Using stencils as drawing tools

Hi All,

Niamh here in Australia - sweltering in a heatwave! What a way to start Autumn. As you can see, the firey summer colours are echoed in the palette I chose for this art journal page. 

Stencils are such a versatile tool to have in your tool box, and they are my go to items when creating pages in my journal. For this page, I wanted to clear my mind, and the best way I find to do that is too doodle my worries away. When I do that though, I don't have the bandwidth to draw freehand, so I used stencils to use as a base for my doodling. These two mini stencils were perfect for the job!

First I painted my background with a warm colour palette, then I used the Carnival stencil as a border and drew through it with a white paint pen. With a black paint pen, I coloured in the negative space, then doodled over the empty spaces with simple lines and dots using a white pen. 

Next I repeated the same process using the shape stencil to overlap and fill in the background space. Finally, I filled in the spaces between the stencilled shapes with black circles in varying sizes. 

This was such a relaxing page to make, and I was so happy that it turned out the way it did. Plus, what a brilliant way to use those smaller mini stencils in a new and exciting way!

Happy creating

Niamh

@niamhbaly (IG/YouTube)

@niamh'sartjournal (FB)

Anouk (Creanouk) - Outside the box??

Hi you beautiful artist, Anouk here today with a new blogpost full of Stencilgirl® inspiration! I'm sorry for the misleading title. My intention for this blogpost was to make a page that was completely outside my box. But.. Halfway through this project I started to wonder if that was even possible. Ha!

For someone who has an allergy for the word 'style' I discovered that I can no longer deny that I have a personal art journaling style. Shocking right? Ha! I have nothing against having a style. On the contrary, I think it's so awesome if you find a way of creating that defines you. But in my own art journal journey I find it very difficult to stick with just one thing. My art is always changing and evolving that I find it hard to label it. But if you are following me on Instagram or even if you read some of my blogpost on here you'll know that certain elements always come back in my art. And that, even though I don't like to admit it, I have a significant style.

Anyways, I did try my best to make something different, to experiment a little and think outside my floral, floral and a bit grungy box. But if you are wondering how everything went back to me figuring out that it looks exactly like the hundred pages that I made before, please keep on reading!

I'll also add a little recipe down below on how I made this page, so that you can play along if you like to!

Journal recipe

1. Apply Gesso with a pallet knife

2. Use a Stencil with some acrylic paint

3. Collage with old book papers and teabags

4. Add some texture with lace

5. Apply gesso on parts of the page that you'd like to soften up 6. Add some pop of colour with watercolour and coffee 7. Apply a stencil with gesso or matt medium 8. Use the same stencil and apply is with a damp brush and watercolour

9. Add some more colour with watercolours 10. Time to add small details with ink splatters, pencil, marks ect. 11. Write, stamp or glue down some journaling My Process

It all started when I saw the Wild Dreams stencil by
Tiffany Goff Smith. I fell completely in love! It reminded me of those fancy cabinets with all different kinds of shapes in them that you see all over Instagram. As I said earlier I'm more of a floral, script and marks stencils kind of girl so even though this stencil didn't really fit in that description I felt inspired to create.

To prep my page I applied Gesso with a pallet knife to create some interesting texture.

Then I grabbed Wild Dreams and created the base for my spread. My intention was to create vibrant and happy spread using this stencil.

I didn't picked a vibrant colour to start with, because in the end I always make the base layer softer with gesso. So I decided to start with the colour Apricot by Dina Wakley and skip the gesso part. See, trying to think outside the box here! Or... is this the part were I went back in?

Next I glued down all the good stuff like book papers, tea bags and lace. I grabbed some gesso and the apricot paint to blend all the elements with the stenciled background layer.

I used coffee to grunge up the part were I glued down the teabags and sprinkled down some splatters in the process. Then I grabbed the Glyph Grid stencil by Seth Apter, applying it with gesso to create some more dimension. After the gesso was dry I wanted to experiment a little with using watercolours on my stencils. I don't do this often enough! I really love how watercolours looks through a stencil! I'm obviously not an expert, but what works for me is to use a slightly damped brush.

The pink watercolour made this grungy page pop! It looks so nice with the apricot colour on the background. It crossed my mind to colour over the centre part of this page, but I didn't want to cover up the stencilled part too much. I just really like to keep the centre of my pages light and airy.

  After I glued down the Tim Holtz phrase I looked at my page and I wondered if I could add something different. I grabbed my Wild Dreams stencil again and I outlined it with a grey watercolour pencil. It wasn't really what I was hoping for. So I used my watercolour set again and with the pink shade that I used before I coloured the shape making sure I didn't colour over the phrase sticker.

In the end this page wasn't as vibrant and outside the box as I wanted it to be. But I had fun playing with the stencils and trying to use watercolours with them. Apparently a vibrant colour scheme isn't what I'm drawn to at the moment. And that's okay. My intentions were the starting point that got me making this page. I really like it and I hope you do too!
This goes to show that having a personal style is something you can't force out of you. It's just something that happens when you create and give yourself the permission to play.
Just let things happen. Have fun in your art journal!

Stencil used: Wild Dreams Glyph Grid

Productlist:

Handmade journal Vintage Music and Book Paper
Amsterdam White Gesso
Mod Podge
Tea Bags
Lace
Instant Coffee
Dina Wakely - Apricot
Tim Holtz Stickers
Prima Marketing Watercolour set Tropical
 

Thank you so much for reading my blog post. I hope that I have inspired you to create today! My name is Anouk or Creanouk on social media, and I'm an all-round creative from the Netherlands. I love art journaling because I can put my heart and soul into it. You can find my work on Instagram and Youtube.

StencilGirl® Creative Team!

Mary Beth Shaw is ecstatic to announce the 2022-23 Creative Team!
We have seven new team members in addition to five wonderful returning team members!
Drum roll, please!

StencilGirl® Creative Team

Niamh Baly has been crafting for nearly 30 years, starting with stamping and moving into art journaling and mixed media in 2003. She completed her Graduate Diploma of Fine Arts (Printmaking) in 2005. Niamh has also written two books on using Embossing Enamels, taught classes nationally and internationally, and was regularly published in stamping and scrapbooking magazines. Niamh is currently a High School teacher and lives with her small family on the beautiful North West coast of Tasmania, Australia. To keep herself busy, she still makes time every day to create art, and is now teaching mixed media courses and retreats nationally, as well as online courses focusing on Art Journaling and Mixed media. She also runs a successful YouTube Channel sharing her techniques and inspirations weekly. See more from Niamh on her website, Facebook page, Mixed Media Creative Queens page and Instagram!

Jane Bellante has been a working artist for 30 years, focusing mostly on mixed media, but also painted furniture and furniture art. “I have a master’s degree in Adult Education and I love to teach! You’ll find me in my studio most days, experimenting and playing with my art supplies. I’m so grateful to be part of the StencilGirl® Creative Team!!” Check out Jane on her website, Facebook page, Instagram, and Pinterest!

Nancy Curry is a nationally known mixed media artist, Certified Ranger Educator, and author of Texture Effects for Rubber Stamping. Nancy divides her time between her studio pursuits, designing for Nancy Curry Art, teaching mixed media workshops, and is very happy to be part of the StencilGirl family. For years her work has been published in many of the trending magazines and featured in several industry books. Her easily recognizable style has matured, yet is timeless in its use of varied applications of media. The results are pieces containing both visual and tactile textures that are rich in composition. Nancy resides in Lake St. Louis, Missouri. Learn more about Nancy on her website! 

Hello, my name is Laura Dame and I am a mixed media artist based in Austin, TX. I love to play around and experiment in my art journals, and also enjoy dabbling in abstract, collage, and floral artworks. My favorite thing about art is that there are no rules - the only requirement is that whatever you create makes you happy! My main goal when I began sharing my art was to show people that you don't have to be classified as an artist to pick up a paintbrush. Your art doesn't have to be perfect, or even 'good' - it's the act of creating that matters. I am married to a wonderful husband, who is the person who first nudged me down my artistic path about 7 years ago (although he probably didn't realize how much money I would spend on art supplies!). I am also the mother to two (almost teenage!) boys, and a full-time Sonographer. Visit Laura's website at www.lauramixedmedia.com.

Hello!!! I’m Tina Hois from @tinahoisart my happy place for creative abandonment. I have always been drawn to all things arty. It all started with scrapbooking and creating memory albums for my two beautiful daughters, which evolved into card making and paper crafts. As a stay at home mom (at the time) and a constant learner I was intrigued by jewelry and taught myself all I needed to know about creating beautiful timeless jewelry pieces. With this knowledge I launched a small company and took part in maker markets and private home events. Currently my love for mixed media outweighs all others and I am usually surrounded by creative messes, painted fingers and a head of overflowing ideas.  Art journaling is my personal expressive outlet that allows me to play intuitively without rules and fill my soul with happiness. My pages are layered with painted goodness, collage, colour, textures and stencil designs. I tend to vary my style and embrace experimenting with new techniques and mediums. In addition to art I love thrifting and giving new life to unwanted treasures ~ I dream of owning an up-cycled creative space where people can connect, unwind, learn and shop.(and it will be the seaside ~ not a big ask). For now I will dream of the seaside and can be found on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

Anouk Karrsen is an all-around creative from The Netherlands. For Anouk, art journaling is a way to process her thoughts and emotions. Her style can be described as soft and feminine with a raw edge. In her creative journey, Anouk tries to let go of her perfectionism by creating on a more intuitive level. Follow Anouk on Instagram at www.instagram.com/creanouk.

I’m Natalie May from Adelaide, South Australia! I have been working with the fantastic team at StencilGirl® Products for a few years and love everything about this awesome company! Here in Australia, I love sharing the StencilGirl® love through regular online classes and live Facebook mini-classes and demonstrations. Showing people all the amazing ways to use SG products in everyday crafting is what makes me smile and brings me so much happiness. I am a full time Papercrafter, having a Retail & Online Store here in Adelaide and happily married to Trev, with a clever & funny daughter Jessica! I also have my own line of products including stamps, collage papers & chipboard with new products coming out soon! Plus I am a Master Educator for Lindys Gang! I teach so many different facets of this papercraft industry from scrapbooking and cardmaking to mini books and art journaling. Head over and check out my Social Media and feel free to join my Facebook Community to catch up with all the classes and specials: online store, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Facebook Community!

Kristi Nazzaro is a Mixed Media Artist, Instructor and Journal Maker. She is passionate about her inclusive messages of positivity and validation that are built from the bright layers and bold textures of her easily recognized designs. When she’s not in her studio, Kristi can be found hiking, gardening and spending time with her family. Visit Kristi on Instagram, Facebook, and her website!

Hi! My name is Carol Ponsford and I am a Mixed Media artist from Columbus, Indiana. I am a retired Administrative Assistant and enjoy spending time with my husband Jim, my 2 children, son-in-law and 2 grandsons. I also enjoy travel, attending art workshops and spending time in my studio creating art. I enjoy working in all types of mediums including acrylic paint, collage, gel plate mono printing, encaustic, and have studied clay, silversmithing, and printed fabric design while in college. My most recent work is primarily Mixed Media using paint, paper collage, stencils, and rubber stamps. My love for Mixed Media stems from the wide variety of products that can be used in combination with each other offering so many unexpected surprises. I am currently setting up a space to work in encaustics in my home studio. I enjoy exploring colorful abstract work and look forward to finding new techniques to incorporate into my work. Find Carol on Instagram here.

Kirsten Varga has been creative for as long as she can remember. She has a Bachelor's degree in Fine Art with an emphasis in Visual Communication and Illustration and has worked as a graphic designer and teaching artist. She enjoys teaching all ages to discover their own creativity, a quality, she believes, everyone has. Her art interests are varied as she enjoys learning and trying new artsy things. Her favorites are bookmaking, mixed media, collage, and pen & ink drawing. She gravitates towards themes of home, connection, and whimsy in her artwork. She has dreams of starting a shop to sell her art and one day, see her work displayed in a gallery. She balances her time between her artistic dreams, raising four sassy daughters with her husband, and working as a High School Art Teacher in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. See more of Kirsten's on Instagram.

Tracy Villaume is a mixed media artist and radio personality living in the Capital Region of New York. “I am someone who is always reinventing myself and loves to try new things, but art has remained a constant throughout my life. In school I was all about sketching and clean lines, as an adult I found love in color and the abstract. Today, I like to put it all together! I take every opportunity to continue to learn and grow as an artist, and nothing makes me happier than sharing with others along the way. By my side in my creative journey are my French-born husband, Vincent; two children, Emma and Jack; and our Yorkie-poo, Frankie. When I am not in the studio, I like to find inspiration via nature walks; wander flea markets for collage fodder and sample new wines.” Check out Tracy on Instagram and her website!

Hello! I’m Nicole Watson … a Midwest girl who married a Southern boy and now lives in Austin, Texas. Art has always played a part in my creative journey—from collecting random bits of paper at a young age to selling my first painting in high school, then discovering mixed media while studying art and design in college.

My style is best described as an eclectic blend of technique and whimsy. I enjoy borrowing from my background in graphic/layout design, photography, and fine art, while mixing in color theory and discovering new and unexpected mediums to play with. Messy, grungy artwork with a touch of nature and oftentimes a circle or three are my favorites, along with the splatters, drips, and scribbles.

As an artist and a teacher, I’m most encouraged when a viewer gains confidence to try something new or just enjoys creating as a part of self-care. Paint-covered hands are the best form of therapy, and there is nothing more rewarding than reliving creative growth by flipping through journals of past projects. My hope is that you will feel just as inspired as I do to learn from others, discover your own unique style, embrace mistakes, and to be brave in both art and in creating an artful life. When not making messes in my studio, you’ll find me outside in the garden, going on walks, or searching for artsy treasures, usually with an iced coffee in hand. Visit Nicole's website and find her on Instagram and YouTube.

Join our StencilGirl® Creative Team!

We are looking for artists to add to our current StencilGirl® Creative Team for the next year!
We love our team and we are excited to see it grow!   

Here are our team details:

Designer Responsibilities:

• Provide 1 new project tutorial (including step by step instructions) every 2 months for our StencilGirl Talk® Blog.
• Promote StencilGirl® work on your social media and tag us so we can share your work @stencilgirl_products #stencilgirl
• Review new products and provide feedback as needed.

 

Designer Benefits:

A StencilGirl® Starter pack which includes:

• Twelve 9” x 12” StencilGirl® stencils of your choice!
• Twelve 6” x 6” StencilGirl® stencils of your choice!
• Twelve 4” x 4” StencilGirl® stencils of your choice!
• A 12” x 24” StencilGirl® home décor stencil of your choice!
• StencilGuts
• StencilGirl® Products Founder Mary Beth Shaw’s book: Stencil Girl: Mixed-Media Techniques for Making and Using Stencils
• Cross promotion of you and your art on our social media platforms regularly.
• Work with partnering companies in the industry to cross promote our products through
  blog hops and challenges!
• 25% off all StencilGirl® stencils!  
• Are you a teacher? We would love to support your teaching opportunities!

 

How do you submit?

Provide the following information:

1. Name

2. Mini Bio – What makes you uniquely YOU!

3. Website/Blog link

4. Facebook link (and # of Friends/Likes – personal & business if applicable)

5. Instagram link (and # of followers)

6. Twitter and/or Pinterest links (and # of followers)

7. YouTube link (number of subscribers, average # views)

8. Provide minimum of 3 projects you have created featuring stencils – if you have instructions please include. One project should include a video – please include a link. If not comfortable with video, please note that in your application.

Entries due by March 27th. Good luck!  

Email your entry to: mary@stencilgirlproducts.com

Instagram Hop & Giveaway with the StencilGirl Creative Team

@stencilgirl_products 

is giving away two $25 gift coupons for StencilGirl’s Artist-designed, Made in the USA stencils. 

Two winners will be chosen at random.

Official Rules

TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY: Please read carefully – you must follow ALL OF THE RULES BELOW to be eligible to win.

Follow any or all of StencilGirl's Creative Team Members on Instagram: 

@kirstenvarga

@lauramixedmedia

@sarahjgardner

@happydaks

@nancycurryart

@thediyday

@creanouk

@marticesmithart 

or us, @stencilgirl_products

Look for the one recent post on any of the Instagram pages of our Creative Team members above that is hashtagged #stencilgirl and #winstencils, comment and tag a friend who loves art and art supplies. The more posts you comment/tag the more chances you have to win.

You have until 8/29/21 at 11:59p.m. Central Time USA to enter.

The two winners will be selected by random draw and notified via DM (or email*) on 8/30/21. The winner has until 9/5/21 to respond or another random winner will be chosen.

The giveaway is open to all. By entering, you are agreeing to these Official Rules. If you do not wish to enter via Instagram, you can also enter by sending an email* to stencilgirlclv@gmail.com with “StencilGirl Fall 2021 Giveaway” in the subject line. Entrants release Instagram from any liability associated with entering this giveaway. This giveaway is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Instagram.

$25 gift coupon does not include final product shipping.

Mixed Media Art Journal Spread Using Stencils, Spray Paint, and Collage

Hello, and welcome to my first ever StencilGirl Creative Team post! I am Laura Dame and I am so excited to be here sharing my art and my process with you!

For my first project, I wanted to stick with something that was relatively simple, but also embodies who I am as an artist and what my style is. So I popped open a brand new journal and got to work!

New journals can be so intimidating. Those first blank pages staring at you are scary! What if you mess it up? It's a brand new journal, and that's going to be the first thing you see! Some people decide to do their first spread in the middle, and normally I would do that too. But I'm trying to get myself out of my comfort zone a little bit, so I decided to tackle those first pages and go in with no fear (ok, maybe just a little fear). 

One of my favorite things to do is layer paper and then paint on top. I looooooooove the layers of the paper underneath, peaking through the paint, especially when there are already marks and designs. Some of my favorite under- papers to use are book pages or ledger papers. They have such interesting designs. 

I am really, really happy with how this first spread came out. I hope you enjoy the process as much as I did!

Stencils:

Wildflowers Lace Mask L799

X-12 Stencil L117

Longwood Florals Mask Stencil L675

Supplies:

Sillman & Burn 8 x 5 inch journal

Vintage Ledge Paper

Kraft Paper (from a paper bag, product packaging, or cardstock)

Liquitex Spray Paint - Parchment and Black

Various collage papers from your stash

Liquitex Matte Medium

Liquitex Basics Gesso

Amsterdam Acrylic Ink - Turquoise Green

DecoArt Americana Craft Paint - Jadeite Glass

Water Spray Bottle

Vintage Brass Numbers

YES! Paste

Tim Holtz Chip Quotes