Creative Squad

Mirror Mirror – Jennifer Gallagher

Hello from my Creative Squad and today we have Jennifer Gallagher starting us off this month with a new theme and a bold and funky art journal page for you. Jennifer is using my Kassel stencil and my Broadway 4×4 stencil and our November theme: Mirror Mirror – A mirror can be a reflection of many things. We look into them every day and can see who we are outside and in. But they can also just be a fun visual tool to play with as we flip and reverse images and patterns. Play with reflection this month.

This month the creative squad is focusing on reverse images and patterns as we celebrate the fun in reflection. I’ve taken the theme quite literally and created a positive and negative background using Nat’s stencils for a bold and bright art journal page. This technique is fun and easy and gives new life to even your most loved stencils. Let’s get started.

I am using my small rectangular dylusions journal for this spread. I began by stenciling quinacridone magenta acrylic paint through Nat’s Kassel stencil on the left side. On the right side I am penciling in the design for the next step.

Using a small square bristled brush, I hand painted in around the penciled design in the same color, quinacridone magenta. I am creating the opposite design that I did on the left hand side.

Next, I stenciled black acrylic paint through Nat’s four inch Broadway stencil on both pages. I did not exactly mirror the location of the two sides, but you can do so if you wish.

Using a black and white Gelly Roll Pen, I added dashes and lines around the designs on both pages.

Next, I added tissue paper collage elements from Dina Wakley Media. I’ve used the same elements on both sides but not exactly mirrored. Again, you could mirror it if you wish.

Using a mini blending tool, I rubbed black acrylic paint around the edges and center of the pages.

I typed up a quote on the computer, cut it out, and placed it where I wanted it. I adhered it with matte medium.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this tutorial. Be sure to play along each month with the creative squad and the n*Studio themes.

Thank you Jennifer! What a cool looking spread!

Give it a try: you can find all my Stencils in my Online Shop and here are some of the other supplies Jennifer used:

Feel inspired? Working on something yourself that you’d like to share?  I love to see how you interpret our monthly themes. Email me how you used my stencils and stamps with the theme and email me an image – I would love to share your projects in my next  “n*Spiration From Around the Globe“.

Nat

Comments (1)

  • Linda Wyatt

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    Beautiful pages! Love the way you mirrored and mixed the other elements. The color combo is perfect❤️

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Deck of Cards Challenge – Prompts 3 & 4

Today I am recapping Day 3 and 4 of my Deck of Cards Challenge that is running all month long on Instagram. Join us for some fun and relaxing card making!

Here is an overview of Prompts 3 and 4:

Day 03 – Floral

It’s Day 3 of the challenge and I am thinking about floral patterns and that reminds me of bouquets and maybe even beautiful wallpaper… but today I am making cards lol.

So I used my Fantastic Small rubber stamps and stamped up charming little bunches on a card. Maybe they are flowers or maybe they are balloons… you can decide. I also used the Topper stamp from the Small Circle Jumble set to tie things together.

Day 04 – Retro

Today I am looking at some pics from a trip we took to the American Southwest and finding some color inspo for my card. I love the super blue sky here and then those earthy muted colors in this nifty mid century adobe place we stayed.

I used my Mid Century Squared foam stamp with both of those colors, rotated the pattern and layered it up.

Could be a great thank you card for the host after you stay somewhere really unique.

Tune in tomorrow for the next prompt and I hope you share what you are working on using #docchallenge

Here are some of the supplies that I used in these prompts:

Here is the prompt list so you can play along too! Follow the daily prompts on Instagram and tag your creations with #docchallenge

Nat

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Deck of Cards Challenge – Prompts 1 & 2

Yeah so excited for the Deck of Cards card making challenge that got started yesterday. I cannot wait to see what you do throughout the month – please share using #docchallenge. If you want to play along with us just check out my prompt in my insta feed and join us all month long as we make greeting cards of all types.

Here is an overview of Prompts 1 and 2:

Day 01 – Ombre

Welcome to my Deck of Cards Challenge and hope you are ready for a month of cardmaking prompts to get your creative juices flowing. Today we kick things off with a week of Thank You cards and patterns. Here is one of my favorite ways to play with color and pattern – creating an ombre where one gorgeous hue runs into the next, highlighting a pattern.

I’m using that technique with my Amsterdam stencil, Distress Oxide inks, and a foam blending tool. Thank you for tuning in!

Day 02 – Geometric

This is Day 2 of the challenge and today we are playing with geometric patterns. I think of tile floors and patterns in architecture and I love to use my Hex Set Small rubber stamps to play with patterns like these. A hex is a great shape to use because you can tile them up side by side and they fit together perfectly.

Here I used Moonlight Duo inks with my stamps for a nice Geometric Thank You card.

Tune in tomorrow for the next prompt and I hope you share what you are working on using #docchallenge

Here are some of the supplies that I used in these prompts:

And here is the prompt list so you can play along too! Follow the daily prompts on Instagram and tag your creations with #docchallenge

Nat

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Greatest Discovery – Art Journal

“The greatest discovery of all times is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.” -Oprah Winfrey

I love the opaque quality of Holbein Acrylic Gouache for a background, and used them here along with acrylic paint for one in lovely muted tones. Then I stamped some of my Stroll Through the Hood stamps. I sketched a trio of vintage style ladies using acrylic ink on deli paper and decorated their clothing with my Fanfare stamps.

Finally I added this awesome quote with a Fude pen. Hope I remember how transformative a simple attitude adjustment can be :)

Here are some of the supplies I used:

Nat

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Expect Nothing – Art Journal

“Expect nothing. Appreciate everything!” 

For the background I used a hand carved stamp inspired by a door I saw on one of my strolls through the hood. I stamped with Archival inkk over some acrylic paint, and then layered up my Manhattan stencil with spray paint.

I sketched in a figure with acrylic markers on deli paper so the background still peeks through.

And then my quote with acrylic markers :)

Here are some of the supplies I used:

Nat

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Your Biggest Fan – Judi Kauffman

Happy Tuesday and welcome to a post from my Creative Squad. Today we have a post from Judi Kauffman. You can learn more about Judi from our Nice to Meet You blog post featuring her creative story and artwork. This time Judi is sharing her Fan Mail Envelope project using my Mini Fan Foam Stamp Set and this month’s theme: Your Biggest Fan – Let’s give a shout out to someone who is doing an amazing job. In a world obsessed with Me Me Me it’s important to take a look around sometimes and give some encouraging words to another, and not just in your art and craft making :) Be their Biggest Fan!  

I’m crazy about this month’s theme. Telling someone you’re their biggest fan is so important! It ensures that my nephew’s little boy knows how proud I am of him, that my friend who is going through chemo knows that I support her every single day, that my neighbor knows how much I appreciate her many kindnesses, along with all of the recipes she’s shared over the years…and…and… So many people who matter in a person’s life.

I do try to express these things in person with words and hugs, but sometimes putting it into the form of a card or letter just makes more sense. And since I love decorating envelopes, I like to turn that part of the project into something special, too.

My new set of Nathalie’s Mini Fan stamps (ArtFoamies), two or more inks, a couple of colored pencils, and a craft sponge were all I needed to whip up a batch of Fan Mail Envelopes! I die cut my envelopes from heavyweight pale yellow paper because I like the option of having a variety of flap styles (half-circle, Victorian, etc.), but smooth-finish purchased envelopes work great as well. 

Use my samples as a jumping-off point: Do a bit of smudging, mask with torn paper, tap the envelope against the edge of an ink pad to create lines for the name and address; use colored pencils to add little pops of color here and there. Optional: Stamp or hand—write the words FAN MAIL in small caps to hint at the contents of the envelope.

Thank you Judi – these positively glow! And we love reading your thoughts too – so true that if you think about it, there are a lot of people in everyone’s lives that could use some encouraging words. Want to give Judi’s project a try? You can find all my Foam Stamps in my Online Shop and here are some of the other supplies she used:

Feel inspired? Working on something yourself that you’d like to share?  I love to see how you interpret our monthly themes. Email me or tag me #natkalbach how you used my stencils and stamps – I would love to share your projects in my next  “n*Spiration From Around the Globe“.

Nat

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Join the Deck of Cards Challenge November 1

Come and join me in the Deck of Cards Challenge throughout the month of November and starting on November 1st, as we make cards of all sorts: thank you cards, holiday cards, just because cards… and so much more!

Follow me on Instagram for the daily prompts but I will also occasionally post recaps here on the blog. Each day will bring a new prompt and a new card idea. Weekly we will have a theme that includes type of card (thank you, holiday, etc) and a design element (pattern, shape, etc.) to really cover a lot of ideas and techniques.

Here is the Prompt List:

Each day beginning November 1 on my Instagram page I will post my take on the prompt. You can either try the same things or just try and do your own approaches following along with the prompts. I so hope you will share what you do and if you post on instagram, use the hashtag #docchallenge

Nat

Comments (2)

  • Denise

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    This sounds like a lot of fun. Count me in to try and follow along.

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Inspiration from Around the Globe October 2019

Ready for some inspiration? Today we have some projects from around the globe. It’s always fun to see how you’re using my stamps and stencils and I am so happy to share some examples today. So let me know if you’re doing something cool with my products, tag me #natkalbach on social media, and you might see yours on the next Inspiration from Around the Globe!

First we have Raquel from the US “Letting the sunshine in” in her art journal. That pattern on the left is my Space Oddity foam stamp – perfect choice :)

Next is Pinkknitter from the US rocking my Blocks rubber stamp from the Cardboard set in this little piece. I love how she layered it up with stitching!

And here is Krissi from Germany using my Art Deco Wallpaper stamp for her background in this Happy Time spread. “Always be ready for a good time” indeed!

Jill from the US lights our day with this paper lantern using my Santiago stencil. With the holidays coming this is a great project idea for inside or out.

And finally Scrap-n-Crop from Malaysia brings us this lovely layered art journal page using some of my building themed rubber stamps.

If you’re working on something fun with my stamps or stencils, be sure to tag me #natkalbach and share! I’d love to see! You can find all my stencils, rubber stamps, and foam stamps in my Online Shop. Here are some of the supplies used in this post:

Nat

Comments (2)

  • Sherry Horn

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    Hi Nat,

    Thanks so much for including my piece with your corrugated stamps … I love using the set.

    Reply

    • nathalie-kalbach

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      Thank you so much for creating such wonderful art Sherry!!!

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