More stencil play

I've been playing with making some more stencils. Was particularly pleased with this one. I can see myself using parts of it to add all sorts of textures to my pages. 

Journal Fodder 365 - Prompt #42

This week's prompt for Journal Fodder 365 (from the book by Eric Scott and David Modler) is dark and light. What do you expose to the light and what do you hide in your darkness?

We all have things we would rather hide in the darkness. The thing that I have found, though, is that the more I allow the Light in, the more the shadows flee away. If I want to be free of the darkness inside, I have to let the Light in. This might seem counter-intuitive, but the Light that exposes my darkness also brings healing and cleansing. Those things that I would rather hide can only be removed by exposing them to the Light.

So don't hide in the dark.

Be courageous and let the Light in.

New stencils!

I have been watching the wonderful stencilling videos that Julie Fei-Fan Balzer has been running this week. Hop on over to her blog to catch up on them all. They inspired me to make some more stencils.

The last lot that I made (see the post here) were hand-cut from cardboard. I liked the designs and have used them a lot. However, when I put them on the gelli-plate, because they're made of cardboard, they soak up the paint. Also, I used them with some spray paints and they've buckled a bit.

Rifling through my filing cabinet I came across some sticky-backed plastic used for covering books and a lightbulb went on. I could make some waterproof stencils!

So I took some cardboard file dividers and trimmed them to size.

Each side was then covered with sticky-backed plastic. If you use a patterned one as I have here, I suggest you stick one side, trim it, and then do the other. If you're using the clear one then it's easy to see where the edge of the cardboard is and you can just trim once.

Mark the pattern you want and cut out. I used a stanley knife (also called, I believe, a box-cutter).

If your pattern goes quite close to the edge you can add a protective border using gaffer tape (duck tape), folding it over the edge and trimming the corners. (Another Julie F-F B tip)

And there you have it - a waterproof stencil of your own design that didn't put a large dent in your budget :) I can see some time at the gelli-plate in my near future...

Just breathe

There are days when I don't feel as if I've achieved as much as I'd like. Maybe, like me, you tend to be a little hard on yourself.

But there are days where just getting through the day is enough.

Just breathing is enough.

Just being is enough.

Feeling weary

Do you ever have days where your energy suddenly feels depleted? You do all your chores and suddenly a weariness descends that sends you to lie down with a book before you fall down? 

Yesterday was one of those days. Sure, I cleaned the floors and did the washing and cooked the dinner and taught the lessons I needed to teach, but mid-afternoon I slumped. It was as if someone had pulled the plug and all the energy just drained out of me. 

At times like that I am thankful that I don't have to rely on my own strength to get through the day. That when I feel completely inadequate and incapable, He upholds me. 

Journal Fodder 365 - Prompt #42

After a busy February, we are resuming normal service for March :) I had great fun looking at all the wonderful faces over at 29 Faces. If you haven't had a look yet, do take the time to do so by clicking on the button in the sidebar.

I'm approaching the end of Journal Fodder 365, now being in the penultimate chapter. The prompt for this week was hidden spaces, looking at what we hide and what we reveal. It sent me on a musing about how nothing is hidden from God. I might try to shove parts of me into the shadows, keeping them hidden, but they aren't hidden from Him. 

And He loves me anyway.

And that is the bit that undoes me. He knows all those things that I try to keep hidden from others - the selfishness, pride, unkindness, foolishness, ingratitude, etc., etc. - and He loves me as I am even while He cleanses and perfects me and diminishes those hidden places.

29 Faces - crossing the finish line!

Face #28 is a renaissance woman.

And for the final one, some bright colours based on Matisse's portrait of Mrs. Matisse. 

I have to say that this challenge has been fun and… challenging :) I feel like I've learned a lot about light and shadow on faces, but also that there are many ways to draw a face. I've enjoyed looking at all the wonderful art and drawing inspiration from the many artists who've joined in this challenge and left encouraging comments. I will definitely keep experimenting. 

And away from faces, I managed to track down some carvable rubber so bought a 30x30cm piece. Here are my first few stamps:

And a background made with the circle one:

29 Faces - face 27

I've done lots of faces with lines, so here's one with dots for a change. Pointillist style with Copics.

29 Faces - #26

Well, day 26 and the ideas are starting to flag. This one is made a little different by the serendipitous placement of a butterfly made from cleaning off the gelli-plate. 

And staying on the subject of gelli-plates, here is a journal page made with a gelli-print. 

                     

I liked this one so much that I didn't want to do too much to it. Here it is at the start:

This print was made using a texture stamp made from a piece of mouldable foam - the sort you heat and then make impressions into - and a piece of card with a pattern made with a glue gun. I inked the plate with mocha and teal paints and used the two stamps to lift paint and move it elsewhere. 

And here are some close-ups:

29 Faces - no. 25

I went for straight lines and geometric shapes today. A very quick sketch. Those eyebrows ended up scowly :)