YaYa's Art Camp 2025

I am a happy YaYa to four (4) Granddaughters aged 10, 8, 6, & 4. I became a stepmom to 10-year-old twins (boy/girl) when I married their father over 25 years ago. Their families have each blessed us with two (2) girls, resulting in our stair-step grands. 

A couple of years ago, I started a tradition with the older girls called “YaYa’s Art Camp,” and it is something that they ask for when summer rolls around. Missing out on raising young children, I remain fascinated by the enthusiasm a kid has for making, getting messy, and learning new ways to create. Plus, a couple of hours together in the Studio leads to all kinds of wonderful conversations and memories. I work best 2:1, so I had the younger ones one week and the older ones the following week. 

The little ones enjoyed lots of painting projects and got a big kick out of mixing paints to make “their own” colors. My 6-year-old grand mixed a blue she called “Serene” and was very proud of her creation. They painted their first name letters, stools for their room, and used fabric markers on aprons.

In past years, when the older ones were their ages, their favorite activity (aside from painting their first name letters) was melting crayons on rocks. Super fun, satisfying, and easy. Simply find some rocks about as big as your hand and put them on a baking sheet at 200 degrees, roughly 30-45 minutes. Create a nest of kitchen towels in front of each kid and place a hot rock in it. Grab some crayons and let them go to town melting crayons on one rock at a time. The rock will stay warm for loads of experimentation. 

This year, for the older ones, I took inspiration from a couple of StencilGirl Designers! 

Kristin Peterson has a terrific tutorial for making fabric scrap bowls! These were a huge hit with the girls, and YaYa has a ton of fabric scraps! Kristin has a tutorial for making them here: Altered States Fabric Bowl

As you are probably aware, Carolyn Dube is a wizard at Gel Plate Printing. They ADORED making prints, and I was thankful that I had taken a couple of Carolyn’s workshops when I had Ephemera Paducah. The technique that made the girls gasp with glee was this one: 

The Beehive Stencil is by Margaret Peot L978 

Step 1 - Spread acrylic paint all over your plate and put a stencil on top of it. It’s easiest with a more open stencil rather than one with little bitty openings. 

Step 2 - Put a piece of paper on top of your stencil and rub the paint through the stencil onto the paper. You may have to use more than one piece of paper to essentially clear out the openings.

Step 3 - Leave your stencil in place and choose a different color paint. Brayer over the stencil and get paint down into the openings you have just cleared out.

Step 4 - Lift your stencil

Step 5 - Put a piece of paper down on your gel plate and lift your print

Step 6 - Ooooohhh and Aaaaahhhh over your print. I got a “YaYa, you are brilliant!!!”

Step 7 - Repeat

With Carolyn’s permission, here is a quick video I made of this technique. YaYa's Art Camp Gel Plate Printing

We spent about 2 hours making gel prints, as one does! I gave them each a color wheel, and we talked about using complementary and analogous colors in our prints. We then made a collage using torn-up pieces of our prints, and stenciled on top. When that was done, we painted the negative part of a simple image. 

The Stars come from a great StencilClub Stencil 05-2025

Carolyn Dube's word stencils are always on point. L923 & L924

Linda Edkins Wyatt has a great ATC stencil L852

Finally, we created some spooky art for Halloween, transforming thrift and antique store finds into terrifying scenes! They are so excited to decorate for Halloween this year. 

I hope this gave you some ideas for crafting with your grands or neighborhood kids. Make some memories!!

Stenciled Fold Book by Kristin Peterson

Do you get totally obsessed about your newest stencils? I can hardly wait to try them out once they arrive and the 4-Point Star and Create Face are no exception. I have so been enjoying those two stencil in my art journals! I knew I wanted to use both of these in my latest project here.

I also love making little books. Size wise, this one is perfect for holding in your hands to look through and of course, a nice opportunity to use some of my favorite stencils. And if you are not familiar with how I roll in the studio-  this little book is a good mix of all the things I love- stencils, collage, fabric and stitching.

I started with a couple of long skinny pieces of paper and sewed the two together. Covered all of it in collage and the started layering some of my favorite stencils. Some of the magic and fun for me, is the layering of the stencils.

Here is the list of stencils I used for this project:
Vintage Ledger Numbers
Numbers Stencil (I had cut this one down- so just used the numbers)
20 Color Grid Swatch Stencil
Closed Leaves
Repetition Stencil
Fragmented Line Columns
Bittersweet Mini
4-Point Star Grid
Create Face
Layers of Scallop
Pickleweed
StencilClub- Aug 2013 

Once I was done with the stenciling, I decided where to place my folds in the paper.  I machine stitched the ribbon tab and vintage gold trim onto the top of the inner pages, and added corduroy pieces to the front and back covers to add some textural feel. The soft tan color of the corduroy fit so nicely with the overall feel of my book. 

I did glue the inner pages together to help keep the pages nice and easy to open. I did add a piece of dyed polka dot fabric to hide the book folds and to provide a more finished look. To complete the book, I added my signature initials on a little fabric tab on the back and added a piece of gold sari ribbon to hold the book shut. Here is a video so you can watch some of my process and see the finished book.

Thank you so much!
Xo.Kristin Peterson (artist behind: AlteredStatesStudio)
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https://www.instagram.com/alteredstatesstudio/

Art Journaling with StencilGirl® Stencils

Hi, everyone! Kristin Peterson here from Altered States Studio!

My piece started from a collaged journal square from a Dylusions journal. I had added a few pieces of collage paper but, clearly had not finished it. When I saw it again, I knew I could work this into something special for my StencilGirl® Talk post.

Diving right in, I pulled out a few of my favorite stencils.

•   Fragmented line columns

•   Layers of Scallops

•   Circle Rays 6 stencil

•   Soulful Scribbles

•   Soulful Scribbles Unfold

•   Bittersweet Mini

•   Repetition stencil

•   Scribble Scratch Handwriting stencil

My working process is to layer with collage paper and acrylic paint and then follow up with a stencil. This helps to integrate the paper and paint into the piece.

I made some of my own art marks within the piece using a simple black ink pen and outlining the inside of stencil color (the soft turquoise in the right hand corner) and circling the polka dots on the left side. I also added some of my favorite orange washi tape and used one of my favorite watercolor crayons- yellow ochre.

I had placed the brighter color- the red rosy pink underneath so as to add some pop of color to this otherwise fairly neutral piece. This initial color choice would then help to dictate color choices I would make while working. Although I was hoping to stay fairly neutral.

One of the last layers of collage was a rectangular piece towards the top (the left edge is under the orange washi tape). I added this and then blended the paper in with a little white paint, and used my fragmented line columns stencil to finish blending in the area and overlapping just a bit below to pull the whole piece together.

Thank you so much for looking and seeing my results!

Kristin Peterson

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Art Journaling with StencilGirl® Products

As I have been contemplating this blog post, we have been packing up our home to move. The last room to get packed, of course, was my studio.

First the big stuff on the edges, and then moving in to the heart of the studio and the working counter. As the counter began to clear and the boxes were stacking up, I was finding little paper goodies and bits left behind from art journaling or other creative work.

A small scrap of paper there. A bit of rick rack edging here. And the loose words that had dropped onto the massively deep pile in the corner on the working counter where almost all things went to get mildly misplaced……but not gone.

And so, out of the misplaced corner pile came to be this very special art journaling page.

It would hold the goodies found. Seemingly everyday-not-special-type goodies to the untrained eye, but goodies that had been saved for sure.

This collective would be the lovelies that would serve as a reminder of the day. Things found. And the purposes of these page.

Saved.

And so, I share with you the more cargo rare moonlight; her forty-odd years, silvered.

I used stencils from the May 2015 Stencil club- Mary Beth’s Private Collection 15.3 and October 2016 Stencil club- Mary Beth's Private Collection 16.4.

Much love always.

Xo. Kristin

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A heartfelt thank you to our 2018-19 Creative Team!

Talent.

Caring.

Talent.

Laughs.

Talent.

Oh my goodness, thanks for stopping by so I can tell you how much I have enjoyed working with (occasionally nudging) the delightful, brilliant, inspiring 2018-19 StencilGirl Creative Team. I'm Carol Baxter and it has been my role to manage this artistic group of women Mary Beth Shaw chose especially to represent her company.

An excited Mary Beth calls me all the time and asks, "Have you seen what x made on StencilGirl Talk? She really put thought and time into her art. StencilGirl is so lucky she is on the team."

Cheetarah Cheda, Silvia Souza, Louise Nelson, Natalie May, Kristin Peterson, BelenSotelo, Sunila & Aditi Mahajan, ClaudiaNeubacher, Katie Lamb, Trena Brannon, Sandee Setliff, and Jill McDowell your art inspires and never fail to make me smile. 

I have favorite pieces of art that you have made in the past year so I get to wax philosophic as to why it moved me (in no particular order).

Cheetarah, thank you for sharing your love of pens with me and fantastic layered art journaling. I appreciate your esthetic.

Kristin P, you have sewing skills for days. Your storybook for our stenciled poetry theme was utterly breathtaking.

Sunila & Aditi (Dots2Lines), It makes my heart happy that you are a mother and daughter making art together. These sweet ATC cards are my faves because they are lovely I imagine them being tucked away as a surprise to brighten someone's day.

Katie, stencil on a ukelele? Applause for a perfectly delightful, completely outside-the-box upcycled project. Thank you for your camaraderie and enthusiasm on social media too!

Jill, I couldn't decide between the record album stencil storage and this cake. Food won! You have more patience I think in your little finger than I have in my body. This cake topper is da bomb and...

Trena has just the plate to serve it on! Seriously, Trena, your words of cheer always seemed to arrive at the perfect time in my email, along with your art. These plates are just like you, so welcoming.

Natalie, it was so fun meeting you at the hobby show and I wish there had been a week to hang out. Your projects have made me pull out my scrapbooks again and play with pics of my family, including pets!

Silvia, Can I rub your shoulder and get a little of your sense of style and detail when it comes to making art? These kicks are made for showing off!

Sandee, I must not be drinking coffee or tea when I go to look at your art because it might have a funny saying and cause me to need to clean my keyboard and desk. I adore your sense of humor but I had to go with this completely fabulous table. 

Louise, I have been known to be all about the jewelry. I find this necklace so appealing because it is made out of cloth and, like all of your wonderfully quirky art, it is so you!

Belen (Art & Whimsy), You are all about vibrant colors, woman! My art making stuff is stashed in a stack so I can concentrate (at least that is what I tell myself) but I love the idea of baskets of collage papers. They are calling to me. Come and play! 

Claudia, I immediately coveted the cuffs you made for your very first team post but I must say, being a fan of Halloween, I am ready to celebrate the holiday with you. Alas, you live far away.

With applause for the team,
Carol Baxter

pssst!  If you are reading this before midnight on May 3rd, you still have time to take a look at and maybe win a prize during the team's Spectacular Squared-Off Swap Hop. All the links are HERE. Our team members always bring their A-game so it's doubly worth your time to take a look!

In Honor of Gramma Bee by Kristin Peterson

I come from a long line of artists. My Gramma Bee was the first, then my mom and myself. When I was a kid, my gramma and mom would make wheat weaving and we would travel all summer long, going to art and crafts fairs in the Midwest.

When I got a bit older we would all take art classes together, and then, staying with gramma, we would do class all day, eat supper and then, break out the paints around the table, and the three of us would paint that evening. 

Now, I need to let you in on the rest of the scoop.... so as it went, my gramma painted mainly in watercolors and was a realist painter. my mom could go between watercolor and acrylic and work anywhere from realism to abstract. And then, there's me.... acrylic and abstract. So, my gramma and I were at the ends of the spectrum.

That is until the last year she was with us. That last year will be something to remember for sure. the art classes would be too long of a day for her, but my mom and I would still come and take the class and stay with her. We would bring home what we had done in class and gramma would critique the work and provide additional feedback for us. We would eat and continue the conversation, and after supper, we would break out the paint again. 

But remarkably, we transitioned to mainly acrylic..... and mainly abstract.... even my gramma.

One of my fondest memories of my gramma was us sitting around her table painting with acrylics when she grabbed one of the plastic forks and started painting with that and exclaimed, "This is awesome! Why haven't we been painting like this the whole time?!"

My gramma was the most prolific painter that last year she was with us. She painted up a pile of little abstract paintings which my mom would cut up and mount onto cards, which were sold locally in a gallery.

Which leads me back to my project.... a handmade card, which I started with watercolor, added a bit of acrylic paint and finished with a stencil making abstract marks. 

Let's walk through the process. I hope you enjoy..... 

xo. kristin

I squeezed a bit of watercolors onto a note card. I am totally obsessed with Payne's Grey and Nickel Azo Gold.

Then, I painted my watercolor paper with the colors and let it do its' own thing- running, mixing a bit and then dried thoroughly.

I looked through my stencils and chose one knowing I was doing to cut it down to fit my card. I especially liked the left hand corner with its square-ish vibe.... 

Here is the entire stencil, Soulful Scribbles by Traci Bautista.

I usually always roll the paint through my stencils onto whatever I am working on, so I will squeeze out a bit of white paint onto a card and run my roller through. (Hint: I normally only use either white or Payne's Grey with my stencils; so I keep my rollers in baggies until I can't use them anymore.)

Place stencil over your work, and roll..... total happiness.

I love the white on top of the Payne's Grey and yellow. It is soft, yet provides a nice contrast with my background.

Then I cut my background down in size, choosing what I wanted for my card and mounted on a small piece of book paper to provide a visual difference between my background piece and my white card.

My gramma was also a seamstress - and I love sewing on paper any chance I get. I glued my background onto the book paper and decided to sew it onto my card.

Here is how my piece looks sewn onto my card..... so much happiness.

I love giving a homemade card. I think of them as little pieces of art. 

And in this case, in honor of my late Gramma Bee.