Creative Squad

All Shapes and Sizes – Tania Ahmed

  

Welcome to a post from my wonderful Creative Squad! This week we have Tania Ahmed and her super cool tote bag project using my Buenos Aires and Broadway ArtFoamies stamps. I love using these foam stamps on fabric and Tania shares a video with us that shows just how easy it can be to get a great looking result. Tania was inspired by the new theme this month: All Shapes and Sizes – Circles and squares, big and small, let’s mix it up and play with different shapes and sizes this month. Just because things are different doesn’t mean they can’t look great together!

I have had a love for block prints all my life and have grown up wearing colourful prints with handmade patterns. Nat’s Art Foamies are perfect for creating backgrounds and patterns and are so very easy to line up.

The challenge this month was “All Shapes and Sizes” and I was inspired to create a repeating pattern on a canvas bag that I had been saving for a while.

I made my own fabric paints using some fabric medium that creates paint that is the perfect texture for stamping on to cloth. Plus it makes it more durable.

Watch the video below to see how I decorated the canvas bag:

Thank you Tania! There are so many ideas for this one – spiffing up those shopping totes, maybe a new summer beach bag, or even a tote for summer library books. Here are some of the supplies that Tania 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 (2)

  • Tracy Evans

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    Fantastic project , colours and step by step video. Thank you. Tracy x

    Reply

  • maura

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    Awesome bag, Tania! Love the colors you used, and how you left part of the bag natural. Maura

    Reply

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Inside Outside – Maura Hibbitts

  

Happy Wednesday my friends! Today we have a post from Creative Squad member Maura Hibbitts to brighten your day. Maura is using my Stroll Around the Block, Snail mail, and Cross Circle stamps and my Buenos Aires stencil to create a lovely art journal page that definitely has me thinking “Home Sweet Home”! The theme this month is Inside Outside – Inside can be cozy and warm. Outside is about fresh air and freedom. Are you a homebody or do you suffer from cabin fever? We’re creating with these opposites in mind.

I have long been an admirer of the Arts and Crafts Movement, the pottery, wallpaper, furniture, and love the Craftsman style homes. The outside details of Nathalie’s Craftsman house stamp make for a delightful little cottage, one I would love to live in. I do have several pieces of furniture inside my home made in this style, that we enjoy every day, and I can foresee passing these on in the family, they are so sturdy and well made.

I started with my gel plate and squirted on a bit of burnt umber, green gold, and quinacridone gold with my heavy body paints, then used the brayer to blend them out a bit. Next, I laid the Buenos Aires stencil down onto the plate and pressed a sheet of copy paper over it, then lifted the stencil. Be sure to clean the stencil right away and not leave it too long on a sheet of paper. (I learned the hard way that they will stick together. If that happens, just soak the stencil in water.)

I pulled two prints from my gel press to use in my project. The print on the left made from laying the paper down on the stencil and paint, and the one on the right is the second pull directly from the plate.

I tore the edges of my print, and adhered it onto a kraft page in my Dina Wakley Media Journal with matte medium. Once dry, I brushed on several transparent colors, then wiped them away in some areas with a baby wipe. I used Hansa Yellow Medium, Quinacridone Gold and Green Gold for this layer.

While that was drying, I stamped the house and mailbox on watercolor paper, and colored them with Prima watercolors and a water brush. Once they dried, I cut them out.

I used my other print to cut out part of the stencil to layer and create my sun, and the stone pathway to the house. I added a bit of doodled lines, and watercolor to the stones.

When I first looked at the Cross Circle stamp, I saw flying birds, so I used part of the stamp to add some birds to the page.

The house, sun and mailbox are attached with foam tape. I also scribbled a bit around the house, mailbox, and stone path, and wrote Take the Path Home onto my page as this seemed appropriate. After all, I know my home always calls me back, especially if I’ve been away for a while.

 

Thank you Maura! I love the little scene you’ve created and so cool that you interpreted my Cross Circle stamp as a flock of birds – I love that idea! Here are some of the supplies that Maura used in her art journal:



Do you feel inspired to create now? Are you 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 send me an image – I would love to share your projects in my next  “n*Spiration From Around the Globe“.

Nat

Comments (1)

  • Sue Clarke

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    I would love to vacation in the house you created Maura.
    The path is my favorite part of the design.

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Inside Outside – Jennifer Gallagher

  

Hello my friends from the Creative Squad! Today we have a boldly patterned and colorful art journal page from Jennifer Gallagher. She uses my Batik stencil for some awesome background patterns and my Stroll Around the Block stamp set for the houses. This month’s inspiration was our theme:  Inside Outside – Inside can be cozy and warm. Outside is about fresh air and freedom. Are you a homebody or do you suffer from cabin fever? We’re creating with these opposites in mind.

This month we are creating with opposites in mind. I immediately thought of positive and negative and wanted to play with this idea through stenciling. I went straight to my Dylusions large journal to create a fun art journal spread. Nat’s Batik stencil is one of my favorites and the bold designs would be perfect for the play on positive and negative space. On the right hand side page, I laid my stencil down and painted with Dylusions Mushy Peas, leaving some parts of the design not painted. I then filled in those spots with the matching Dylusions Ink Spray in Mushy Peas. This is where the fun starts. There will be a lot of ink left on the stencil. Carefully turn the stencil over and press it down on the left hand page. This will leave the opposite, yet complementary, design of your stencil. Do this technique multiple times until you are satisfied with the left hand page.

 

I knew I wanted to add another color and decided to go with a complementary color choice. Red is the complement to green but this always makes me think of Christmas. I tend to avoid this direct combination in my art. I decided to go with a deep pink and peony blush was just perfect. I sprayed my peony blush ink spray through the stencil on the right page and then pressed the leftover ink onto the page on the left. Repeating the process the same as before.

At this point I added a third color for a visual pop. Yellow is always great for this, so I used my Distress Stain in mustard seed. And no page in my art journal is complete without a little black paint. The ‘x’ design on Nat’s Batik stencil makes a cool design detail.

I stamped up a few of Nat’s rubber stamps from her Stroll Around the Block Set and finally, keeping the theme of opposites in mine, I settled on the Art Deco stamp and the Queen Anne stamp. I colored them with my Dina Wakley Media scribble sticks.

I cut out the stamped images and placed them on my pages with scor-tape. I added journaling on both pages with my fude ball pen and ran a stripe of Dina Wakley Media washi tape down the center of where the pages meet. I hope you have enjoyed this page. Be sure to play along with the Creative Squad each month and share your creations with us.

Thank you Jennifer! I love all the different elements you pulled out of my Batik stencil for that gorgeous background! Here are some of the supplies that 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 (2)

  • maura

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    Love how you’ve layered the Batik stencil, Jennifer! It’s one of my faves too. Your pink houses are so fun! Maura

    Reply

  • Sue Clarke

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    Thanks Jennifer…you’ve inspired me to play in my art journal!

    Reply

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Inside Outside – Josefine Fouarge

  

Hello from the Creative Squad! Today we have a post from Josefine Fouarge to show us a great way to use my Toledo and Ornament Wallpaper stencils, along with my Stroll Around the Block stamps, in a cute art journal page that shows how creativity can take your ideas on a journey! Josefine’s inspiration began with this month’s theme: Inside Outside – Inside can be cozy and warm. Outside is about fresh air and freedom. Are you a homebody or do you suffer from cabin fever? We’re creating with these opposites in mind.

Hi everyone! This month’s theme took me on a journey. At the beginning, I wanted to create something around Winter vs Summer or a similar contrasting theme, but then I started working in my art journal and it moved into a different direction.

Basically, I created a page about myself and the contrast of me at work and me at the craft table. But more on that later ;)

I started with a page that already had a few “clean up” marks on it from a Gel Press session that I had. I decided to use the round Gel Press marks and work with those circles. I used the Toledo stencil and placed three of the stars around the two circles.

I didn’t use the alignment of the stencil and created my own pattern with them. Next up, I used the same stencil and positioned it slightly off. As you can see, I didn’t cover the entire page, just a few areas that I blended out and into each other.

Now I added the circles on top using a round Gel Press. I thought that the bright yellow looks like spotlights. But I didn’t like the brightness, so I added the Ornament Wallpaper pattern inside and then, while I was at it, to the left border.

Coincidentally I found this girl in a magazine. Even though she’s struggling with her hair, I thought that she fits perfectly onto my page – just switch the hairdryer with a heat gun :)

And onto the contrast part. I work at a job where a business casual is preferred. Not that I have a problem with that, but it’s very different to how I usually am when I’m at home. Let’s just say I love to craft in my jammies…

That’s why I picked the Craftsman stamp from the Stroll Around the Block set and stamped it onto a grey piece of paper. I kept the house very clean and colored it lightly with Prismacolor pencils.

At the end, I ripped the edges of the grey paper, adhered it onto my art journal page, added some black watercolor around the edges and sealed the entire page with Earl Lube paste.

Now we have a clean, successful looking outside with a chaotic me in the inside :)

On a side note, I love how the white pencil adds contrast to the Craftsman house.

Thanks for stopping by! Don’t forget to come back every Tuesday for more Creative Team inspiration.

Thank you Josefine! I love hearing about your evolution of ideas – sometimes we just need a little spark to get inspired and then our creativity takes it from there :) In addition to Earl Lube Paste (gel medium), here are some of the supplies that Josefine 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)

  • Sue Clarke

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    What a fun page Josefine…thanks for sharing.

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Inside Outside – Tania Ahmed

  

Hello from my Creative Squad and welcome to a project from Tania Ahmed. Tania is bringing us a super fun easel card using my Stroll Around the Block set of house stamps, my My Home is My Castle stamp, and my What’s the Point stencil. Be sure to watch her awesome video for the how-to and join us for this month’s new theme: Inside Outside – Inside can be cozy and warm. Outside is about fresh air and freedom. Are you a homebody or do you suffer from cabin fever? We’re creating with these opposites in mind.

I was inspired by this month’s theme to create an easel card as a play on the “inside Outside” theme! My main focus was the Queen Anne Building stamp which is a part of the Stroll Around the Block Set #1.

The theme made me think about whether I preferred to stay at home or be outside. Did I prefer my own company or to be around people? As I get older I am getting more and more comfortable in my own skin and realising that I can have moments where I prefer one or the other scenario and that it’s okay! I’ll have days where I want to make a clean and simple project and then there will be days when I will be absolutely covered in paint and making happy creative messes!

I decided to make a video tutorial showing how I made this easel card, and I loved how it turned out :) Click on the video below to watch:

Here are also some photos:

Thank you Tania! I’m just loving your video and seeing the awesome texture you created with my What’s the Point stencil on this card! Also those colors are yum! In addition to various cardstock and papers, here are some of the supplies that Tania 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“.

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Layers of Love – Maura Hibbitts

  

Hello and welcome to a post from my Creative Squad! Today we have a gorgeous art journal page from Maura Hibbitts, layering up my Fashion Dame stamp set, my  Art Deco Wallpaper, Amsterdam, and New Orleans stencils and totally rocking this month’s theme: Layers of Love – We love layers and all the juicy yummy goodness they bring to mixed media. This month we’re layering it up and letting viewers discover all the different strata of our artistic mark making.

I headed to my Dina Wakley Media Journal and started by brushing on a layer of Turquoise paint in a rather imperfect way so some white would still show. While the first layer dried, I worked on creating the “fabric” for the outfit. I used Prima watercolors and painted a couple of different designs on watercolor paper.

I stamped the Fashion Dame onto watercolor paper with black archival ink, then used a water brush and watercolors to color in the skin tones. I stamped the clothing onto the “fabric” designs I created earlier, then put her outfit on, and added some gold highlights.

Back to the art journal page for a stenciled layer. I used the Art Deco Wallpaper stencil and Green Gold paint and a cosmetic sponge to stencil in the design. Once that dried, I turned the stencil upside down and added another sponged layer, this time with Ultramarine Blue paint.

With the cool colors laid down and completely dry, next up are the warm colors to layer on top. I used the Amsterdam stencil from the Fashion Dame, and dabbed in yellow and orange with a sponge. I only stenciled parts of the background in each color.

While I loved the layers I had created in the background, I knew my Dame would be lost, and anything I wrote would be hard to read, so I whitewashed the page. I used a translucent white and painted a thin layer over the page. I went in with a baby wipe and scrubbed back some areas since I still wanted color to show through.

Time for a little gold. I really like adding a bit of metallic, and the gold adds a subtle layer to the page. I used the New Orleans stencil and a pale gold and randomly sponged gold onto the page.

I adhered the Dame with foam tape, then scribbled around her with a Stabilo graphite pencil. Next, I softened it with a water brush. This is a great way to create more depth on your page. I also added in some scribbly lines underneath her to ground her.

I hand-lettered a great quote on beauty by Hedda Sterne – “For the sublime and beautiful and the interesting, you don’t have to look far away.” It is always interesting to me how my mind can work in the background when I am creating. The Fashion Dame has an Asian look to her, and the Art Deco Wallpaper has the appearance of fans. I really was not thinking about this while working, but when I stepped back I saw that connection.

Thank you Maura! I love all those layers and what a great quote – I definitely think if you look, the sublime and beautiful are all around us :) Here are some of the supplies Maura 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 (2)

  • Sue Clarke

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    Gorgeous layers and colors Maura!

    Reply

    • Maura

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      Thanks Sue!!

      Reply

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Layers of Love – Jennifer Gallagher

  

Welcome to a post from the Creative Squad! Today we have a set of Artist Trading Cards from Jennifer Gallagher – little masterpieces of layered fun for sure! Jennifer uses my Batik and Kassel stencils along with this month’s theme: Layers of Love – We love layers and all the juicy yummy goodness they bring to mixed media. This month we’re layering it up and letting viewers discover all the different strata of our artistic mark making.

One of the great joys of working in mixed media is creating delicious layers of color and pattern. This month, I thought I would share with you a fun way to create the perfect layered background you can use for many different projects.

I am starting with a sheet of watercolor paper, 140 lb. I used painters tape to create a square grid on my paper and painted some watercolor squares. You can do circles or any type of watercolor wash. Remember to leave a little bit of white space here and there. It leaves places for your eyes to rest.

Next, I laid Nat’s Kassel stencil over my watercolor paper and chose places to put the cube designs. Using my distress markers I drew in the design. The Tim Holtz water brush is the perfect tool for filling in the designs for a watercolor look.  I also did a little mark making with my watercolors. You will notice little black dots here and there.

At this point I used my distress stains to add a few circular areas of color. Then I sprayed Dylusions ink spray through the Kassel stencil in a few select areas. Don’t forget to keep some white space! At this point I chose a special stencil as a focal point. Nat’s Batik stencil is the perfect one for this. I chose parts of the stencil I wanted to use and painted through with Dina Wakley Media paint in ruby and Dylusions black marble paint using a Tim Holtz mini blending tool.

Once the black paint dried I went back over the designs with a Ranger Letter It Metallic Marker and a Uni Posca Pen. I also added some more art marks on the background with the white Posca Pen.

Now that we have this yummy layered paper, what can we do with it? I turned mine into Artist Trading Cards. You can use your background for a paper flag, bookmarks, or an art journal page. You are only limited by your imagination. Won’t you join the creative squad this month and try our techniques?

Thank you Jennifer! I love how you used my stencils to create so many interesting layers of shape and color in these! They are really fun ATCs! Here are some of the supplies that Jennifer used:



Feel inspired to get in on the layered action? 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“.

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Comments (1)

  • maura

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    Love how you created your layers on these awesome ATC’s, Jennifer!

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Layers of Love – Josefine Fouarge

  

Welcome to a post from the Creative Squad. Today we have a sweet little mixed media canvas from Josefine Fouarge. She’s playing with lots of layers with my Kassel, Toledo, Lily Wallpaper, Art Deco Wallpaper and Elephant Parade stencils based on this month’s theme: Layers of Love – We love layers and all the juicy yummy goodness they bring to mixed media. This month we’re layering it up and letting viewers discover all the different strata of our artistic mark making.

Layers, yummy layers. I enjoy working in layers and being able to see through every one of them and get a peek of what’s lying underneath the surface.

For today’s project, I picked the Elephant Parade stencil as my focal point and I had an idea in my head of several patterns shining through the silhouette. So, I grabbed a 5×7” canvas and added a wash of Dina Wakley Lime color. Then I added the first layer using the Kassel, Toledo and Art Deco stencil and three different shades of green.

For the next layer, I picked a few different washi tapes and randomly adhered them to the background.

I wanted to add more stenciled layers. To avoid a chaos on my canvas, I painted a light layer of Gesso on top of the first one. Then I used the same three stencils, this time with different colors, one of them in a more contrasting orange shade.

It was time to create the Elephant silhouette. I started by placing down the mask and adding two layers of Gesso around it.

Next, I switched to the Elephant Parade stencil and added a shadow to the inside of the elephant using a Faber Castell Gelato in grey.

The white washed area was a little too white for me, so I covered the elephant again with the mask and then added a blush color through the Lily Wallpaper stencil.

Here you can see all the yummy layers shining through and building the body of the elephant.

You can also see parts of the washi tape, for example the globe. Enough to be interesting, but not enough to draw the eye to it.

Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed my layered canvas and feel inspired to create your own textured images.

Thank you Josefine! Love seeing all those stencil layers through the Elephant! Here are some of the supplies that Josefine 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)

  • maura

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    Josefine, I love how you layered the elephant with the stencils! Cool!

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Layers of Love – Tania Ahmed

  

Today is a special Creative Squad day because we are welcoming the very talented Tania Ahmed to the team! Tania’s fresh style will be a great addition to our lovely little group :) You can read more about Tania in this Nice to Meet You post from last week. Today she brings us a beautiful little book that totally rocks my Santiago and What’s the Point stencils. She’s working from our new theme: Layers of Love – We love layers and all the juicy yummy goodness they bring to mixed media. This month we’re layering it up and letting viewers discover all the different strata of our artistic mark making.

Hi Everyone, this is my first post as part of the Creative Squad! Thank you to dear Nathalie and Kim for inviting me to join the team, I am so pleased, thrilled and honoured! I am so excited to be kicking off this month’s challenge: the theme is Layers of Love and there’s nothing better to demonstrate this than Stencils!

I adore stencils and love to incorporate them into my work. There are so many ways to use them, you can sponge paint or medium through them, stamp with them, use mists with, the list is endless. At the moment I am really obsessed with gel plate printing and I thought what better way to demonstrate layering than with monoprinting!

I created a variety of prints and I started by centring my Gelli Arts plate on a piece of A4 sized paper. This will help you create a register for your print so that you can line up the pattern stencils each time you pull a print.

I started by spreading Permanent Light Blue and Cobalt Blue acrylic paint with a brayer on my gel printing plate. I lined the 9 x 12 Santiago Stencil with the paper under my gel plate along the bottom left corner. This will be my register every time I place either my stencil or my paper:

I then pulled a print:

I removed my stencil let the paint dry on my gel plate. I then brayered white acrylic paint all over the plate and pulled another print with new paper. This will be my ghost print:

I cleaned my gel plate off and then applied Process Magena and Opera Rose acrylic paint with my brayer and lined up the stencil again and pulled a print on the ghost printed paper. I made sure to line up my print with the paper under the gel plate!

I removed the stencil and quickly pulled another print using the first gel printed paper, making sure to line it up with the paper under the plate:

I repeat this using the same colours with other stencils until I had a few prints to choose from.

I then die cut some mount board (or you can use light chipboard sheets) using the Eileen Hull’s Passport Sizzix Die, and added my printed papers to the cover. I painted the spine with black chalk acrylic paint. I also die cut some pages for the journal using the same die. I assembled the journal, added some beads to the spine, elastic and a brad for the closure. I am really looking forward to filling this little mini album with photos and journaling!

Thank you so much for stopping by, I had a blast making this project :)

Thank YOU Tania! So glad to have you and absolutely loving this first project from you! Here are some of the supplies that Tania 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

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