Creative Squad

Endless Summer – Jennifer Gallagher

  

Welcome to a post from the Creative Squad! Today we have Jennifer Gallagher sharing a really fun art journal page with her take on summer. I have been loving the projects this month because it has prompted the squad to share a little more about themselves and it is always fun to learn about the people behind the art :) This time Jennifer mixes it up by pairing my Window rubber stamp with my Santiago stencil for our 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 is my favorite time of year. While working on this month’s creative squad post we were experiencing a heat wave. I was sitting at my window watching the hummingbirds at my feeder outside when I was inspired to create this art journal page. I started by turning Nat’s Santiago stencil to create squares on the art journal page. Using a mini blending tool, I applied acrylic paint through the stencil.

Then following the lines of the stencil, I applied yellow acrylic paint to create an interesting line for your eye to follow.

I really wanted to play with my stencils and push what can be achieved by changing it up a bit. I used my white posca paint pens to add additional patterns and details to the stencil design.

Next, using archival black ink, I stamped the window stamp from Nat’s My Home is My Castle set into the squares on the journal page.

At this point I decided to add more additional pattern work with my black posca pen.

Lastly, I added a quote that felt appropriate for this particular day and this particular page.

Although I found the quote humorous, I would encourage you to get outside and enjoy the Summer. Inspiration is everywhere! Be sure to share your n*Studio projects with us.

We couldn’t agree more with Jennifer – get out and find inspiration for your artmaking! And of course when it’s a heatwave, enjoy the view from the window :) Here are some of the supplies that Jennifer used:



Be sure to check out all the Creative Squad projects on the Creative Squad webpage and if you feel inspired, share your projects with us! We love to see what you’re working on. I post projects almost every month in my Inspiration From Around the Globe posts!

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Nat

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This Must Be the Place – Josefine Fouarge

  

Hello from my Creative Squad! Today Josefine Fouarge is showing us how just playing around can loosen up your creativity and yield some beautiful results. Her tag uses stamps from my My Home is My Castle set, including the Adirondack Chairs and Windows and Door stamps, along with our February theme: This Must Be the Place –We’re all on a journey to somewhere or something. Sometimes we’re just making preparations for simple things like dinner or weekend plans. Other times we’re aiming for bigger goals, bigger places. Whether it’s a location or a state of mind, you’ll know when you get there. Where are you headed?

Even small pieces of art can tell a big story. I love working on tags and playing with the smaller real estate. This one was the perfect size to create some dimension without it looking too busy.

Do you want to hear the story of this tag? Then read till the end ;)

I started with a mono printed background. I used a 5×7 Gel Press and added several colors of PaperArtsy paint on top. The second layer uses the same technique, but in a slightly different way. This time I used one of the Petite Gel Press plates and added the paint through Nat’s Kassel and the Hamburg stencils. First the round one and then again with a square plate. While I was at it, I created a few more backgrounds on sandwich paper, some of them which I used for this project later on.

So far, I was “just playing around”. That’s what I like about mono printing – you don’t need a goal. But here I started to see what I wanted my project to look like. I was envisioning a porch with other houses and a scenery in the background. I didn’t want to stamp actual houses, so I created the idea of them by stamping the Windows and Door from the My Home is My Castle set.

I needed something in the background though. After looking at all the houses and buildings from Nathalie’s stamp sets, I picked Lady Liberty. I stamped her with black ink and colored her lightly with Pitt pens in grey and green.

Then I cut out a few circles from the other backgrounds and stamped Nat’s Adirondack Chairs on two of them. I adhered both to the bottom of the tag and colored the chairs with Liquitex Paint pens.

I added some shadows around the chairs and the circles and scribbled a love poem from Shakespeare around the circles as well.

Now that I had my porch with the two Adirondack chairs I needed a sentiment. I imagined an old couple sitting on that porch, enjoying their lives together. They have seen everything they wanted and are now spending the rest of their days together, just the two of them. “This must be the place.” Yes, the Love sentiment was the perfect finishing touch.

Here is the finished project. Can you see them sitting there, smiling?

Thanks for stopping by. See you next month  :)

Thank you Josefine – your story made us feel very warm and fuzzy! Josefine used the following supplies in her project:



Play along with us too: 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“.

Follow our new Creative Squad page on Instagram @NatsCreativeSquad and see even more projects from our awesome team of artists!

Nat

Comments (7)

  • Seth

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    Thanks for choosing my colors here Josefine. The tag looks mighty fine!

    Reply

  • maura

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    Great tag and love the story you wove in to it Josefine! Maura

    Reply

  • Clavell

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    I love the ‘story’ you wove into this tag…very sweet and very clever!♥

    Reply

    • Josefine Fouarge

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      Thanks :) that’s what I imagined while creating the tag ;)

      Reply

  • Sue Clarke

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    LOVE these colors together Josefine!

    Reply

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