Art is Good for You, a home decor piece by Sue Plumb

Hello stencil lover!

It's Sue Plumb here with you today to share my latest project for the StencilGirl Creative Team. Today's piece was created for our current "Home Decor" theme and as you may have already seen, the team have already been sharing some fabulous project ideas. For my take on this theme I decided to create a piece for one of my favourite areas of our house - my daughter's room. Now don't get me wrong, as she is almost a teenager and definitely not what you would call "tidy", I am not referring to the entire room. Rather, just her desk area where she sits to create her art. It's a lovely spot - beautiful white desk, great natural light from the window, and she has all her supplies readily at hand. (Quite unlike my own creative space, so yes, that is some jealousy talking!)

Here is my framed piece, entitled "Art is Good for You"...

I chose this message for my daughter as I am a firm believer that the creative process (in whatever form) is good for mental health, and I like to encourage her to follow her creative pursuits. I chose the colours for this piece based on what I knew she would like, and also because of some of the other colours in her room. 

To start, I began with an A4 size sheet of white cardstock and the Wall of Words stencil. I chose this stencil as I wanted to add some subtle text to the background and the happy and positive words made a perfect base. I didn't want the words to be too prominent though, so I chose a grey ink and applied it randomly using a dauber.

For my next layer, I chose the Random Circles stencil and a selection of Distress Oxides. Starting with "Picked Raspberry", this time I used an ink blending tool, and gently blended the ink onto the page through the stencil. I then repeated the process with the "Shaded Lilac", then filled in the final gaps on the page using "Tumbled Glass". I just love the way these three colours worked together on the page.

Look at the beautiful contrast from the crisp white pattern underneath once the stencil is removed...

Now it was time to add the focal point of my piece using the Art is Good for You stencil. I wanted to make it stand out from the busy background as much as possible, so I chose to use a black ink this time to help it pop. Again, I used a sponge dauber and sponged the ink gently through the stencil.

With the quote outline in place, now it was time for some more colour to help the letters really pop from the page. I chose another Distress Oxide "Peacock Feathers", swiped a little onto my craft mat, spritzed it with water and mixed it to make a paint. I then used a small brush to paint the colour onto the letters.

As you can see in the image above, I wasn't exactly precise when applying the colour to the letters, so some of the colour had dulled some of the black outline. To fix this, I grabbed a Sharpie and went back over the dull spots to blacken them again.

To add a little extra depth and interest to the lettering, I wanted to add some white highlights. For this step I used one of my favourite tools - a white correction pen.

The final step in my process was to add a few pretty little touches using some printed vellum flowers, leaves and a butterfly from Cocoa Vanilla Studio.

Once complete, I popped the piece into a frame and then placed it into my daughter's art space. She absolutely loved it! Look how gorgeous it looks sitting there...

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

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Happy, a mixed media scrapbook page by Sue Plumb

Hello stencil lover!

It's Sue Plumb here with you today to share my latest project for the StencilGirl Creative Team. Today's project was created for our current theme of "Passages". This theme had my mind going in several different directions; but in the end I decided to interpret the theme quite literally, and create a scrapbook layout that documented a special passage in my life. 

Here's a look at my layout, simply entitled "Happy"...

This layout not only refers to an actual passage (a corridor at the hospital) but it also marks an important passage of time for myself and my boys. I am thankful that on the day this photo was taken that I took the time to write down my feelings. (I will share my journaling with you later in this post.)

With my subject decided and photo printed, it was time to get started on my page. I began with a sheet of heavyweight white cardstock and Distress Oxides in the shades of Picked Raspberry and Seedless Preserves. I applied the first ink to my non-stick craft mat, added a spritz of water, and then swirled the water through using my fingertip before laying the cardstock over the top to absorb it. I then repeated the process with the second ink and the end result was a vibrant, watercolour style background.

Once my initial layer of colour was down, it was time to pull out my stencils and start building some layers on my page. The first stencil I chose was the 4x4" stencil included in the StencilGirl Club Rex Ray-esque collection. This collection of stencils was designed by Valerie Sjodin, and the small stencil I selected from the set features a block style pattern that is almost brick-like in appearance. I used teal Archival Ink and a small sponge to apply the pattern in three places surrounding the focal area of my layout.

Now it was time to add some texture to the page. But which stencil to use was the question? Drawing on the theme of my layout, and how the passage of time had seen my boys come "full circle" to this moment, I chose a stencil with a lovely, loose circular pattern called Circles in the Sand, designed by Roxanne Evans Stout. I then used a palette knife to apply some lilac coloured texture paste through the stencil over the top of the inks. The free flowing pattern of this stencil contrasted nicely to the structure of the first one I had used. 

Although happy with how my background was looking at this point, I really felt that it needed some contrasting highlights to provide more depth. I used one of my very favourite stencils - Organized Chaos by Cat Kerr, which I combined with gorgeous gold glaze from Vicki Boutin.  

Now satisfied with my background, I turned my attention to the focal area of my page and to creating some papery layers. I started with a heart print paper bag to act as the anchor, and it was also where I was going to store the journaling that I had written onto a couple of pieces of patterned paper.

Next, I added some pieces of patterned paper from the Cocoa Vanilla Studio 'Bohemian Dream' collection, which features pretty pink / purple / blue tones and gorgeous floral elements. I also added a couple of paper doilies and some frayed gauze, before adding my photo on top. 

I used a variety of pieces from the same collection to embellish my layout including die cuts, stickers, and a chipboard title. I also fussy cut a few pieces from a floral paper and tucked them in around the photo mat.

If you would like to hear the story behind this layout, here is what my journaling read:

A big day for us today! Back to where it all began for the boys 4 year old (and final!) development assessment as RBWH. Walking the hallway lined with photos, through that glass door and into those never forgotten sounds and smells of the NICU still made me tear up and catch my breath. I had to look away from all the tiny, fragile patients in their "boxes", and the tired, bleak faces of their anxious mothers, because it breaks my heart to know what they are going through.

It is good to know our participation in this program over the past 4 years has provided valuable data to researchers to help care for very premature and extremely low birth weight babies born in future.

Before we left I took a moment to pause in this spot with my boys. At the end of the hall behind us are rooms full of memories - the place I first saw my them, touched their skin, held them and fed them. Moments that felt like I waited forever for each one; and wasn't sure would even happen when I was first admitted. (And were it not for the expert care my boys received here, would certainly not have.)

On the day they were born I was wheeled in as the mum of premmie twins, including the smallest baby in the hospital.Today I walked out holding their hands and knowing how lucky I am.

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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Best Ever!, 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. During May and June the Creative Team members have been working with the theme of "Typography". Typography in artistic terms means using type as an intrinsic part of the artwork, or in some cases (particularly modern art), it may even be the artwork itself. For my piece, I decided to demonstrate how I often like to incorporate type on a scrapbook layout - as the basis of my background.

For my page, I chose to document a special photo of my daughter that was taken at her primary school graduation last year when she was awarded Dux (or Valedictorian for my American friends) of her school. This was the perfect subject to pair with a background featuring type. 

I began my project by adding some color diagonally across my cardstock. I used Mermaid Lagoon Distress Oxide with what I call the "smooshing" technique. (This is where the ink is mixed with water on a piece of plastic and then applied by smooshing it down onto the page to give a watercolor style effect - you can see it in action in my process video below.)

Next, I selected my stencils. I wanted to use two different types of fonts that I could layer on the page as part of my background. The first one I chose was the Wall of Words 9x12" stencil designed by Carolyn Dube. This stencil is full of words of wisdom, motivation, and laughter; and due to the uniformity of the text style, I thought it would be ideal as part of my background. The second stencil I chose was one of my favorites - Rembrandt's Words Small stencil. This stencil was also designed by Carolyn Dube and I thought the flowing script would provide a good contrast against the structured text of the Wall of Words stencil.

I used a small sponge to dab ink randomly through the Wall of Words stencil along the diagonal line of color I had created on the page. In some places, I overlapped lines of text to give a random, jumbled appearance. I then used some colored texture paste with the Rembrandt's Words stencil to add contrast and subtle dimension before leaving it to dry naturally for a short while.

I then returned to work on the textural layers that were going to go behind my photo in the focal area of my page. I used crumpled tissue paper, a paper doily, patterned paper, cotton thread, and frayed gauze to create a stack, then placed my photo on top. I then fussy cut some pieces from a Cocoa Vanilla Studio floral patterned paper which I tucked in under the diagonally opposing corners of the photo, further enhancing the flow of the page.

To give the diagonal design both a start and endpoint, I created two small clusters along the top and bottom edges of the page (which also helped to balance out the heavy focal area in the middle). I used a mix of patterned papers and embellishments from the same Cocoa Vanilla Studio 'Wild at Heart' collection that the floral pieces had come from. I also added some extra embellishments around my photo.

At this point, I decided my layout needed a little bit of something extra and I really wanted to tie in the gold color from the photo as well. I reached for my Military Style Stars stencil by June Pfaff Daley and some gold texture paste and stenciled some little gold stars across the page. I also added some splatters of gold mist and pink ink; and three fussy cut butterflies. 

And then I did something I don't usually do. I decided the background text on my page wasn't defined quite enough, so I went back in with the Wall of Words stencil and added some extra stenciled type. As soon as I had done it, I then felt it looked much better and my page was complete.

If you would like to watch exactly how it all came together, you can watch my process video here:

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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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.

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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