciled Building Boxes

 

Storing Poetry Fragments in Stenciled Building Boxes          

 When I visit my parents at their retirement community I raid the library for old magazines in the share bin.  They're a liberal academic crowd there in Western Massachusetts, and the bin is full of New Yorker and Nature Conservancy and Atlantic Monthly and National Geographic and the like - magazines full of interesting words and interesting pictures.  I dig to the bottom for the old ones, because the ones I take aren't going back into circulation: they are going to be snipped into bits for composing found poetry.  I have struggled for years to find the right way to store my word clippings, and I have a new solution: boxes which I can store on edge like books.                                        

I started with three six-inch-square wooden boxes from the craft store - like cradled panels, but possibly meant for something else.  They didn't have lids or anything to prevent them from standing on edge.  I stained them gray, and made cardstock lids that would nest inside - with a finger hole for pulling them out.  The idea is that I didn't want them to stack on top of each other, but beside one another, so I could easily pull out one without needing to take them all down.   I then turned to four different stencils with architectural themes.  They are Once Upon a Time, L484, by Carolyn Dube, Rural Buildings, L444, by Andrew Borloz, Venetian Buildings, S199, by Carolyn Dube, and the six-inch stencil from Tina Walker's Irish Travelers club set of September, 2019.  I rubber-banded the boxes together to keep them aligned and stenciled one building or set of buildings on each side.  

Once the sides were stenciled in black and white, I naturally had to collage poetry to each.  Sifting through the fragments was fairly easy to do with these shallow boxes/ deep trays.  I don't know why I enjoy creating this kind of found poetry so much - I like the unexpected directions the clippings force me to follow.  I can spend hours arranging and rearranging these bits and pieces of magazine paper - sometimes I have to go hunting through the stack of ransacked magazines for a specific word I think I need to use.  On rare occasions I resort to stamping a word with my alphabet stamps. In the end, I had four poems that I rather liked:

House from Tina Walker's Irish Traveler's club set of September 2019

Venetian Buildings, by Carolyn Dube

Once Upon a Time, by Carolyn Dube

(not a poem, really, but a lot of good notions - they are marching around Andrew Borloz's Rural Buildings)

Now that I have my fragments an arm's reach away on a shelf over my desk, I can grab them and sort through them very quickly.  (I can't tell you how many laborious other storage systems I'd struggled

I had already added the large cave from Caves and Ladders by Carol Wiebe, the club set for September 2018, to this page in one of my altered books.  It seemed to be waiting for a poem to land on it.

with in the past).  I used to write books for a living, and even though I'm more interested in visual expression these days, I always want to add words to whatever I make - to a spread in an altered book, to a card design, a painting, a drawing.  I like seeing the trio of house boxes on my shelf, knowing my words are waiting to be taken on an unexpected journey.

L484 ONCE UPON A TIME

https://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/Venetian-Buildings-Stencil-Carolyn-Dube-p/s199.htmS199 VENETIAN BUILDINGS

L444 RURAL BUILDINGS

SEPTEMBER 2019 CLUB SET IRISH TRAVELERS