I'm excited to be featured in StencilGirl® Stencil School this month. Every month, a guest artist teaches a tutorial and offers a sale on their stencils. This month, I'm showing you how to layer more than one stencil for new effects. You can buy my stencils at a discount until June 8th, 2025. Use the code TRENA20 to get 20% off my stencils!
In the video, I share tips and show lots of examples.
Last week, I had the most wonderful time with sixteen lovely women on an art walk in Spain. I attended with my dear friend Marge (who introduced me to stamping) and Mary Beth Shaw (who I adore). What an absolutely fabulous experience!! We spent our mornings exploring and afternoons working in our journals, which would capture our Spain experiences. Mary Beth shared techniques and ideas to spark our creativity.
We spent the first two days in Barcelona.
We walked the neighborhoods, rode the trains, and tasted the food. We also visited the Raima art store, which has six floors of scrumptious art supplies, including a rooftop bar/grill!! I bought a journal (as if I needed another one 😁) and lovely paper.
There are so many beautiful buildings and rich history. We had a tour of Sant Pau.
We also went to a flea market to pick up goodies for our journals. That was quite the experience! So many beautiful textiles and just lots of stuff - any kinda stuff you are looking for - including an art store on the top floor! 🎨😁
The rest of the week we were on the coast! We stayed in Callela de Palafrugell and WOW! The view from our hotel inspired my journal.
The hotel let us gather on the terrace to create art. Many visitors stopped by to see what we were doing. They were friendly and kind.
Our walks included the quant town down the steps of the hotel and surrounding towns Sant Feliu de Boada, Peretallada, Platja de Castell, and Palamos. Also, the countryside, and, of course, the beach of the Mediterranean Sea (insert happy squeal)!
I am still glowing from the beautiful experience! I took all the photos above. You are welcome to use any of them as inspiration for your own artwork, whether personal or commercial. Below are some additional fun photos that were shared by my travel buds, including a great shot of Marge and me in our fancy sun hats.
Shout Out:The Blue Walk. I highly recommend Jeanette and Suzy as tour guides!! You will experience a leisurely, small-group, guided walk and art workshop along Europe's beautiful coastlines, village squares, and open spaces.
The Tile Collection is official! Available at StencilGirl®!
In this post, I'm sharing more information about the collection and artwork I made using the new stencils - and a couple of stencils from my previous releases.
THE TILE COLLECTION consists of fun repeat patterns inspired by a project I did as part of the Multi.Minds.Color Membership with Studio Xhico. Xhico encouraged us to push our designs to develop interesting shapes using line and negative space. A design you would see on countertops, tabletops, backsplashes, shower walls, flooring, decorative murals, bars, and exterior architecture... the possibilities are endless! I loved the process of creating simple designs that, when repeated, could be used to cover a greeting card, a whole wall, or inspire the shape of a building.
Sharing photos of my artwork with the new stencils (and previous release stencils):
Today, I'm sharing that my new stencil collection is now available at Stencil Girl Products!
Here's a little peek of The Tile Collection:
I'll share more artwork, with step-out photos, next week when the official announcement from Stencil Girl comes out.
The official release is April 11th; however, the stencils are currently available.
Shout Out toXhico! These patterns are part of a larger black-and-white collection inspired by Tile Style, a project I did as part of @multi.color.minds led by @studio.xhico. I love being part of Xhico's design community. I truly feel like I'm in Design school - and it's fun!!
Today I'm sharing two things! A fun project and the best stencil sale!
Let's start with the sale!
All my stencils are on sale! Stencils are a tool you can use to take your artwork to another level. Have you had your eyes on a stencil or seven? This is StencilGirl's® only sale this year, and the savings are fabulous. You know you’ve been good! 😁 Fill your cart up at stencilgirlproducts.com. Below are a few pieces of art that I've made with my stencils.
As part of the fun, we made a little piece of art to share.
To create my trades, I used acrylic paint to spread color on 9x12 Strathmore gray mixed media paper. I wanted a thick, quality backing. I cut the sheets into individual cards and used my Couture ATC Patterns stencil to create an interesting textured background on each piece.
I brainstormed different designs for each piece. I knew I wanted to add each person's name and a Disney design. My first thought was to paint each card with a Disney Character. I was a bit ambitious. I decided to paint one iconic character and make tiny prints for each card. 😆 I used acrylic gouache to paint Mickey.
I used a variety of paint markers and pens to hand letter each person's name. I also added a character with a large paper clip for good measure. I had so much making these little pieces of art, thinking about my classmates and teachers as I wrote each name. To add a little bling, I used a Disney punch.
Today I'm sharing three journals I painted for the conference vendor fair I did last weekend.
But first, I want to let you know that tomorrow is the last day to sign up for Sarah's class!
I’ve been taking classes from Sarah for the last two years and love her teaching style. She breaks information into understandable blocks. I learned Ps and worked independently to clean up my artwork and complete patterns. I highly recommend Sarah, so much so that I became an affiliate to help share information about the class. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me! I'd be happy to share my experience.
Now onto the journals!!
This painting adventure started as a request. In June, I spoke at one of Dr. Carmen's Zoom events about the different ways to journal and the benefits of journaling. She saw a journal I made for myself and loved the look of it. Last weekend I attended a Women's Conference in Lansing, Michigan, hosted by Dr. Carmen, who asked me to make a journal as a giveaway during the conference. I had so much fun making it I made a couple more to sell at my vendor table.
I love using disc journals! There are a host of paper designs you can order, plus you can purchase a punch and put in whatever type of paper you want. You can move your papers around. I ordered the journal covers from Amazon and added a variety of papers - lined, graph, storyboard, blank, to-do lists, hot pressed, and bristol. Most papers are from Levenger, where I first got hooked on disc journals.
I used paint mediums and sealers before and after painting and various acrylic paints from my stash.
I love the look of creating layers that build upon each other.
Shout Out: Dr. Carmen Thomas, who leads Transformation GEMS, a 501c3 Public Charity, focuses on the engagement, education, and empowerment of women passionate about starting a business, sustaining a business, empowering communities, and creating legacies while eliminating poverty.
Today I'm sharing my art piece for another #100daysofStencilGirl day.
This was an easy and fun way to mass-produce ATCs. Stencils are so much fun to work with!
To see many ideas for using stencils, check out the hashtag #100daysofstencilgirl.
I used a Tulip sponge to apply acrylic paint and inks through the stencil Couture ATC Patterns L916 for the background, designed by me. If you want a sharp image, sponge off excess paint for a dry brush technique. If you want a painterly/blurry image, do not sponge off. The harder you press, the more the paint will spread under the stencil. You may want to practice a few times to find the balance of paint and pressure.
After the background dried, I painted flowers on each card.
After the flowers dried, I added black outlines and dots in the centers to make the flower colors pop.
Happy Thanksgiving in the USA! Many of us spend time reflecting on what we are thankful for - our families, friends, opportunities, joys, and challenges.
This is also the time of year when there are many, many... many sales as we move into the Christmas season. I'm sharing a sale with you!! November 27th - November 30th StencilGirl Products is having its biggest sale of the year! All my stencils, plus thousands of others, will be on sale. Three days of SuperStencil Savings starts November 27th!
I'm excited to share my new collection available from StencilGirl®!!
The Couture Collection features models, clothes, and fabric designs. You may have noticed that I've been a bit fascinated with fashion illustration over the last few months. :)
The couture collection was inspired by my love of fashion illustration and warm memories of playing with paper dolls when I was a child. The collection consists of Couture Models (a 9x12 model stencil with two sizes of three different models), Couture Closet #1 Small (a 6x6 closet for the smaller size models), Couture Closet #1 Large (a 9x12 closet stencil for the large models), and Couture ATC Patterns (a 9x12 ATC fabric/texture and other little bits stencil to complement the models).
The set includes masks and fitted openings for endless possibilities for your artwork. Outlines provide a jumpstart for coloring, masks and open stencils allow for your customized designs, or you can use the ATC stencil included in the collection for fabric designs. The couture models also include a curvy woman, as many of us have curves and we embrace all of them! The women can be used as focal points for greeting cards, journal spreads, on canvases, on walls, and included in larger art pieces. They work well with a variety of supplies. There are so many possibilities!
Below is a short video that introduces the collection and describes how I get to know new stencils.
Below are pieces of art that I made using the new collection of stencils. I had such a great time AND I have so many more ideas. If I didn't have to sleep, work on other projects and eat, I might get to them all. hehehe
I cut it out - TIP: Lay the bathing from closet1 small (S920) over the colorful piece and trace it so you can easily see where to cut.
For finishing touches, I used a variety of colored pencils and pens to add her face features and hair, show subtle shading on her neck and back leg, and add shoes. Nothing fancy, just little touches to make her pop on the card. The stamped sentiment is from Papertrey Ink.
Evening Wear and Showing Hands
I cut out a model (L917) and her dress (L918) from the large set of sprayed images in the video. Next, I laid the dress over the model and drew a simple outline of hands with a white pencil - extending the lines from her wrists.
I cut out hand shapes in the dress.
I cut out the inside area of her arms and trimmed around her body.
I tried on her dress to make sure that it fit around her hands.
Added a design to her dress with one of the ATC sections (L916) and a gold metallic pen.
I repeated these steps for the other two large models and added jewelry and cute shoes with pens. They are ready to step out into the evening!
TIP: When you use an outline to paint/color your model's body, you can get the shape of her arms by laying the mask over the body and painting inside her arms with the same or similar color to the background.
Original Designs
For this journal page in a gray sketchbook, I traced each model mask (L917) in white pencil, then traced over the white in a dark gray. Next, I used acrylic paint to add their clothes, blending on the page - but not too much, so all that rich texture will show through!
Tag
Single layer (no scissors needed)
I drew one of the small models (L917) with a colored pencil and colored it with water-based markers. NOTE: I traced inside the stencil and used the mask use draw in the shape of her arms and also drew in an outline for a suggestion of her hands. Don’t worry about detailed hands, just the shape works. You can also use the dress mask to trace around her hands' shapes.
I drew in a line with colored pencils to separate the shapes of her legs, as well as a little lipstick. I laid her dress stencil over her body and colored it in with a marker.
I laid the dress mask right inside the dress shape and held it in place with my opposite hand while I colored a darker blue, adding design and interest.
I used colored pencils and markers to add hair, lipstick, shoes, and shading. I had so much fun creating three women!
Bookmark 1
Using the mask from her large closet (L918), I traced her outfit first, then traced the body as if she were wearing the outfit. I added a line to show her leg in front and a wavey line to show the bottom of her shirt.
Next, I colored her shirt with a marker and gave it a design using one of the sections of the ATC Pattern stencil (L916).
TIP: To keep the design inside the clothing, lay the closet1 large stencil over the ATC stencil to keep your pattern in bounds. Be sure to line it up. Here I was showing an example where the ATC stencil goes down first and the clothing stencil on top. That way your design lines are crisp.
I colored in her pants, and added shoes and festive flowers in her hair, inspired by Frida Kahlo.
'Oops Note': After I colored in everything, I realized I missed adding the ATC pattern to her sleeve. It was easy to line the stencils back up and add the design. :o)
Bookmark 2
For this bookmark, I traced the model mask (L917) onto the cardstock and colored her in with markers. Next, I colored her hair, drew in shoes, and added details to her face with colored pencils and markers. I added her swimsuit (L918)from one of the spray pieces shared in the video. For the decorative flooring, I used the ATC Pattern stencil (916) and a colored pencil. I like the soft look the pencil created.
Journal Page - Happiness Is...
For my last example, I colored her body and her hair with acrylic paint. I used alcohol inks to create bright festive dresses. I traced around the dress mask, traced all of the inside designs, and cut them out. I used a marker to draw on her shoes.
TIPS and SUGGESTIONS:
Be sure to wipe all water soluble supplies off your stencils to make sure you only get the colors you want the next time you use them.
When drawing shoes, hair, and facial features, I use references to help me with shapes and stylized designs. It's easy to keep them as simple shapes to finish off your model.
Shout Out: To the StencilGirl® team!! They are awesome to work with and I just love all of them!! For fashion design instruction and inspiration, I appreciate Jane Davenport , Zoe Hong, Jessica Durrant, and Marcus Kan!!
I'm sharing a couple of ideas for how to use stencils to bring some colorful joy to yourself and to others.
Here's a little peek:
Please visit my post on the StencilGirl® Talk Blog to see two ideas with step-out photos. I also included a link for videos with tips for creating with word stencils and African symbols.
Now is your chance to save 25% on not only my stencils, but all StencilGirl Stencils*! The discount will be taken automatically at checkout. No coupon code is needed!
If you buy 6 stencils of the sale size StencilGirl’s 10% everyday discount is automatically applied to those stencils.
But the best part is there are FREEBIES to be had! $100+ Anniversary Stencil by Mary Beth Shaw $300+ a StencilGirl Studio class by Mary Beth Shaw Please note: Freebies are calculated after the discounts are applied.
You can take advantage of colossal stencil savings through 11:59 p.m. CST, November 30, 2021. *Some restrictions apply.SALE FAQ
Thanks for loving stencils like I love stencils!
Do you have an SG wish list? StencilGirl’s biggest sale of the year starts November 28th. You know you’ve been good!
The West African collection released last October has been very popular, and we are now releasing two 9x12 stencils with larger images and words to provide a variety of sizes for your artwork. The West African Symbols Mix-up 5 stencil includes four large symbols that represent supremacy of God, learn from your mistakes, humility and strength, and royalty and greatness. The large word stencil includes words that represent love, intelligence, ingenuity, freedom, feminine qualities, supremacy of God, learn from your mistakes, humility and strength, and royalty and greatness. Use these stencils in art journaling, mixed media projects, and larger bodies of work. They are wonderful as a focal point in your art or for gelli printing, and you can use them to create marvelous patterns on fabric. The stencils are now available at StencilGirl Products.
I'm sharing a project and a couple ideas for how to use stencils to create something for positivity.
Here's a little peek:
Please visit my post at the StencilGirl® Talk Blog to see the the full project with step out photos, as well as a couple of other ideas. I also included a link for a video with tips for creating with word stencils.
Today I'm sharing new stencil designs that I've had to keep secret for several months - ohhh, that has been a challenge for me! :)
I am the artist for August’s StencilClub at StencilGirl Products! I am over the moon - where did that saying come from anyway?! I don't know, but it accurately describes my joy!!
I have a video on StencilGirl Talk today that shares how I got the inspiration for these designs.
StencilClub is a monthly subscription for exclusive designs that are revealed the first day of each month. It is like getting a present every single month! Members also get 20% off StencilGirl® stencils all the time.
Each month, you get:
One 9" x 12" EXCLUSIVE stencil, one 6" x 6" EXCLUSIVE stencil, and one 4" x 4" EXCLUSIVE stencil.
An EXCLUSIVE video for MEMBERS ONLY provided by the designing artist.
A downloadable PDF with basic instructions to go along with the video for that month.
Entrance into a SECRET Facebook group for MEMBERS ONLY! A place to share, inspire and talk all about stencils!
You are eligible to purchase ANY past month for the membership price.
Shout Out:MaryBeth Shaw. MaryBeth is a savvy business woman, talented artist, and has big heart! I am feeling grateful.
I don’t want you to miss out on the biggest STENCIL SALE of the year.
Now is your chance to get 25% off of my stencils and all the stencils! Discount code to use at checkout: joy25.
If you buy 6 stencils of the sale size StencilGirl’s 10% everyday discount is automatically applied to those stencils.
But the best part is there are FREEBIES to be had! $100+ Anniversary Stencil by Mary Beth Shaw $300+ a StencilGirl Studio class by Mary Beth Shaw Please note: Freebies are calculated after the discounts are applied.
You can take advantage of colossal stencil savings through 11:59 p.m. CST, December 1, 2020. *Some restrictions apply. SALE FAQ
Thank you for loving stencils like I love stencils! Stencils add so much to your artwork!
My StencilGirl® stencils are going on sale for Cyber Monday! This is the biggest sale of the year and the savings are huge. Fill your cart up at stencilgirlproducts.com. Start, or update, your wishlist now! I updated mine. :).
Below is some artwork I created from my latest collection West African Symbols ATC Mixup - a collaboration with the fabulous Wendy Featherston.
Today I'm sharing some exiting news that I've had to keep secret for several weeks - ohhh, that has been hard for me! :)
I have teamed up with the lovely and talented Wendy Featherston to create a stencil collection of Adinkra symbols. Please visit our StencilGirl® Talk blog post to see how we used the beautiful symbols and words!
All the Images and Text on this site are owned by the original creator, Trena Brannon. Please do not copy or use anything without asking permission. These projects and stories are shared for inspirational use only. Designs may not be copied for the purpose of publication or contest submissions. Thank you for your support!
