2 Unique New ATC 9" x 18" Sheets Released Today!

Released Today: a brand-new collection of 18 images -- mostly stencils, with several bonus masks included -- all sized for creating Artist Trading Cards!  

ATC Mixup 1 -Swatton (9" x 12")

ATC Mixup 2 -Swatton (9" x 12")

ATC Mixup 1--Swatton offers you these images:

Top row L to R--

Diagonal Mania

Desert Blooms

Unfurling Leaves

Middle row L to R—

Ski Lift Works

Cat 1

Cat 2

Bottom row L to R—

Cat 3

Fantasia

Hot Air Balloon


ATC Mixup 2 --Swatton offers these images:

Top row L to R--

Penguin

Sprigs

Ornamental Iron Curls

Middle row L to R—

Thistles
Mikki's Flowers
Ginkgo

Bottom row L to R—

Fern Fronds Silhouette
Osprey Wings
Swan

Playing with these just-released ATC sheets, I've used them not only in making ATCs, but also, I've explored a wider range of possibilities -- bookmarks, gift-tags, collage elements, embellishments for art journal pages, hanging ornaments, greeting card covers, and even refrigerator magnets!  Their size also makes them great for bringing along on trips -- no more boring rides on the bus, train or plane!  Just add a few watercolor pencils and a brush that holds water in its handle.  One example of this kind of brush is here; other brands are available too.

Some of my 18 brand-new images closely resemble stencils and masks I'd designed previously.  (The original stencils and masks are shown at the bottom of this post.)

Despite similarities, the ATCs differ from the originals that inspired them. They stand alone as independents; but of course, they can certainly be used with the original stencils and masks to create more complex and dynamic artwork.

Not every one of these ATCs is derived from an original stencil that's proven popular during these happy years of my designing for StencilGirlProducts(TM.)  

Why not?  Good question!  Step to the head of the class!

Except for the month that I took off while recovering from a concussion, I spent about 6 months focusing on the intriguing idea of shrinking original designs, with the goal of developing 18 images, each roughly 2.5" x 3.5" ... and what I learned was that not every design can be successfully miniaturized!  Believe me, I tried!   

So I filled the gaps with designs that'd never yet seen the light of day.  

Until I'd designed the 18 images on my just-released 9" x 12" ATC Mixup 1--Swatton and ATC Mixup 2--Swatton, I'd never used ATC stencils ... so guess what I learned?  Better to cut them apart before using them!  Who knew? -- probably everyone else on Planet Earth!  I came to this as clueless as if I'd been living under a rock!

But after catching on, I learned the wisdom of an old adage from the fabric arts:  "Measure twice.  Cut once."

For me, the best way approach was to use a black Sharpie pen and a T-square ruler.  This gave me straight lines while providing adequate margins around each ATC design.

Since Valentine's Day arrives in 2 days, today's post features my own versions of unique Valentine-themed art samples, all created with these just-released stencils.

Featuring Fantasia from ATC Mixup 1

Below:  Five cat lovers' Valentines, each decorated with a Dresden foil embellishment.  Dresden embellishments are available on Etsy, from several sellers, as well as here on AmazonSmile (same as Amazon except that you can pick a charity to receive a small percentage on some of your purchases.)  All five of these next samples feature Cats from ATC mixup 1.

The image below features Hot Air Balloon from ATC mixup 1--Swatton.

The hot air balloon above differs in size from images in my original two stencil-and-mask sets entitled Hot Air Balloons.  Those originals can be seen here.

Below:  Mikki's Flowers from ATC mixup 2--Swatton ....

Above: Sprigs (ATC Mixup 2--Swatton.) Below: Ornamental Iron Curls (ATC Mixup 2--Swatton.)

ATC Mixup 1--Swatton inspirations --

Ski Lift Works (6" x 6")

Cats (6" x 6")

Fantasia (9" x 12")

Hot Air Balloon (in 2 sizes -- 6" x 6" and 4" x 4")

ATC Mixup 2 --Swatton inspirations:

Penguin Family (6" x 6")

Sprigs (6" x 6")

Ornamental Iron Curls (6" x 6")

Thistle (9" x 12")

and

Small Thistles (6" x 6")

Mikki's Flowers Mask (6" x 6")

Ginkgo (6" x 6")

Fern Fronds Silhouette Mini (4" x 4")

Osprey Wings (6" x 6")

A hearty, sincere thank-you to everyone who's landed here at my blog today!

Throughout the rest of February, my daily posts will showcase many ways to use my 2 now-released ATC --Swatton 9" x 12" stencils and masks. 

Normally I invite readers to follow this blog by email using that option in the upper right sidebar. This time, beyond invitation, I encourage following this daily ATC series on my blog.  I've learned a lot during the time devoted to this project, and I want to pass on these tips.

To scroll thru the pages of my StencilGirl stencils and masks, start here.

ATC Mixup Swatton #1 (9" x 12")

 ATC Mixup Swatton # 2  (9" x 12")

Valentines of Less Traditional Colors

Continuing a theme started several posts ago, I use today's post to feature yet more Valentines that may look surprising on the cover (but the sentiments inside will plainly show they're fully Valentine!)  

Above:  The inner heart was made with Ornamental Iron Curls stencil (6" x 6") ... which in its entirety looks like this:

Ornamental Iron Curls

Below is another card featuring a heart -- this one, cut from a print made with Wrought Iron Gate, a 9" x 12" stencil that contains several built-in heart-shapes not obvious at first glance. 

Wrought Iron Gate, in its entirety, is shown below; can you find the not-so-obvious heart-shapes?

The background in the second greeting card was a print made with another 9" x 12" stencil --

Vases

Thanks for visiting here today!

To scroll thru the pages of my StencilGirl masks and stencils, please start here.

Approaching Valentine's Day ... and Exploring Sources of Stencil Designs

Over the years I've stuck to my "old-fashioned" making of Valentine greeting cards, because for me, it's fun.

Most of the time, I've made them from stencil-printed papers ...

Stencils used in making these prints include --




6"X 6" MIMOSA 6  This design comes straight from photos I'd taken of my now-deceased, but much loved, mimosa that once grew near our front door.  Mimosas are considered weeds in some areas, but if you try to grow one on your own -- because spring's pink blooms are drop-dead gorgeous -- you may learn, as we did, that a certain fungus attacks the young trees and kills them.  But as memorials, I have this 6" x 6" stencil and its big sister, 9" x 12" Mimosa Stencil.

9x12" BOXED VINES  This design comes from a hobby I once had, of cutting paper strips into curving lines, each line ending in a leaf.

6"x 6" SEAWEED  Note:  After I'd titled this stencil, I learned that kelp is the name of the plant that I based it on.  Kelp leaves have this pattern, even after washed ashore.  After taking photos, I altered Nature's original pattern by digitally creating cross-sections of it, then combining them. 

6"X 6" KALEID  This design started when I made a collographic printing plate with random cut-outs of thin black foam that I glued to a sheet of matboard (a very sturdy cardstock.)  After the plate was finished, I took its photo; then, I digitally altered the photo.

With the Valentines themselves, I need envelopes!

Do I've pulled out two scrap-leftovers cut from prints I'd made with 6"x 6" mask Ornamental Irons Curls (below left) and 6" x 6" stencil Kaleid (below right.)  You can click on the image below to enlarge it and better see details --

I've cut the above heart shapes from each of the prints, then, with a gluestick, added them to the envelope.  As a last step, I wrote "Love" with a calligraphic pen.

My 6" x 6" stencil Kaleid, in its entirety, is shown above today's sample envelope. 

And, in its entirety, the 6" x 6" mask  Ornamental Irons Curls looks like this--

This design was digitally derived from a combination of photos I'd taken of wrought iron fencing decorations.  I went thru a similar process when I created my 9" x 12" Wrought Iron Gate, shown directly below:

I drew all of today's hearts freehand, but if you'd rather use a stencil to trace a heart shape for cutting, a fine selection is here.

Thanks for visiting my blog today!  To scroll thru the pages of my StencilGirl stencils and masks, please start here.

Valentine Lovebirds and Sources for Materials Needed for Valentine Making

Pair o' Parrots is a 6" x 6" stencil that I designed with romance in mind.  So it was natural for me to use this stencil in making two Valentine cards ...

Both of the above cards were made the same way.  

For the first Valentine, I traced the parrot silhouette shapes of the stencil.  I cut out the parrots using fine-detail scissors, then used a gluestick to secure them to a white blank card.

For the second Valentine, I followed the same steps, but cut the parrots from paper laminated with textured gold foil.  Instead of a white background, I created a red background by gluing cut-to-size red paper to a greeting card blank. 

After gluing the cut-outs to their backgrounds, I added hearts created with a Marvy heart-shaped paper-crafts punch.

One economical source of paper laminated with textured gold foil is giftwrap.  Currently, it may be easier to find paper laminated with metallic glitter, in gold and other colors.  One example of the latter is here.   

Scissors for fine-detail-cutting include these, but many others are available.

My favorite gluesticks are these but I have also had good results with these. 

Thanks for stopping by today!

To scroll thru the pages of my StencilGirl masks and stencils, please start here.

More Valentine Ideas using Surprising StencilGirl Stencils and Masks

Today, I'm using my 6" x 6" stencil Quilted Flower Garden to make a Valentine greeting card ...

I've chosen textured gold foil paper, using a free-hand cut heart-shape as a pattern.  I placed the pattern on the back-side of the textured gold paper, traced it with a pencil, and cut it out with fine-detail scissors from Fiskars. 

Quilted Flower Garden (used to create the background paper above) looks like this in its entirety --

Today's second Valentine --

-- stars a print made with yet another non-traditional-Valentine design:  Swaying Grasses (6" x 6".) 

Among the grasses is a red mini-heart created with one of the paper-crafting  shape-punches by Marvy.

The background is a hand-painted silver heart, glued to a 5" x 7" greeting card blank made by Strathmore; this one is the watercolor card, which is cut from sturdy 140-lb. paper.

The stencil Swaying Grasses in its entirety looks like this --

Thanks for visiting my blog today!

To scroll thru the pages of my StencilGirl masks and stencils, please start here.