The Stenciled Nest

Like most of us, I have been keeping very close to home for many months now - longer than many, as I live in New York.  We went into lockdown earlier than most states and stayed there much longer.  For the first several scary weeks, I pretty much stayed inside.  The weather obliged by being cold and wet and ominous.  Curled up on my sofa in a nest of blankets, I spent hour after hour looking out the window, too worried and stunned to do much of anything but watch the birds at my feeders.  As so many others did this spring, I found consolation in the birds:  the bright flash of the goldfinches that brought yellow to my yard before the forsythia bloomed, the quarrelsome starlings, the nuthatches creeping headfirst down the tree trunks, the quick, acrobatic chickadees flitting from perch to perch.  Birds have always carried a lot of symbolism on their delicate wings, and this year it seems they've had to do a lot of emotional and spiritual heavy lifting for us - at least they have for me.  I tear up when I think how much I depended on my wild bird companions for comfort - and still do.  I bought so many additional feeders on-line that I started running out of places to hang them.
And I will confess, I have struggled with making art during this time.  My attention has been directed toward my family and my home, always driven by the nagging fear that this winter will likely be a hard one in many ways, and by the need to make repairs and prepare for uncertainty - my own nest has to be my family's sanctuary during the alarming uncertainty that lies ahead of us.
So, in keeping with the theme of home decor, I decided to offer an even larger invitation to my birds by hanging houses for them.  I offer this fall craft/ home decor project as a welcome to my bird friends - please, I beg you, stay by me.   Don't leave me. 
I began with three bottle gourds I purchased on Etsy, already drilled with holes to serve as bird houses.  I have always been fascinated by nests, especially the elaborately woven ones that look like giant baskets - the weaverbird nests that can house whole colonies.  With that in mind, I looked for stencils that might

Art Party S499

mimic that woven yet organic texture.  In Daniella Woolf's Art Party stencil (S499) I found the right texture -  woven without looking mechanical.  I like that there are some shaggy elements that make it look like bits of grass sticking out of the woven pattern.   Using a sponge and quinacridone nickel azo gold fluid acrylic, I stenciled randomly through this stencil onto tissue paper.  The best way to stencil onto a rounded or other 3-d object is to use collage, of course, and torn tissue applied with matte medium and a brush makes it possible to conform to any shape, no matter how irregular.  The unpainted parts of the tissue seem to melt and become transparent, allowing the underlying color to show through.  I overlapped the torn bits to give a somewhat random effect to the weaving. That way, what started as a plain gourd became a "woven" basket nest.

I followed this idea of stitched or woven nests to a looser interpretation with stencils from Pam Carriker (Eyelet Lace S569) and Carol Wiebe (Stitched 02 S540), using sepia fluid acrylic on tissue with two smaller gourds to produce one nest that appears crocheted or knitted, and one that looks patched and embroidered.  Because these must hang outside if they are to be true bird homes, I finished each collaged gourd with a few coats of polycrylic sealer, paying special attention to the edges of the holes to protect them from the elements.  Hanging from the same tree is a bag of alpaca hair for nesting material inside the houses.
So this is the home decor that resonates with me in the time of pandemic.  I don't know if any of my wild bird companions will use these houses, but I sure hope they choose to make their homes here and be my neighbors- and I hope they like the stencils!
May you all will be safe and warm in your own nests this fall, and may you can find inspiration, comfort, and security - be it in making art, or watching the birds.

Eyelet Lace S569

Stitched 02 S540

Illuminated

I've been thinking lately about illuminated manuscripts, women in Braveheart, King Arthur's era, and lover's eyes because I just finished teaching a class on mythology. There is a charming essence to these times that makes me wonder if, perhaps, I might have been born in the wrong era. The roles of chivalry, coyness, and heroics are energizing, which is why I believe I am so drawn to these times. I remember visiting Trinity College in Dublin, being able to view the Book of Kells, and lingering as I walked through The Long Room in the Old Library. The colors, the textures, and the smells of old books, photos, and manuscripts are enticing for me. So I decided to try to incorporate some of these elements into this project. I love the finished version, and I hope that you will, too!

For the project, you will need these fabulous stencils:

Winter Trees Bark by Valerie Sjodin L635

Earth Song Symbols 2 by Roxanne Evans Stout M067

Sunburst by Valerie Sjodin M214

ATC Mixup #2 by Mary Beth Shaw L579

You will also need these materials:

• 1-6.5 x 6.5 inch photo frame with a 4 x 4 inch photo cutout. (1.5 inch depth)
• 1-4 x 4 inch wood panel (1.25-1.50 inch depth)
• Acrylic paint (I used Anita's in Black and Deep Celery, Golden's Fluid Acrylic in Quinacridone Violet and Raw Sienna, and Liquitex Basics in Raw Umber.
• IZink Ice in Cold Gold
• Ephemera (I used some old French script and a vintage photo of a woman.)
• Lover's Eye Token Alterables and Eye Images
• Jumbo Dauber
• Paintbrush
• Aleene's Tacky Glue
• Mod Podge
• Clear Gorilla Glue
• Baby Wipes
• Vintaj Brass Jewelry Findings and Components (Optional)

Begin by painting the picture frame on the back side (the flat side) and the wood panel in Raw Sienna. Let it dry. Paint a thin layer of Quinacridone Violet on both pieces. Allow to set for about a minute then use a baby wipe to gently blot across the wood pieces. You should pick up enough so that the Raw Sienna shows through slightly and gives the piece a slightly marbled look. Let dry completely.

Stencil sections of the tree top from the Winter Trees Bark stencil at the top left and bottom right of the picture frame. You could also wait on this step until after you have glued your ephemera down. Let dry.

Using Mod Podge, glue the vintage photo and the French script on the picture frame. Hint: Be sure to place some Mod Podge directly on to the wood before placing your ephemera down. Using a paintbrush, add another layer of Mod Podge to seal the top of the ephemera. Allow to dry completely. Glue the wood panel to the picture frame using the clear Gorilla Glue. Allow to dry at least five hours so that it sets properly but still be careful when handling it.

Using the IZink Ice in Cold Gold, stencil the top of the wood panel with the Sunburst and Earth Song Symbols stencils. Next, stencil the top left and bottom right of both the picture frame and the wood panel in black with the circle stencil from the ATC Mixup #2 stencil. Let dry completely. 

Paint what is now considered the "back" side of the project in Raw Umber. Allow to dry. Turn the project over and create a glaze using the raw umber and paint the entire project. Wait about a minute and then gently wipe away some of the glaze with the baby wipes. Allow to dry.

Glue the back of the lover's eye token using clear Gorilla glue. Glue the eye image to the back using Aleene's Tacky Glue, then glue the outer ring on top of the eye image also using Aleene's Tacky glue. Let dry. Glue the completed eye token to the small wood panel.

At this point, you can finish the painted portions by dabbing a bit of black paint onto the jumbo dauber and rubbing off most of the paint then rubbing on the edges of the frame and the panel as well as the edges of the eye token. Where you might see some areas that are too bright, you can rub the dauber over them to darken edges and allow the eye image to stand out more. I did not paint the lover's eye token but you can certainly do so, if you wish. I would suggest using Raw Sienna.

You can, at this point, decide to display your piece in several ways:

1. Glue a square dowel on to the bottom back edge and let it function as a stand.

2. Place the finished piece on a decorative easel.

3. Add a sawtooth picture hanger to the back and hang on the wall.

4. Add screw eyes, chain, and brass elements to the piece and hang on the wall. 

And the finished piece:

Anne Marie

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Happy Stars Clipboard - Mark Making for Additional Depth by Claudia

Hi, servus and thanks so much for stopping by! This month's theme over here at the StencilGirl Talk blog is "Texture it or Make Marks on it" and I immediately had some of my favorite StencilGirl® stencils in mind that I wanted to use for indulging in some heavy mark-making  ;)

Mark making is something I especially love as it adds a lot of depth and interest to almost any project you can think of - and with the right stencils at hand, it always is a very enjoyable thing to do. It is so rewarding when you take off the stencil you have just used to find how a bit of mark making has turned a rather flat design into something lively and so much more interesting. 

I had this lovely (and true) quote stencil from the Stencil Club Playtime Collection 

designed by Carolyn Dube in my stash and I knew together with her gorgeous Stars Inspired by Matisse stencil I wanted to alter a cheap MDF clipboard kit from the dollar store and turn it into a fun and uplifting looking organizing tool for my studio desk. 

Alongside, some more of my favorite mark-making stencils designed by Mary Beth Shaw,

Seth Apter and one stencil from their genius Shaw - Apter Mash Up! Stencil Club collection released in January this year I created a fun layer of marks on top of my happy stars which made them look as if they were floating in a rainbow icecream colored sky. 

I have done a video this time that shows the whole process from (almost the) beginning to the very end - only the how-to of the very base layer is missing (due to me obviously hitting the record button twice instead of once and this way just filming one second of it...*rolling eyes). But that step is quite easy and quickly explained - and I found pictures from another project where I used this technique: 

First I apply dots of acrylic paints directly from the bottles or paint tubes onto my substrate...

...and then I use the edge of an old plastic card to drag the paint from the dots across the whole surface in horizontal moves only. The trick is to not repeat that dragging motion more often than two to three times in the same spot so the colors do not mix too much (which will create a muddy color tone)! 

If you find you do not like the result you can still add more dots of paint on top (once the first layer has dried) and repeat the process until you are content with the look. On my clipboard here I used a lot of Titanium White to get pastel color tones. 

On my clipboard, I have used DecoArt Americana acrylic paints: Titanium White, Lamp Black, Sea Breeze, Pumpkin, Primary Yellow, Black Plum, and Mint Julip Green and also DecoArt media fluid acrylics Hansa Yellow Medium and Cobalt Teal Hue.

I have also done some close-up shots of my clipboard so you can see some areas in more detail. 

Here are two detail shots of the design being continued across the board and its stand. The video shows how to do that. 

The clip to hold any note sheets with is fixed to the board with a glued-on magnet.

I just love how the smudged background, stenciled on painted stars, and the layer of black marks on top create amazing depth!

The stars look happy...and so am I looking at them and my finished clipboard on my studio desk.

Here's once more the list of stencils used on this project:

- Stars Inspired by Matisse - Carolyn Dube

- August 2018 Carolyn Dube "Playtime" StencilClub Collection 

- January 2019  Shaw - Apter Mash Up! StencilClub Collection

- October 2016 Mary Beth's Private StencilClub Collection

- Text and Texture Transform Stencil by Seth Apter

Thanks for your visit! See you soon!

Claudia 

xxx

She's like a rainbow: mark making with Jennifer Gallagher

Hello! 

Jennifer Gallagher here again with another post for StencilGirl Products®. This month we were challenged to ‘Texture It or Make a Mark on It’ and I’m doing just that with this bold art journal page. Mark-making is super easy with the right stencils. StencilGirl® has many stencils you can employ for adding marks and texture.Let's dive right in!

I decided to work in my large dylusions journal. Using just a basic mechanical pencil, I sketched out my basic layout and shapes. I knew I wanted to feature a fabulous 9x12 stencil from designer Pam Carriker. It was part of the Stencil Club set from November 2018 entitled "Her Story."

Next, using computer copy paper as masks, I followed the penciled design and painted each color of the rainbow one at a time. I used a premium acrylic paint here because I wanted vibrant colors. I started with red on the far right and worked my way across the journal spread from right to left.

I painted the face, my page focal point, through the stencil with a mini-blending tool and black acrylic paint. Once it was dry, I added a floral headdress with stencil L352, Deconstructed Floral Bouquet Stencil.

Now onto the mark-making. Using a different design for each colored section, I applied white acrylic paint through the stencils. Be sure to use a mask to prevent any unwanted cross-over of paint. I’ve picked the March 2019 Stencil Club release, Mail Art, designed by Ann Butler, the Playtime Collection, by Carolyn Dube,for Stencil Club in August 2018, and the February 2019 Stencil Club release, Mary Beth's Private Collection 19.1. I’ve left the yellow section free of marks. This is where my words will later be added. 

At this point I realized that the face would look much better if I “beat back” the colored sections that were peeking through. I used a watered down white acrylic and brushed a few layers on. Once dry, I placed the stencils back down and reapplied the black to keep those designs nice and dark and visually impactful.

With a black gelly roll pen I added doodling all around the stenciled designs. Then with a mini-blending tool, I added a rough black edge all around the art journal spread.

On my computer, I typed up a few song lyrics that I’ve had stuck in my head for a while now. I cut them out and glued them in place with a premium matte medium.

I have had so much fun on this mark-making adventure. Thank you for letting me share this art journal page spread with you. If you would like to see more of my work visit my blog or  look me up on Instagram.

Happy Creating,

Jennifer Gallagher