Cecilia Swatton

Before going into today's technique for using stencils or masks, I'll show a sneak-peak of my new stencil coming out tomorrow. (No, I don't believe Friday the 13th is bad luck ... in fact I don't believe in luck at all.)

Now for today's topic--

Here's another Christmas gift idea coming your way!

Plain coasters are a great substrate for creating stenciled Christmas stocking-stuffer gifts!  They are available in a variety of places; one of them is Michaels.

My first step with my coasters was to put them into a cardboard box so that I could spray them with red acrylic paint.  (The reason for the box was to contain spray that would otherwise be land on a wall!) I applied 2 coats of paint, allowing for drying time between the two.

After my two coasters had dried from that second spray, I placed them on newspaper and covered them with one of my stencils , 9" x 12" Swatton Borders #1.  I used masking tape to secure the stencil to the coaster, and to the newspaper underneath.

My next step was to use a sponge-tip applicator in adding green acrylic paint across the coaster.

 

What I've learned:  For best results, use a heavy-bodied paint and start with less paint on the applicator than you think you may need.  You can always add more paint if need be.  But if you start with too much paint -- as I tend to do -- you risk it leaking under the edges of the stencil's openings, creating areas of blurred paint.  Less is more.  Do as I say, not at I do!  :-)

Above:  I've lifted the stencil.  One coaster done!  Now came time to use a different area of the stencil on the remaining coaster --

With gold metallic paint and the same kind of round sponge-tip applicator , I gave each of the two coasters one last touch: 



The 9"x 12" stencil I used today, Swatton Borders #1, looks like this in its entirety:

As its title implies, it's one of three border stencils I've designed.  Each measures 9" x 12" and likewise contains 3 borders per stencil.

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