NEW NEW NEW... 9"X12" Stencil Branching Blossoms Silhouette

In my June 11-12 posts (cluster-labeled NEW NEW NEW), I showed this stencil while I used it in several hands-on art-making projects.  Today, I'm showing what's happened since I scanned one of the already-posted artworks into my PC and did color alterations in Photoshop.

 

Once the color has been altered to individual taste, it can be printed onto paper and used in making greeting cards, art journals, collages, etc.  Altho I haven't shown it here, the "magic"of Photoshop allows users to lighten images before printing them.  This creates stunning backgrounds for art journal pages.

 

The stencil used here is my 9"X12" Branching Blossoms Silhouette. 

 

This is one of 6 just-released stencils continuing my line of botanical designs.  The other stencils are individually featured -- with other art-making techniques -- here in my "NEW NEW NEW" cluster of posts.  To find the other posts in this cluster, click "Older Posts" at the bottom of this webpage.  Thanks! 

FREE Download! Need I say More?

Back when Henry Ford was tinkering with the idea of creating an automobile -- well, okay; maybe it was more recently than that -- I was published in Cloth Paper Scissors magazine.  My write-up included information on creating custom-made art-tools that serve as rubber stamps.  To my happy surprise, I've just received word from Cherie Haas that this article has been dusted off and re-shared with the world.  It's part of a FREE download.  Here is the link --

http://www.clothpaperscissors.com/blogs/clothpaperscissorstoday/archive/2014/06/20/art-stamps-free-fun-ideas-and-easy-stamping-techniques.aspx. 

 

If unable to reach that webpage by clicking on the above link, you can just copy the entire link and paste it into your browser window.

 

Here is a collage that was pictured in my original write-up for Cloth Paper Scissors -- 

 

Click on the above image to enlarge it.

In this collage, the images that I created with homemade stamps include

 

Upper right corner: the apple, pear and 2 versions of cherries; 

 

In the center:  the sliced orange and the cherries as well as the red apple under them;

 

In the lower mid-section:  the sliced-open pear.

 

Enjoy your free download from Cloth Paper Scissors!  And thanks for stopping by.

 

 

 

NEW NEW NEW cluster continues -- More Lemonade, Anyone?

In my May 25 post -- http://tinyurl.com/ky3xenl -- I showed step-by-step photos for using lemon juice with stencils, aged paper and a hot iron to make vintage-looking prints.

Today I'm showing more prints created in the same way, this time with my just-released 4"X4" stencil Fern Fronds Silhouette -- 

The above four prints were made on vintage papers.  No two prints are ever the same.

Above:  This is the BACK side of another lemon-juice print, on a different kind of paper.  The front side was pretty -- but so subtle that it doesn't scan well.  This side, however, has all the contrast it needs.  So, check the back sides of all your lemon-juice prints!  Surprises may await you.

Above:  I'm adding this final image just for fun.  It's not made with lemon juice.  I created it while playing around with leftover paints and my Gelli Arts printing plate.

To review the May 25 post that gave step-by-step directions for, and photos of, the stencils-with-lemon-juice process, click here -- http://tinyurl.com/ky3xenl .

NEW NEW NEW -- FERN FRONDS SILHOUETTE

My just-released Fern Fronds Silhouette is a mini of 4"X4" that packs a big wallop despite its petite size.

In all, I have 6 newly released stencils; each is being posted with projects/techniques under a cluster title-prefix "NEW NEW NEW."

Here are two just-finished Gelli Plate prints, created with two of the 6 new stencils.

Fern Fronds Silhouette (4"X4") was used here --

And here, in another Gelli Plate print, I've used both Fern Fronds Silhouette (on the left) and, on the right, Quilted Flower Garden.  Greater detail is shown when you click on this image to enlarge it--

Please check out all of my NEW NEW NEW posts, for detailed projects using my 6 brand-new stencils at www.StencilGirlProducts.com -- to see all of them, you will need to click on "Older Posts" at the bottom of this web-page.  Thanks!

NEW NEW NEW Cluster -- I Wasn't Satisfied Until ...

... finally, as my last step in this project, I tried Craft-T's Metallic Rub-ons (available at Amazon.com, Walmart and other venues) ...

But before taking that final step, the two of us -- my just-released 6"X6" stencil Quilted Flower Garden and I -- had a hard time working together on this particular project. 

The bumpy journey started with inspiration from my subscription to Cloth Paper Scissors e-newsletter, which reminded me of the near-prehistoric technique of using colorless wax as a resist.

As my substrate, I chose a previously-painted sheet of newsprint.

Unable to find my clear wax crayon (last used when dinosaurs roamed), I settled for a dollar-store white wax candle.  I rubbed it liberally across Quilted Flower Garden, using one hand to hold the stencil in place on the painted newsprint.  I found this stencil ideal for this project because it has no loose-ended designs; all parts of the pattern are attached, enabling me to rub from all directions and to press down hard to get wax into every open area of the stencil -- as shown below, first in full-size and then in close-up detail --

This resulted in a nice build-up of patterned wax on the paper, when I lifted the stencil off.

This build-up is circled in green in the photo below --

The above photo also shows my next step, which was to add opaque yellow acrylic paint.  While the paint was still wet, I buffed off some with a paper towel.  (A soft terrycloth rag would have worked too.)  This is what resulted--

Unhappy with those results, I added a generous dose of dye-based liquid color.  (I used Adirondack Color Wash.)  While that was still wet, I sprayed it with rubbing alcohol.  This is shown in the two photos below; the second photo is a close-up.

I loved the results when they were still wet, as shown above, but after the liquid had dried, disappointment came sneaking in.

But new inspiration pulled me out of the gloom.  I reached for the metallic rub-ons mentioned at the top of this post.  That was when things started to click for me--

Above:  I've begun to rub on silver metallic with a plastic-gloved fingertip.

Above:  a close-up of the metallic silver section.

Above:  a close-up of the red metallic section.

This brand-new 6"X6" stencil Quilted Flower Garden is available at www.StencilGirlProducts.com.  Please check out all my posts clustered into the corral that I call NEW NEW NEW -- it's a lengthy cluster that features each of my 6 brand-new releases in my continuing botanical-themed series.  A variety of techniques/projects are covered. To see all posts, please click on "Older Posts" at the bottom of this web-page.  Thanks for stopping by!

NEW NEW NEW Cluster, re 6 Botanical Stencils Now Released -- Modeling Paste or Heavy Body Acrylic Paint or Blended Fibers Paste + Spray Paints = Stencil Fun

While happily announcing my 6 brand-new stencil releases at www.StencilGirlProducts.com, I've created a fresh version of my modeling-paste-with-spray-paint technique, complete with step-by-step instructions and photos.  In addition to modeling paste, I've tried other dimension- building media, as you will see below.

In this photo sequence, I show how I made several 6"X6" greeting cards with my newly released stencil Quilted Flower Garden.  First, I taped the greeting card into place (over a sheet of freezer paper, shiny side up.) 

 Next, I spread a layer of modeling paste over the stencil --

While the modeling paste was still wet, I sprayed it with liquid watercolor as shown below.  Click on this image to enlarge it -- and take note that, with the spray of liquid watercolor, the stencil has suddenly become a mask.  Its presence masks off parts of the design so that the color-spray can't reach them.

Right after spraying, I lifted off the stencil and placed it, wet side down, on another paper, making a ghost print. Then I washed the stencil before the modeling paste could dry.

 

I did this project 3 times; the first time, as shown above, I used modeling paste ... and got these results:

Click on the above image to enlarge it.  The enlargement better shows the 3D look achieved with the modeling paste.  It also shows the areas that were masked off by the stencil during the color-spraying.

 On the next go-'round, I used Titanium White heavy body acrylic paint with the same stencil and the same sequence of steps, with these results --

 On the third greeting card, I used Blended Fibers Texture Gel Medium to get the results below --

And now I'll show the ghost-prints I made when I flipped the still-wet stencil and pressed it, wet side down, to other papers:

And below is my Office Supervisor, who inspected the work every step of the way ... then showed her excited appreciation by falling asleep.

NEW! NEW! NEW! 6"X6" stencil SILHOUETTE OF A WILDFLOWER BOUQUET

Above is a greeting card cover created with my brand-new stencil, 6"X6" Silhouette of a Wildflower Bouquet, now available at www.StencilGirl.com. 

For this project, I started with 140-lb. hot press watercolor paper, staining it with diluted watercolors of a pink/white/peach mix.

After the watercolor had dried, I secured this brand-new stencil to the paper with masking tape and sprayed a blue acrylic-and-water mix over the top of the stencil.  Then I lifted the stencil, to reveal the image above.

Note that the stencil served as a mask to retain the pinks, oranges and whites of the originally stained paper.

The newly blue-speckled stencil gave me an idea for using the stencil itself in a collage, to make the cover for another 6"X6" greeting card --

-- so, as shown above, that's just what I did.  I used glossy gel medium to adhere the stencil to the background. 

The background is a Gelli Plate print, using paper from an old encyclopedia and my 9"X12" stencil Ivy Frame 9.  A faint imprint of that ivy stencil is visible on the left side in the above photo.

This brand-new stencil, Silhouette of a Wildflower Bouquet, is now available at www.StencilGirlProducts.com.

This is one of many posts under the "NEW NEW NEW cluster" -- please check out all the NEW NEW NEW posts for a full overview of my 6 now-released stencils.  Art-making techniques/projects are shown in each post of this cluster.

NOTE:   Stencils used here are blue prototypes sent to designers at STENCILGIRL(TM)Products.  When you order any StencilGirl stencil, yours will be white. 

NEW NEW NEW Stencil Release & 2 Techniques -- It's a Messy Business --

-- so wear disposable gloves, to try these 2 quick and easy projects with very few supplies:  iridescent Shiva Paintstik oil crayons, a stencil, thin, dark papers and a sharp knife.  I used black and other dark mulberry papers because of their thinness.  The best iridescent Paintstik colors to use on dark papers are silver, white, and light gold.  For these projects, I chose gold and silver.

Just before use, a Shiva Paintstik needs to be "primed" in that it naturally forms an outer "skin" which must be removed. This is easily done with an Exacto knife -- but it should be done by an adult, never a child; these knives are sharp.

Before introducing Project One, I'll announce that the stencil I'm using here is just one of six brand-new botanical-themed releases at www.StencilGirlProducts.com.  To see all of them, and the array of techniques I've used them in, please continue reading the "NEW NEW NEW" cluster of posts that follow this, as you scroll down. 

Project One begins with placing a stencil onto the dark, thin paper-- here I'm using my new 4"X4" stencil Fern Fronds Silhouette:

The stencil is held secure with one hand, while the other rubs across the top of the stencil with the Paintstik held flat on one side, as shown below.

The above photo shows that all spaces in the stencil design have been completely filled with a layer of metallic Paintstik crayon.  In the photo below, the stencil has been lifted off the paper and placed above the imprint.  

Above:  The oil crayon-coated stencil is at the top; under it is the imprint.
Below is a close-up of an imprint made in this way.

At this point, the stencil is heavily coated with leftover oil crayon.  To create another imprint of a different kind, without using more crayon, the stencil is placed on fresh paper and held in place with one hand, while the other uses a soft rag or a paper towel to rub across the stencil and the open areas of the stencil --

An imprint made this way is shown close-up below; it's been cut out for use in a collage or greeting card or an art journal page.

More than one "ghost print" can be made in the way just described, until most of the crayon has been removed from the stencil.  Then the stencil can be completely cleaned with an alcohol wipe.

Now comes Project Two, using the same materials. 

The first step is to slide the stencil under a fresh sheet of dark, thin paper.

Above:  the stencil is being pushed under the paper.

The second and last step is to rub the sideways oil crayon across the paper, pressing into the outlines of the hidden stencil below. This is a very old technique.  Oddly enough, its results are called -- ready for this? -- rubbings.  Below is one rubbing created in this way:

One place to purchase these oil crayons is --

http://www.dickblick.com/products/shiva-iridescent-artists-paintstik-oil-colors/.

Another vendor is --
http://www.dharmatrading.com/markers/shiva-paintstiks.html

The second link, for Dharma Trading, takes you to a webpage where you can watch a video of these oil sticks being used to make rubbings on fabric.  I'm not into fabric arts, but I suspect that when these oil crayons are used on fabric, there are follow-up steps for setting the color permanently.  Dharma would have information on this. 

The stencil used in this post, Fern Fronds Silhouette, is now available at www.StencilGirlProducts.com.  This is one of 6 just-released stencils continuing my line of botanical designs.  The other stencils are individually featured -- with other art-making techniques -- here in my "NEW NEW NEW" cluster of posts.  Thanks! 

Stencils on Aluminum Tape

Masking tape isn't just for painting walls; non-stick aluminum foil isn't just for baking; and aluminum tape --

http://www.amazon.com/Scotch-Aluminum-Foil-3311-Silver/dp/B000HBOYZO

-- found in hardware stores and home improvement centers, isn't just for repairs. 

This beautiful tape, just shy of 2" in width, comes with a white paper backing that, when peeled off, reveals a self-stick backing.

Above, at the top of the photo, is a view of the tape as it comes, in a roll.  Here, I have cut off 2 lengths of it and secured them with masking tape to (left) a sheet of yellow craft foam and (right) an old mouse pad.  Underneath is more aluminum -- the non-stick kind, also secured with masking tape to my work surface.

Below is a close-up of the next step I took in this project -- placing stencils over the tape.  The upper photo shows my 9"X12" Wrought Iron Gate stencil and the smaller photo shows my 9"X12" Borders 1 stencil.

I traced the stencils' line-work with an embossing stylus, the top of which appears below, but a ballpoint pen would work, too.

My next step was to lift off the stencil to reveal the embossed tape --
 

 

Below are two photos showing the embossed tapes with alcohol inks added--

 

 

I liked the colors of these inks but wasn't happy with the way the embossed line-work disappeared under them.  So I began experimenting.  One experiment was to remove most of the ink with rubbing alcohol.  I also got out my Sharpie pens, knowing that these deeply embossed lines would be easy to trace.  But to be on the safe side, I replaced the stencils, lining them up with the embossed line-work --

 

 

After lifting off the stencil a second time, I had the results below.

 

The lower strip of tape has been embossed, alcohol-inked, and wiped with rubbing alcohol.  Some of the alcohol ink remains, highlighting the embossed line-work.

I ended up with lots of decorative tape, some of which will used to embellish art journal covers.  One piece was used on the cover of a 6"X6" greeting card --