My word for the year 2016

I can't believe it is 2016 already!  The year has flown by with many changes that have required a lot of adapting.  My word for this year is a simple one:  Happiness.  I also have included a symbol on my canvas, that of an arrow.  An arrow has to be pulled backwards on the bow in order to be launched forward into the unknown.  Isn't life like that?  A few steps backwards and then suddenly a huge leap into the future.

I wish you all happiness for 2016 and beyond.  I'll be heading off to California tomorrow and hope to photograph a few of the highlights at CHA in Anaheim while I'm there visiting family.  I also plan on seeing my dear friend Marjie Kemper while there.  Hopefully there will be lots of pictures.  :-)))))

Thanks for stopping by, I always appreciate your visits and comments.  Take care, hugs ~ Renee

Just a whisper of color from StazOn Studio Glaze

Check out the tutorial on the IMAGINE Crafts/Tsukineko blog showing how to make this cute little canvas!  Here is the link.  Sneak peek below.

Thanks so much for stopping by, I always appreciate your visits.  Take care, hugs ~ Renee

Got Keys? A tutorial showing how you can make your own unique key holder.

Here is a link to a tutorial on the IMAGINE Craft/Tsukineko blog showing how I made this cute key holder for our new place.  A simple project that anyone can do and everyone can use!  Use your own color palette and whatever stickers you might have in your stash.  Sneak peek.

I hope this finds you all well!  Thanks for stopping by, leave a comment if you have time just so I know you're there, have a great weekend.  Hugs ~ Renee

Kaleidoscope Stencils Meet Zentangle

These new stencils called the "Kaleidoscope Series" are fast becoming my favorite stencils!  I use stencils often to break up heavily colored areas with some broken white patches.  These white areas give the eye a place to rest especially if there are a lot of details in the mix.  Which brings me to this "ZIA" (Zentangled Inspired Artwork)  cat.  I drew a rough outline of a cat on a piece of canvas board that measures 16" by 12" with a Stabilo pencil.  After doing some Zentangle patterns on him I used the stencils to hide him in the flower garden.

Just to briefly show you the process here are a few photos.  I like to draw but not be too focused when I'm watching TV with my husband or talking on the phone.  I feel that if my hands are busy I'm "working".  So after I drew my cat outline I divided it into sections.  Each section is covered with Zentangle patterns inspired over the years by Rick and Maria who began the Zentangle movement.

After drawing the patterns with a Micron pen I did some shading with my Stabilo pencil.  I painted the background  a Lapis blue and used Copic ink to color the eyes.

I used a few stamps by Dina Wakley along the way and also colored them in with "irRESISTibles".  Now the cat had splashes of color and texture.  When I did as much tangling as I felt like on the cat then I decided to hide him in his own little garden patch of flowers.  The flowers are actually the Kaleidoscope stencils and heavy white gesso.  I added additional interest with another stencil called Blazonry and Interference Blue Golden Acrylic.

Summer may be over but I still have my imaginary garden with my imaginary cat.  I will see you here next Tuesday with more stenciling ideas, until then, take care. ~ Hugs, Renee

Sacred Hearts Stencil Canvas Series~Spirit

I am continuing to work on my heart stenciled canvases.  This one is called "Spirit".  This collection of heart stencils is made by Artistcellar and has a Steampunk flavor to it so it lends itself well to this project.  This is the finished canvas, there is a tutorial following if you would like to see how it was made.

To begin I have cut a piece of 6" by 6" watercolor paper, applied a thin layer of gesso to it and allowed it to dry.  When the paper is dry I applied Distress Inks in Scattered Straw, Vintage Photo and Broken China to the panel and blended the colors with a baby wipe.

I laid the stencil called "Spirit" on top of the panel and started making an outline of the parts of the stencil with a Stabilo All pencil, this will provide shading later.

Now that my pencil marks are in place I began applying the Broken China DI with an applicator through the stencil.  This activates the Stabilo pencil and changes the color to a gray blue shade.

I sewed a little here and there around the edges of the canvas, leaving the threads long for now, I'll trim them later.

I added some stamping with Memento London Fog ink and StazOn Jet Black ink.  I applied water to the edges of the panel to break them down and age them.  Then I used a distressing tool to tear the edges and then inked them with the StazOn Black ink.

I wanted to have a small punch of red on this canvas, like the others.  With that in mind I drizzled Lady Bug red "irRESISTibles" across the top and let it dry.  I glued the gears and cogs on with a strong adhesive then added Distress Stickles into the open areas of the cogs.  A tiny rhinestone was glued onto the dove.

The finished canvas is now ready to be adhered to the burlap canvas.  I trimmed the threads to the desired length and it is done.  Three canvases down and one to go!

Thanks for joining me today, I have had a lot of fun working on this series.   I hope to see you next Tuesday when I will share more stenciling ideas with Artistcellar stencils. .  Talk to you soon ~ Renee xx

Artistcellar Sacred Heart Series Stencils on canvas

Today I am using the Sacred Heart Series of Artistcellar stencils again.  I have decided to do a series of canvases on water color paper and then attach each of  the panels onto a small 6" by 6" burlap canvas.  There are four stencils in the Sacred Hearts Series, the one I'm using today is called "Sacred".  This is the finished canvas, if you would like to see how I made it I've included a tutorial.  It might be a good time for you to grab an appropriate beverage and get comfy there are quite a few photos in this process.

To begin with I cut a piece of 6" by 6" water color paper from a piece that had been stamped off on previously and applied a light coat of gesso to the paper.  Next I applied Distress Inks in Scattered Straw and Tumbled Glass colors and wiped them with a baby wipe until the colors were blended.  When the ink was dry I laid the stencil on top of the paper and outlined the stencil with my Stabilo All pencil.  This creates shading when it reacts with the Distress Inks.  Using an applicator I applied Tumbled Glass ink to emphasize the heart and the rays.

I decided to use Delicata gold for the crown.  The stamp shown here is from IndigoBlu, it is a crackle design that I rolled in Vintage Photo Distress Ink and applied randomly to the canvas.  When all the inks were dry I sewed the edges on my sewing machine using a straight stitch and a zig zag stitch.  The edges of the panel were inked with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

I wanted the edges of the panel to be more pliable so I used my water brush on the back of the canvas to soften the edges of the paper.  To distress them further I used Tim Holtz's distress tool which breaks the paper down even further.  I inked the ragged edges with Water Can Archival Ink.

Now I wanted a little color so I brought in my "irRESISTible" Pico marker in Morocco which I applied to the crown.  I used my Pico marker in Silver to outline the heart and give it a melted metal look.  The three heart shaped rhinestones were glued on with 3-in-1 adhesive as were the Sprocket Gears.  I felt like the gears gave it almost a Steampunk flavor.

At this point I glued the panel to the burlap canvas but I felt it needed a few more embellishments.

I added a few more gears, stamped a few more times and it was finished!

Thanks so much for stopping by today, I hope to see you again next Tuesday for stenciling ideas.  Take care~  Hugs, Renee xx

Pocket Stencils Have Powerful Words!

I am using my Pocket Stencils today to create some impact on a canvas.  Artistcellar has tiny stencils called Pocket Stencils that measure 3 1/2" by 2 1/2".  The stencils I chose to use today are from two different packets of four called "Virtues Words" and "Creative Words".  Each stencil does fit perfectly on an ATC but in this project I'm using them on a canvas that measures 12" by 4".  Here is what my finished project looks like.

I began by applying a thin layer of gesso to the blank canvas with an old credit card, scraping off the excess.  When the gesso was completely dry I painted 2" lines of DWM acrylic paints.  I started with Ruby Red.

Then I added Tangerine Orange and Lemon Yellow lines.  With each color I tried to drag just a touch of the previous color down using a baby wipe.

I continued with Lime, Turquoise, Lapis and Lapis mixed with Berry Violet and White.

When the paint was dry I started applying the words using my stencils and some gesso.  I tried to apply the gesso carefully since I wanted the lines to be clean and legible.  I had to allow the gesso time to dry between each word so I didn't smudge my work along the way.

When all the words were dry I inked the edge of the canvas with StazOn Midnight Blue.  Now I just need to put a small metal hanger on the back and it is ready to go.

Thanks for joining me today.  I'll be back next Tuesday with more stenciling ideas to try.  In the meantime, enjoy what is left of summer.  I noticed today some of the local orchards have opened for apple picking.  Amazing!  Pie time.  Take care ~ Renee xx

Stencils and Stamps

I love to combine my products and techniques in projects.  The more products I can use the happier I am since I feel like I am getting more for my money.  Today I combined a canvas with stencils, stamps, inks and spray inks...oh, and pens, too!  I have over the past few weeks coincidentally created what appears to be a series of Dyan Reaveley stamped ladies on canvases.  So here is another with an attitude.

I began by cutting a piece of watercolor paper to fit the 6" by 6" canvas; I will do all the work on the paper first and then glue it to the canvas.  I stamped a post card image from Stampers Anon first using Tsukineko Radiant Neon Electric Blue pigment ink.  When this was dry I placed an Artistcellar Julie Fei-Fan Balzer "Scripted Profile" stencil over the paper and sprayed Imagine Crafts irRESISTible textured spray in the Angel Pink color through the stencil.  I lifted this straight up so it wouldn't smear and then set it aside to dry.  This texture spray feels like a liquid plastic when it is dry and shines.  Now that I had my background I stamped Dina Wakley's Lonely Girl stamp using StazOn Jet Black ink and heat embossed it with clear embossing powder.

Looking for a little more character in her face, I stamped Dyan Reaveley's girls with attitude from the Dependable Dot Collection, colored it with Copics and then trimmed it out.  It fit perfectly glued onto her slender shoulders.

The phrase is also from Dyan's stamps and trimmed out.  I die cut a crown from scrap paper glued it to her head and added one word "me".  To distress the edges I used StazOn Midnight blue, direct to paper method.  Now to add it to the canvas, I glued the panel onto the canvas with Beacon 3-in-1 adhesive.

If this is all I wanted to do with the canvas I could have stopped here but I decided to add an antique crystal knob to the top with a bow.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Next Tuesday you will find me here again sharing tips on what to do with all those wonderful stencils!  I hope you're having a great summer.  Take care ~ Renee

Stencils Provide Background Interest

It is Tuesday so it's Artistcellar Stencil day!  Today I made a small canvas that I will also be submitting to the Stampotique Challenge of the week....Bows.  Let's get started!

The Prom Queen Stampotique stamp has always been my favorite in their collection.  I've been using her for many years now the only difference today is she's doing the splits.  I couldn't fit her and the phrase from Stampers Anonymous on the 6" by 6" canvas without a little surgery.  I started the canvas by painting on some DWM acrylic paint in the Lemon color.

I added a tiny drop of DWM Umber to the yellow on my palette to get the shading on the edges.  Then I inked the edges of the canvas with Distress Ink Vintage Photo.  Now it was time to pull out the stencils.  I used Sea Fan from the Artistcellar Coral series.  I placed it on the canvas and then using a stencil brush, pounced white gesso on random areas; then carefully lifted up the stencil and allowed the canvas to dry.

While the gesso was drying I busied myself with stamping, coloring my image with Copics and then trimming her out.  I stamped the phrase, tore the edges and distressed them using a Copic pen.  I attached the stamped pieces to the canvas using Beacon 3-in-1 adhesive and applied some clear GooseBumps with a brush to a few areas to give them a little shine.

I attached a small antique knob to the top of the canvas.  The knob gives me something to tie the bow to.  I do this with a lot of small canvases since they look best placed on a stack of books or on a shelf.

This is a nod to all my online friends.  My husband calls them my "imaginary friends" since he has never met them.  I keep telling him they are as real as I am!

I hope you'll give stencils a try, they make such nice background textures.  We've had a lovely summer here in New England.  Take care ~ Renee

Craft Stamper Challenge::Favorite Technique Half-Way Point!

This is a reminder post that it is the half way point of the Craft Stamper Take It Make It Challenge.  The challenge is to make something using your favorite technique shown in the CS magazine over the course of this year.  Personally, I still love the embossing powder resist technique shown by Anna-Karin Evaldsson shown in the August 2014 issue of Craft Stamper.  I used it here with a Balzer Designs stencil called Mini Chunky Chevron.  I've included a tutorial to show how I made this 6" by 6" canvas.

I began by placing my stencil over a piece of 6" by 6" watercolor paper.  I used the direct to paper method of applying my VersaMark embossing ink.  After gently lifting the stencil straight up I applied clear embossing powder and melted the powder with my heat gun.  Then I applied Tsukineko Radiant Neon Electric inks in Pink, Purple and Blue.  I applied the inks direct to paper and then wiped them off with a baby wipe to expose the embossed chevron design.

It almost has the coloring of an opal!  I just kept applying and wiping it off until I liked the color.  I set that aside and stamped the Dyan Reavely image called Dependable Dotty on a separate sheet of paper.  I colored her in with Memento Markers and Copic pens, cut off her wings and cut her legs off since she was too tall to fit on the canvas.  I stamped and cut out one of Dyan's phrases and set that aside.

I glued all of my elements to the water color panel and distressed the edges with Jet Black StazOn ink to frame it.  I highlighted certain parts like the phrase, her hat, shoes, tie, etc. with GooseBumps and a paint brush.  When this is dry it leaves a high gloss finish behind and adds more texture to the piece.

I let the panel sit until it was completely dry and then glued it on to a 6" by 6" plain white canvas that I bought on sale at my local craft store.

Just put this little canvas in your office cubicle or your work area at home and that is the end of the discussion, right?

  If you can I would encourage you to visit the Take It Make It challenge and share your submission of your favorite technique shown in the magazine over the past eight months.  There are a lot of inspirational projects made by the design team in the event that you can't choose just one technique.  There are some great prizes to be won, as usual.  Thanks for stopping by today, I appreciate your visits.  I hope you're having a great summer!  Hugs ~ Renee xxx

Stencils, stencils, stencils

I love using Artistcellar stencils for my Tuesday blog.  I start with one and just keep on layering for my backgrounds.  I've heard it said that you can't fake layers and guess what?  It's true.  This is a short tutorial with lots of photos showing how to get those layers in your work.  Here's my finished canvas.

I start with a gessoed small canvas, 6" by 6".  I just slather the gesso on with an old hotel key or credit card and allow it to dry.  Next I wiped off some excess Turquoise paint from my brush that I was using on a different project and set it aside to dry.

To add interest to the background I stamped Dyan Reaveley's Basic Background numbers and alphabet with StazOn Jet Black ink.  I needed more layers so I began by placing a stencil on top of the canvas from the Coral Series (ACSET006) and applied more gesso through it.

The background needed a little boost at this point so I pulled out another stencil and added some more Turquoise with an applicator.  I used the Balzer Designs stencil made by TCW called Pattern Strips.

Now it needed a pop of a contrasting color so I used DWM Tangerine and another stencil called Halftone Circles (TCW418).

While all the background elements were completely drying I started working on my subject matter.

I decided to use Dyan Reaveley's stamp called "Pondering Petunia" as my main character and one of Dyan's phrases.  I stamped these with StazOn Jet Black ink and heat embossed it with clear powder.  I colored these with Copic pens and cut them out.

Petunia is a tad too tall for the canvas that's why I chose that phrase and cut her legs off, now she can sit down and relax.  To finish it I inked the canvas edges with StazOn Midnight Blue.

Stencils to me are like shoes.....I don't think a girl can have too many!  Thanks for stopping by today, I'll have another tutorial on how to use your stencils next Tuesday.  I hope to see you then!  ~Hugs~ Renee xxx