More Christmas Fun with Stencils

The greeting card above was shown here in an earlier post, but at that time I hadn't meant for it to be a Christmas card.  I created it by painting a sheet of mica with silver metallic paint, then printing it with my 9" x 12" stencil Clustered Leaves.  It was just by chance that I used red ink and a metallic green greeting card blank.

Making Christmas cards this year, I came across this card and decided to re-purpose it, by adding a three-dimensional self-stick Christmas star.  Simple!

I used another star of the same kind on the cover of the pocket-sized journal below.  The front of this journal had already been printed with a portion of my 6" x 6" stencil Ornamental Iron Curls.  I had masked off the edges of the journal cover with masking tape so that only the central area received the print.

December 1's post showed my original prints made on foil-laminated papers with acrylic paint, a sponge brayer and several of my stencils.  

December 2's post showed Christmas tree card covers made with some cut-outs from those prints.

Today's post moves on to show more Christmas cards, these with candles made from other cut-outs:

Both cards above were made from papers printed with my 6" x 6" stencil Ornamental Iron Curls.

I'm happy to say that I've designed 70 stencils for StencilGirl.  The multiple pages of my stencils start here.

Thanks for visiting my blog today!

Stencil-Print Christmas Cards... A Memory from Yesteryear

I've noticed – to my delight – that the round 8-inch Gelli Plate greatly changes the “look” usually achieved from making prints with stencils.  This happy fact stood out for me when I used my 9”X 12” stencil Facets ...

The first print shown above  --

 --reminds me of a stained-glass window.

I'd made this print starting with black-and-white patterned scrapbook paper; then I had layered red, orange and green acrylic paints over it with a brayer. 

Once that paint dried, I'd used my round Gelli Plate, a gesso-teal mix of acrylic paint, and my 9”X 12” stencil Facets to pull the print.

To make my first Christmas card, I covered a blank 5”X 7” greeting card with a background -- green mulberry paper embedded with gold threads of tinsel.

My next step was to add the half-circle I’d cut from my Gelli Plate print.  It was really easy to cut out the printed area, because this stencil’s geometric design is divided equally by its axis. 

On a scrap of the same green mulberry paper, I used a gold-paint pen to write “Christmas Blessings” – I did it on a scrap, not the card itself, because I wanted to make sure it would turn out the way I wanted.  Then I cut out the lettering and glued it to the card cover.  That card is below:

I used part of the leftover print to decorate a matching envelope -- it became a trim that runs along the bottom edge, right under the area where the name and address will be:

Another print I pulled, using the same teal-gesso mix, was on dark blue cardstock that has embedded glitter-like sparkles.  Here, again, is that print:

To make a second Christmas card, I chose a 6"X 6" card blank made from "pearlized" cardstock.  Because of the change in card size, I cut out a bigger part of the print than I had for the earlier card.  I glued the cut-out to my card and trimmed the edges.

I used a rubber stamp and green inkpad to make the greeting on white cardstock.  After cutting out the greeting with Fiskars Paper Edger scissors, I ran the gold pen along its four edges before adding it to the Christmas card.  Here's the card, finished -- except for a red border that I plan to add later:

Here's the matching envelope, again with its decoration along the bottom that leaves room above for the name and address:

For me, it was a natural segue from Christmas cards and envelopes to Christmas giftwrap.  Some of the prints shown at the top of this post were done on foreign newsprint  -- an approach that gives me an interesting background, while resulting in a pliable paper perfect for giftwrap and matching gift-tags.

Here again are those papers:

And here is one of the papers as giftwrap --

And here is the gift-tag, cut from another print, so the prints match but the color backgrounds are in contrasting (complimentary) colors:

Facets stencil, in its entirety, looks like this:

9" x 12" stencil Facets

I'm happy to say that I've designed 70 stencils for StencilGirl.  The multiple pages of my stencils start here.

Thanks for visiting my blog today!

Still More New Christmas Cards

One of my favorite stencils for Christmas card use is my 6" x 6" Quilted Flower Garden.  Its repeating pattern reminds me of poinsettia blooms...

Another reason I like it is that its built-in lines mean I can easily cut the prints into strips.

Above:  a minimalist Christmas card, with a column three poinsettia blooms centered on a metallic green 6" x 6" greeting card.

Above:  One of many cards I've made with the theme of Christmas candles.

Above:  For this card, I used the entire print, which was done with bronze metallic acrylic paint on handmade green paper.  I cut out the print when the paint had dried and glued it to one of my green greeting card blanks from JAMPaper.com.

I'm happy to say that I've designed 70 stencils for StencilGirl.  The multiple pages of my stencils start here.

Thanks for visiting my blog today!

Christmas Cards Made with Oct. 14-Released Stencils

Working on muted silver paper, I ended up with a less-than-perfect print when working with my new 6" x 6" stencil Tiger Lily.  First I thought squeeze-bottle glitter might help ...

  

... and it did help the central area, but the area right above the center, as well as below it, were faintly printed; and I didn't want to add more glitter.

So I cut out the star-shaped central area --

-- and glued it to red background paper, then glued those two layers to the front of a white metallic greeting card blank from JamPaper.com.  It doesn't make a perfect Christmas star ... but it's close.

Above:  Tiger Lily got used in a different way on another Christmas card.  I used red acrylic paint and white background paper to make the above print, before adding it to another greeting card.  The central star is an embellishment found years ago at Michaels Arts and Crafts.  

Above:  I used Sprigs, another new 6" x 6" stencil, in the same way.  I liked these results enough to make several cards identical to this one. 

Thanks for coming to see my blog today!

To check out all my stencils, please visit here. 

Part 2 of Making Christmas Cards with Stencils

Above:  the original print was made with 6" x 6" stencil Kaleid

With the exception of one, these cards were made on 6" x 6" greeting card blanks from JAMPaper.com, which also sells matching envelopes.  These blanks are made from sturdy cardstock that has a metallic sheen.

Above:  two prints made with 6" x 6" stencil Kaleid

The above double-print was shown yesterday.  Today, below, I'm showing how I used the shape of the central figure in this print as a guide for cutting out a triangle.

Above left is the greeting card (before being folded.)  The built-in guide of the central shape made for easy cutting of a triangle, to become a Christmas tree. 

To make my other cards with Christmas tree covers, I used a template cut from scratch paper as my template.

Above:  my Christmas tree template (placed on a dark background to show up better.)

I traced around the template, then cut out the tree shape for each of the greeting cards below. 

Above:  It was hard to photograph this print on gold foil made with 6" x 6" stencil Ornamental Iron Curls, so this is Shot 1, with Shot 2 to follow.

Above:  Shot 2 -- the same card, shot from a different angle.

Above:  the original print was made with stencil 6" x 6" Ski-Lift Works

Above:  Unlike the others, this card was made on a  5" x 7" greeting card blank (Strathmore brand.)  The original print had been made with 6" x 6" stencil Kaleid   

Above:  the original print was made with 6" x 6" stencil Kaleid

Above:  the original print was made with stencil 6" x 6" Ski-Lift Works

Tomorrow's post will move away from Christmas cards to show a stocking-stuffer gift and more cards, this time with candles cut from stencil-prints.

Thanks for visiting my blog today!

To see my full line of stencils please visit here.

Making Christmas Cards with Stencils -- Part 1

Used above:  6" x 6" stencil Kaleid

For this year's Christmas cards, I launched the idea of making Christmas tree shapes for card covers, starting with partial prints on foil-laminated 8" x 11" papers. So I made a series of partial prints that would lend themselves to be cut into triangular shape; they would also work for cutting out short vertical columns that would become candles on other Christmas cards.  

Used above: 6" x 6" stencil Ornamental Iron Curls

Used above: 6" x 6" stencil Ornamental Iron Curls

Used above:  6" x 6" stencil Kaleid

Used above:  6" x 6" stencil Ski-Lift Works

Used above:  6" x 6" stencil Ski-Lift Works (as a print, made by turning the still-wet stencil upside down and pressing it to silver foil paper)

Please come back tomorrow to see what happened next, after the prints had dried.

I'm happy to say that I've designed 70 stencils for StencilGirl.  The multiple pages of my stencils start here.

Thanks for visiting my blog today!

Cyber Monday Extended -- But Act Fast!

 Cyber Monday 2017 is Extended!  But hurry!  To see an ad, click here.

To check out my full line of stencils, please go here.

Christmas Gift Idea ... A Yesteryear Memory

Today's project -- making a gift-set of kitchen towels with silkscreen-printed appliques -- was made possible with a lot of help from Mary Ann Russo (who made these towels) and Cindy Powell (who supplied photos taken during the silkscreening process.)

Above is a close-up detail of Mary Ann Russo's silkscreen print used as an applique on a kitchen towel.

The above view shows Mary Ann's two towels in full.

Today's write-up is based on the works of many other artists who have shared their experiences and photos online, in books and in DVDs. These pioneers have broken the trail for fabric artists like Mary Ann Russo, whose lovely kitchen towels are pictured above, and Cindy Powell, whose photos will be used in the first section of this write-up.

One advantage of pairing a stencil with a silkscreen is that the same framed screen combo can be used over and over, to create repeat patterns on any fabric of choice.  This approach is quicker, less costly and less involved than the alternative of using multiple silkscreens, each created with its own single, permanent design. 

Another reason for using a silkscreen with a stencil is that the screen protects the stencil. The heavy pressure that is sometimes required for ink-application could damage stencils with intricate, delicate designs -- but, with this technique, the ink is never applied directly to the stencil. The framed silkscreen mesh is a porous yet protective barrier between the squeegee that spreads the ink and the cut-outs that form the design. Thus, the stencil remains totally intact, ready for use in any of the other multiple ways available to multi-media artists.

Supply list:

(1) T-pins and sturdy tape such as duct tape

(2)  scissors

(3) a large padded work surface, covered with protective plastic sheeting

(4) a second work surface, covered with newspaper

(5) a wide basin half-full of clean water

(6) a length of fabric --

100% cotton is a popular choice.  This cloth must first be washed in hot water to remove sizing, then machine-dried, using no drier sheets or any other form of fabric softener.  It must then be stretched taut across the padded surface, and secured there with T-pins (corsage pins) or sturdy tape.  

 (7) a stencil

 In this technique, a stencil is what gives the artist the design to be printed. For this project, Cindy Powell is using the 9"X12" Mimosa stencil, made of sturdy plastic and available here:

http://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/product-p/l141.htm

 (8)  painter's tape 

     Painter's tape (a low-tack tape such as blue masking tape) is used to secure the stencil to the silkscreen frame.

(9)  fabric-printing ink and a plastic spoon or any similar tool 

     One popular ink is Speedball fabric screen printing ink.  One source:

http://www.artsupply.com/speedball/silkscreen.htm

(10)  a squeegee 

      This tool has a sturdy handle and a soft-plastic edge.  One example:

http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/1941049-AA.shtml?lnav=tools.html 

(11)  a silkscreen

     A silkscreen consists of a frame, often aluminum or wood, which encases a tautly-stretched piece of mesh (originally made from silk but currently made from synthetics like polyester/organza.)  It's important to use a silkscreen large enough to accommodate the 9"X12" stencil with enough leftover space along one edge for placing the streak of printing ink (which will be spread across the stencil.)  Below is a silkscreen viewed from the top (also called "the inside") --  it shows the white central area, which is sunken; this part is called "the well."



This photo is courtesy of Cynthia Powell .

For this technique (as shown above), the artist uses a screen containing no previously established design -- so this screen can be considered a "blank."

The other side of this silkscreen has no indentation/well; it has a flat surface that will be placed upon the fabric -- after that flat surface has had the stencil attached.

To attach the stencil to the silkscreen:  Lengths of painter's tape are firmly pressed all the way around all four edges of the stencil, creating a snug fit on the side of the silkscreen that will be placed onto the fabric to be printed. The painter's tape must cover the entire area between the outer edges of the stencil and the outer edges of the silkscreen, since the artist wants no ink to print in these outer areas. 

Having taped the stencil to the silkscreen, the artist places the un-inked screen on a flat sturdy surface covered with newspaper.

In this photo, viewed from the "well" side of the silkscreen, you can see the 9X 12" Mimosa stencil through the thin mesh fabric.  The stain is not going to print.  It is permanent, the result of a previous silkscreening project.

Now, the artist adds a stream of the thick ink into the sunken area, "the well," on top of the silkscreen -- the side opposite the flat side where the stencil has been added.

When placing this stream of ink onto the silkscreen, the artist is careful to place it along one taped edge, keeping the ink on the tape, to avoid getting ink onto the stencil which can be seen through the mesh.  Excess ink would make the ink pool, flooding the stencil to create a blob-print instead of a print with well-defined design.

The artist then uses the squeegee to make four or five passes across the silkscreen, to saturate the screen.

Next, the artist lifts the screen to see whether a good print has been made on the newspaper.

When the print has passed that test, the framed silkscreen-stencil-combo is then placed onto the fabric -- and it's time to make the final prints.

Mary Ann Russo, an experienced silkscreen user, makes her prints working alone.

Some other silkscreen users recommend that at this point, two people begin working together -- one holding the screen securely in place, while the other makes multiple passes with the squeegee across the screen. 

It can take at least four passes with firm pressure from top to bottom, and side to side, to get the ink to penetrate the fabric. 

(Still other silkscreen artists use the Provo Craft Yudo machine, which comes in several versions with corresponding price ranges; this machine makes it easier for one person to do the operation alone.   One source: 

http://www.silkscreeningsupplies.com/yudu-printing-supplies?gclid=CN-s5rPqubgCFUOd4AodCWUAPA.)

Once the first print is completed, the artist lifts her screen and sets it aside on clean newspaper. 

Above is a close-up of a just-completed silkscreen print, done by Cynthia Powell, using the 9" X 12" Mimosa stencil.  Note the reflected light on the left side, indicating the ink is still wet.

If the artist wants to make more prints on the same piece of fabric, she must first use a hair drier to dry the just-printed section.

As soon as the printing is finished, the stencil is un-taped from the screen and both are placed in a basin of water until time allows gentle cleansing away of the ink. 

Some artists work outdoors so as to cleanse the screens and stencils with water from a hose.

The printed fabric is allowed to dry overnight.  Then the artist heat-sets the prints with an iron, following directions supplied by the ink manufacturer.

No further washing is needed; the fabric is now ready to be cut into shapes for use in appliqué-making.  To learn about appliqué-creating and application, many online tutorials are available. To list just a few of the possible choices of method:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOX4WcVB4iY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ljl_O2aOT1M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwcaC2dnuLo

To shop for a DVD giving detailed silkscreening instructions, here are just a few of the many choices out there:

https://smartflix.com/store/video/6255/Screenprinting-University

http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/10564898-AA.shtml?lnav=books.html

http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/1880188-AA.shtml?lnav=tools.html

http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/5454012-AA.shtml?lnav=books.html

I'm happy to say that I've designed 70 stencils for StencilGirl.  The multiple pages of my stencils start here.

Thanks for visiting my blog today!