Saturday, February 29, 2020

THISTLES Stencils Now Come in 3 Sizes -- It's Fun to Use Them Together!

Now that my two ATC Mixup stencils are released, I now have 3 sizes of this flower (that some consider a weed!)  

ATC Mixup 2 (9" x 12" before being cut up)

Thistle (9" x 12")


Small Thistles (6" x 6")

My newest Thistle is sized for use in making Artist Trading Cards, but other art-making opportunities abound.

The first 3 photos below show artwork that give rough ideas as to what these three stencils can produce when used together.  "Rough ideas" because in making these first few art samples, I didn't use the ATC-sized Thistles directly.  Instead, I started by making a print (dark green in this case) on sturdy paper using my ATC-sized Thistles, then I scanned that print and enlarged the print in Photoshop; printed it; and cut out that print-out size.  This allowed me to finish the art as a mixed-media collage. 

However, the ATC Thistles do indeed differ in size from the first two Thistles in my series.  The proportions of those differences may not be 100 per cent accurate in these first 3 photos below, but they do serve today's purpose -- they give a sample of exciting possibilities open to the artist when she/he uses the three sizes together.

Above:  In the upper right is a stencil-print made with Small Thistles (6" x 6").  The central area was printed with Thistle (9" x 12").  The dark green print in the lower left was made with my ATC sized stencil, but not directly, as explained above.

Above:  In the background is a stencil-print made with with Thistle (9" x 12"). In the upper middle is a blue print made using  Small Thistles (6" x 6").  
The purple print in the lower right was made with my ATC sized stencil, in the indirect way explained above.
Above:  In the background is a stencil-print made with with Thistle (9" x 12"). In the center is a green print made using  Small Thistles (6" x 6").  
The pinkish-purple print in the lower right was made with my ATC sized stencil, in the indirect way explained above.

And of course the ATC-sized Thistle can be used independently:




















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Friday, February 28, 2020

Emboss Papers with StencilGirl Stencils and Masks


Do you love embossed papers and want a quick, easy way to make your own?

I wrote today's how-to article at StencilGirlTalk -- check it out here, where you can read my detailed how-to.  My write-up gives step-by-step directions, with photos, for creating pseudo embossed papers using stencils, masks and a product called Solvy.

The above issue of StencilGirlTalk shows papers embossed with Solvy in tandem with StencilGirl stencils and masks.  Most of today's posts show ways I've used pieces of my own embossed papers in art projects.  In addition, this post shows an embossed paper created with StencilGirl's Circle Tile Stencil, designed by Mary Beth Shaw.

To get the full effect of these embossed papers, it's necessary to run your fingertips across them, to better appreciate the depressed areas and the raised areas.  My photos can't bring that tactile sensation across, but it's one of my favorite things about embossed papers -- they are as much perceived by touch as they are by eyesight.





Above:  a collage greeting card cover.  The background centerpiece is embossed Solvy.  The mask used for the embossing was my 6" x 6" Trivet A....





Below is a photo of a stretched canvas that I'm using as a base for building this collage-in-progress.  You can click on the image to enlarge it.  Outlined in red is a piece of Solvy that I've embossed using StencilGirl's Circle Tile Stencil, designed by Mary Beth Shaw.






The piece shown above was cut from a full-size sheet of stencil-embossed Solvy.  The rest of that piece is below:





I was still learning when I embossed this sheet using Mary Beth's stencil, so it has holes where I added too much water.  But in this case, I think the holes add to the character of the piece, and I can't wait to use it in a future collage!

Below are more art samples created with Solvy embossed papers and my own StencilGirl stencils and masks --



Above:  The embossed lines created with my 9" x 12" Mimosa Stencil begged me to cut part of this green embossed paper into a Christmas tree shape.
9" x 12" Mimosa Stencil




Above and below are two greeting card covers decorated with cut-outs from my Solvy paper embossed with my 9" x 12" mask Garden Montage.





9" x 12" mask Garden Montage

General tip for today:  I'm wildly in favor of everything that makes art-adventuring easier and more fun.  Why do everything the hard way, when tools are within grabbing distance?  Stencils and masks are art-making tools; they're short-cuts.  No time to make your own?  You can buy ready-made stencils and masks -- then cut them up to make your art uniquely yours.  After they're paint-stained, cut them up some more and turn them into collage elements. 

Thanks for taking time to stroll thru my blog today!  To follow my blog by email, please use that option in the upper right sidebar.  To scroll thru the pages of my StencilGirl masks and stencils, please start here.

Thursday, February 27, 2020

ATC-Sized Masks and Stencils Used with Originally-Sized Stencils that Inspired Them

Today's post returns to my theme of an ATC-sized stencil or mask working beautifully with its originally-sized inspirational stencil or mask.  (Size is not the only difference between my originals and my ATCs, but the similarities are enough so as to be easily recognizable.)

ATC-sized Ski Lift Works is one of the nine stencils and masks in ATC Mixup 1 --

ATC Mixup 1

-- and I used this ATC version with its 6" x 6" original inspiration, Sprigs, in the first 3 art samples of this post.


ATC-sized Ski Lift Works and 6" x 6" Ski Lift Works 

ATC-sized Ski Lift Works and 6" x 6" Ski Lift Works

ATC-sized Ski Lift Works and 6" x 6" Ski Lift Works

ATC-sized Sprigs is one of the 9 stencils and masks in ATC Mixup 2 --

ATC Mixup 2

-- and it was used with its 6" x 6" original inspiration Sprigs in the next 5 art samples here today.


ATC-sized Sprigs & 6" x 6" Sprigs

ATC-sized Sprigs & 6" x 6" Sprigs

ATC-sized Sprigs & 6" x 6" Sprigs


ATC-sized Sprigs & 6" x 6" Sprigs

ATC-sized Sprigs & 6" x 6" Sprigs

I'm hoping today's 8 samples illustrate the overall harmony achieved when ATC-sized masks or stencils are used with the bigger, original stencils and masks that inspired them.

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Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Make Jewelry with ATC-Sized Stencil Prints


One of the fun aspects of ATC-sized images is that parts of them can be cut down to ultra-small sizes and used in making jewelry.

Bracelet and pendant "blanks" are available to make the process easy; some ideas are here.  

And here....

...here....

...here...

...oh my!  here ....

And for a wider choice of style check here.

My just-released stencils (and masks) ATC Mixup 1 and ATC Mixup 2 (each 9" x 12" and each containing 9 images) give lots of opportunity to make prints, then hunt for small detailed areas that can shine, literally, as crowns on pieces of jewelry.

Diagonal Mania, from ATC Mixup 1used in creating the greeting card cover below, is just one example that offers areas of intricate design.  

  



Altho not pictured in this post, one way to make the jewelry pop is to start with a black glossy cardstock background, then make the stencil or mask prints with intereference or "metallic" acrylic paints, both of which glow because of tiny chips of mica embedded into the paint.

Another of my ATC images with great opportunity to star as jewelry:




The print above was made with Ski Lift Works, also from ATC Mixup 1.  And as you can see, it provides areas of intricate detail that would work beautifully in a jewelry-making session.  (But for jewelry, you'd probably want to steer away from using the crackle medium that I used in making the Artist Trading Card above.)

Below is a print made with Ornamental Iron Curls, another of the images included in my new 9" x 12" stencil ATC Mixup 1.  In this art sample, I used gold foil background paper -- which would be yet another good basis for developing papers to use in making jewelry. 
  



For making jewelry, the ATC Ornamental Iron Curls design would work equally well as the original 6" x 6" mask Ornamental Iron Curls -- both yield areas of intricate details. 

In similar vein, ATC Mixup 2 includes an image titled Sprigs; a sample print is shown below.  For making jewelry, the ATC Sprigs design would work equally well as the original 6" x 6" mask Sprigs.  Both give you areas of intricate details. 




Have fun making your own unique jewelry!

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Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Tags as a Base for Stencil and Mask Use with ATC MIXUP 1 and ARC MIXUP 2


I've enjoyed using my new ATC Mixup 1 and ATC Mixup 2 with readymade tags.  After the tags are printed, they're ready to be mounted onto larger cardboards to become greeting card covers or gift-tags or bookmarks. 






The greeting cards above and below feature tags printed with Diagonal Mania from 9" x 12" ATC Mixup 1.




And the greeting card below began life with a tag that I printed with ATC Mixup 1's Fantasia.  After I'd tied ribbon thru the tag's top hole, I glued it to a background of textured gold cardstock.  This was added to black paper and the entire "sandwich" is now decorating a 6" x 6" bronze metallic greeting card.  The greeting card blanks come from JAMPaper.com.  The gold Dresden embossed foil (in the center of the Fantasia print) is available at Etsy and Amazon.  (I use AmazonSmile, which has all the same perks as regular Amazon, but also contributes to charities chosen by consumers.)




In today's line-up, the next tag (which became a bookmark) was printed with Unfurling Leaves, one of the 9 images included in ATC Mixup 1and highlighted with silver glitter glue as well as a strip of silver metallic paper.




The three tag-based art samples below were printed with Sprigs from ATC Mixup 2and the Sprigs design was inspired by my 6" x 6" mask Sprigs.











The tag below was started with a spreading of crackle paste thru the openings of Fern Fronds Silhouette, from ATC Mixup 2and the Fern Fronds Silhouette design was inspired by my 6" x 6" mask likewise titled Fern Fronds Silhouette.  After the paste had dried, I coated the tag with blue acrylic paint and built it into a collage with its near-complementary color, gold.  The collage is now a bookmark.




Many thanks for stopping at my blog today!  To follow the blog by email, please use that option in the upper right sidebar.  To scroll thru my StencilGirl stencils and masks, please start here.

Monday, February 24, 2020

Something for Everyone in ATC MIXUP 1 and ATX MIXUP 2



ATC Mixup 1 and ATC Mixup 2, together or separately, give a lot of bang for the buck -- each sturdy 9" x 12" Mylar sheet holds 9 images.  Something for everyone. 

For cat lovers, images I've created in memory of my first beloved cat, now purring in heaven:




Above and below:  2 prints, each made with one of the 3 Cats in ATC Mixup 1.






For texture lovers:  The two Artist Trading Cards below were made with Fantasia, one of the 9 images in ATC Mixup 1. Both were started by spreading modeling paste thru the mask.  

The first ATC below was made on purple and white watercolor paper, and after the paste had dried, the raised areas were painted with gold metallic paint.  After waiting for that paint to dry, I added Micaceous Iron Oxide (Golden paint) to the whole surface and rubbed most of it into the areas between the raised gold areas.





And the ATC below, made on a metallic red paper.  After its modeling paste had dried, the raised areas were painted with a brighter gold metallic paint.  





Love hot air balloons?  The two multi-prints below were made with Hot Air Balloon from ATC Mixup 1.  Inspired by my original Hot Air Balloons, which come in 2 sizes, this image provides the same graphic but in a different size from either of the originals.








Breathes there anyone with soul so dead that he or she doesn't love penguins?  The two prints below were made with ATC Mixup 2's Penguin (inspired by my original 6" x 6" mask Penguin Family.)





Above:  After printing the penguin on black cardstock using metallic silver paint, I cut out the penguin and glued it to the photo from an old calendar.

Below:  an ATC printed with heavy-body Titanium White acrylic paint.




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