Carry it: Carol's Oversize Sunglasses Case

 

Greetings and salutations! 

Carol B here to regale you with a project and my new obsession. I've had this pair of understated sunglasses a few months - carrying them on my head mostly. But I kept thinking it'd be handy to be able to put them in my purse as day eventually comes night.

They do not fit in any conventional cases or even convenient stash-in-the-car places.

My intent was to make a cloth case, but after I painted, I realized I'd need to line it with more cloth which meant sewing with the machine and, I confess, I added it to the sewing pile. 

But I still need a case and I have a bit of Kraft Tex Fabric Paper leftover from a StencilGirl blog hop a couple years back, a scrap of soft t-shirt material, a needle with a big ol' eye, embroidery thread, and of course stencils!

I used Sandee Setliff's Music Geek, Cat Kerr's Math Woman (Music must have been made before math was written down, but is music possible without math?), and Gwen Lafleur's Art Deco Alphabet stencils.

 Project time: About an hour.

I wanted the faces to come out "clean" so I stenciled them in white but I had no idea what I wanted to do with the blank canvas all around them to unify the two faces.

This is a nod to Mary Beth Shaw and her complete infatuation with grids. Her Grid Pack happened to be on the top of my stencil stack and I thought it would work because it was different from the patterns in the hair.

"Put a grid on it." I didn't get it. But now I got it! 

So I am stenciling away with the grids, totally forgetting I need to take a pic between layers. Here's some paper I made. I could fool around making grid paper for hours-- the stages of an unfinished page in my journal. Look at all those little spaces to do or not do something with!

Here's how my scrap of fabric paper for my sunglasses came out:

Do you see plaid? I like plaid!

Tip: Fabric paper will make your sewing machine needle become dull quickly (and as I wrote earlier, I was not ready to pull out my sewing machine).

Embroidery thread would be just the thing and I would not even need t stitch all the way around. It's not like these glasses are going to fall out!

I stitched a center corner so my t-shirt material would be next to the lenses of the sunglasses. Then, I folded the stenciled fabric paper approximately in half and stitched some Xs and ----- lines.

Here's the math side:

My big eyed needle came in handy to pull some thin ribbon through the little stitches Then I knotted each ribbon. I wrote the lyrics from a Prefab Sprout song, "Green Isaac", on her face because that's the tune-track that was playing in my head.

Here's the  music side:

Next time you have an hour what will you make with your stencils?

p.s. Dang it, Mary Beth, your grid stencils are calling me but it's time to make dinner!

Stencils from new designer, Sandee Setliff & returning designer, Roxanne Evans Stout

Tea, music, animals, and natural elements - our stencil designers have created stencils for your mixed media, art journaling, and card-making fancies.

We have a new stencil artist, Sandee Setliff and a returning artist, Roxanne Evans Stout.

Music Geek, Musical Roundabout and Musical Notes Mandala are small 6"x6" stencils.

Are you a Music Geek?

It happens to nearly everyone: You hear a bit of a pop song on your way to work and it gets "stuck" in your head all day. Whether you are a music enthusiast or not, music is a way for you to  express your feelings ~ anger, love, passion, joy, etc.

How will you fill the open space in Musical Roundabout?

Musical Notes Mandala Stencil

Music can bring people in our world together in many ways. Rhythm and music abound in nature all around us – the rhythmic drumming of the surf, the measured meter of rain, the winds, the melodic tunes of song birds and is a natural means of self expression. Mandalas offer balancing visual elements, symbolizing unity and harmony. Painting, coloring or drawing mandalas allows for our creative brain to come out and play.

Tea Cup, Doily, and Tea Bag are mini stencils Sandee has created for card-making or use anywhere in your art.

Tea has existed as a beverage since 2000 B.C. The brewing, serving, and drinking of tea are time-honored rituals throughout the world. Tea improves mental clarity and focus which bolsters our creative juices.  It also promotes a calming sensation, and it makes you quite meditative. You can use this tea cup in your art journal or send it to someone on a homemade card. The little tea bag tag is perfect for a sentiment or a design.

Doilies, back in the 19th Century, were practical to protect the furniture from scratches and wear, were conversation pieces and of course showed the talent and taste of the lady of the house. Still practical, you can continue to repeat this Doily Stencil design for backgrounds to build up layers of texture and pattern in art journaling, mixed media, or use with the tea cup stencil to create a cozy setting.

Until the early 20th century, tea was sold loose. Tea bags were invented quite by accident in 1904 when Thomas Sullivan, an enterprising merchant, wrapped samples of tea leaves in silk bags and sent them to prospective customers, some of whom dipped the bags directly into boiling water. Use the Tea Bag Tag Stencil for journaling or for writing a sentiment. 

Check out Sandee's In the Hills of North Carolina blog where is sharing a video tutorial with some of her stencils. 

Stitched Messages

The Stitched Messages series are small 6"x6" stencils that includes a maple leaf, a horse, a turtle and a bear, all which hold a special symbolic meaning to Roxanne.  On each stencil words of wisdom that connect us to our daily life and also includes marks and patterns that Roxanne designed as guidelines for stitching over. If you don’t want to add stitching the marks make lovely patterns that will enhance your work, like a pen and ink drawing.

Here are some tips if you do want to stitch on your art:

-  make sure your paper is sturdy. 

-  add matte medium or clear gesso for if needed.

-  poke your holes ahead of time with an awl.

-  use a tapestry needle

-  be gentle and stitch one stitch at a time.

Explore:  

This stencil design features a small turtle that Roxanne imagined was exploring a shallow creek. There are stitch lines around the border and also lines that symbolize his imaginary path through the water. Round stones border both sides of the turtle and the word “explore” completes the stencil.

Be Strong: 

Inspired by a clay bears Roxanne purchased in Taos, New Mexico, made by the Pueblo Indians, this bear symbolizes strength.  It is circled by stitches or marks that together have the appearance of  rain or little flashes of light.

Dream Big: 

This stencil portrays  a simply designed horse with a sun (or moon) behind it’s head. Around the sun is a circle of marks that can be stitched over or left as marks. The words “dream big” remind us of the importance of dreams and working toward them.

Find Joy:  

Maple trees are a favorite of Roxanne’s. Because their leaves change color every season, or even from tree to tree, they are perfect for stencils. This stencil includes marks that encircles the leaf, and  the words “find joy” encourage us to take a closer look and find joy in nature.

Nature's Gatherings

When you go outside, what are the things in nature that remind you to slow down and keep still? In this stencil design, Roxanne shares some of the things that she loves to draw and include in her artwork. From a Lotus flower and a Ginkgo leaf, to a wooden bird and a symbol of another flower opening to the sun, the Keep Still Stencil is a part of the Nature’s Gathering Series that will delight you.

Journey is a stencil design that represents our journeys… This page is filled with symbols, patterns and even a covey of Quails as they follow their mother and begin their journey through life.

From favorite insects like bees and dragonflies, to simple sketches of trees that show up over and over in her notepads, Roxanne shares her love of nature in this new stencil design that is Fly Away Home.

You can discover the latest, greatest stencils right HERE.