PRAYER FLAGS Stencil -- Stained!

  
Unfortunately, this 9"X12" stencil is a little too large to fit onto my scanner bed, but the above image still shows how beautiful the stencil has become, now layered with paint and texture as result of having been used in numerous projects.  

When a stencil reaches this stage, I usually retire it as a stencil so it can be cut up and used in collages.  

I can always buy more Prayer Flag stencils ...

More Art with My New Stencil PRAYER FLAGS

I'm still working with my newest stencil, Prayer Flags :

ABOVE:  A CLOSE-UP OF AN ARTWORK MAKE WITH MY NEW 9"x12" STENCIL "PRAYER FLAGS"

ABOVE:  ANOTHER CLOSE-UP OF THE SAME PIECE.

ABOVE:  THE ENTIRE PIECE.  BESIDES "PRAYER FLAGS," I USED TWO OTHER STENCILS OF MINE ... DETAILS ARE BELOW.

ABOVE:  A CLOSE UP OF ANOTHER ARTWORK MADE WITH "PRAYER FLAGS."

ABOVE:  ANOTHER CLOSE-UP.

ABOVE:  THE SECOND ARTWORK IN ITS ENTIRETY.  

Prayer Flags plays nicely with two earlier stencils of mine --  

6"X6" Palm Fronds Silhouette Small

and 

4"X4" Palm Fronds Silhouette Mini

I used all three stencils on both artworks above, but prints of the smaller stencils are more visible in the first artwork, 3 photos down from the top of this post. 

The techniques I used in creating these pieces are available to StencilGirl StencilClub Members who order the June 2015 3-part stencil release Crop Circles:

PRAYER FLAGS are still waving!

Prayer Flags -- my newest 9"X12" stencil -- is taking the stage in today's post as a tool for creating still more greeting card covers.  (You can scroll down to see earlier cards that I posted recently.)


I started the same way as I had 2 days ago; after placing 2 flattened card blanks side-by-side, I taped the stencil over them so I could apply paint to both cards at once.

 This time, I chose thick gold metallic paint to spread thru the stencil, using an artist's spatula:

ABOVE:  THE STENCIL HAS BEEN LIFTED OFF THE STILL-WET PAINT AND THE 2 CARDS HAVE BEEN SEPARATED.

After the gold metallic paint had dried, I added a dollop of Golden Fluid Acrylic Quinacridone Burnt Orange:

Next, I used a terrycloth rag to spread the fluid paint across the surfaces of both cards; a close-up of one card is below:

After spreading Burnt Orange completely across the front covers of both greeting cards, I lifted off the stencil --

-- and I then quickly flipped the still-wet stencil over, using it to stamp a reverse image on another greeting card cover.  Two close-ups are shown below:

The 2 original greeting card covers now look like this:

Last of all -- after a day of several painting projects -- I decided to break my usual pattern and actually CLEAN the stencil!  I used Windex and a soft terrycloth rag.  Afterward, I liked the papers that had been underneath the stencil during cleaning; I'm keeping them to use in collages.

CLICKING ON BOTH IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM, YOU CAN SEE MORE DETAILS, INCLUDING A WRINKLED LOOK THAT GIVES THE PAPER MORE TEXTURE.

PRAYER FLAGS -- a Brand-New Stencil at www.StencilGirlProducts.com!

 
Today Mary Beth Shaw celebrates her birthday with a special event -- check here -- www.StencilGirlProducts.com -- and here -- www.stencilgirltalk.com. 

And, by way of coincidence, Mary Beth's Fractured Glass stencil goes perfectly with my brand-new stencil Prayer Flags.  Pair them up and see for yourself!

Or try it with Daniella Woolf's Feathers and Lace. 

In forming part of my background on the artwork below, I used three 9"X12" stencils from StencilGirlProducts --  Daniella's, cited above, as well as Crackle by Nathalie Kalbach and Large Hall stencil by Mary Beth Shaw.

Of several techniques that I used to create this artwork on canvas, the first technique was what I call the "stencil-and-stain" method.  Anyone who wants step-by-step details of this technique -- just visit StencilGirlTalk and check out the right sidebar.  Once a member, you can ask for the June 2015 StencilClub package, which will give you everything you need to know. 

Note:  Be aware that the stencil-and-stain technique will stain your stencils.  Altho some stain can be removed afterward, not all of it can.  This doesn't bother some of us, who end up with beautiful stencils that can be cut up and used as collage elements.

Below are two close-ups showing details in the artwork above--

Other canvases made with the same combination of techniques and the same Prayer Flags stencil are below --

COPYRIGHT 2015 CECILIA SWATTON -- ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

COPYRIGHT 2015 CECILIA SWATTON -- ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

COPYRIGHT 2015 CECILIA SWATTON -- ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

COPYRIGHT 2015 CECILIA SWATTON -- ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

***

In upcoming posts, I will be showing 4 greeting card covers made with this brand-new 9"X12" stencil Prayer Flags.  These posts will have step-by-step photos covering the methods I used; meanwhile, here's a sneak-peak at the finished cards --

Art-C Groove Tool with Stencils

To test my new Art-C Groove Tool with its brush head, I started with Carolyn Dube's  Scribble-Scratch Handwriting Stencil.

ABOVE: THE STENCIL HAS BEEN PLACED ON THE BLANK CANVAS.

 

ABOVE: RED ACRYLIC PAINT HAS BEEN APPLIED THRU THE STENCIL. 

I forgot to take an "after" shot of the canvas right after the stencil had been lifted -- trust me, it turned out great -- so I promptly reached for another canvas and another stencil.  This time I chose Maria McGuire's Doodle It Tornado Bloom and placed it on the second canvas, which was an artwork already in progress --

ABOVE:  MARIA'S STENCIL HAS BEEN PLACED ON THE CANVAS. 

 

ABOVE:  THE ART-C GROOVE TOOL HAS BEEN USED TO APPLY TITANIUM WHITE ACRYLIC PAINT. 

ABOVE:  THIS CLOSE-UP SHOWS THE AREA OF THE PAINTING WHERE I USED THE TOOL , AFTER MARIA'S STENCIL HAD BEEN LIFTED.  THERE WAS NO PAINT SEEPAGE UNDER THE STENCIL; THE DESIGN CAME OUT CRISP AND CLEAR.

My thanks to Cindy Powell, my friend in Utah, who went to a store in her area, bought the tool for me, and shipped it here to NJ! 

Since the Art-C Groove tool also comes with a sponge head and two abrasive heads, I plan to use it later in the subtractive technique -- using a stencil, of course. 

Below is a photo of the first canvas, after it was finished.  On the final layers, several times, I re-used Carolyn's Scribble-Scratch Handwriting Stencil .

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

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....   

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

 

 

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