Guest Designer Frieda Oxenham

The art of Frida Kahlo is always inspirational to me (and not just because of her name!) as are the images of the artist herself and I can’t resist regularly making Frida inspired art.

Here is the tutorial:

1.     Cover the pages of your art journal with a variety of acrylic spray paint. I used an A4 sized art journal. 

2.     Again using permanent spray paints, spray through stencil L143 Ivy 9 in a variety of colours.

3.     Using a 9 x 12” gelli plate and copy paper, add colour to the copy paper by covering the plate in one colour and taking partial prints on the paper until they are covered. Repeat using other colours.

4.     Then cover the plate In one colour and put stencils on top of the plate. I used stencil L143 Ivy 9 again as well as the B stencil from the April 2024 StencilClub. Again take partial prints on the papers from step 3. Then remove the stencils and take the negative prints too. We’re not looking for perfect prints but instead we’re creating collage material for the next step. 

5.     Collage strips of the papers made in step 4 onto your pages as shown.  I used a UHU glue stick for this. 

6.     Stencil on flowers using different colours of acrylic paint with a cosmetic wedge and stencil S091 4 Flowers. 

7.     Stencil figure from stencil L620 Inspired by Frida onto flower themed wrapping paper as well as deli paper. I used ArtAlchemy acrylic paint Sparks. 

8.     Cut out the figures from step 7 and glue them onto the pages as shown, again using a glue stick.

9.     Also cut out text from a vintage music book and glue that on, as well as tissue paper featuring musical notes. 

10.  Cut out flowers from the wrapping paper from step 7 and glue on. 

11.  Colour in and outline figures and flowers using acrylic paint markers as well as a black Stabilo All pencil.

© Frieda Oxenham 2024

Dwell in Possibility - Kraft Journal Spread by Laura Dame (LauraMixedMedia)

If you're anything like me, you are in love with kraft paper, and this kraft journal from Dina Wakley is no exception. To me, kraft paper is so awesome because it's basically a built in background, but I have heard so many people say they don't know what to do with it, so I decided to share this process with you!

StencilGirl Products Used:

Words to Live By Stencil

Protea Mask with Stencil Outline

Supplies:

Dina Wakley Media Kraft Journal

Dina Wakely Media Collage Tissue

Liquitex Fluid Matte Medium

Liquitex Basics Gesso

Matisse Fluid Acrylic - Australian Salmon Gum, Unbleached Titanium

Charvin Acrylic - Caribbean Pink

Stabilo Pencil - Black

UmWow Studio Chipboard - Layered Chevrons

Liquitex Spray Paint - Black, Viridian Hue Permanent 7

YES! Paste

Cheesecloth

Tim Holtz Quote Chips

Step One: I used Liquitex Matte Fluid Medium to glue down some Dina Wakley Media Collage Tissue papers. I just love these floral prints! Don't worry that you can see a discoloration where the matte medium is - you won't see it when we're done!

Step Two: Using gesso, stencil wherever you'd like over the background. I stenciled along the sides and a little across as I didn't want everything to be covered - I wanted to leave a little blank space. I used gesso instead of white paint because, in my opinion, it's easier to layer over. 

 

Step Three: I used three different colors to layer a floral stencil over the background. This time I stenciled along the bottom portion of the spread. I used three colors as I didn't want the stenciling to look "flat" - adding more colors (and not necessarily mixing them) gives some values to your stenciled image. 

Step Four: Using a Stabilo pencil, I drew some botanical stems. I then used water to activate the pencil and added gesso to fill in the leaves. 

Step Five: Spray paint your chipboard shapes in a contrasting color. I used this turquoise-green color as I loved the pop against the pink. And you of course don't have to use spray paint, you can use whatever you'd like!

Step Six: Next, I spray painted some splatters in black. You could also use watered down paint or gloss sprays

 Step Seven: Now it's time to glue things down! I like to use YES! Paste for gluing down "heavy" items such as chipboard. I feel it gives a stronger hold than a glue stick or fluid matte medium. A gel medium would work well, also. I glued the chipboard shapes along the sides, then added some painted cheesecloth and a Tim Holtz quote chip. 

And that's it! 

I hope you enjoy the tutorial, and that you feel inspired to start playing with your kraft papers! 

Laura Dame (LauraMixedMedia)

Inner Dream Houses Stencils by New Designer Rakefet Hadar!

Welcome to StencilGirl Talk!

StencilGirl has a new stencil designer. Rakefet Hadar is a therapist, author, and artist from Israel.

The cluster of houses is Rakefet's most repetitive symbol and it appears in every [art journal] spread she creates.

This symbol is so meaningful and represents her inner child longing to find a home.

In her art, Rakefet deals with issues of the inner child and her need to find a nurturing environment, that allows for happiness and growth.

Eye and Houses Stencil, 9" x 12", L848

Rakefet's InnerDream Houses: Eye Stencil was inspired by her love of the inner eye and house symbols that represent the ongoing search for wholeness. She designed this stencil as a mandala of houses and around a big eye.

Watercolors

You can use the stencil as a whole or use house clusters to enrich your mixed media layers or use half of the stencil to create the focal point of an urban surrounding. This stencil can be used with India inks, acrylics, embossing powders, distress inks, markers, watercolors, and on gelly printing plates. The Inner Dream Houses: Eye Stencil is also great for doodling because you can stamp parts of the stencil and continue it in your own way. 

Tree and Houses Stencil, 12" x 9", L849

Rakefet's InnerDream Houses Tree Stencil was inspired by the connection between people to nature. There are lots of symbols that Rakefet uses in her work- the clusters of houses, the tree, the sun and moon, and the small figures. The tree is a portal to many parallel inner worlds.

The stencil was designed to allow multiple focal points in your art. You can use parts of it from any direction or you can use the entire design. 

Watercolor

Student artwork:

By Orit Svirsky

By Orit Svirsky

Additional Stencil used: Finding My Tribe by Carolyn Dube.

By Anat Tavory

By Anat Tavory

You can read Rakefet's bio and purchase Inner Dream Houses Stencils here.