Stencil Test Drive Redux #7

Welcome to the 7th Stencil Test Drive Redux!  (See all the test drives here.) 

GIVEAWAY ALERT!  Each month, I will give away one of the featured stencils to one lucky subscriber.  All you need to do is post a comment below. Comments for the giveaway will close on Monday at 9PM EST, and the winner will be posted in this post by Tuesday morning at 9AM EST, so make sure to check back!  

This week - a look back at the Random Squares Stencil Test Drive. Here's a peek at my shrine project from that Test Drive and the Random Squares Stencil itself. 

And here are the amazing projects from the artists on that original test drive. Click the names below the images to go to the original blog posts.  The tutorials are fantastic.

Carolyn Dube (she has a video on her blog!)

Diana Trout

Kristin Dudish

Corrine Gilman

Seth Apter

I hope you'll check out all of these posts and the great tutorials they have!  Thank you again to all the artists who participated!

GIVEAWAY ALERT: For a chance to win the Random Squares Stencil, make sure to leave a comment below and include your email address.   

And the winner is....

If you've used one of my stencils, make sure to send me a picture/link and let me know! 

         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.

If you are entering a GIVEAWAY, please add your email address in the event I need to contact you.

To avoid SPAM, please write it like this: jessicasporndesigns (at) gmail (dot) com

Thank You!

How to Use Stencils for Finishing Touches

Happy New Year!  I wanted to show you how I often use stencils for finishing touches in my art journal.  These pics are from a new online class I'm working on, called "Facing Faces."  I hope to unveil it soon!

I glued a sketch into my art journal, and began painting it.  I also adhered a small embellishment I made using embossing paste and my Medallions stencil, from this tutorial (which has a video). 

 Here are more progress pics.

Although her face felt done, somehow, the page just didn't feel complete.  I brought out the Medallions Stencil again, and laid it over the hair.

I also painted up the embellishment, and went over the stenciled area with gold paint.

She still didn't feel "done."  I felt like she needed words.  Seth Apter's stencils for November Stencil Club were perfect!    Now she felt finished.

What do you think?  Do you like her better with or without the stenciled overlay?  With or without the words?  Are there certain elements you feel unfinished without?  I'd love to 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.

If you don't already, please sign-up for my newsletter HERE, and follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Bloglovin and YouTube, so that you never miss a giveaway, and always get the latest Jessica Sporn Designs News!  

 

Unfinished: An Art Journal Page

We are each perfection in our imperfection...

wonderful works in progress, always unfinished.

Isn't that the best blessing? We always have opportunities to grow, become more compassionate and caring, better listeners, better spreaders of joy.

The only thing that is forever is change. 

Here is a video of my process making this art journal page.  I used Seth Apter's Unfinished stencil, as well as my own designs for Stencil Girl Products.

You can also watch Art Journal Page with Stencil Girl Stencils on YouTube here. 

"Unfinished" is available as print on Society6!   

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.

If you don't already, please sign-up for my newsletter HERE, and follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Bloglovin and YouTube, so that you never miss a giveaway, and always get the latest Jessica Sporn Designs News!  

 

Studio Reveal with The Altered Page

The wonderful Seth Apter has a great blog hop going today called "Studio Reveal."  Lots of artists have linked up with photos of their studios - messy, tidy, you name it!  Here are pics of my MESSY space -- it's how I'm most comfortable working!

What's on my work table today... a small canvas, charms for Art is You, and an art journal page all at the same time!

Expanded view - supplies and an almost finished iced coffee! 

Here's what's behind my chair -- need all my paints, markers, pencils, crayons and gelatos within reach...

Also behind me, often used mediums, stamps, modeling cremes and embossing powders...

My beloved stencils....

Teaching supplies on the shelves and in the big cabinet...

To see other studios, hop on over to The Altered Page.  

For the Hamsa Giveaway post (there's still time...), click here. 

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.

 

52 Pickup with Seth Apter

I spent a glorious daySunday in Seth Apter's 52 Pickup workshop at Little Bird Creations in New York City.  There were so many wonderful things about this workshop.  Perhaps only a New Yorker will appreciate this, but I drove into the city in 25 minutes flat and IMMEDIATELY FOUND A PARKING SPACE directly across from Little Bird!  This was so awesome that I had to photograph it!
 

The other wonderful things were watching my cards (a playing deck covered in black gesso), go from boring...

to brilliant, with Seth's techniques of adding and then debossing paint, adding all sorts of marks, including stencils (guess which ones I used!)...

and then collaging with papers I made from Carolyn Dube's gelli plate party!

I made new friends, including Barb (yellow sweater), an amazing mixed media/fiber artist.  She quilts with fabric and aluminum cans! (that is NOT a typo).   Check out her blog! 

 

It was great to spend the day learning from Seth. What a smart, nice man.  He is so encouraging and is able to gracefully balance the presentation of new techniques to a group, with guiding students individually.  I also fell in love with Little Bird Creations ; it is hard to believe that such a lovely, intimate studio like this exists in the heart of Manhattan.  And Michelle Luxenberg, who runs it, is a sweetheart!  I know I'll be back there soon!  

Finally, I discovered that Seth and I have a cyber friend in common - Lynn Cohen.  Lynn has just published a book called One Fish Taco and Half an Order of Guacamole,  her chronicle in words and pictures of a year of illustration and conversation at a local restaurant!  This seems the perfect gift for your favorite foodie, artists or both, and I can't wait to get mine!

Have YOU been doing any work with stencils?  (They don't have to be mine!)  Any at all???  I know you have.  So what are you waiting for?  Link up to the stencil blog party by Wednesday night and be eligible to win my Rain stencil!  Then check back on Thursday, 1/10, for the next installment of the Stencil Test Drive, featuring Natasha May, Maggie Nemetz, Judy Shea and Revlie Schuit!


Thank you for visiting! I read and treasure every comment and will answer any questions as quickly as I can.

Linking up to Simon Stamps & Show (Embrace the Old - as the photo in one of those collages is me when I was 16!).

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