Guest Designer Frieda Oxenham

Here is my September project inspired by summer. Our Scottish summer this year hasn’t been the best but there have still been days when it felt and looked tropical. I always try and hold on to that during the winter months to come.

This is the tutorial:

1.     Working in a 7 x 9” ring bound journal on 2 facing pages, I covered the pages in paint using 4 different colours of acrylic paint, including one metallic gold one. While the pages were still wet I dropped water on them and then rolled a paper towel over them to dry the pages. I also rolled a textured brayer to add more interest.

2.     Brush white and gold acrylic paint onto the pages and remove again through the A stencil of the June 2024 StencilClub, using a baby wipe.

3.     Drip on green liquid acrylic ink and spray with water to make it spread. Distribute it around the pages by moving the journal in different directions.

4.     Repeat step 2 with both blue and green paint.

5.     Stencil on the pages using stencil S970 Yin with pink Stencil Butter and a cosmetic wedge.

6.     Using stencil L719 Jardiniere outline one of the vases on a piece of blue and white dots wrapping paper, embellish with permanent coloured markers, cut out and glue onto the pages.

7.     Using a variety of green acrylic paints, stencil on leaves using the medium stencil of the December 2021 StencilClub. Outline with turquoise permanent market.

8.     Add a flower to each vase by tracing through stencil L600 Mosaic Flowers. Colour with permanent paint markers. Outline with a black Stabilo All pencil.

9.     Using stencil L211 Simple Geo Circles and a previously gelli plate painted page (I used one left over from my July 2024 project) mark out circles on that page and cut out. Glue them onto the pages and outline with water soluble oil pastels.

10.  Using stencil S767 Crocodile Repeating, stencil on titanium white paint and pink spray ink. Spray with water to make the spray ink run. 

11.  Drip on some red Bombay ink

12.  Outline the circles with a permanent white marker

13.  Glue on text

© Frieda Oxenham 2024

A Ratty, Batty Vignette

Hello everyone!  Jane Bellante back with you for another fun project with StencilGirl Products!

I am IN LOVE with the Rat and Bat stencil from Roxanne Coble.  You can use this stencil and mask set in SO MANY WAYS!!!

Today I'm going to show you how I made this adorable Halloween Vignette.

I found these wood black at my local hobby store on clearance for $.79 each! What a steal- and they were perfect for this project for sure.

A used a really thick and highly pigmented black acrylic paint to cover up the existing design on the wood blocks.  I only needed one coat! I dried the paint with my heat tool, and then I grabbed this super fun stencil and mask set. 

I used three coats of the Titanium White acrylic paint to stencil on the outline of the rat and bat onto the painted wood blocks.  I'm using a flat stencil brush, and I am really making sure I am offloading my poaint before applying it through the stencil.  This helps to stop and bleed and ensures for an even coat of paint.  

Then, I dried each of the designs and did a few touch ups with the black acrylic. 

Now it was time to stencil in the bones of the bat and the rat.  I used another flat stencil brush with the black acrylic paint- again remembering to offload the paint before applying it through the stencil.

I had a pumpkin candle with orange glass in my stash, and thought this design would be perfect on it.  Keep in mind that stenciling acrylic paint on glass works fine, but it is a slick surface.  You can use a number of products like SlickStick to apply ahead of time if you are going to have your glass stenciled projects in a high traffic area.  If you are applying the acrylic right on the glass like I did today, keep in mind that the paint can scratch off fairly easily.  I'm not going to be moving this candle around- so this will be fine for this project. 

I used a piece of washi tape to tape the stencil on one side of the glass candle.  This will ensure it stays flat while I am holding the other side down.  Essential for a good application of the paint through the stencil. 

I applied two coats of the black acrylic paint, drying in between each layer with my heat tool. 

Then I used one coat of the Titanium White acrylic to stencil on the bones.  I am really in love with how it turned out!

If you want to watch the entire project, you can do that by clicking this video link:

All in all, this project took about an hour.  So easy and so affordable!!  And now I want to use this stencil for so many other ideas I have!!

I hope this inspires you to create some new SPOOKY decor for you space this season.

Supply List:

Rat and Bat stencil from Roxanne Coble. 

Black Acrylic Paint

Titanium White Acrylic Paint

Flat Stencil Brush

Hobby Store Clearance Wood Blocks

Candle

Thank you so much for being here and reading this blog post!

You can find me at janebellanteart.com and @janebellanteart on all social media platforms.  

Happy Halloween!! 

xoxoxo

Simple stencilled backgrounds

Hi all,

Niamh here from very wet and windy Tasmania! We are just coming out of winter in the Southern Hemisphere and I am desperately looking for some vibrant colours to brighten up my days. This super simple background made me so happy and very much looking towards Spring! 

I started in my large dylusions journal with laying down scribble sticks in patches all over the page. Any water soluble crayons would work for this (in fact - any bright mediums - I just used scribble sticks). I then water activated the crayons by spritzing over water and (because it's me) blending the colours with my fingers. What you end up with is an almost patchwork background. 

As I am not a fan of very blocky backgrounds, my secret trick is to use a large stencil (in this case: Magic Garden Mask) over the whole surface. This has two benefits, first you have a unifying image over the surface, and secondly, by using white, you can calm down some very crazy backgrounds very quickly. Another reason I used the water-soluble media is because by using white gesso over the top, you end up with patches of pure white, and patches of pastel colours where the pigment mixes with the gesso. This gives you a much softer and more interesting effect.

After I finished stencilling with paint, I added some mark making stamps over the top of the page - while the stencil was still in place. This gives you the effect of just stamping onto the stencilled parts of the image - and creates a bit of a visual brain teaser working out how it was done!

After creating my background - I decided to finish off my page with crazy collage and a quote. It just made me happy, which is one of the benefits of journalling to begin with!

Hope you have a go at doing something similar. It's a blast, plus you can use any stencil you like and you will change to overall effect. Win, win!!! Here is a video of me putting the whole piece together: 

Stencil Used: Magic Garden Mask

Happy Creating,

Niamh

@niamhbaly (IG/YouTube)

@niamhsartjournal (FB)

Carol Ponsford - Time for some "Reflection"

Hello Bloggers! Carol Ponsford here today sharing how I created a fun mirror 

to give as a gift to a friend or for yourself using StencilGirl® Products stencils.

I started with the "Faces in a Crowd" stencil #S445 designed by Jennifer Evans and 

the "Yang" stencil S969 designed by Cat Kerr and a bamboo plant coaster as my base.

I laid the stencil backwards from how I wanted to use it on a sheet 

of black card stock and with a white pen, I traced around the outside 

of the stencil and the inside of each of the open areas.

 

Once I finished tracing all of the sections and the outer edge, I removed the stencil 

and cut each inside area out with a very sharp exacto knife and cutting mat. I waited until 

later to cut around the entire circle to add stability while cutting the smaller shapes.

I flipped the stencil over and laid it on the coaster so that as I cut the 

shapes that I wanted to put faces on, I could keep track of where they belonged.

 

Using the black card stock pieces shown on the left above, I traced around each shape 

(except the middle one where the mirror would show) adding about 1/8" on all sides 

for gluing purposes onto a piece of copy paper that I had painted with 

random pastel watercolor paint (of course you can use any color you choose). 

Be sure to keep the paint side up on the cutout.

I took each piece of painted paper and sponged a face through the face stencil with black paint.

While the faces were drying, I painted the coaster with black gesso on the sides and into the 

middle by about an 1 1/2" (just toward the center enough so that the paper I add would cover).

I did not put a face in the center space because this is where I wanted the

mirror to show and the person who is looking at the piece will see their reflection.

I glued each piece in place with a glue stick onto the grid of black card stock.

I traced the outside of the Yang stencil onto a piece of mirror card stock that 

had peel off adhesive on the back side and a plastic cover on the front side and 

cut it out.  (I believe this is a Tim Holtz, Ranger product) I carefully removed the plastic 

cover making sure not to get fingerprints on the mirror. (You could also use a round 

mirror if you can find one the correct size.) After cutting the mirror paper into the circle 

shape, I centered the mirror paper onto the grid paper and traced around the 

circle so that there would be an even edge of black around the faces and cut it out. 

I covered the back of the grid with the faces on it with a glue stick and 

centered it on the front side of the mirror. I tried not to over apply the glue stick

so that I would not have glue oozing out onto the mirror surface. This is also

why I chose to use a glue stick and not a wet adhesive like matte medium. 

I also used a piece of paper on top while I gently pressed the grid onto the 

mirror to avoid leaving any marks or fingerprints on the mirrored surface. 

I decorated the edge and interior edge of the coaster with Posca markers

 then using double sided red tape adhered the grid piece to the coaster.

This picture just shows how I figured out what size font and style I wanted to use for the 

saying. It also helped me with placement so that it would be centered on the piece. I

used the white Stabilo pencil to write the letters on the black in case I made any errors on spacing, 

(which I did) which made it easy to wipe off and correct before using the Posca marker.

I enjoyed creating this piece and hope you will look in your stencil stash and

always try to look outside the box on ways to utilize them in a unique way.

Thank you StencilGirl® Products for providing me with these 

stencils so that I can share what I create with you on this blog and a special

thanks to you for checking out this post and as always I wish you...

Happy Creating!

To see more of my work please visit my Instagram page.