Monday, December 30, 2013

Altered Cigar Box Tutorial


I know it's almost time for the reveal of the January stencils for Stencil Club.  (And guess what -- I'm the designer for them!)


But I wanted to sneak in a tutorial showing you a box I made for my husband using the December stencils.  I really was captivated by them, so thank you MaryBeth Shaw for your beautiful designs!

I also used my Medallions stencil from Stencil Girl.  I have to admit that I'm partial to it...









I used a cigar box, black gesso, metallic paint, acrylic paint and glazing medium, tissue paper, matte medium, and some patterned paper I had in my stash.  I was so engrossed in the process that I didn't take pictures, but here's a video. 





Best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year!  See you soon.


Your comments make me so happy and let me know you were here. I read and treasure every comment and will happily answer any questions as soon as I can.

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Friday, December 27, 2013

Vision Board Art Party

I recently hosted an art party.  The theme was "Manifest Your Intentions;" the project was to create vision boards for 2014.  My friend Jacquie asked if I would guide it at my studio, and invited 5 of her besties to make art together.


We started by writing with our eyes closed on large canvases.  The idea was to "scribble away" anything we didn't want to bring with us into the New Year.

Then out came stencils (from Stencil Girl of course -- couldn't help a shameless plug!) - which several of the women had never used before.  The art of pouncing, the joy of overlapping images, the thrill of covering up all of those negative words and experiences.  We got giddy!

Next we collaged words, images, affirmations, found poetry, and other ephemera, that represented qualities we hoped to bring with us, or manifest, in the coming year. 

Finally, we spread paint with our fingers and paint chips to bridge the gaps and draw our canvases together. 



Crescent loved painting with her fingers.
 Jessica was initially very worried about the process, but ended up loving her canvas most of all!
 Jodie's board turned out as radiant as her smile and personality.
 Jacquie, the party organizer, used great colors and words to create her vision board.
 We all loved how Kristin's canvas looked like the sea and sky. 


Thanks Jacquie for organizing this event and asking me to guide it.  I love how everyone's boards came out, and that you all trusted me with the process.  I hope to host more parties.  Just contact me at jessicabethsporn (at) gmail (dot) com for the details!

Hope this inspires you to make your own vision board to leave behind the qualities that don't serve you, and to bring ahead, and manifest, the qualities that will serve you for the coming year!

****

Recently, Paint Party Friday "hosted" a tea party in honor of Tracey Fletcher King.  Here is my offering to you Tracey!


In the spirit of generosity and love that is always evident at Paint Party Friday, please feel free to download this for your personal use. 

Also, a group of us artsy types have created a group called "The Angel Project."  Let us know if you know someone struggling with cancer, loss, a divorce, or something else difficult, and some of  us will send some happy mail his or her way. 

Your comments make me so happy and let me know you were here. I read and treasure every comment and will happily answer any questions as soon as I can.

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Monday, December 23, 2013

Defiance and Hope for 2014





I had a canvas with various layers of paint and collage.  I would look at it periodically, wanting to do something with it, but it did not speak to me.










The other day, I looked at it, picked up a paintbrush, dipped it in paint, and a face emerged.


She sat for a few days.  On Saturday, my stencils from Stencil Club - the wonderful creation of MaryBeth Shaw - arrived.  Every month, members receive 3 stencils - a 9 x 12, a 6 x 6, and a 4 x 4, which are designed to relate to one another.  The designing artist also creates a video demonstrating ways to use them -- all for only $25 a month.


The December stencils were designed by MaryBeth, and were all about the winter solstice.  As I turned the larger stencil around, inspiration grabbed me.  I mixed Glass Bead Gel and gold mica powder and made a paste.  I dragged it through the large stencil.  Held one way, the stencil is of tree branches.  Held another way, it looked like cracked glass.   My lady was breaking through things that were holding her back.  I wrote:  "looking into the future she decided in an act of sheer defiance that she would have hope."


The medium stencil has the phases of the moon.  I added that to my canvas, and used a circle punch with a gelli print to create circles that would echo the stencil.


The 4 x 4 stencil has stars and swirls, which I used in my lady's hair.


With the winter solstice, my lady is looking at the world around her to find beauty in the wreckage, hope in the despair.  Just as the spring will defy the winter as the days get brighter again,  she stares into 2014 with defiance, daring to hope that the world can be a better, more peaceful, place.


Four years ago this season, I was making twice daily trips to the hospital in Newark, as my friend Sharon lay in a coma, having contracted viral pneumonia after a round of debilitating chemo treatments for breast cancer.  On December 26, it was my responsibility to authorize the doctors to remove her life support. I held her in my arms as she took her last breaths.  Although I have opened myself to the joys of this season, I remember Sharon and think of her children, who she loved so much and of whom she would be so proud.   I feel as though some of Sharon came through this canvas to remind me that we must always look forward with defiance and hope.

Wishing you all many blessings of the season.   I am designing the stencils for January - so I hope you'll check out Stencil Club and consider signing up.  If you do, you'll be able to purchase past month's stencils as well.

Your comments make me so happy and let me know you were here. I read and treasure every comment and will happily answer any questions as soon as I can.

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Friday, December 20, 2013

Quick and Easy Holiday Tags with Stencils






If you're like me, Christmas snuck up on you -- again -- and you were left scrambling for last minute gifts.  Here's a quick and easy tutorial on making some fun tags.  They can either hang from a gift, or accompany a gift card or cash!

Supplies:
Manila tags
some thin cardboard
some favorite stencils
scissors
paint
glue
a dauber or cosmetic sponge
glitter glue
string or ribbon



1.  Choose one of your stencils that has lots of open space for dabbing color.  Stencil your tags.  I used my Flowers Negative and Flowers Positive stencils, and Carolyn Dube's Use Your Words stencil from Stencil Girl Products.
2.  Choose one of your stencils that has an intricate pattern.  I used my Medallions Stencil from Stencil Girl Products.  Stencil your cardboard with white paint or gesso.  (I also used Viva Decor Silver modeling paste, but you don't have to.)
3.  I made the stars by cleaning off my more intricate stencil on black paper and then punching out the stars.  Use your imagination for this step!
4.  Cut up your cardboard into circles, squares, strips, and glue them onto your tags.
5.  Add your stars and doodle with glitter glue.
6.  Use some string, twine or ribbon to hang them.

Of course, there's a video.


And you can watch  Holiday Tags on You Tube here.  





In case you missed it, here's the You Tube link to my tutorial on making some ornaments using corrugated cardboard and my Three Trees stencil from Stencil Girl.  I made a garland with them, but later separated them into individual ornaments.




What have you made for the holidays? What arty gifts did you receive? 

One of the gifts I gave myself was a class with the incredible Donna Downey.  I was lucky enough to attend it with my friend Marjie Kemper.  We had so much fun making our canvasses. 


I added some details to mine when I came home.  The message is an important one for me to see every day.  If you need help remembering to breathe, you can buy prints of this painting on Society 6! 


Wishing you all a peaceful end of 2013 and start of 2014!

And if you've been with me throughout this long post, here's a gift for you - feel free to download it and use it for your personal projects!


Your comments make me so happy and let me know you were here. I read and treasure every comment and will happily answer any questions as soon as I can.

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Sunday, December 15, 2013

Feel the Magic

It's time for One Little Word, and the word up this month is "MAGIC!"

Roald Dahl said, "those who don't believe in magic will never find it."

The way I translate this is - believe in magic and you will always find it.


I was recently in the Czech Republic visiting my older daughter, Mariel, who graduated from college this past May.  She is in the CR for a year on a Fulbright scholarship teaching English. 

Fulbright placed her in the most idyllic village with the warmest, most supportive, encouraging mentors, and attentive students.  She has a big, beautiful apartment just around the corner from the village center.   
Fate?  Or magic?


I created this art journal page on the plane ride home -- I drew it with micron pens and painted it with Koi watercolors.  It describes how I feel about Mariel's experience, and my visit with her. 

Do you believe in magic?  Play along with us at One Little Word and let us know!

Your comments make me so happy and let me know you were here. I read and treasure every comment and will happily answer any questions as soon as I can.

And if you want to follow along with Mariel's adventures in the Czech Republic, here is the link to her blog.

PS: Just realized that there's a mistake on my page - I forgot my spelling rule: "i" before "e", except after "c"...   Can you find it?  Ah well - perfectly imperfect I guess!
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Friday, December 13, 2013

Upcycled Gift Box Using Stencils and Embossing Paste






I'm blog hopping today using one of Sue Pelletier's whimsical dress stencils for Stencil Girl Products.  I used Sue's "Loose Dress #2" stencil


with Wendy Vecchi's embossing paste, and Scribbles' 3D Fabric paint to upcycle a gift box:


Because my box was already red, this was a super fast and easy project.  But you could do this with any box - just coat it with gesso and a color of paint that you like, and you're good to go!

Here's a video of the process, or you can watch it on You Tube here.  


Did I mention that this is a blog hop?  Check out all the amazing creative souls playing with Sue's stencils!


And make sure to leave a comment here as well as on all the blogs because all of the comments are eligible for a Stencil Girl Giveaway.  The more blogs you visit and comment on, the more chances to win.   The giveaway will close on Monday, December 16th at 11:59PM Central Time.  Check back with Stencil Girl Talk to see who won!

These blog hops are always amazing -- seeing the different ways creative minds use stencils never ceases to amaze me.
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Your comments make me so happy and let me know you were here. I read and treasure every comment and will happily answer any questions as soon as I can.

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Harmonizing Gelli Prints in Your Journal


While I'm away in the Czech Republic, I thought I'd share a journal spread I created in a journal that is part of the circle journal I've been participating in.  It is made from gelli prints.

The two sides of the spread started off looking very different from one another.
 
Using a variety of stencils (Kae Pea's Tribal Leaves and Jane LaFazio's Pods) from Stencil Girl Products, I brought teal from the right hand page over to the left, and ochre from the left hand page over to the right.  I added orange to both sides of the spread, as well as an element from Maria McGuire's Stitch a Greek Border


Adding a wash to both faces with yellow tied them together even more, as did circles I punched out of scrap paper.


The journaling was inspired by a beautiful quote by the Buddha - "If we see ourselves in others, than whom can we harm?"

Here's a video showing the process.


Your comments make me so happy and let me know you were here. I read and treasure every comment and will happily answer any questions as soon as I can.

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Monday, December 2, 2013

Holiday Garland on the Stencil Girl Talk Blog



I'm on Stencil Girl Talk today with a fun and easy project using my Three Trees Stencil (named for the three Wise Men), corrugated cardboard, and lots of items from my stash.  I hope you'll visit.  There are two video tutorials too!

AND...


There's a Giveaway! - comment by Friday, 12/6, and you will have a chance to win this stencil! Comment both here and on Stencil Girl Talk for double the chance to win!
UPDATE:  AND THE WINNER IS Carol!  Congratulations Carol - I have emailed you and look forward to getting the stencil in the mail to you!

Your comments make me so happy and let me know you were here. I read and treasure every comment and will happily answer any questions as soon as I can.

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