Saturdays are play time on my blog. Today’s creativity-boost sites are about art journaling, because I’ve been having fun making new journal pages and postcards.
Stencils, tissue, and iridescent ink really give this page a deep-space look. Stencils from Stencil Girl.
I’m exploring the joys of tissue paper and collage. Watch iHanna making the most of tissue paper by painting it. She also has a tutorial on making paper cloth. She uses a lot of color, and makes it bright and beautiful.
And if you want to get in on iHanna’s Spring Postcard Swap, join now, the deadline for signing up is March 24. I’m doing it again this year, and each postcard will be a wildly different one.
Some of those postcards will be using stencils, now that I know some secrets about stenciling. For months I’ve wished I could love stencils more. I have some interesting stencils, but I didn’t really know how to use them in art journaling. Part of my problem was that I did a lot of wall stenciling in the 80s (remember all those vines twining around the top of the walls? Yeah, I did that.
And today’s stencils are much more creative and wilder than ever before.
Denim, Titan Buff and gold are favorite color combinations for me. I like the color-on-color stencil I placed and sponged down in the upper left.
Art Instigator (and previous guest poster, writing about extreme self-care) Glenda Waterworth stepped up when I expressed my lack of skill. Glenda is the owner of the UK-based online store Chocolate Baroque–a store that designs and sells unmounted rubber stamps and a host of other products to help your creative urges.
Glenda created a how-to-stencil download for her website. I asked her to please give me some tips so I could enjoy stencils more. As she usually does, Glenda leaped ahead and made me (and you!) an incredible offer.
At the moment, the stencil how-to download comes free with a purchase, but Glenda is making the how-to a gift for readers of my blog. It contains how-tos, tips, and beautiful examples of cards that Glenda made with stencils and a variety of techniques and materials. There’s a coupon code so you can download the how-to information for free until March 17.
All you need to do is go visit Chocolate Baroque, add the Stencil Inspiration leaflet to your cart, then enter coupon code QC3 in the coupon box which you will see on the shopping cart page or on the checkout page.
You will need to register on the website to purchase a product, even a free one, but new accounts are approved automatically so there’s no delays. And no shipping, because it’s a download. Instant stencil gratification!
Thanks so much to Glenda for sharing so generously for the joy of creativity! If you are a stencil lover, leave a link to your stencil work in the comments.
Have a great creative weekend!
--Quinn McDonald thrills in the generosity of creative people.
I’m so thrilled to see so many of you taking advantage of our offer and hope there’s even just one little ‘aha’ moment for you in my stencil musings. Glenda
I’m happy to admit that one of your tips allowed me to use stencils like I’ve never used them, Glenda! And while I’m more rustic in using stencils, I can now see a way clear to making garden-y backgrounds with masking off areas. I am a happy stenciler, thanks to you!
Thank you – and Chocolate Baroque – for the great giveaway! I’ve downloaded the brochure and am looking forward to giving it a good read.
I’m playing with some of the techniques and finding them very helpful.
Thank you for the link, Quinn. I did download the stencil booklet, which I know I’ll refer to over and over. Plus, I bought 3 or 4 stamps…Thanks SO much for helping me spend my money…Sandy
It’s easy to do, isn’t it?
Thanks for the free gift and the mention of the swap! I’m thrilled that you joined this year too, because you always make awesome postcards Quinn!
Your swap is like a wake-up nudge to my Muse. I’ll try things I never tried before! Last year, I even got a thank-you card from someone to whom I sent a postcard–that was really special.
Thanks to you and Glenda for the “freebie”. I have downloaded it and will read through it soon. I love working with stencils in my journal pages. Recently I bought a gelli plate (http://www.gelliarts.com/) and am using my stencils gleefully to create mono-prints using my plate. At first I rationalized that I didn’t need another art “gadget” and went back and forth about asking for it as a birthday gift. But I did, and I don’t regret it as it is SO much fun to use. Are you familiar with it, Quinn? If not, check out the link above. There are also a plethora of Youtube videos showing how to use the plate to make beautiful prints. Thanks for your blog entries and doses of inspiration. I enjoy your writing and appreciate all that you share. Hope your class went well today.
I’ve played with the gelliplates and they are fun. A bit spendy for me. But a LOT less spendy than doing real monoprints, which I have also done on a printing press. I was thinking of trying alternatives–and I’ll look to Glenda to make suggestions.
Still prototyping that idea Quinn – I’ll let you know when we have them available.
Oh, oops. I thought I saw the 6 x 6 blanks on the website. Sorry! Got a bit ahead of myself!
Thank you, Quinn, and Chocolate Baroque, for the stencil leaflet. I too like stencils but struggle with using them well. I’m looking forward to improved results. Happy Saturday!
YOu’ll get much better results with these tips. Even I could figure them out!
Thank you for sharing and signposting to other creative people like yourself. Love your blog and look forward to my cuppa and reading it on Saturdays. Have signed up for the Postcard swop and am excited as I have never done it before.
I love iHanna’s work. She does the swap every year, and I’m always surprised by the postcards.
Thanks for that Quinn. It all helps.
Thanks to Glenda for doing the heavy lifting!
Beautiful stenciling, Quinn! And thank you Quinn and Glenda! I downloaded the stencil booklet and it is filled with fun and useful tips and tricks.
Glad you liked it; I had some successes I couldn’t get previously. Loved the masking idea, too.