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Negative Space

Last week I gave you a little insight into how I use my mini stencils for Paper Pen and Plan. This week I’d like to show you how I use masks like the one’s made for this month’s Sweet Treat boxes.

Masks are just as versatile as stencils. My favourite way to use them is printing on a gelli plate. I actually love the ghost print left behind best because of its grunge factor, but you can get some great results however you use them.

Or how about taking a rubbing with crayons? I’ve used Scribble Stix here for their vibrancy. It’s quite satisfying watching the shape appear, like being seven again!

Of course there’s the obvious way to use them by drawing around them, but if you run out of ideas you could always paint them gold and add them to a collage. I added some black gesso to mine before painting to help the paint stick on the plastic surface but it also helped the gold to pop out more. Here they’re added to a little collage of book paper, teabag and fabric and put onto a gel printed background.

I’m off now for a weekend away in a cabin in the forest. Have a great weekend yourselves and I’ll see you back here next week.

Jaine x

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USING MY MINI STENCILS

Lavander stencils for Paper Pen and Plan

One of my favourite things to do in the studio is the designing and cutting of stencils, especially the mini stencils which Clare from Paper Pen and Plan asks me to cut to go in her monthly subscription boxes. These are 10 x 7cm so are quite small, but even so based on a brief from Clare I try to pack as much on there as possible. This month’s stencil is a lavander trio and as a bonus I also included the mask part too.

This afternoon I had a chance to play with this new stencil myself and I thought I’d share a few handy tips along the way. The first thing I like to do is extend the edges by adding some painters tape. I’ll also mask off parts of the stencil I don’t want to include with a bit of washi. The second way I like to use these small stencils is by using a finger dauber with ink. You can get a much better finish with one of these and, it makes the whole job so much easier and by pouncing rather than swirling it stops ink from spreading underneath.

This particular stencil is great for layering with several different colours to create more depth. I also used texture paste on a piece of card and dry brushed over some gold acrylic once it was dry. The texture paste picks up the paint beautifully.

I don’t think this card needs much more to be honest. A few inky splatters and a delicate butterfly are enough.

Impasto paint is very thick and works like texture paste using a knife. I decided to just add a small collage to the front with a splash of colour from some fabric.

I love how the texture paste and gold worked out on the tag.

If you want to know more about the subscription boxes from Paper Pen and Plan go here to the Etsy shop. If you’re interested in having stencils designed and made by me then you can contact me here jaine@basementstudio.lu and I’ll give you a quote.

Next week I’ll show you how I used the other part of this stencil, the masks. That’s a whole other world of possibilities.

For now, have a lovely weekend

Jaine xx

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More printing in the studio

There’s a definite change in the air right now. The garden has noticed it, the forest has noticed it and my attention has wandered towards my upcoming workshop in October, the first one in over a year. The workshop is based around printing with leaves and botanicals so every time I’m out with the dog I end up with a little bunch of interesting things to try out on my gelli plate.

I’m having so much fun printing and actually end up with alot more prints which I truly like. Of course when printing not everything comes out great but even the ones which were a bit of a fail have a place somewhere in my work.

I really think I’ve got the hang of it now, my printing plate is almost permanently out on my worktable and I love using botanicals.

From this latest session spread over a couple of days, I’ve ended up with 19 collage papers, 20 double sided A5 sheets and 29 postcard sized pieces. It’s becoming a bit addictive. The collage papers are ordinary copy paper which were used as clean up sheets or for taking the first print onto. These make great backgrounds or cut up for collage. Sometimes they look so much better when they’re cut up into smaller pieces or die cut from.

I’ll be back next week with news of another project involving gel prints but for now have a good week,

Jaine x

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A visit to Sicily

Villa Rica, Patti in Sicily

Our weather here in Luxembourg this Summer has been a bit up and down to put it mildly. We’ve had stunning sunshine prompting pool parties in the back garden to heavy rain and flooding on a scale not seen for ages. I’ve even resorted to putting on the heating a couple of times! So we were pleased to spend some time away in Sicily. It was roastingly hot even for the locals but like all mad dogs and Englishmen it didn’t stop us from getting out and enjoying some sight seeing. It’s always lovely to recharge and get a new perspective on things by getting away. I think the different culture, food, scenery and colours have freshened up my crafting which lately had started to become a bit stale.

I couldn’t help but be inspired by the colours around me but even though I took my sketch book with good intentions, sadly it didn’t come out once.

Coming home again had me all fired up to stop procrastinating and get on with something productive. As I have a workshop coming up in the Autumn I need to make a mockup for, I thought I’d sieze the opportunity to get started on it.

Gel prints with leaves

The workshop is based around gel printing with botanicals so I thought I’d have another go at gel printing with leaves and ended up with this little lot. I’m much more confident with how they’re turning out, I think I seem to have mastered it at last. I actually like what I’m managing to print. The idea is to make a small journal out of them ending up with all of these colourful backgrounds.

While I was out with the dog I found this pretty feather on the path, so tiny but it gave me an idea for the cover of the journal.

A little collage of scraps from my bit box and the tiny feather looks lovely againsed the calico cover and the little bird rub-on was a lost treasure from an old pile of forgotten rub-ons. Does anyone use rub-ons anymore?

Enjoy the weather and the end of the Summer where you are and find some new inspiration in the changing of the seasons.

Jaine xx

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