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

Simon Says Stamp Challenge

This is my first entry to the SSSC.  The challenge is "Anything Goes" so....here goes.

Just a little something to use as a "Do not Disturb" sign for my studio door.  It is made from a recycled brown bag with a handle.  Stamps are by: Stampotique, Tissue tape by Tim Holtz, Tattered Floral die cut flowers by Tim Holtz Alterations, Gesso mixed with acrylic paint for the background, Black Staz-on ink used for stamping images/phrase and a few rhinestones to dress up the Prom Queen's outfit.

"Shimmer, Glimmer, Glitter & Glitz" Cake Pop Box (holds 8 pops)

I've got a new hobby....making cake pop boxes for a very talent baker in California named Misty.  She runs a little business baking her delicious cake pops and from time to time she has special orders that require special containers.  That's where I come in.  The box I designed for her and mailed today is a "Grunge" style box using Stampotique rubber stamps that are comical.  The color scheme is red, black and white.  The customer likes skulls and so those are of course scattered through out.  It was really fun and I think it turned out very cool.  I threw in a gift card that matches the box theme.  Hope she likes it!  I liked it so much I posted it on the Stampotique site for their "Shimmer, Glimmer, Glitter & Glitz" Challenge (it really does have a lot of gold, Glimmer Mist and bling on it even if my photography doesn't show it). : D