crusading, cutting
We wrapped up the month of March with a record number of participants who shared links to their custom cut rubber stamps. We took a vote and bumped cutting stencils to April. Congrats to Susan Warder for being the Top Hat Pick for Crusade No. 18. I made a little tutorial on stencil cutting over on the Street Team blog, and will continue adding to it as I did last month with the carving tips. I'm still obsessing over roses...had to make stamps and stencils yesterday. WARNING: It's Addictive.
The only way to know if you have cut a good and useful image is to put it to work. These are the beginnings of journal pages using both acrylic paint and spray paint with my new stamps, stencils, and masks. Give them a test run before cutting more because you'll learn what you might have done differently, or what additions you'd like to have: for instance, a solid image of your stencil to create a foundation to make it *pop*.
I don't often use people or faces in my work so I've stayed away from attempting a portrait stencil. But I've been wanting to do a Valo, and a Poe, and finally starting working on them. I had an a-ha moment when I decided to take this design which wasn't quite working, and turn it into a half-face. I got so excited with it I had to make a PS brush and take it for a test ride digitally. I think I'm ready to cut HIM out now. *grins*
Wanna join a fun community of artists? Come see what we're doing on the Street Team. We have new players every month, so don't be shy. We have artists who share their time and talent, but most of all, their enthusiasm for making cool stuff. Seriously, *we rock*.
Wow! You are the ruling Queen of Spraypaint and Stencils, Michelle! I'm always in awe of how much energy you have. Look at everything you've stenciled - woah!
PS - I think it's about time we met up for a coffee again, don't you? :)
Posted by: susanna | Friday, April 04, 2008 at 08:31 PM
Almost forgot to mention that it's interesting how you've taken an image that is victorian and goth in the old sense and made it so modern and new with the spraypaint. Very cool!
Posted by: susanna | Friday, April 04, 2008 at 08:33 PM
and still more inspiration from Ms Ward! Wowie Zowie - how big was that brush?! Those multi-tone roses can almost be touched!
Speaking of PhotoShop, although I am in preschool Photoshop-wise, I found a way to test drive a stencil design. When I was struggling with the camel bracket stencil, I started using the fill bucket to see where I needed to make "inlets" or where I would be flooded. It was helpful when I was ready to cut to have played with the design in digital world first. This may be known to everybody who uses PS for stencil creation but I was jazzed to bump into it (which is how I do most of my stuff on PS - actually PSE 4.0 now, I graduated from PSE 2.0, so I'm dumber than ever.)
long-winded and full of exclamation points -sheeeeeee
Posted by: susan w | Friday, April 04, 2008 at 10:15 PM
Wow!!!! Michelle- your stencils are fabulous. I LOVE roses. Exquisite. Your portrait is gorgeous- YOu did a great job.
Posted by: Sam Marshall | Friday, April 04, 2008 at 10:31 PM
oh this will be sew sew fun! ~Monica :)
Posted by: monica magness | Saturday, April 05, 2008 at 12:46 AM
OMG that 1/2 portrait is amazing. Just amazing...
Posted by: Cath S | Saturday, April 05, 2008 at 05:17 AM
Love your work! You know roses and raven's are my fave, I might just have to make me some rose stamps and stencils.
Posted by: Megan Warren | Saturday, April 05, 2008 at 06:29 AM
Michelle - LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Valo stencil. It's funny, I have been working on a Valo stencil too but haven't gotten further than the paper copy I am working off of. Now I just want to stay home and work on it some more...but no, it's off to work for me!
I did buy all the stuff to carve stamps but I have just been working on stencils for months...I should have more done but NO. Work makes Judy a not fun girl!
Gotta run off to work, but again love your stencils (mostly Ville tho).
Until later,
Judy
Posted by: Judy N | Saturday, April 05, 2008 at 09:12 AM
I could not stop staring at your Ville stencil, until my co-worker told me to quit looking at Ville and get to work. I will be embarrased to post my Ville stencil now, thanks a lot. Seriously, I could look at your stencil work for days and days...so please keep it coming! I hope to meet up with you in May when you are in WI. For coffee, or jager shots.
Posted by: forcryeye | Saturday, April 05, 2008 at 09:39 AM
Hey Michelle, who would've thought that there were SO many ways to stamp and stencil a rose? YOU, that's who! I love all the different rose "test samples", and your half-face portrait stencil ain't half-bad, either! (Am I funny, or is my lack of sleep getting the better of me?)
Thanks for loads of amazing stuff to look at! :)
Posted by: ArtKat | Saturday, April 05, 2008 at 06:29 PM
love it, thanks for the amazing tutorial, been wanting to get into these for a while!!!
post to the crusade soon :))
Posted by: Jo Wholohan | Saturday, April 05, 2008 at 09:37 PM
Your Ville stencil is yummy! I'm looking forward to stencil cutting, although I'm not sure I want to take the time away from stamp cutting ;)
Posted by: Carrie | Sunday, April 06, 2008 at 01:43 AM
Is there nothing you wont tackle? What a wonderful tutorial and insight into stencil cutting - I seriously hope to play along this month! Thanks once again for your tuition and voice of experience. Mx
Posted by: Megan | Tuesday, April 08, 2008 at 05:14 AM
OMG!
i really don't have to say anything here do i???
; D
Posted by: cindi | Tuesday, April 08, 2008 at 06:15 PM
I'm speechless. gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous. oh and....
*swoon*
love it. :)
Posted by: Kimi | Tuesday, April 08, 2008 at 11:30 PM
You are such an inspiration, which sounds a bit trite and sycophantic, but I genuinely have 'met' very few people who have given me "Aha!" moments of creative inspiration... There are 3 of you to date: Yourself, Trish Bee and Frieda Oxenham. Thanks for liberating me and opening my mind!
Posted by: Rosie | Wednesday, April 09, 2008 at 06:26 AM
so very cool to see how you use the one stencil is so many different ways!
Posted by: stephanie | Thursday, April 10, 2008 at 12:04 PM
your VV stencil is totally the coolest thing ever...can't WAIT to see the Poe stencil...
Posted by: carlene | Thursday, April 10, 2008 at 05:42 PM
Oh my, Michelle!!!! What a simply delectable stencil of Ville, love the roses stencils too and how wonderful they look done in all the different ways with paints/gesso....but Ville "takes the cake"!!!
Posted by: Kelsey | Thursday, April 10, 2008 at 06:36 PM
I second every single previous comment! That Ville stencil is just totally smashing and SO much more mysterious and interesting as a half face. FYI: Valentino has a new fragrance out for Spring called "Rock and Rose" Now there's a MW signature scent if there ever was one! xox
Posted by: Linda Warlyn | Thursday, April 10, 2008 at 09:05 PM
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous Michelle!
Your blog is one of the absolute best out here in the sphere. I love everything about it!!!!!!
YOU are truly amazing to me.
Catherine xo
Posted by: Catherine Witherell | Saturday, April 12, 2008 at 02:23 PM