How to Make Cards Using Stencils and Paint - Video and Giveaway

In case you missed it, here's a post with one of my newer stencils from Stencil Girl Products! 

Today I'm excited to show you how I made some cards with my  "On the Farm" Stencil!  I designed this stencil to so that the elements could be mixed and matched.  I love moving the elements around to create cards.

I experimented with tracing some of the elements lightly onto watercolor paper, and then painting with acrylic inks (although watercolors would do fine too!).

I experimented with stenciling some of the imagery, and then doodling over with Posca markers and Gel pens.

As you can see, I moved the stencil around on my paper to get the arrangements I wanted.  Here's a video to show you the process:

You can also watch Making Cards with Stencils on YouTube.  And here's a link for using Acrylic Inks as watercolors.  

I hope you enjoyed this video and it gave you some ideas!

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!

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

Baring My Heart - Using Art to Heal

Have you noticed that I've been re-posting a bit lately?  It's because things have been going on in my life that are hard to deal with.  No, I'm not talking about the political situation in the USA, although that IS very hard to deal with.  I'm talking about family, and illness, and sadness.

Wishes and Dreams of Love and Empathy

I've been candid about my struggles with depression.  But in late February, my younger daughter went through a very difficult time after several months of struggling with depression herself.  She's doing much better, and learning every day how to live with the intensity of her feelings.  But it hasn't been easy.  (She gave me permission to write a bit about it.)

Salad of Feelings With All Eyes Upon You

So it's been hard to write this blog, while feeling that there is a big part of my life that I can't share.  I am not going to go into all the details, because that wouldn't be fair to our family.  But I know that many of you also have experience with intense feelings, sadness, depression and anxiety.  And it is always good to know that we are not alone.

Deaths in the Desert

Speaking of not being alone, I have been doing a lot of art and activism around immigration and anti-Muslim sentiment.  Here I am at a recent demonstration and press conference at Newark Airport, the day after the most recent travel ban was struck down.

In fact, my lesson for Wanderlust 2017 uses that as an inspiration. I was inspired by this Georgia O-Keefe quote:

to create a mixed media canvas using shapes and color to express things I have no words for. Click here to visit Everything Art, and I'll see you in the classroom.

Here is a beautiful video about one aspect of immigration.  I hope it moves you as much as it moved me.



Thanks for meeting me here. Wrapping you all in a big hug.  xoxox

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

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

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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 I Find Angels and Two Video Tutorials

Before I get on with this post, I have an exciting announcement.  


I am the designer for this month's Stencil Club stencils.  Hop over to Stencil Girl Talk for the big reveal!! 













Do you ever use your art to work out your feelings about the world?

In and Out of the World, featuring the Medieval Leaves Stencil

Many of my art journal spreads, tags and paintings contain angels.

I don't always start off painting an angel, but one often appears when I am feeling particularly moved by a situation in the world.

It's my subconscious way of sending a prayer to refugees, victims of floods and earthquakes, or the people living in a state of constant terror and turmoil in Syria.

These are two paintings I recently completed.

They are both on 8 x 8" cradled wood board and are $145, including shipping anywhere in the world.  Just message me if you'd like one.  UPDATE: Four Angels is sold as of 9:58 AM! 

Four Angels, featuring the Paisley Flower Motif Stencil and the 9/16 Stencil Club Stencils

I filmed some of my process to show you one of the ways I work.  

I divided the video into two parts - creating the background, and manifesting the angels.

Here's Part I:

You can also watch How to Build Up a Collage Background on YouTube here.  

Here's Part II:

You can also watch Manifesting Angels on YouTube.

And don't forget to hop over to Stencil Girl Talk for the big reveal of this month's stencils!! 

         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.

Tell All Tuesday and Giveaway Winner!

Hi friends - Life has been a whirlwind for me and I wanted to bring you up to speed a bit and share some (ok - a lot of) pictures.

In September, I had a magical week with my older daughter, Mariel, in a trip to London to see "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child."  I bought the tickets a year ago when I first learned of the production.  (I'm a huge HP fan!).  It was truly magical, in a way that only theater can be.  

With movies, you know that CGI is creating a lot of the effects.  At the show, Mariel and I kept poking each other and whispering - how did they do that?

Mariel agreed to a week of Potter geekdom, and we fully embraced it, touring the Warner Brothers studio where a lot of the filming took place,

visiting Platform 9 and 3/4,

and visiting Oxford and London locations for the movies.  (Oh, and Mariel was checking out the Oxford University Applied Linguistics Masters program !)

I managed to sneak in a visit to my favorite London landmark, the Peter Pan statue in Kensington Gardens.

After a Potter and fantasy-filled week, we headed to the Czech Republic.  Mariel spent a year there as a Fulbright scholar and returned to teach English for a few months.  We arrived just in time for the Znojmo wine festival,

And a tour of a local vineyard.

I headed home, knowing I was leaving my daughter in the place she's meant to be. It was a wonderful time together.  These times are so special, and I definitely savored every moment.   Of course, I had my sketchbook and paints with me; I even found some time to make art.  Here are some of the watercolor doodles I made in coffee shops and on the plane!

Have you had any adventures lately?  Please link/share in the comments!

And... the winner of last week's Frightfully Fall Blog Hop giveaway is .... ruskingirl06.  Congratulations!!  I've already sent you an email request for your snail mail address. 

         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!