yikes...stripes!

it's funny how things work...

I totally LOVE polka dots...

always have...

always will...

but my newest love addiction is stripes...

 my yikes stripes stencil has really gotten a workout in the last few days...

you'll see stripes on lots of my CHA samples...

(coming soon to a blog near you)

 the sneak peek below is a portion of a new art journal page...

the base is Ranger's specialty stamping paper...

it's the bomb for mixed media art...

because it takes a ton of abuse...

the page is in a cute small journal, 

made from my art parts small pages...

you can create 3 journals with the 6 pages...

or make a fat 6 page book...

this is a nice size for testing ideas & techniques & for when you don't have a lot of time to spare...

the smaller size makes you feel like you've completed a project...

you'll see "some new for CHA" products below...

I am IN LOVE...

now here's the funny thing...

over at Simon Says, the challenge for this week is...

STRIPES!

if you're looking for inspiration...

check out this post, 

then visit each of the artists' blogs...

you WILL be inspired & you WILL see lots of cool stripes used in their art...

to EVERYONE on

 the SSS & SHOW DT...

I'm cheering for you!

BRAVO!

WELL DONE!

coming up...

more stripes!

I wanted to thank STAMPINGTON 

for the 2 page feature in their summer Gallery issue...

the article is all about Ranger's CHA Winter designer challenge, using Dy's spray inks...

we were each assigned one color & the rules were to use only that color with black & white...

I got the yummy london blue...

but seriously? 

NO DISTRESS? 

NO brown?

yikes...

for me, this truly was a challenge...

but, I guess that's the purpose...

to make you THINK...

it's a large piece...

the base is an 11 x 14 flat canvas...

I normally work much smaller...

like a quarter of that size...

I had the guys at the factory laser cut some giant art parts, proportioned to fit the large canvas...

GIANT CANVAS?

another YIKES...

and again...

NO BROWN?

after a few sleepless nights...

here's my project...

with...

STRIPES!

if all this stripes talk has you wanting needing

some stripes...

Kim (eclecticPaperie) has a special code for you...

she's offering 

20% off ALL my products...

she has recently restocked all the Blossom Bucket cuties

and I see that she has the "yikes stripes" stencil & 

the polka dot/stripes border stencil back in stock too...

and she has lots of art parts to choose from...

and of course stamps...

this one just happens to have a

STRIPES background!

the code to enter at checkout is 

WENDY20

the embossing pastes 

are included in the sale & they are cool, 

when used with the stripes stencils...

especially the black paste...

ok...back to the studio for me...

CHA is fast approaching so I NEED to...

make art!

wendy

ps...talk to me...

what are YOU creating?

what are you looking forward to seeing from CHA?

some days I'm a cheap date...

and some days not so much...

but today I AM!

I'll show you exactly what this stamp says...

how to...

this post idea came after I shared the following journal page...

that post is here...

the email said...

I had no interest in this art journaling stuff, until I saw this. I love it.

I'm not a fan of bright colors, doodeling & handwritten words, so this appeals to me. I know I can do your style. However, I must tell you that you are evil. Now I have to run out and buy stencils and sprays etc. My hubster will need a 3rd job.

ps. I REALLY do love you!

so...the moral of today's post is that I'm sure you already have ITEMS in your home & studio that you can use as stencils...

you'll still want the thinner stencils...

alphabets, numbers, patterns etc...

because they're arty...

but in the mean time...

you already have ITEMS you can use with great success...

I KNOW you do!

keep in mind, the ITEMS I'm showing today are a thicker material, so you can't easily use the distress stains over them, but spraying them with Dy's inks, tim's Adirondack color washes, perfect pearls mists or WATER is a breeze...

because they're thick, you can't stamp over them like you can with stencils made from a thin material....

so thin stencils have some very important advantages...

in addition to misting over these ITEMS...

you can also outline with them...

and use the new distress markers with them...

if you don't have sprays or the distress stains, that I used...

use your distress pads to create the background & use these ITEMS with water in a mister to create really easy backgrounds...

let's get started with some fun finds...

when tim came out with his alpha parts,

I told everyone I met to buy 2...

one to actually use the letters & one to keep whole, to use as a stencil...

since the letters are plastic...

just a quick rinse under the facet & it's all clean & ready for the next time...

AWESOME!

they are large...perfect for large projects...

but use just a portion of it, if you are working on a smaller art...

here's something else I bet lots of you have or HAD...

I HOPE you didn't trash the leftover...

grungeboard makes an awesome stencil,

especially since liquid doesn't bother it....

mist over it, or trace around it to make a pattern...

remember the mixed mini grunge alphabets?

yep...another perfect leftover...

here's the circles & the pack has several different sizes...

remember to check your stash...

next up, some plastic needlepoint/cross stitch material...

VERY inexpensive & indestructible!

mist over it... for an awesome background...

rub a distress pad over it...

then mist...

AMAZING results!

next is a rug backing (the stuff so a rug won't slip on hardwood floors)...

again...kind of a rubbery material...

run it under the faucet for a quick clean, after it's been misted...

this is a small piece of gutter guard...

found it @ my brother's home & dug it out of the trash...

he thought I was NUTS...

again...

but it's another plastic that works perfectly...

and creates a very cool pattern...

you can also randomly trace some of the diamonds...

distress markers work great...

and shelf liner...

buy a roll...split it with a friend...

this is fun to die cut into different shapes...

it's perfect for adding paint to your art...

I've seen all kind of patterns in this shelf liner stuff...

this next thing is a Home Depot find...

from the paint section...

I have no clue what it's for, but it too is perfect for misting over...

for this one...

make sure to mist lightly, since it doesn't sit flat on a surface...

and to get even more use from your favorite dies,

use tim's mask sheets...

you get a mask (the piece that falls out) & a stencil...

which is the left over...

lol...double dipping...

don't have the masking material?

use Clearly For Art!

it's fun to look @ ITEMS & repurpose them for something entirely different than their intended use...

am I getting into art journaling?

not exactly...

I like making these backgrounds out of the book, because if it's UGLY...

I can trash it & don't have to rip it out of a book & destroy it...

plus my handwriting sucks & I'm not a doodler...

plus I like to use the backgrounds for home decor type stuff...

plus I want to use Ranger's specialty stamping paper...

ok...

here's your mission, should you choose to accept it...

leave a comment & SHARE your idea of any found object that can be used as an art stencil...

I'll be back on Friday & I'll have a prize package for a random commenter...

open your eyes...

look around & SHARE your idea...

of something cool we can stencil with to...

make art!

wendy

Ranger's specialty stamping paper...

is the BOMB!!!!!!!

I told you I LOVE it...

here's why...

1. it takes a lot of abuse
2. all Tim's products work perfectly on it
3. it takes a lot of abuse
4. all Ranger products work well on it
5. it takes a lot of abuse
6. the surface is AWESOME for stamping..nice CRISP images
7. it takes a lot of abuse
8. it does not warp
9. it takes a lot of abuse
10. it doesn't get those ugly little pills
11. it takes a lot of abuse...
12. it's an awesome matte finish...
13. in addition to great pages, it's perfect for other stuff...
14. see below!

I have plenty to use myself...

plenty for classes & some to SHARE...

here's the evidence...

300 lovely sheets...

and how did you guess?

I LOVE LOVE LOVE tim's new water brushes...

A LOT!
a few weeks ago, I posted my technique for using tim's stains, inspired by Lady Dy...

here's that link...

so I did exactly the same process to make these 2 journal pages,

using Ranger's new specialty stamping paper...

what I LOVE most about this paper...

no warping...I flooded these pages with water,

until I had "poodles"...

and I did this about 6 times...

still NO WARPING...

the surface is still perfectly smooth...

and you can see...the pages are 98% flat...

I used these distress stain colors...

faded jeans, mustard seed, scattered straw & brushed corduroy...

aquamarine archival is my new "go to" favorite for background stamping...

the polka dots are a portion of my border stamp...

the random alphabet is a stencil from Lady Dy...

so are the bleached out dots...

the little brushed corduroy specks were done with the water brush...

I talked about that a few days ago...

here's how the 2 pages started...

but they both didn't end up as pages...

I used the one on the left to cover

2 of my new art parts flowers...

then added 2 of my Blossom Bucket pieces for the center...

and a stem...

to make this...

and the right hand page ended up like this...

tim's new chit chat stickers helped make the saying...

they are FUN!

the pencil stamp made a border...

Mr Tophat is an art part...

the journey stencil is an oldie but a goodie from Stampers Anonymous...

so the moral of the story...

is that Ranger's specialty stamping paper really is the bomb...

and if you read this far...

you deserve a chance to win some...

just leave a comment...

we'll choose a random winner @ 7AM on Monday...

and I'll share some with my blog friends...

one more thing before I head back to work on new stamps...

I KNOW...CHA is only 4 1/2 months away & my travel schedule is hectic...

so I gotta get going...

YIKES!

anyway...

do you remember that I have gift/home decor "items" coming out with Blossom Bucket in July?

OMG!!!!!!!! yes RED & ALL CAPS!

I got to see the "prototypes" the other day & I about fell off my chair...

I. CAN. NOT. WAIT. TO SHARE. THEM. WITH. YOU.

PHEW...we originally planned on 12...

but I've been busy & I *think* there are about 40 different "items" coming...

I'm over the moon EXCITED...

I hope YOU have a wonderful weekend...

get out your supplies &...

make art!

wendy