Xmas 2014 #3UP {Stencils}

Hi everyone Leandra here for the final night of #3UP for 2014. What an amazing week our 3UPpers have provided us with! Thankyou!

Tonight we finish with the most popular technique of all, Stencils. As it is the final night, and there are about a zillion things you can do with a stencil, we have 4 people lined up for you!

First up it's Claire Snowdon (@Claires10) Stencil bumping is her thing...deliberately of course! If you haven't tried this yet you are missing out!

Hi Everyone, I'm ecstatic to be on the PaperArtsy blog tonight sharing my fave stencil technique with you all - stencil bumping!

Here is my finished project

Step One:
I used a 5x7" PaperArtsy grey-white board as my base and covered using Sage, Hint of Mint and Vanilla - spritzing with water as I went to blend them all together for a nice muted background.

Step Two:
I took the Lin Brown bubbles stencil PS001 and used Chalk for my first layer.  Once dry I moved the stencil slightly and added Ice Blue over the top of the Chalk creating a reverse shadow effect aka stencil bumping!

Step Three:
I then used the reeds from JOFY stencil PS007, first using Mocha Mousse then drying, moving the stencil slightly before using Irish Cream and Vintage Lace creating a shadow.

Step Four:
I then decided the background needed a little bit more interest so I used Vintage Lace to sponge through the flower image on the Lin Brown PS005 stencil - subtle but I like it there in the background.

Step Five:
I stamped the sentiment from Lin Brown ELB05 using Jet Black Archival Ink and also the foliage from JOFY22 using Olympia Green Versafine straight onto the grey-white board.  I distressed the edges of the board using the Prima Distress Tool then coloured the edges with Walnut Stain Distress Ink.

Step Six:
I created my flower embellishment by painting some scraps of card using Hyde Park, Blush, Haystack and Plum then stamped the leaf and flowers from JOFY 22 cut out and assembled using a rusted brad.  Finally I added a rusted metal corner.

I hope you all enjoyed my stencil bumping 3 Up project! 


Love Claire x

Next we have Jax (@jax1369). Jax enjoys all things mixed media, and she's sharing some stencil tricks and tips that you need to remember to get good results every time.

Hi everyone Jax here

Tonight I am using tinted Grunge Paste through a Stencil to create the main image on an 8X8” cvanvas.  I got this idea originally from the Christmas special videos and projects from our very own Leandra made last year and have been using it in varying degrees since.


I started by using the following ingredients, plus a stencil. 

Step One:
I used the stencil as a guide and drew pencil lines for where I wanted the Baltic Blue to be as this would create Stars part of my Canvas.  I then used the Bora Bora to create the sky the flag was flying in and finally the messy bit begins.

I mixed Blood Orange into Grunge Paste until I got a washed out faded red and then scraped this through the stencil to create the Stripes.  I then used Dusty Teal to Create the lady.  The trick to doing this one is to let the previous area dry completely before doing the next.  The stars were created by using Snowflake white and GP (just to make it pop against the blue.

Have you guessed what it is yet?

Next I used Aquamarine and Pewter Treasure Gold to add age and depth and finished her off with the ladies first stamp from Gentleman Plate 3 as Lady Liberty is the first thing you see when heading to New York.  Finished the whole thing off with TG around the edge of the canvas as a frame.

Thanks
Jax

Next up a #3UP newbie,  Chris Cresswell (@artmadnana) She might be new to #3UP, but she's been crafting for years, and is a great PA enthusiast from way back! Her work is always beautiful, and tonight I think we will start to understand why she is such a stencil addict.

Hi everyone. 
I am so excited to be here. My real passion is 'art journaling' and my favourite 'tool' is 'Stencils'. My favourite technique is layering stencils and mixing the media I use with them. I am a bit of a 'mongrel' crafter, using different media and influenced by different artists. In this project I have used various fresco chalks and added Dylusions inks over the top! 

Step One:
As you can see this page is very influenced by Dina Wakley. I love this technique of painting over what has already been created to make the focal image really pop. So how did I begin?

Step Two:
Using a small brayer I covered the page with a thin layer of Vanilla, then Cheesecake, leaving some white space. Using a credit card I then scraped Yellow Submarine here and there to float over the previous layer in patches. I then added Butternut and Tango in a few areas with a dry brush. 

Step Three:
Now the fun begins with stencils. Lots of stencils. With no thought or planning I just start layering different stencils over the page. I used the previous colours to sponge through a variety of stencils: dark colours over light and vice versa, and then added different colours to add more depth e.g. Pumpkin Soup, Blood Orange. 

Step Four:
Next I used Dylusions Inks (squeezed orange and postbox red) sprayed through different stencils, over the fresco chalks. I also immediately flipped over each stencil that I sprayed through, pressing down each one elsewhere on the page and drying them off by rolling kitchen paper over each image.  A technique I learned from Dyan Reaveley.

Step Five:
This produces a lovely transparent layer as the fresco paints generally resist the sprayed inks. I then sponged Snowflake through a Linda Brown stencil PS001  to reduce the brightness and to add a further layer over the inks which are just visible through the paint.

Step Six:
The next step was to mix Old Gold with Prima's 3D Gloss gel in equal parts and scrape it through yet another stencil. This gloss gel really makes the Old Gold shine. This takes some time to dry. A layer of stamping using different PA background stamps and a few ink splats (Squid Ink) completed the page.

Step Seven: I took a Dina Wakely Girl figure stencil and painted the entire area around it in contrasting colours (Claret, Amethyst and Plum) thus painting over almost all of the page I'd just created. A scary technique, but one that allows the focal image to come forward. Next, I used Sky to paint in some circles to help balance the page; finally adding words and doodling to complete the project. 

I hope you like it.
Chris

Finally tonight it's Hazel Agnew (@craftroomgran). Hazel is another art adventurer, of late she is on a face drawing kick. However, she diverts from that to reduction stencilling....we are hoping we all lose a few pounds when we master this one!

At the risk of waffling, I just wanted to point out that, until I joined the crazy Patwits I was doomed to a life of card making. Having discovered PA, it opened my world to a maze of mixed media which I love!

I chose "reduction stencilling" because, to me, it is a bit like a magic trick. I decided to experiment with different colours first and this "practise" turned out to be my submission.

Step One:

First of all I gessoed my page to give it some tooth to work on. Next, I applied blocks of colour using Portfolio Pastels in Pink, Red and Violet and PaperArtsy Fresco Paints in Blood Orange, London Bus, Plum and Snowflake.

Step Two:

I worked a small section at a time, overlaying the Crafter's Workshop Heart Stencil and removing colour with a baby wipe. 

Step Three:

I laid the stencil in different directions for variation. I also applied colour through the heart stencil over the top. I layered colours by adding Snowflake over the top of some areas to reveal layered patterns.

For added interest...

• I stamped through the heart stencil onto the heart shapes with Geranium Red and Black Archival Ink. The script was from ESN11. 
• I drew through the stencil and cut out hearts on manuscript paper and edged them with Distress Black Soot.
• I stamped the sentiment from Sara Naumann's ESN11 onto manuscript .
• Finally, because this was only a practice, I drew around the edges in paint and doodled around the edges with Black Fudeball pen.

So, I stopped there and voila, my piece of work to show "reduction stencilling!"

Thanks Everyone
Hazel

Well everyone, that is the final #3UP for 2014. We really hope you have enjoyed these wonderful ideas from all our crafting gurus from the wider PaperArtsy family! A big thank you to them for taking the time to share their magnificence with us all.

The 'end of semester' round up will be on the blog tomorrow, with the December challenge  link closing on December 31st, so you've still got a couple of days to join in, details below.

Enjoy your New Year celebrations, stay safe.

Leandra
xx

We would love you to go in our challenge draw for a prize from PaperArtsy, a voucher to spend in our online shop. Link up your creativity HERE. All links go in the draw to win a voucher to spend on products of your choice from the PaperArtsy online store. This link will close 17:00 (London Time) December 31st 2014, the winner will be announced 2 hours later at 19:00, Dec 31st, 2014.