Trena Brannon: Ideas for Journal Pages and Bookmarks

Hello Beautiful People! Today, I'm sharing a couple of ideas for how to use stencils to bring some colorful joy to yourself and to others. 

IDEA 1: Starting with colorful joy for you, an idea for your art journal. I chose fashion for the focal point in the example below, you can choose a focal point that brings you joy. 

In my 9x12 Canson XL watercolor journal, I selected my word stencil I Get to Choose for my background. I believe the words are empowering.  I used a dry dauber sponge so the words would be crisp and dabbed acrylic paint in a diagonal pattern using my favorite color - the rainbow. :) Of course, you use your favorite color(s).  Some of the words were smeared because I had a little too much paint, which is ok. It's the background.

 

After the paint dried, I used the same dauber sponge and a few of the same colors to create vertical streaks.  To warm up the page, I used a larger sponge to apply a thin coat of Golden Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold - I  learned that from Mary Beth!

After the layer dried, I painted my model form and let her dry.  

Next, it was time to dress her! I painted her dress using magenta and bright orange, trying not to blend too much - I dig the painterly look.  I used acrylic paint, pencils, gouache, and pens to draw her features, her hair, and make-up.  One of the reasons I really like using acrylic paint is that you can easily fix any boo-boos. I had to redo her make-up and hair a few times, and also her chin. LOL! In the end, I dig how she turned out.  That’s the most important thing - when you look through your journal, you dig the art!

For the design in the lower part of her dress, I used the symbol for Democracy, Unity in Diversity from West African Symbols ATC Mixup 4, one of the stencils in a collection of symbol stencils that Wendy Featherston and I collaborated on. I painted a metallic watercolor through the stencil using a small paint brush and a small amount of water so that the color would not run under the stencil. 

Below is a photo of the supplies I used. 

IDEA 2: Make someone smile with a customized bookmark. I like to give books as gifts - art books, self-powering, leadership, romance - all the books!! Whatever the recipient is into.  Along with the book, I give a customized bookmark.  

Stencil Girl: Mixed-Media Techniques for Making and Using Stencils.

For this bookmark, I used Positively Positive and the August StencilClub set.  I bought this blank bookmark and sleeve pack of 5 years ago when Sunday International was a USA company. The cardstock included has a glossy coating.  I found bookmark sleeves at clearbags.com and I also found a variety on amazon USA.  Read closely to make sure you get the quantity you want, they can come in large quantities. You can use the paper of your choice and cut it to fit the sleeve.  

To make this bookmark I worked in layers, starting with rubbing Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold using a paper towel. Because the paper is glossy, I got a ‘swish type’ texture. I left some white on purpose.

With the intention of making the gold less transparent, I added a flesh-colored mat paint to the gold, using a dauber sponge through a corner section of the 9x12 club set stencil. Had a happy accident - my sponge dauber was damp from the previous cleaning and made an interesting-looking design.

 

Next, I added random shapes with a dry dauber sponge and the 4x4 club stencil.

Using a dry dauber sponge, I filled in the female mask cutout stencil with flesh tone opaque paint and gold, which created the looking I was going for. :) 

I then laid the mask over the cutout shape and colored in the open sections with a pencil. I really like the scratchy pencil look. 

For the positive words, I used a sharpie to color each letter. Note: I adjusted the stencil for the second line to make sure the letters fit onto the bookmark. I then colored over the bridges to make the letters flow together.

To give a bit of a 3-D look, I laid the stencil back in place and then shifted it left ever so slightly and drew in a thin black line on the left of each letter. 

Add a ribbon and it is ready to use! I usually add their name to the tag as well.  IMPORTANT NOTE: Be sure to let your bookmark dry completely before sliding it into the sleeve.  I was excited to finish it and made a little smear. So, this one will be mine and I'll create an unsmeared one as a gift. :D

For more ideas, tips, and techniques for words and African symbol collection, check out the videos below:

Creating with word stencils.

Lots of ideas for the West African Symbols ATC Collection.

You can find all of my StencilGirl® stencil designs HERE and HERE!

Take Care and Stay Positive! 

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Poetry - You are Phenomenal with Trena Brannon

Hello Beautiful!

When I was thinking about what I wanted to do for this post, I thought about the poems that have influenced my life - words that are encouraging and real. Maya Angelou’s Phenomenal Woman jumped out.  In a story about Maya, one of the things she said that resonated with me is “there’s nothing I don’t love about my life, it’s a struggle, but that’s life."  Life is not perfect - we are not perfect, however, each of us brings our uniqueness everywhere we go. 

From talking with my family and friends and my own experiences, I know that many of us feel full with commitments, requests, criticism, information coming at us fast and furious, and then there's the voice in our heads that's not always kind to us. All the noise can sometimes just wear us out. I just want to remind you that you are phenomenal!   

phenomenal synonyms: exceptional, extraordinary, remarkable, outstanding, amazing, astonishing, astounding, stunning, staggering, marvelous, magnificent, wonderful, sensational, breathtaking, miraculous, singular; incredible, unbelievable, inconceivable, unimaginable, uncommon...
you are!

I created a page in my homemade (10x11 inches) journal that captures phenomenal.

Step 1:

Background - I started with a page that already had some paint on it. Many of my pages do have some kind of markings, as I clean my brush, sponges and pallet knife off in whatever journal I can find at the time the need arises. I laid down more color with an open stencil - using a little gesso in my paint to soften the color and increase the opacity.

Step 2:

Next, I added more layers of color with a couple more open stencils - not thinking about what colors I was using where- just enjoying the process.

Step 3:

I warmed up the page a bit with the secret ingredient I learned from Mary Beth, Golden Quinacridone / Nickel Azo Gold.  I used the first open stencil for a repeat design in a different color.

Step 4:

I painted a big heart to hold my words.  Another very cool feature about stencils is that you can "audition" where you want the design on your page.  I moved the words and my phenomenal woman around on the page to see where I wanted to place them. Because the woman is larger than my page, I thought about what part of her I wanted to be sure to place on the page. Let me just say for the record, I don't always pre-think in this way.  Most of the time, I'm caught up in the coloring and fun. :) It just works out or I come up with a design to make it work. That's what I love about creating!

Before adding the words and woman, I added a touch of the hearts' color to the background.

Step 5:

I verified word placement again, auditioning with my phenomenal woman.  I added her into the scene and painted her.

Step 6:

Lastly, I added the words and details. 

Notes/Tips/other ideas:

• write down the words you want to include in the page - that way you can consider how much room you will need, which impact the size of the letters. 
• write slowly with white pens
• to gets tips on using alphabet/word stencils, you can see my video here.
• make a page showing a phenomenal man

Supplies I used:

• Substrate: hot press watercolor paper 140 lbs.
• Paints/Gesso: Jane Davenport, Liquitex, Golden, DecoArt
• Other Stuff: tulip dauber, paintbrushes, Sharpie white paint pens, Molotow, Pentel milky, Faber-Castell Big Brush, Tombow Dual Brush Pen
• StencilGirl® stencils:  My Mind S641, Scribble Scratch Handwriting Stencil L266, Hamilton L661, These Jeans L647
• StencilClub sets: Loose Woman SC-07-13, Lost Languages SC-September-2015, Fragmented SC-11-2017

I hope this post inspires you to create something fun that makes your heart smile!

Thank you so much for reading.

Take care and STAY POSITIVE!

Trena

Introducing the Karen P Collection

Stencil Girl Products is ecstatic to introduce our latest Stencil Designer!

It was at an art retreat when Mary Beth Shaw first came face to face with Karen Johnson's compelling colored pencil art; Mary Beth instantly knew she wanted Karen as a stencil designer.  It took several years of convincing, but Mary Beth is nothing if not persistent.

The women of the Karen P Collection fulfill often requested stencils and StencilGirl products is delighted to finally bring them to you!

Karen P Johnson is a Graphic Designer/ Illustrator born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware. She came to Columbus, Ohio to attend The Columbus Collage Of Art and Design where she received a Bachelor's Of Fine Arts Degree in the Division of Illustration. Upon graduating she worked as a Paste-up Artist for Merrill Publishing. After leaving Merrill, she began her career as a designer. She continues to design as the opportunity arises. She is always the most happy when she is covered in paint.

The Karen P Collection

The many facets of women, like the cut of a gem, are revealed in the 7 faces that comprise the Karen P Collection. Karen's inspiration for these stencils comes from The Forces Of Nature, which embody the essence of uncompromising women who refuse to be defined.

Face It - Let's Face It, whether it is the shortest day or the longest night, the Queen never looks back nor looks away.

L612

s550

Cool Attitude - Fun Loving, Flirtatious, and Flying High, no one knows what hides behind a pair of shades; the eyes have it.

Ms. Nik - The young woman, pensive, discreet, is not afraid to live within the silence.

s554

L616

The One - You may never know her name. Once you see her you will never forget. Your heart will always describe her as The One.

Drip Face - Born from the abstract pooling of liquid gravity, drip face is always watching.

L611

s549

Fulfillment - (mask) Fulfillment is contentment at the completion of a task, gratification at the achievement of knowing the answers are correct or simply, that "Life Is Good."

http://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/stencils-by-karen-johnson-s/2054.htm

Introspection - Your heart knows the answer. Introspection is a stencil to use when you wish to express, "The Answers are within."

Sheltering Trees Stencil Pairing

“When you healed this tree, 

I felt like the leaves waved and made gentle sounds.
Maybe the tree was saying thank you.”
~ Korharu (anime character)

Tree of Change Stencil

Women Will Heal the World Stencil

What does art heal within you?