How to: Upcycle Cardboard into Inspirational Art - Creative Thursday with Sherry Canino

Hi Creative friends! Sherry Canino here today for the Creative Team and I have a fun tutorial on how I used some amazing stencils from Jessica Sporn Designs and some cardboard from my recycle bin to create some mixed media houses.

This is a fantastic way to use up lots of bits and pieces in your stash or things you may have laying around so grab your coffee and enjoy the video!

Here is a close up of the house completed in the video

And here are some other houses I completed using the same stencils as well as one additional stencil not used in the video.  (You'll see the complete list of stencils used below.

So now what to do with all these adorable houses you have created???  Well I decided to turn mine into a piece of home décor which is why all of my houses have a positive or inspirational saying on them that I cut out from magazines.

The steps to create a simple home décor piece out of your mixed media houses are super simple:

• Take a canvas and turn it over so you are using the back side, cover it in book pages, old sheet music, scrapbook or patterned paper or whatever you like the look of, I used dictionary paper.  
• Use a decoupage process to adhere your papers on and be sure to cover up all the wood on the back side of the canvas as well as wrap it around the edges.  
• Once dry I added just a tiny bit of color using a dry brush and paints in similar colors used on my houses to keep the look cohesive.  
• Then take your houses and arrange them on your canvas to your liking and glue on with a gel medium or E6000 glue.  (you want a glue that is going to be strong once it's dry so they don’t pop off. ) 

And that’s it, let it dry and display.  Below is a photo of my completed canvas.  I chose to write a little saying at the top using a black sharpie and then added some hearts and swirls from the Coffee Mugs and Love Stencil.

Here is a list of, and links to, the stencils I used in the video:

Borders 9J Stencil 

Coffee Mugs and Love Stencil 

Doors and Windows Stencil

Namaste Stencil

I hope you'll make your own houses and share them with us!

Sherry Canino, a former accountant, is a self taught mixed media artist and owner of Canino’s Artistic Café. She also works as an art therapist for a local organization.  Her style is whimsical, colorful and inspirational and has been featured in Syracuse Women’s Magazine.  She offers local as well as private art classes in her Liverpool Studio, and art journal or art therapy classes on location for businesses and schools.  Find Sherry on Facebook , Instagram, Etsy and on her blog.

THANK YOU SHERRY!  To see all of the Creative Team posts, click here! 

         Visit Stencil Girl Products and RubberMoon Stamps to see all my designs!

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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.

How to Use Inspirational Quotes in a DIY Envelope Book

This week we're taking a look back at one of my favorite DIY projects - Envelope Books.  I originally posted this back in January 2015 and it was a fan favorite.  I hope you enjoy it today as much as it was enjoyed then!

Do you remember the envelope book I made for my parents for Christmas?  It was featured on StencilGirl Talk.  Here's another one, using a different color palette and featuring some different stencils.  I started out using the Hearts, Flowers and More stencil with gesso on the inside of the book, and some of Pam Carriker's paints on the outside.

Watch this video to see how I used the gesso as a resist, and also how I assembled the book.  You can also watch "Creating Resists with Gesso and Paint" on Youtube.


Here are peeks at the inside pages and links to some of the other stencils and stamps I used.  This is a great way to use up old envelopes and reduce your stash!

Each of the envelopes has it's own tag, that peeks out of the pocket.  

This is the terrific pattern from Maria McGuire's Doodle-It Inchie Stencil, with one of Tim Holtz's chit chat words.  These are great stickers to have on hand, as there's a word for every sentiment and occasion!

Here's more of the "Doodle it Inchie" pattern.  Plus, I used Mary Nasser's Compass Stencil, and Pam Carriker's Borders stencil on these page.   

I love this Mary Oliver quote on a Technique Junkies' stamp.  I always stamp on tissue paper first, and then adhere to my tag or background.  I get a much better impression that way...

This awesome hand stencil is by Lizzie Mayne:

and I love this stamp from Tim Holtz.

The cover of the book features one of the hands from the Namaste stencil.

I hope this post tickled your creativity bone.

         Visit Stencil Girl Products and RubberMoon Stamps to see all my designs!

If you haven't already - please connect with me here:

InLinkz.com

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.

Thank You!