Blog: Chicago

Sometimes the Monsters Win – Art Journal

This art journal page came after an interesting conversation with friends about old houses and ghosts. We all agreed that the monsters and ghosts in our heads are worse, and I guess that is why Stephen King is doing so well with his books – LOL The quote is from him – “The Shining” …you are welcome.

I started this page with a leftover negative imprint from my “So Much Energy” page where I had just flipped the Chicago stencil over.

I realigned the stencil on top of the print, a bit offset, and sprayed over it yet again with black and teal.

Then I just added the journaling with a Posca marker.

Here are some of the supplies I used:

Nat

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So Much Energy – Art Journal

I’m still on a total spray paint high – kidding – wear your mask if spraying even low odor spray paint inside. For this art journal page I used different MTN and Liquitex acrylic spray paints over my Chicago stencil.

For a later art journal page I flipped the stencil over to print with the extra paint on it, and then printed with excess paint on the stencil from spraying onto another page, back onto this one.

I used black Versafine and one of the Floral Tile Small stamps to stamp into the squares. I liked the juxtaposition of the floral image with the very orderly structure of the stencil.

To finish my page I used a Posca marker on that label stuff (I have no clue where it comes from) for the journaling.

Here are some of the supplies I used:

Nat

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Is It Over Yet – Art Journal

Is it over yet? Hanging on a thread…  I created this art journal page at the end of December.

I began with a background that was from cleaning off different colors. I used black spray paint over my Chicago stencil first, then layered up my Santiago stencil and sprayed with white. My Mini Motifs rubber stamps fit perfectly in the stencil design (smile!).

And I added one last detail to my pattern with one of my Fan-Fare rubber stamps.

I added a bit of coordinating collage paper and my journaling with a white Signo pen. Hang in there everyone!

Here are some of the supplies I used:

Nat

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Power to Act – Art Journal

Art Journal Page using Chicago Stencil and Motifs Rubberstamps by Nathalie Kalbach.

“Hope gives us the power to act.” – Remaining hopeful on so many levels and trying to act as well :)

Detail of spray painted background - Stencil Chicago and Mini Motifs by Nat Kalbach

I used spray paint and my Chicago stencil over a colorful background to tone it down a bit. Then I stamped one of my Mini Motifs rubber stamps to give the pattern some more intricacy.

painted street scene in Jersey City

I used acrylic paint and posca markers to sketch the buildings and add my quote. I splattered a little white to unify everything.

Detail of street scene in McGinley Square in Jersey City

Here are some of the supplies I used:

Nat

Comments (2)

  • Sue Clarke

    |

    I love the message and really like how the colors came out. The background screams London to me.

    Reply

    • nathalie-kalbach

      |

      thank you Sue – oh that is so funny – I wonder what it is that screams London to you …mhhhh – maybe it reminds you of the underground???? fun!

      Reply

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The Stencilfied Journal – Prompt 17

My wonderful friend Tina Walker is at it again – she invited several people to join her Stencilfied Prompts. The prompts are music related and each week she is posting a song. You can be inspired by the lyrics, the video, the album cover or anything related and the only restriction is that you have to use StencilGirl Product Stencils. Here is my take on Prompt 17

This week’s prompt was Jack and Diane by John Mellencamp. I pulled some of the lyrics into my art journal and a photo I found at a flea market.

“And he said: Life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone…” I don’t know about that – I’ll get back to you when I get that old! :) Here I used my Far Out foam stamp with some embossing powder and a wash of acrylic ink over top.

Here is my grumpy old man lol, my Chicago stencil with Distress Inks for the pattern, and my Fanfare stamps on the tape.

and my thoughts :)

Here are some of the supplies I used:


Nat

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The Stencilfied Journal – Prompt 14

My wonderful friend Tina Walker is at it again – she invited several people to join her Stencilfied Prompts. The prompts are music related and each week she is posting a song. You can be inspired by the lyrics, the video, the album cover or anything related and the only restriction is that you have to use StencilGirl Product Stencils. Here is my take on Prompt 14

This week’s prompt was Landslide by Fleetwood Mac – a song I definitely like, especially if I’m ever in a melancholy mood.

I thought it would be interesting to represent the lyrics with a bit of layered pattern, that comes and goes. I used my Hamburg stencil for the main background, along with my Chicago stencil and also stamped my Space Oddity rubber stamp from the Small Hex set.

I went a bit introspective with this one, thinking about people coming and going at different points in your life, and the impact they leave on you.

Here are the supplies I used:


Nat

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Endless Summer – Josefine Fouarge

  

Hello my friends and hope you are enjoying your summer (if you are in our hemisphere I guess lol, otherwise Happy Winter!). Today we have a post from Josefine Fouarge from the Creative Squad, sharing with us some absolutely gorgeous cards using my stencils and the happiest summer colors. This month the squad is using the theme:  Endless Summer – The days are long, the sun is shining, the air is soft… it must be summer! Let’s take a stroll down memory lane and save a summertime memory forever.

Summer has started, it’s official. We are having the first days with over 100 degrees in California, so I spend a lot of time in my pool. When we bought our house, we fell in love with the pool. It is plastered with a variety of blue tiles which shine amazingly when the sun hits them. The colors of the pool were my inspiration for this month’s theme – Endless Summer. But as always, I started with those colors and then couldn’t stop.

But let’s start at the beginning. I decided to create a few greeting cards. I haven’t done a lot of ink blending lately, so that’s the technique I went for. It all started with picking 4 stencil designs and then heat embossing the patterns with clear embossing powder. For that, I placed the stencil onto a 4 ¼ x 5 ½ piece of card stock, dapped the Versamark ink pad through the stencil, added the powder and heat set it. I did that with the Manhattan, Chicago, Toledo and Art Deco stencils.

My original plan was to use the same blue shades of Distress Inks and Oxides for the cards (which were inspired by our pool), but after the first card I changed my mind and went all over the rainbow.

I always started with the lightest color, inked the background up and then switched to the second color. I went over the same areas a couple of times to get a bright color.

When I added the second color, I always went back to the first color and blended over it.

At last, I added the darkest color. Usually, I didn’t ink up the darkest color too much to not overpower the cards with it.

At the end, I cut two of the panels into 4 x 4 squares and adhered them onto a 4 ¼ x 8 ½ card base. The other two are cut to 4 x 5 ¼ and adhered to a 4 ¼ x 8 ½ card base. I also added one sentiment sticker to all of the cards.

Here are all 4 cards with the colors I used:

Manhattan stencil with Distress Ink in Squeezed Lemonade, Carved Pumpkin, Abandoned Coral

Chicago with Distress Oxide in Squeezed Lemonade and Distress Ink in Twisted Citron and Mowed Lawn

Toledo with Distress Ink in Peacock Feathers, Evergreen Bough, Mermaid Lagoon

Art Deco with Distress Oxide in Worn Lipstick, Picked Raspberry, Wilted Violet

I hope that these colors got you into a summer mood, at least a little ;)

Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to come back every Tuesday for more inspiration from the Creative Squad.

Thank you Josefine! I love how that embossing sets off those lovely colors. Here are some of the supplies that Josefine used:



Did we inspire 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 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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Inspiration from Around the Globe

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, and you might see yours on the next Inspiration from Around the Globe!

First is Ellen Captijn from the Netherlands and a stunning art journal spread using my Chicago stencil for that patterned background. Definitely follow the link to see the entire thing!

Debi Adams from the US found a great way to add texture with my Crackle stencil in this gorgeous mixed media piece.

Here is a bright piece from Kate Crane in the UK that uses my Marks stamps for those red and black hash marks. So fun!

Here is Barbaree King from the US with my Central Ave ArtFoamies for those circular patterns in the background – such a beautiful art journal spread!

And finally here is Linda Edkins Wyatt from the US using my Broadway and my Versailles foam stamps for an active background in this art journal page. Love all the patterns mixing together :)

I feel pretty inspired after that lineup! If you’d like to give some of these ideas a try, here are the stamps and stencils that these talented artists used:



Don’t forget to tag my when you post your projects! I’d love to include your work in my next Inspiration FromAround the Globe post!

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Nat

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Vacation Mode – Josefine Fouarge

  

It’s time for a project from my Creative Squad! Today we have a sweet little art journal page that is filled with pattern and color, from Josefine Fouarge. She is using my Manhattan and Mini Chicago ArtFoamies, my Cape Cod stamp from the Stroll Around the Block set, and my Hamburg stencil. This month’s theme is: Vacation Mode – Here in the Northern Hemisphere, we are slogging through winter with only one thing on our minds – vacation! Whether it’s Spring Break, a weekend getaway, or an hour with a good book, everyone needs an escape to Vacation Mode now and again.

This month’s topic got me thinking. It’s been a while since I have been on a vacation and there is none in sight either. So, I decided for myself that if you can’t go on vacation, shopping is the next best thing. And trust me, I am good at that ;)

I was at one of the big box stores the other day and couldn’t pass the paint and paper aisles without grabbing a few items. To make sure that they don’t end up in a drawer unused, I incorporated them in my new art journal page.

I covered my art journal page in the new Liquitex paint. Then I picked a few ArtFoamies (Mini Chicago and Manhattan) to stamp them with other shades on top. I used two different paints and alternated the colors between each stamping. Aren’t these colors just pretty? Do you understand why I couldn’t walk by them? :)

Next up, I used the new recycle paper and stamped the negative ArtFoamie in the same patterns, but with a contrasting color. Again, I alternated between two colors.

Now I ripped up the brown paper and adhered some of the scraps onto my art journal page. It was important for me that the patterns match and create the illusion all the shapes merging together.

I needed a border, so I used the Gel Press petites and white acrylic paint to add one. Because the border was rather boring, I added a very light pattern to it. I did that by tracing the pattern from the Hamburg stencil with a pencil.

While I was coloring in some of the stenciled shapes with the same pencil, I thought that the colorful background needs some white as well. So I added a few white shapes.

The page still was missing a focal point, but I didn’t want to stamp anything directly onto the page. Usually that doesn’t end well for me. Instead, I prefer to stamp the image (in that case the Cape Cod house from the Stroll Around the Block set) onto a piece of tissue paper. I adhered that with gel medium and colored the house with Liquitex and Montana paint pens.

To finish the page up, I added a few scribbles and some shadows. I love that the paint pens made the house look like a cartoon.

On a side note, I totally enjoyed working with the brown recycle paper. It has such a neat texture to it and added the perfect contrast for the negative/ positive foam stamps.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Don’t forget to check out all the other Creative Squad creations every Tuesday!

Thank you Josefine! I absolutely love those colors and patterns together! 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“.

SaveSave

Nat

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