Stencil Girl Stencils and Jane Davenport's Products

I've been playing with my Stencil Girl stencils, in this case Andrea DeMeng's "Eve" face stencil, and Jane Davenport's Mermaid Markers and Paint Over Pens.  Wow, what fun results can be had with this combination of supplies.  Here's my Parisienne Lady.

This was not difficult to do.  I traced the shape of a hat I liked in some publication, the face is Stencil Girl's "Eve" and I used Jane Davenport's Mermaid Markers for the bright colors, spraying them occasionally with water to cause them to run just a little.  The face is colored with Jane's Paint Over Pens, just remember that these are pretty permanent and cannot be watered down.

I hope you have fun with your supplies.  Combine them, mix it up a little, don't let them sit around drying out, use them!  Have fun ~ Renee

How does your garden grow? An AIRs Challenge produces Garden Markers

At the Imagine Crafts site one of the AIRs design team challenges for June was to create a project using something other than cardstock to stamp on. I’m just getting my herb garden going to I thought I’d create small name tags made out of plastic stakes (Dollar Store again) to identify my herbs. StazOn ink is my go to ink when I want something that won’t disappear with the blazing sun and torrential rains of South Carolina where I currently live. Guests are always curious about all the herbs I grow and use, this way they can read the names, pluck a little off and enjoy the herbal scents while they await dinner.

Skill: Beginner

Time: 10 minutes per tag ( not including drying time)

Directions:

Step one: Prepare the plastic surface by wiping each tag lightly with rubbing alcohol to remove any residue. 

Step two:

Use a mini alphabet stamp set and StazOn Jet Black ink to stamp the name of the herb, allow to dry.

Step three:

Using a different color of StazOn ink, begin stamping designs and patterns onto the plastic randomly. Allow drying time.

   

Step four:

Using a large dauber, apply different colors of StazOn ink; apply Clear Embossing Powder and carefully heat set the colors. This is plastic so take care not to get the heat tool too close or hold it on one spot too long or the stake will melt.

Step five:

Apply a clear sealant to the stake with a product that will withstand the elements outdoors, allowing the drying time stated in the instructions. Insert it into the ground near the plant.

If you would like the supply list please visit the Imagine Craft Blog.  I hope you're taking time to get out and enjoy the beginnings of summer.  Thanks for stopping by ~ Hugs ~ Renee

A Tangerine Master Board Becomes an All Occasion Card~ an AIRs Project

Like most crafters I have a stash of cards that can be used at a moment’s notice. When I make master boards I generally make a few cards or ATCs with whatever remains after I complete the main project and into my emergency reserve they go.  Our color challenge for the AIRs design team at Imagine Crafts this month was “Tangerine”, a cheerful color of summer, so I decided to make a master board combining all the different shades of orange that I have on hand. Objects in nature are never a single flat color but generally an eye pleasing combination of multiple shades of one color, including tangerines. This card has a nice masculine feel to it but can also has a feminine side to it with the addition of some paper flowers in the upper corner.

Skill: All levels

Time: 1 hour

Directions

Step one:  Create a monochromatic master board using different shades of orange.  Spray water on a piece of Mixed Media paper, this one measures 11” by 14”.  Lay a stencil or a piece of laser cut paper on top of the wet paper and with a large dauber begin pouncing different colors of orange inks through the design.  Keep blending the colors through the stencil, spraying more water during the process if necessary. The wet paper can be blotted off onto another piece of Mixed Media paper which almost has the same effect as a Gelli Plate design. The stencil can also be wiped off with a baby wipe onto the paper so that none of the ink goes to waste; this creates additional self-designed papers to be used later. Dry the paper with a heat tool.

Step two: Cut a piece of the master board measuring 2 ½” by 3 ½” (standard ATC size). Decorate with a bird die cut that also came from the master board paper, Washi tape and stamp a sentiment, heat emboss with clear embossing powder.

Step three: Mat panel on black, gray and orange cardstock.

Step four: Mat the entire panel onto black cardstock and then mount onto patterned paper.

     

Step five: Glue the finished panel onto a blank white card. Color a few paper flowers with ink, spritzing water on them then blotting with a paper towel until the desired color is achieved. When the flowers are dry attach them to the upper corner of the card with a strong adhesive.

Here is the list of supplies that I used:

Supply List

Imagine Supplies

StazOn-Jet Black

Memento Luxe-Morocco

Brilliance-Pearlescent Rust

VersaMagic-Mango, Persimmon

Radiant Neon-Electric Orange

Memento Marker-Teal Zeal for eye color

Clear Embossing Powder

Large dauber

Other supplies

Stamps-Sizzix Bird Talk

Die-Sizzix Alterations “Bird Talk”, Big Kick machine

Washi Tape-Idea-ology Sketchbook

11” by 14” Strathmore 140 lb. Mixed Media paper

Cardstock-black, gray, orange, laser cut paper

White blank card measuring 6 ½” by 5”

Heat tool

Baby wipes

Paper towels

Thanks for stopping by today, I always appreciate your visits.  Why not leave a comment so I know you were here?  Have a great day, hugs ~ Renee

A Summer Loving Calendar Page

Summer is right around the corner and a wonderful time to be creative. This mixed media calendar can be placed on a bulletin board or if you like to art journal it can be a project created right inside your journal as a two page spread. This project incorporates all kinds of techniques and textures then there’s the added fun of writing each day’s activities in the small woven calendar boxes. If you do one for each month of the year and then bind them together it makes a wonderful, reflective diary to look back on later.  You can find a supply list on the Imagine Craft Blog today.

Skill: Intermediate to Advanced

Time: 2-3 hours

Directions:

Step one: Prepare the background paper.  The substrate for this particular calendar is an 11” by 14” piece of Strathmore 140# Mixed Media paper that had been used to blot off ink from a stencil used in a previous project. The technique is similar to using a Gelli Plate, allowing previous projects to blot off the ink rather than wasting it.  At the top of the paper apply Memento Luxe Teal Zeal ink onto the paper, spray with Bahama Blue Fireworks! Craft Spray, spray water on top of that and allow the colors to blend together.  Apply additional sprays of water and let the inks run down the paper. Use a heat tool to set the color and dry the excess. Next apply Memento Luxe Morocco ink to the bottom of the paper with a large dauber. Deepen the color by applying Radiant Neon Electric Orange on top of the Morocco ink.  Spritz with water, allow the inks to mingle together, blot slightly with a paper towel, dry completely with a heat tool. For the last layer of color apply Memento Luxe Dandelion to the center part of the page, spray with water and allow the color to blend and run. Dry.

Step two: Use removable alphabet and number stencils for the date and season. Place the words and numbers where desired, use gesso or a texture paste to get the most out of the stenciled words. For this project the Graphite texture paste is reminiscent of a paved road. Very carefully lift the stenciling pieces straight up and wash them thoroughly to remove all of the paste. Allow the texture paste to dry thoroughly so as to avoid smearing it.

Step three: Die cut the butterflies from coordinating patterned paper, set aside. Stamp the Julie Nutting dolls with StazOn Jet Black ink, color them in with Memento Markers, and cut them out.

Step four: Make the woven mat for the calendar days by cutting 5 strips of paper, in this case a piece of a master board from another project, to measure 1” by 7 ¼”. These strips will be woven across. Then cut 7 strips of the same paper to measure 1” by 5 ¾”, these strips will be woven down. It helps to cut a piece of scrap paper and use a tape runner to stick the tops of the strips down. It not only makes for a more solid piece for the actual calendar but keeps the strips of paper from shifting while being woven together. Adhesive tape can be applied on the backside along the way while weaving to hold the pieces down flat. When finished weaving determine the days of the week and the number of days in the month so the calendar is accurate for each month.

Step 5: Using a strong adhesive, adhere the woven calendar.  Add some Washi tape here and there; glue the butterflies across the top on with On Point Glue. Add some butterflies to the skirt and shoes of the doll on the right.  Glue the stamped dolls down on either side of the calendar.  Ink the edges of the mixed media paper with Brilliance Pearlescent Rust ink.  Stamp the days of the week, if desired, at the top of the calendar.

I'm also submitting this to the Craft Stamper Magazine "Take It Make It June Challenge" which is Anything Goes.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Be sure and follow the link to the Imagine Craft blog for additional information and inspiration. Just tell them I sent you.  Have fun creating! Hugs- Renee

Using scraps to make cards and miniature books

Here's one of a series of cards I'm making just using up scraps.  Bust your stash! (my personal mantra for the year)

I used left over pieces of master boards and added some stamping with Brilliance Pearlescent Poppy ink.  I'm determined this year to use up as much of my stash as I can.  This includes papers I've been saving for years and ephemera such as the large flower from Prima.

Then I used extra pieces of washi tape, flowers, sequins, pearls, string and a tiny book that had been set aside long ago to make a mini book with pockets to hide things like old theater tickets.  I thought my great niece would enjoy playing with this.  Oh, to be twelve again!  If I can't be that young again at least I can provide the types of things I loved at that age.  Here are a couple of photos of the back and inside of the book.

I used StazOn Blue Hawaii ink and Jane Davenport mermaid washi tape. G45 stamps with a mermaid theme seemed appropriate. That precious rhinestone crown is from Prima, it's in Frank Garcia's collection of Memory Hardware.

So, that's what I've been up to today.  Have a great week, try to create something out of nothing like scraps, bits and bobs from your stash of craft supplies.

Thanks for stopping by!  Hug~ Renee

CSI: Color, Stories and Inspiration, a new challenge

This is a new challenge that some of us at Imagine Crafts are participating in this month.  You may have already seen the CSI site, it stands for Color, stories and inspiration.

 Now that I have another new grandson I'm trying to get back into the scrapbooking swing of things, maybe you are too.  It is a fun hobby to do during the summer months.  Designing a scrapbook page based on prescribed colors and rules is a unique challenge!  Here is the link to the site showing what the rules are for the month of June.  There are clues listed as to the color, stories and inspiration being used this month.

My layout is all about Zentangle and how it makes me and my students feel like a "Super Artist" after completing a 15 minute tile.  I have matted two of my favorite Zentangle tiles to make my layout.

For my "Evidence" I have used solid white cardstock for the background.  Puffy stickers in the shape of hearts, numbers and exclamation points.  I also added some twine and included stripes.
For my "Testimony" I used inspirational words like "Super, Wow and Awesome".
The "Colors" used for June Major Case File No. 231 are:  Royal Blue, Turquoise, Bright Buttery Yellow, White and Primary Red.

Now is your chance to become a CSI detective.  Check out the site and create something new.  This challenge is taking place the entire month of June.

Hugs ~ Renee

P.S.  I'll share this page with my students next month when I teach a Zentangle 101 class at the local library.  I will post the time and date of that event here on my blog around July 1st, the cost per student is only $5.00 to cover the cost of the supplies, which the student gets to keep.  Each student will complete 3 tiles in a two hour time period.  Let me know if you're in the Myrtle Beach, SC area on July 20th and would like additional information to sign up.