Stenciled Faces with Distress Crayons

I promised to share more stenciled faces colored with Ranger's Distress Crayons and here they are.  The technique and supplies are identical to the previous blog post so if you have questions you can refer back to that post.  Whenever you change the color palette the face has a different feel to it.

It seems that changing the position of the catch light in the eyes make the eyes appear to be looking in a different direction.  All three were done the same way with just different colors.  I hope you'll give this a try since so many have mentioned that they purchased the Distress Crayons and haven't used them much, myself included.  They really are lovely to work with!  Hugs ~ Renee

Using Pam Carriker stencils to draw faces

I'm the first to admit that I have an addiction to stencils.  For so many years I wanted to draw faces but just couldn't do it.  Then I discovered face stencils.  When people look at my drawings they think it is difficult to do but it really isn't hard at all.  I thought I'd give a short tutorial on drawing a face with a stencil, one of Pam Carriker's, and then coloring it in using Ranger's Distress Crayons by Tim Holtz.  Here is the finished result:

I started by making myself a small book measuring 11" by 7" (when it is folded shut), it is just several sheets of Bristol paper folded in half and sewn up the middle.  I applied a light coat of gesso and allowed it to dry.

This is the stencil I used and traced it using a pencil.  I used Pam's color wheel stencil on the opposite page and this will be where I lay down my Distress Crayon colors.  Usually I label the colors with a Fude pen so I remember which ones I used.  Then I start adding color to the face trying to stay within a limited palette for the face and complimentary colors for the background.

I pencil in the eyes and brows, then I using a heavy outline in Distress Crayon Rusty Hinge.  It's going to get uglier before it gets pretty.

Now I'm adding Fossilized Amber, Vintage Photo and Dried Marigold.

I start blending with a baby wipe, trying to leave some areas white.

I brought in some white highlights with a White Sharpie pen.  I apply the ink and then use my fingers to move it around the canvas.  I can keep dipping my fingers in the color wheel on the right, I just keep adding water to my finger tips and blending it on the face.  If I want some hard line dark areas I use my Stabilo All pencil which can be blended with water also.

I fine tune her face and add complimentary colors to the background, this is a combination of Seedless Preserves, Wilted Violet, Chipped Sapphire and I added some Spun Sugar to her face and lips.  I used that White Sharpie to add the catch lights in her eyes and other highlighted areas on the face.  Then I took Seth Apter's stencil and used a baby wipe to lift off more color around her face.  Dyan Reaveley's number stamp with some StazOn Black ink completed the project.

Here is a list of all my supplies:
Distress Crayons by Ranger:

• Squeezed Lemonade
• Mustard Seed
• Antique Linen
• Dried Marigold
• Fossilized Amber
• Rusty Hinge
• Vintage Photo
• Spun Sugar
• Picked Raspberry
• Seedless Preserves
• Wilted Violet
• Chipped Sapphire

Stabilo All pencil
Micron Pen 05
Pam Carriker Stencils
Seth Apter Stencil
Dyan Reaveley number stamp
Gesso, Bristol paper, Sharpie white pen, paint brushes, water brushes, baby wipes

If drawing faces has been one of your dreams I encourage you to give stencils a try.  Every face looks different depending on your color palette, no two are the same.  Next week I'll share some of my other faces in this small journal.

Thanks so much for stopping by, I'm sending hugs your way ~ Renee

A glimpse inside CHA Anaheim 2016 and Stampington

Hi I'm back!  My stay in California not only included several days at CHA but also a month long visit with my 90 year old mother.  I stayed after CHA to take care of her and allow my siblings a well deserved rest.  So my visit was very busy and I didn't have my computer with me hence my long silence.

I wanted to share some photos of what it's like being inside CHA, a couple of the classes taught there and also a quick side trip to Stampington in Laguna Hills.

First I picked up my friend Marjie Kemper at CHA and we drove south to Stampington to visit editor Devon Warren.  Here is a photo of Devon, on the left, and her sister who also works at Stampington.

It was pouring rain that day and we had trouble locating the offices, which is comical since I used to work almost directly across the street about 30 years ago.  Here's the outside of the office.

We couldn't take many photos inside to share since most of it is top secret and hasn't been published yet.  Over the weekend I had the privilege of meeting many more editors and the CEO of Stampington, Kellene Giloff, which quite frankly blew my mind.  I met up with my friend, the highly published Tenia Nelson, and together we visited the Stampington booth at CHA.  It was a terrific experience to hear some of their ideas for next year.

Marjie taught a class sharing a lot of mixed media ideas, it is obvious by the smiling faces that it was a success.  I was fortunate that she had my daughter and me assist her during the class.  We benefited by hearing the class and getting to hang out with Marjie and other great artists.

DecoArt teachers Dianne Bush, Tracy Weinzapfel and Marjie Kemper

The lull before the storm

Students from all around the world attended Marjie's class

I met Tracy Weinzapfel through Marjie and this resulted in being asked to assist her with her class the next day!  Who would say no to that, not me.  Fun, fun, fun!

More about that in the next blog post.  Here are a few of the other artists that are readily available at CHA and teach techniques throughout the day.

Seth is a lovely person, he was doing a demo for Spellbinders.

It was so fun to capture John's expression when he looked up and saw me in the audience.  Surprise!

For an artist CHA is a complete sensory overload experience!  So much to see and so many things to do at this event.  It goes on for days and yet it seems impossible to see everything.  All the new products are being demonstrated every step of the way.  Ranger had all of their Signature Designers there such as:  Tim Holtz, Dyan Reaveley and Dina Wakley.  It is amazing to be able to just watch these designers create and discuss their techniques in such a relaxed atmosphere.

I hope you enjoyed the few photos that I had on my camera to post.  There are many more on my iPhone but I'll spare you from having to look at all of those too.

I will share with you more about Tracy's class in a couple of days.  Thanks so much for stopping by, it is so good to be home, back in my studio and online again.  I missed you all more than you know.  Hugs ~ Renee

A Technique using Amplify! to create an aged metal look

Today on the AIRs blog at IMAGINE Crafts/Tsukineko I will be sharing a technique used to make the product Amplify! and ink look like aged metal.  I used one of Seth Apter's fantastic stencils and IC/T products to create this master board.  I share on their blog some of the projects you can create with this master board that are really fun!  Check it out by clicking HERE.

Did you leave a comment on yesterday's post for the give-away next week?  I hope you do.  ~ hugs ~Renee

Busy Week

Wow, this has been the busiest week I have had in ages.  I apologize for going AWOL but I have had visitors this week.  My two grandsons (and their keepers) have been here since last Saturday.  I had classes the day they arrived with Seth Apter at Ink About It in Westford, MA, so Grandpa had to entertain everyone until I got home at night.  Here is a taste of what we learned with the incredible Seth about book making.

Then, of course, once the grand kids got a look at Nene's studio the art bug bit them!  We have been in the craft room every day for hours.  We've made pirate golden embossed, jewel studded keys and canvas paintings.  Cards, gelli plate papers, stenciling, books to stick the keys in......the list goes on.  Very fun.  Very messy!

Six year old, almost seven, Caden was focused on his canvas work which took 3 days to complete with drying time.  By Thursday it was time to get together with some other kids, other than grandma.  My friends here were more than happy to oblige.  There is this really cool place in a town nearby where the kids can do some crafting and we don't have to clean up the mess.

Three year old, almost four, Cole preferred doing his art in this amazing craft shop where an elderly (I might add a tad cranky) man makes wooden toys that the kids put together and paint.  They don't get to start on ANYTHING until the smocks go on.  He was hilarious, the kids didn't mind his crabbiness at all.  They can only have one drop of paint at a time but he has no problem arming them with hammers and screwdrivers!

First  the kids were all over the large workroom (I have lots of friends with small kids) then they suddenly all went to the same table to paint their wooden treasures.

By the end of the day Cole had a pirate ship and Caden had made a treasure box to keep his golden keys in, with a snake.  Being the good grandma that I am, not to mention that hours of crafting had left me too tired to make dinner, I drove the boys through McDonald's for a "nutritious" dinner.  I asked them what kind of Happy Meal they wanted and Caden said he had never had one so he didn't know.........oops, my bad.  So, we had a lovely hamburger dinner with MILK, that way it wasn't totally bad, a nice swim in the big Jacuzzi tub in the master bath, clean PJs and a story.  Then this grandma collapsed and went to bed.  The other adults in the house can do the rest!
We did manage to get the garden all cleaned up on the one absolutely, sunny, beautiful day we had this week.  All in all it has been a really fun week.  I have forgotten what it is like to have little ones in the house.  It has been a good reminder.  Tomorrow I'll be teaching two classes at Ink About It, Sunday night we're having a big Turkey dinner with our family and our extended family here (translation MORE kids in the house) and next week I should be back on schedule.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by, you know I appreciate your visits.  I'll be posting a nice tutorial on the 14th, pop in if you have time, until then take care and have a wonderful weekend!