Use Your Travel Photos for Inspiration

Hello! I am Kristin Williams, a mixed media artist and stitcher who's been taking a "Gap Year" this year to travel, make art and renew friendships. 

I wish I were as observant of my everyday surroundings as I am when I am in a new city, town, or country. My head & phone whip from side to side capturing beauty, graffiti, textures, landscapes, and beautiful color combinations.

I love the feeling of being hyper-aware of the scenery and drinking it in. I take the most random photos which end up being my absolute faves. My photo quantity is exceeding quadruple digits on my phone. Yikes. 

I don’t like them just to be pretty pictures taking up space on my phone. 

As someone who thrives on color, I love it when a photo gives me a roadmap for a palette for a new piece of art. 

Sometimes it is overwhelming to choose which colors you want to extract from a photo. If you have Procreate or Canva there are ways to generate a color palette from a photo in those platforms. 

If not, I found a successful way to accomplish it through the online app COOLORS.CO. Under tools choose “Image Picker” to upload a photo and generate a color palette from it. You can add colors by clicking the + sign and even rearrange their order on your palette. It’s a pretty handy and, so far, free tool. 

Swoonworthy colors in Porto, Portugal

The Pink Street in Lisbon, Portugal.

Porto, Portugal

Lisbon, Portugal

You may or may not need this, but I think it’s helpful to identify what you like about the photos you’ve taken. 

I definitely have color themes and I’ve realized that my favorite photos or journal pages have an Aha! Pop of color. The analogous colors hang out in harmony and then the complimentary color boldly says “Howdy!”

Textures also soothe my soul. When I see images like these, Mary Beth’s voice rings in my head saying “I see stencils everywhere!” I like to print these texture-rich images on text-weight paper in a variety of sizes and use them in my collage. You can also find sites to upload images and have them printed on tissue paper or fabric. Spoonflower.com is a favorite site of mine for printing on fabric. 

Even if you can’t travel right now, take yourself on an “Artist Date” and snap a ton of photos around your area that make you smile. The Autumn leaves produce beautiful palettes and the hardware store has the opportunity for endless texture photos. 

There is a satisfaction in using your photos in your mixed media work that brands it truly as your own.

Happy Photo Snapping!

Glenda Miles: Adorning the Ancestors with StencilGirl® Products

Greetings!

I’m Glenda Miles and my heart is on fire for ancestor art.

Join me on a journey of adorning the ancestors! 

Perhaps you have experienced creative well-being as a healing force in your life? The simple gesture of making something somehow ends up creating profound meaning and a way of being in the world… that’s how I feel about ancestor art.

When I see stacks of tossed aside old photos in family storage, estate sales and antique stores, I am intrigued by their journey to the place of unwantedness. I feel strongly that creativity can transform these forsaken photographs into reclaimed stories.

I find that when I’m making art with a known or found photograph it shines the light on shared human experiences. No matter who we are and no matter how different we are from others, we all share commonalities. Things like pride in our families, need for comfort and companionship, instinct for resiliency, desire for health and happiness, and the need to be seen, heard and accepted, just to name a few are captured in photos. I especially love and need to make art from the precious few photos I have of my childhood with my Mother and Grandmother.

“We’re all immortal, as long as our stories are told.”

― Elizabeth Hunter

Honoring these nostalgic connections and feelings reminds me about what’s important and possible in life. Often during the deep dive of looking back and the creative process, surprising symbolism, storytelling and heartfelt expression is revealed. Ancestor art is intuitive, mysterious and magical.

Products Used

1.  Pam Carriker’s Halo Stencils: Faithful, Radiant, Creative and Beautiful

2.  Seth Apter's Retreat Circle Stencil

3.  Seth Apter’s Emerald Creek Baked Texture Embossing Powders and Emerald Creek Fractured Ice

4.  Versamark watermark stamp pad + Versa Mark Pens

5.  Idea-ology Vintage Design Tape Paperie

6.  R & F Encaustic Medium

 MISH MASH STASH

Start with gathering ideal collage materials from the mish mash of everyday life. “Shop at home” for papers, documents, book pages, maps, letters, post cards, certificates, manuals, recipes, etc. You can use a variety of substrates; journal pages, vintage book covers, wood panels, and even flashcards. Search for known relative or insta-ones and explore expression, posture, clothing, and environment to determine what was frozen in time at that moment when the camera clicked. Be both intentional in designing of specific symbolic images, text and papery AND intuitive in reimagining and feeling your process…what is your ancestor telling you?

My preference is to use original vintage papers to create a vertical or horizontal neutrally muted background. This creates an appealing, engaging and beautiful composition for the ancestor to be the star of the piece! I love how the tones come out in the layers of paper {especially later when encaustic medium is added.} 

HEART LEAD THE WAY

During the creative process of collage let your heart lead the way. Audition a simple layout that feels and looks good. The photo needs to emotionally connect to your story and viewer. It’s okay to edit and change your mind during this process. Make sure the background paper elements come through at just the right place you want. You’ll notice in the video I edited out the red heart and wanted California and Kentucky to be highlighted. Once your ancestor photo is in place - there are many things you can do to dress it up with such as inks, Washi tapes, sprays, art crayons and my favorite; circle and halo stencils from StencilGirl® Products!

FORGOTTEN NO MORE

I tape a punched circle to the center of the halos to create a mask so I only use the crowning edges. Grandma Aletha, my Mother Rebecca, Eloise, Zella and a few adopted ancestors are all getting sacred accents of circles in their new found art stories.

“You are the fairy tale told by your ancestors.”

― Toba Beta

 

I have a passion for circles and Pam’s Halo stencils, Beautiful, Faithful, Radiant, and Creative are my best loved ones! I also join Seth Apter’s Retreat Circle with Pam’s halos or use it solo to capture images or messages.

The circle beckons and welcomes . . . it is universally understood to draw the viewer in to take a closer look. Using the halos and circles in ancestor art is a simple, yet powerful message of revelation and honor. For texture I use my second best-loved artsy supply of Seth Apter’s Emerald Creek Baked Textures for grit, shine and texture. Because I use so many of his powders I created sample cards for quick reference.

For an endearing topcoat, I use, fuse and polish two coats of encaustic medium. Aletha and Eloise are now transformed into evocative masterpieces - finally never to be forgotten or lost again.
Because art comes from a deep emotional place inside us, I have found that making ancestor art awakens an emotional response. I feel very connected and somehow attached to my creations. I absolutely love this about the experience and thus have adopted many new “family” members at my studio.

Thank you StencilGirl® Products for the invitation to peek into my little corner of the world at:

Studio #103

Pendleton Art Center

Middletown, Ohio 45044

**CREATE YOUR OWN ANCESTOR ART WITH GLENDA MILES IN PERSON AT EPHEMERA PADCUAH!! DETAILS ON HER UPCOMING WORKSHOP HERE!**

Links:

Website: www.glendasmiles.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/msglendamiles

Creative Communion Facebook: www.facebook.com/GlendaMilesCreativeCommunion

Pendleton Art Center: http://pendletonmiddletown.com

Brigitta Budahazi: Scrapbook Cover with Stencils

This is Brigitta Budahazi here again!
Before I started making scrapbook albums, I tried several hobbies and crafts.
Two of my favorites were stitching and sewing. Today, I'm embellishing a scrapbook cover on stretched burlap.
I combined three of my favorite techniques: stenciling, stitching and scrapbooking!

When I start creating a scrapbook page, I always study the main colors of my photo.

This time I chose a photo of my older son and me, so I have decided to create a layout with masculine colors.

1.                  First I made couple of splashes here and there with white acrylic paint on the surface of the burlap.

2.                  Next, using an old plastic card, I put on some Decoart All purpose glitter paint where I thought my focal point would be. Here I used Traci Bautista’s Tropical Floral Stencil stencil.

3.                 Then, to balance the future layout, I repeated step 2. with another stencil and put on some paint again near to the upper left corner. I was delighted to see that I could imitate misted surface using Lesley Riley’s Starlight stencil with a paint! Great, isn’t it? 

4.                  Using my Sizzix, I die-cut the row of numbers from glittered cardstock (Tim Holtz’s Stacked Artful Words Sizzix Sizzlits) and simply stapled it on. This is a layout about a boy, so I thought it would be stylish to use a stapler.

5.                  Then came my favorite...Carolyn Dube’s Wall of Words stencil! I just pressed the whole inkpad onto the surface and stenciled a light colored text layer. Here I used Distress Ink from Ranger. 

6.                  At this point I have decided to include a handmade element into my layout. I wanted to add some subtle touches, something that gave the impression of a mother's soul that hugs her loving child. So I picked up a pencil and traced Terri Stegmiller's Stepping Stone #1 stencil onto the burlap, and stitched that with a thread.

7.                  Finally I added my photo, with some additional layers underneath (I stacked them together with my stapler again from paper scraps, chipboards, vellum stickers, a brad, some thread and a little piece of patterned organza) wrote the journaling, added the date and finished my layout. The journaling is in Hungarian and translates to “I cannot count the ways I love you, my little star.” Here you can see the finished project and some close-ups.

Thank you so much for the opportunity. I am so glad I could share my tips with you, here on StencilGirl Talk.

I would be happy to answer any questions you might have regarding this project.

You can contact me through my blog or on Facebook.

Hello, from Hungary,
Brigitta Budahazi aka Gigi :)

Last Minute Gifts With StencilGirl Stencils

Hi - Jessica Sporn here.

I had some last minute gifts to make.  

Good thing I was able to find some clipboards at the dollar store! (You can also buy them on Amazon)

I covered them with washi tape -- great way to use up some of my stash -- using a technique I learned in Marjie Kemper's Craftsy Class. The words from my Three Trees stencil was great for this small clipboard. (The garlands are from gelli prints - you can see the tutorial in this Handmade Holidays post.)



Seth Apter's stencils for StencilClub were great for both a mini clipboard and a letter sized one.

I used my Rain Stencil, and Uplifting Words Stencil for another mini.  

They look great on their own, or with photos or cards clipped to them.

(This photo is from a vacation at the Jersey Shore when I was about 6!

Don't you love my mom's Jackie O' look?)

I hope this post gave you some ideas. All my best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Thank you StencilGirl for having me as a guest blogger today!

To celebrate Jessica on the blog today...for TODAY ONLY...

receive 10% off any purchase of Jessica Sporn's StencilGirl stencils!!

Use coupon code: SPORN23

Art Journaling with Symbols & States

Hi, everyone! Mary Nasser here today to share what I created for Week 26 of

The Original Documented Life Project™ The Journal!

June Theme

Travel Journaling

June 27 Challenge & Prompt

Art Challenge: Photos and Words

Journal Prompt: A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words

For this journal page, I began by using a palette knife to spread copper embossing paste through

Roxanne Evans Stout's Earth Song Symbols 1 and Earth Songs Symbols 2 stencils onto vintage labels.

I incorporated Roxanne's symbols because they bring back fond memories of travels during which I studied petroglyphs (rock carvings), both in the Southwest and on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Roxanne's symbols evoke a sense of mystery for me, of lost civilizations, story-telling, and recording memories. Her symbols are poetic, timeless, and open to interpretation.

Next, I used Teal Blue StazOn Ink, a jumbo dauber, and these same stencils

to create a background on my gessoed journal pages.

With red Dylusions paint and an old plastic gift card, I scraped acrylic onto the surface.

I also wiped some away with baby wipes to give it a weathered look.

Then I scraped turquoise Dylusions acrylic paint onto the page, allowing some of the layers

underneath to peek through. This color palette reminds me of the Southwest, too.

Afterwards, I arranged the labels and my photographs onto the page.

I chose photos I'd taken of a petroglyph on a hike during my artist residency at Petrified Forest National Park  – 

Roxanne's spiral symbol brought back memories of this amazing petroglyph.

This particular petroglyph is a calendar, marking summer solstice.

I hiked to this glyph on the morning of summer solstice because at sunrise on this day,

one can experience the interactions between the glyph, the sun, and natural landscape features.

Then I used June Pfaff Daley's Road Trip USA and Southwest Road Trip USA stencils

to add another layer of color and shapes to the pages.

Lastly, I added some black Stabillo, black ink, and washi tape to complete the pages.

Below are detailed photos:

Thanks for visiting StencilGirl Talk!

Mary C. Nasser

Mixed Media Map Art