Be sure to snag these 31 projects from "The Artful Holiday"

Mary Beth has teamed up with Julie Fei-Fan Balzer of Balzer Designs and 17 other artists to help you get a jump on your holidays with a joy-filled workshop called The Artful Holiday. 

Act now and use the code EARLYARTFUL to get 15% off! 

This project-based online workshop could also have been called “The Art of Celebrating.”  All 19 talented artists involved were asked to think outside of the box — beyond the usual holidays and the usual projects — and share their best ideas with you.  

This self-paced online workshop offers a wide range of projects — printmaking, collage, assemblage, sewing, mixed media, painting, and more!  

And then each Wednesday, Julie will offer a “mash-up” project.  These are step-by-step video tutorials where she borrows techniques, materials, and ideas from the previous lessons and transforms them into something totally new.

Other details: 

• You have lifetime access to all content.  Watch anytime.
• A new project tutorial will be released every day in August 2022.  If you sign up after the start date of class, you will get immediate access to any lessons that have already been released.
• Lessons are delivered via video, with several teachers also offering supporting PDF instructions and information.
• This workshop is an easy way to learn from a wide range of teachers and try out some techniques or areas of art-making that may be new to you.
• Although this class is project-based, we believe you will find yourself returning to all of the wonderful art-making techniques over and over again, no matter what you make.
• You can watch and rewatch the videos, speed them up, and slow them down.
• There are more than thirty step-by-step project tutorials.  Hours of art instruction that are sure to inspire you!
• You get true mixed media content — printmaking, collage, jewelry-making, paper arts, book arts, sewing, assemblage, and more!

Don't forget! Use the code EARLYARTFUL to get 15% off! 

Reserve your spot today! 

Sandee's Artful Celebrations: a meaningful "Meraki" table

Meraki is of Greek origin and means

"Leaving a piece of yourself (your soul, creativity, or love) in your work."

For my project today I visited the Blueridge Humane Society Thrift Store.

Our purchases and donations provide the organization with its principal source of income.

I was pleasantly surprised to find this unfinished little table sitting right outside their front door and quickly grabbed it up, the possibilities were unlimited and I was excited to get started. I even had a warm  chilly-ish day to get started, and as long as I was perched out in the sun and without our usual mountain winds, it was OK.

I kinda knew what I was going to create ( I say kinda cause I really never really know what I am going to do ) and gathered all my StencilGirl® stencils together and laid out my gameplan in my head.

 Do you do sketches before you start or are you like me or are you a

"fly by the seat of your pants" kinda girl like me?

On the top of the table I used:

Journal Words was designed by Traci Bautista

Military Style Stars stencil by June Pfaff Daley

 exclusive August 2017 StencilClub collection, "Second Star to the Right & Straight On 'til Morning" was designed by Mary Nasser 

I also used:

DecoArt Starlight varnish along with their acrylic paints

2 of my very own Rubbermoon stamps: Fairy Bright and Fairy Lovely

Tip:

Let your brushmarks give you extra depth by letting them work for you like I did here by using them to express the moon's radiance. Doesn't hurt either to use a varnish that has sparkles in it either to help give you that celestial ambiance.

On the legs of the table I used:

Sacred Feminine stencil by Carol Wiebe

Clouds & Stars stencil by Valerie Sjodin

I also used parts of the RubberMoon collage sheet and wrapped the edge of the table in their Signature washi tape.

Tip:

To help washi tape stick better to a surface let the paint be your friend. I laid down the tape right over freshly applied paint while it was still tacky and once it dries it really holds the tape securely to your project.

I created a time-lapse video too so you can get a sense of the order of things, although the word "order" should only be loosely used when describing me, lol

"If I could play and dream to inspire with wonder and to imagine my soul as an artist
and just breathe"

I hope you enjoyed my artful celebration with made with meraki 💙

Sandee

Celebrating stencils with a matchbook by Kristin Peterson

When I was looking at Artful Celebration, I remember thinking with a celebration you want to make something special. It's a celebration!

A celebration of stencils..... And what better way than to use some of your favorite StencilGirl® stencils, then having to make pages for a creatively cute matchbook.

It is a unique and special way to showcase those special stencils. I know what you are thinking.... A matchbook? That is what you made?..... Well bare with me and watch the video. The stencil choices I made gave a distinct feel to the matchbook and allowed me to use a nice variety of stencils as well.  (Here are the stencils I used: StencilGirl Club- Aug 2013, Soulful Scribbles, ATC Mixup Dube, Scribble Scratch Handwriting Stencil, Layers of Scallops)

Thank you so much for watching!

xo. kristin

December GIVEAWAY!

Want to win a Gift Certificate to StencilGirl® Products?

Here's how! Our theme for December is Artful Celebrations!

Make something with any StencilGirl® stencil.

Share a pic of your creation on Instagram

and use the hashtag #StencilGirlArtfulCelebrations to enter to win!

We'll choose one winner at random at the end of the month, when the next theme is revealed!

And see Artful Celebrations stenciling from StencilGirl® Creative Team Members

here on our blog all month!