Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Branching Blossoms Silhouette Stencil ... in a New Role

  
 My 9"x12" stencil Branching Blossoms Silhouette came in handy when I worked on a recent 12"X12" canvas.  So did another 9"X12" stencil of mine, Vintage Script.  But the script stencil had a supporting role, while Branching Blossoms Silhouette had the lead role:
 



I started with the stencil-and-stain technique that's available to StencilGirl StencilClub Members (to join, see the right sidebar here --
www.stencilgirltalk.com) ... as part of the June StencilClub 3-stencil set Crop Circles.


After that start-layer had dried, I came back in with a soft terrycloth and rubbing alcohol, lifting off most of the stain on the left portion of the canvas, where Blossoms had been used.  I left most of the original stain on the smaller right section where Script had been used.

I returned Blossoms to its original position on the canvas, then sprayed  its surface with diluted white paint.  The stencil acted as a mask, keeping the white paint from landing inside the lines that create the tree-like design.  

Once that spray had dried, I lifted off the stencil and painted inside the lines forming the design.  For this, I used several layers of Quinacridone/Nickel Azo Gold (Golden Fluid Acrylic.)  

Next, I added collage papers with matte medium gel.  

My last step was to paint in a frame around the Blossoms area, using the same color blend that I had used in staining the Script area.  This color blend was a mixture of the Nickel Azo Gold and Quinacridone Crimson (Golden Fluid Acrylics.)  However, I could have chosen Quinacridone Burnt Orange (Golden Fluid Acrylic) to achieve nearly the same color.

Again, the two stencils I used are found here --

http://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/stencil-silhouette-flower-cecilia-swatton-p/l284.htm
 http://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/stencil-script-vintage-cecilia-swatton-p/l267.htm

Friday, June 26, 2015

CROP CIRCLES TEAMED WITH 2 OTHER STENCILGIRL STENCILS


 

Crop Circles, the June StencilGirl StencilClub stencils, are available to Club Members only.  Not a Member yet?  To become a Member, check out the right sidebar here:   www.stencilgirltalk.com

Here are two new photos of a work-in-progress using these stencils as well as two stencils by Maria McGuire --


STAGE 1-- USING THE STENCIL-AND-STAIN TECHNIQUE AVAILABLE TO STENCIL CLUB MEMBERS

STAGE 2--ACRYLIC PAINTS HAVE BEEN ADDED.

STAGE 3--MORE PAINT, AS WELL AS DRY MEDIA, HAVE BEEN ADDED. 

The two 6"X6" stencils by Maria McGuire are --

Doodle It Tornado Bloom

and

Stitch A Doily 

This artwork is still progressing....   

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

One Way to use Gelli Plate Prints ....


Some time ago, I used my 9"X12" Mimosa stencil to make a Gelli Plate print on a sheet of lightly embossed red foil --

MIMOSA STENCIL

ABOVE:  THE GELLI PLATE PRINT ON LIGHTLY EMBOSSED RED FOIL

One way to use Gelli Plate prints is to cut letters or other shapes from the printed papers, then collage them onto journal covers, journal pages, scrapbooks, or greeting cards.  Here I've used these cut-outs to decorate a greeting card cover and matching envelope:


ABOVE:  THE GREETING CARD MADE WITH A GREETING CARD BLANK FROM WWW.JAMPAPER.COM
ABOVE:  THE MATCHING ENVELOPE
 

Saturday, June 20, 2015


 

Circle-themed stencils that work nicely with the June StencilGirl StencilClub 3-stencil include these -- 

 http://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/product-p/l211.htm

 http://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/product-p/l007.htm

 http://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/product-p/l011.htm

 http://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/product-p/l015.htm

 http://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/product-p/l071.htm

 http://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/Ripples-Michelle-Ward-p/l236.htm

But since I didn't have any of those at hand, I grabbed a circle-themed doily (bought years ago at a flea market) and used it in the lower right corner of the 12"X12" canvas below.

I also used Maria McGuire's 6"X6" Doodle It Tornado Bloom stencil, which, likewise, plays nicely with the June 2015 StencilGirl StencilClub 3-stencil set, which formed the backbone and foreground of this artwork.



Here I used the same combination of techniques used for the art samples that I wrote up for StencilClub Members, as part of the package when ordering the June 3-stencil set CROP CIRCLES.  That write-up -- along with a video by Mary Beth Shaw -- are available to Members.  To become a Member, check out the right sidebar here:

www.stencilgirltalk.com


 

Artwork by Janet Joehlin using CROP CIRCLE stencils

Janet Joehlin has created several artworks with my Crop Circle stencil set, the June release through StencilGirl StencilClub.  Here I'm posting my favorite two from the collection she's completed so far:




I really like that Janet has used this 4"X4" stencil (from the 3-piece Crop Circle stencil set) in ways that came as a delightful surprise to me.  Sometimes, when I've created a stencil design, I find that I'm too close to the finished product to see all its possibilities.  Janet came at this project with fresh eyes and a limited palate that really works!


TO BECOME A STENCILCLUB MEMBER, VISIT http://www.stencilgirltalk.com/


Wednesday, June 17, 2015

CROP CIRCLES and TANGLED PODS



I've decided to post one more image of an artwork I made with stencils to my Fine Art America collection.  I love how it comes out as a throw pillow!

  
The stencil I used was my 9"X12" Tangled Pods.

Earlier, I had used Fine Art America to post images of my Crop Circles stencils as they appeared after being used numerous times -- bearing layers and patterns of paint.  I especially like these photo close-ups as designs for tote bags.  I ordered two of these tote bags for myself, and they've arrived:



I'm generally leery when buying anything sight-unseen, but I'm very impressed with the quality of these tote bags.   Well done, Fine Art America!  

The stencils I used to created the images on these tote bags are available to StencilGirl StencilClub Members who order the June 2015 3-part stencil release Crop Circles; just visit StencilGirlTalk and check out the right sidebar:


Monday, June 15, 2015

CROP CIRCLES -- The Technique -- Exclusive to StencilGirl StencilClub Members


 
News about the June winner of the StencilClub giveaway is announced here:  http://www.stencilgirltalk.com/
Congratulations, Lynn!

In tandem with the June release of my CROP CIRCLE stencils through StencilGirl StencilClub, I want to show --

the 9"X12" stencil now that it's coated with layers of paint:

CLICK ON THE ABOVE IMAGE TO SEE BETTER DETAIL.

-- and two close-up photos from one of my artworks on canvas that I created using these stencilsThe technique I used is available to StencilClub Members; anyone can become a Member with the info in the right sidebar here:  http://www.stencilgirltalk.com/
 

Friday, June 12, 2015

CROP CIRCLES ... continued

Please check out StencilGirlTalk.com to see the June 2015 release of a 3-part stencil set called CROP CIRCLES.  This blog post supplements that post with additional photos of artwork created with these exclusive-for-Members stencils.

Need last-minute giftwrap?  The short promo-video at StencilGirlTalk.com shows giftwrap that's similar to this --

ABOVE:  THE THREE-STENCIL SET IS SPREAD ON A LARGE SHEET OF WHITE PAPER AND SPRAYED WITH PURPLE PAINT.

ABOVE:  THE STENCILS HAVE BEEN LIFTED.

ABOVE:  THE GIFT HAS BEEN WRAPPED -- ALL IN LESS THAN 10 MINUTES!
 And finally ... the background of this small collage on canvas was created with the 3-part stencil set Crop Circles --

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

CROP CIRCLES has cousins ...

June's StencilGirl StencilClub  3-part collection, Crop Circles, available only to SC Members, has been my pleasure to create ...  




... and I keep finding more to say about it.

Today I noticed it has "cousins" that would play nicely with it.  Any circular-patterned stencil would fill the bill.  Here are other ideas:

Marbles 9 --

Marbles 6 --



Boxed Vines --



Borders No. 1 --



And, again, Crop Circles plays well with any circle-patterned stencil.  Enjoy!


Thursday, June 4, 2015

Jessica Sporn Rocks!


Take a gander at this beautiful abstract by Jessica Sporn:

 
 Ironically, this beauty is not the finished artwork -- rather, it's a photo that Jessica took while in the process of working toward that final image.  But the minute I saw her June 4 post at StencilGirlTalk, I fell in love with this in-the-process image.  With her permission, I'm sharing it here and on Facebook.  
 


 

Monday, June 1, 2015

June 2015 StencilGirl StencilClub! New Stencils for Members Only!



CROP CIRCLES!

Today, June 1, I'm excited to tell you about a project I have been working on. I have designed the exclusive June stencils for the StencilGirl StencilClub!

Below is some art that I made with these exclusive stencils and a special Stencil-and-Stain technique that I will be sharing with StencilClub Members this month.
copyright 2015 Cecilia Swatton with all rights reserved


copyright 2015 Cecilia Swatton with all rights reserved
copyright 2015 Cecilia Swatton with all rights reserved

copyright 2015 Cecilia Swatton with all rights reserved
copyright 2015 Cecilia Swatton with all rights reserved
copyright 2015 Cecilia Swatton with all rights reserved
copyright 2015 Cecilia Swatton with all rights reserved
copyright 2015 Cecilia Swatton with all rights reserved

Here on my blog today, I’m showing art made with that same set of June StencilGirl StencilClub stencils.  But here, I'm focusing on greeting cards and using different techniques.

I started with the 4”X4” stencil, using a Sofft Sponge –
--to apply 2 shades of orange thru the stencil, on the covers of two 6”X6” blank greeting cards.
ABOVE:  THE STENCIL HAS BEEN PLACED ON THE FRONT OF A BLANK GREETING CARD.
ABOVE: CLICK ON THIS IMAGE TO BETTER SEE THE DETAILS.  BOTH THE STENCIL AND ITS BACKGROUND HAVE BEEN COVERED WITH ORANGE ACRYLIC PAINT. 
Below:  After this first application of paint, the stencil has been lifted off the blank greeting card ...


When the first application of paint had dried, I lifted the stencil and rotated it 90 degrees.  After the 90-degree turn, it was easy to line the stencil up with the first print, because of the circle in the center of the design.  See below:

CLICK ON THE ABOVE PHOTO; THE ENLARGEMENT BETTER SHOWS THE STENCIL NOW TURNED 90 DEGREES FROM ITS FIRST POSITION.
Now, I added a second, lighter shade of orange paint that was also metallic:




When I lifted off the stencil, I had this double-print; and called it finished:


I followed these steps on two greeting cards.  On the second card, I added another step -- topping off with a spray of green paint.  This card appears below:


For another group of greeting cards, I used the two larger stencils from this June StencilClub set.  My blank greeting cards were cut from dark bronze cardstock.
With masking tape, I secured the blank 5”X7” greeting cards to my work-surface; I also used the tape for securing scrap paper over the back half of each card, to keep it clean.  This green tape shows up in the first photo below, at the top of the image.

I placed the stencils on the card-fronts and sprayed with metallic spray paint; the paint I used was Color Mists.  (One online source of Color Mists is here: http://www.outsidethemargins.com/detail.php?product=79 ).  In this case, I’ve used 22 Karat Gold, one of the 6 Molten Metals set of spray paints.  When the Color Mists had dried, I lifted off the stencils. 



Three greeting card covers made this way appear below ...








It’s hard to for a photo to fully capture the golden sheen on these cards.  But trust me – they gleam!

The greeting card blanks I’ve used are available here:    http://www.jampaper.com/
Matching envelopes are also available there. 

The June StencilClub stencils are available to Club Members only.  Not a Member yet?  To become a Member, go here –- www.stencilgirltalk.com

One last note:  The 9”X12” stencil and the 6”X6” stencil in this June StencilClub set are perfect companions for the Doodle It Geometric Landscape stencil by Maria McGuire!  Check it out here: