Stencil Mixed Media

on


I'm generally crazy about Stencils. They add beauty to a project in their own way... be it for Art Journaling, Mixed Media, Card Making, Scrapbook Layouts... stencil enhances the beauty of the art.

There are various techniques involved with stencils. They can be used with variety of products... distress inks, acrylics, sprays, modelling pastes, gel mediums, crackles... list goes on.

In my Project today, i have used a variety of stencils.

The base is an old card board from the scrap i had. It was thick and i felt it would be good enough for what i had in mind. First i created the background with Tim Holtz Measured stencil, TCW mini triangles stencil, TCW mini art is stencil and Art Anthology Blocked stencil with modelling paste. When it dried i sprayed with Lindy's Stardust on the entire base. With Finnabair Patina Pastes Brass, Mint Green and Blue, added effects at few places. Using Bo Bunny crackle texture stamp and black archival ink, added another layer to my background. My background is now complete.

Next, I die cut an ornate doily and made that as base for next layer.

Soft breezes blow carrying the sweet scent of flowers through the air, while the summer sunshine fills your heart with warmth! 
There’s no grander place to leave your cares and worries behind than a beautiful garden! It’s the perfect place to lose yourself in a day dream as you’re surrounded by bountiful blooms playing host to a kaleidoscope of butterflies!

What is it about butterflies that evoke so many feelings of joy, memories of loved ones gone before us, and the gentle reminder that the trials of life can transform us into something beautiful! 

Lose yourself in a bright and happy hued paper collection filled with vivid pinks, blazing oranges, soft blues and soothing teals, boasting dynamic imagery of beautifully illustrated butterflies and divine florals encompassed in whimsical swirls and beautiful brocades!

Several sizes of artfully illustrated pre made card fronts, and elegant scrapbook pages set the perfect scene for hand shaped and embellished butterflies, along with your favorite dimensional flowers! Three fanciful cling stamp sets with coordinating dies lend themselves perfectly to adding a touch of elegance and grace to your one of a kind paper creations with delightfully scripted sentiments, stylish butterfly borders, detailed decorative dies, and several fascinating butterfly illustrations! So close your eyes, allow yourself to relax, and come along with us as we escape to a place filled with Butterfly Dreams!


“When you give yourself permission to communicate what matters to you in every situation you will have peace despite rejection or disapproval. Putting a voice to your soul helps you to let go of the negative energy of fear and regret.”
― Shannon L. Alder

 I do not restrict myself to a certain style. I am more into everything as everything around me draws my attention like shabby chic, grungy, rustic mixed media and simple card making. For me art has always been exploring new things. Paints, brushes, stamps, and stencils are my all time favorite, glimpses of which will be always there in my creations. I put my heart into creating something unique each time. I love making cards, scrapbooks, layout, mini albums, mixed media, art journals, 3D projects and "Off the Page" creations. I try to look for new inspirations and love to explore beyond my boundaries. I get inspiration by looking around at the creative and all talented crafters and websites. I feel excited to make art piece which brings me satisfaction and a different level of happiness. 
We are Sunila & Aditi (mother & daughter, aka Dots to Lines) and we live in Bangalore, India. We have been mixed media artists and scrapbookers professionally for about 5 years. We are into paper-crafting, Mixed Media Layouts, Art Journaling, Albums making, Altered Art and Scrapbooking. Our style of art and craft is a fusion of techniques and use of vibrant colours. We aim to spread joy. Every creation of ours, speaks a story and we enjoy sharing this with people. We keep learning and try to incorporate variety in our creations.  We keep ourselves updated and upgrade our skills timely.
We would like to re-apply and continue our term with Fantasy. We are huge fans of Fantasy Dies and chipboards. We would love to be a part of the Team, to showcase creative ways of using Fantasy Dies/Chipboards. We have a great standing and viewership as artists/crafters in the Indian Market, and we would be able to contribute to the growth of the brand, reaching a newer market like India. We have many interested crafters/artists who love using dies and chipboards in their creations, and with us showcasing the product, it would sure help the brand enter this vast art world in India. With our versatility, we’d love to showcase them across projects- journals, cards, layouts, altered projects, etc. Also, it would be a great opportunity for us to work with a team of mixed artists, share, and learn together. We’re punctual and hence timely project submission is a plus! We are into blogging and have experience being Design Team Members. We are active on social media platforms. We regularly also participate in various blog challenges. Documenting memories, especially through mixed media art and scrapbooking makes us happy.

the one who is struggling, who has fallen, who has encountered a loss…Feeling depressed? Demoralised? Does the situation seem too hopeless to change? Have you given up on any positive possibilities? Yes, I know exactly how that feels. It’s excruciatingly painful and totally exhausting. Been there, done that. Don’t worry. You are not alone. I know you are tired of hearing this as well. But may I tell you a secret? Listen to me just for a moment. Whatever you are going through, however you are handling it, be proud of yourself. It’s EXTRA-ORDINARY to be able to feel all the despair from its roots. I say, more power to you! Not everyone is privileged enough to experience it. Understand how SPECIAL you are. You have been gifted a life full of vibrant and exciting colors, none of them are dull or boring. So wear them with grace.Now remember: There’s a PHOENIX inside you. Of course there is….such a magical creature you are! And now it’s ready to rise up from the ashes. Yes, that’s true. You have got the ability to be RE-BORN. Trust yourself. You can feel the fire inside you, can’t you? Acknowledge it, take a deep breath and EMERGE – Powerful, Mindful and Magnificent than ever. This art journal layout is very special to me. It was one of those times when I needed boosting  my self-confidence. An image of Phoenix sprung up in my mind – Soaring high up, with fire in the eyes and flaunting its beautiful tail. And I realized that it’s inside me. Calling me out. Ready for the rebirth.

I wanted to talk about an important matter I can see some of you are having a hard time with - pressure and lack of ideas for new projects or lost will to create at all.  Sounds familiar?I have to tell you one big secret - we've all been there!We are all struggling from time to time and it is absolutely normal, and there are so many reasons for this to happen: not enough inspiration, time to rest, usual life and family matters, too many responsibilities or projects we are involved in and finally - the most important for me today - pressure we are putting on ourselves. I've seen it so many times, with many beautiful, creative people. I have to admit I'm not free from this mistake myself, but to defend myself I can say in my case creativity is the matter of survival. I'm a full-time artist, teacher and product designer - and that sounds exciting until you have to perform and deliver no matter what the circumstances are. The pressure is real and it's really important you will take a step back from time to time and have a look at yourself from a distance and check if you are still ok with what you are doing, or maybe you are a bit too far?I'm writing it all to give you some food for your thoughts and hoping it will take some of this weight off your shoulders. Let's talk about the creativity.
First of all - we all love to see people admiring our work. Asking questions, saying nice words and comments. These opinions matter to all of us and it really feels great to get them... but they shouldn't be the ultimate goal! For most of people crafts and arts are way to relax, unwind, creativity can be therapeutic and giving us the inner peace and joy. Don't let others spoil this... hunting for positive comments may be as harmful to your creative gear as much as negative opinions, but as loving comments are sweet and nice - we may not see them as a danger. 
Do you know what I mean? If you had this inner voice saying: "I have to make a beautiful, amazing project" or "I can't make something like this, it's not my style" or "People won't like it, so what's the point of doing it anyway" - you should be careful. Don't let this voice overtake your creative life.
I've heard from some people in the past, I shouldn't do this or that as it is not "me". In the first moment I was surprised (well - it has to be "me" as I made it with my own hands) but then I understood people love to put everything in the right slots and shelves. It makes them feel safe and in control. But is this control so good for you all the time? Is there space for fun, experiments, playing and enjoying new things? Learning? Developing new skills? If we let people categorize us, or we will do it to ourselves, it helps, for a short while. Then we may start to feel caged and simply unhappy.
Hunting for popularity is not surprising, we are all happy to see people enjoy our art. It is so rewarding. But there is the other side of this story too - the delicate balance between creating for "public" and for ourselves. It is so important not to forget about this second aspect - this is where the development, sublimation and real creative magic happen!
I love to watch people create. I love to see the emotions behind the process, the need,  the joy and the release that happens when the project is finally done. Not all that we create has to be beautiful, important, aesthetically pleasing - as long as it is meaningful for us, if it helps us process our emotions, develop new skills, seek for our voice or simply - play, it is good for us. And there should be room for this raw creativity in our life as well. Remember you don't have to share every project that you finish with others. You don't have to always be in the your best shape - there are good days and bad days and everybody will understand this for sure... so you also should!
Being creative should be relaxing, happy moment of your day - too much pressure on your shoulders may spoil this moment completely. If you feel stuck and uninspired the reason may be very simple - you may be tired, emotionally and mentally exhausted, dehydrated, hungry or in a bad mood. It is as simple as that - don't forget about your primary needs so you can feel the creative energy in your body! Rest. Work in the reasonable time frame. Do what makes you happy during your relaxing time and it will be so much easier to come with new ideas... and don't be afraid of the crazy ones, go where your heart and soul wants to take you. Don't be hard on yourself - we are always our worst critics!
I was intentionally using these journal pages in this post. They are an example of the projects I made in the last days - just for myself, for my own pleasure - just to relax.
There are no tutorials following them, no challenges, no plans.
They are very plain and simple - but I wanted them this way. They were my therapy, stretching for my fingers and brain, my happy creative moments. 2 of them I made during my trip to Santorini, where my supplies were really limited - and other ones I've made at home, just relaxing, late in the night. You can't even suspect how much I enjoyed this process. No expectations, no rush, just me, paper, old photos and short stories that wanted to be told. I wanted to capture the emotions I was feeling in the last days, memories from the vacation as well - they are represented by pressed flowers and leaves I collected during our stay in Oia. They are lyrical, delicate and nostalgic. They are my visual diary of emotions and they are important for me because as after a long time I could feel almost the same as in the old times when I was just starting my creative adventure. 
Should I share them with you? I think - yes. I hope I'm able to convince you that authenticity is as important in the creative process as the visual effect. Or maybe - even more?

I know this post is awfully long, but please let me know what you think.
I really hope could help... and if you'd like to ask some questions - I'm here (or on my Instagram account, where I can see your questions even faster.)
Sending you all warm hugs - happy creating!
I created a mixed media layout with one of the most intriguing birds in nature, the raven. I see this wild bird as a symbol of freedom and wisdom. I called the layout "The sky is the limit". It now decorates my studio and inspires to think deeply and create freely whatever I desire without letting any doubts to disturb my creative process.

it’s funny how when you start writing about yourself, your first thought is to share your name, and that name leads to your identity. I, however, am wired differently, and hence talking about who I am becomes complex. Well, I am an explorer (bitten by the wanderlust bug), one who is curious to learn new things and explore new places. I create- art, poetry, stories, and food, because it gives me solace. I seek inspiration from things and people around me and look to inspire as well.

Encounter a fascinating world of mythical gods and curiously compelling antiquities, enjoy the breathtaking clarity of the Aegean Sea, bask in the Greek sun as its turquoise waterslap against white sandy beaches, stroll around picturesque spots by the sea or up in the mountains, admire the unique whitewashed island architecture, surf in crystal clear waters and go on some spectacular excursions during the day – but don’t forget to save someenergy for the nightlife!

1 Priya Satish
3 Mona Diwan
5 Priyadarshini
7 Deepti
9 Kirti
11 Soniya
16 Priya Satish
18 Mona Diwan
20 Priyadarshini
22 Deepti
24 Kirti
26 Soniya


I’m interested in Decoupage, Mixed Media Art, Art Journal, Layouts and scrapbook making. But at the moment I’m really focused on mixed media projects. I like all traditional Indian art forms.  Gradually, I realized my love and inclination towards vintage, rustic, wooden, masculine, distressed and ethnic art forms.
Creativity for me is all about inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes and still having fun!  

W – Warm Hearted
O – Outstanding
M – Multitasker
A – Admirable
N – Nurturing
She plays the role, that of mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend, counselor, all at once….
Life begins in her womb. Just one hug from her could heal everything from a broken hand to a broken heart.
She has a dual personality. She can be helpless and vulnerable on one hand and be strong and dependable on the other. 
In crisis, she is the one who will support you and give you strength.
She works relentlessly and still manages to look fresh all the time. Oh Yes!! She can multitask…she is superhuman and a goddess. 
She rejuvenates you, and makes you come alive. She comforts you, builds your confidence and makes you feel proud to be a part of her world.
Behind every successful man there is a woman, yes, a mother, a daughter, a friend, or perhaps a sister.She gives unconditional love beyond reason, and forgives you time and time again. 
She takes pride in your achievements and holds your hands through your disappointments. 
Whatever you give to a women, she’s going to multiply it.. 
Give her love, She’ll give you a baby. 
Give her a house, she’ll give you a home. 
Give her groceries, she’ll give you a meal. 
Give her a smile. She’ll give you her heart.. 
So, if you give her crap, you will no doubt receive a ton of shit ;) 


And also…….  Not to Forget… she is born with some defects too.. hahaha…


WOMEN- who will someday forget where her hair clip is kept, but will never forget the year, the month, the date and the time when you argued with her… in short… She will never forget your Past!! HAHAHA… LOL…


Furthermore to add…5 deadliest words used by her are:


1. FINE – This is the word use to end an argument, when they are right and you   need to SHUT UP!

2. FIVE MINUTES – If she is getting dressed, this means one – two hours may be more in some cases ðŸ˜‰

3. NOTHING – this means something and you need to be on your toes.

4. IT’S OK – Noooo it is NOT OK, give her more attention indeed (ADVISABLE)

5. HMMMM… - I am not interested, screw you whoever you are :P(in some cases).. 


I guess the above list might never end……… ðŸ˜‰


Ending this with… “Naari Sab-pe Bhaari” 


Once again HAPPY WOMEN’S DAY to all the beautiful ladies….
LOVE YOU ALL…. And I LOVE MYSELF ðŸ˜‰ 

 I have often asked myself this question, sometimes from a space of curiosity and in some moments of peace, I often found myself asking this question to the source.
.
And the answer came from a little voice inside of me, that it is to be the BEST I can be..
the best version of myself..
to shine as much as possible..
to allow my spirit to have its full expression..
to live life to its fullest..
And to share and inspire, and play, and be in this, with as many beautiful and inspiring people as possible.
To live in the pursuit of a dream is best thing ever!
It not only keeps you alive; but gives an amazing reason to wake up everyday with a Purpose.
.
And sometimes the only move you need to make is "Stop Overthinking" and Get started already!!

 "One of the great cosmic laws, I think, is that whatever we hold in our thought will come true in our experience. When we hold something, anything, in our thought, then somehow coincidence leads us in the direction that we've been wishing to lead ourselves"
--- Richard Bach

 The answer won't always be clear as day!
You need to contemplate it, give your mind's eye the opportunity to adjust it's focus.
I need a little bit of quiet time everyday in order to function.
Time alone, no talking to anyone else, just being in my own space, with no agenda.
Time to get in the flow of my own vibration. Without those precious moments to myself, I would be lost.
.
In days when I have a hectic schedule, esp in morning, and I miss out in quietude, I feel a difference.
.
I believe we carry the peace in our hearts with us into every situation in our lives. But before we can bring the peace anywhere else, we have to find it within. And we have to learn the way to find our inner peace and calm, while remembering that the way we find it might not be similar to others.

 Our journey doesn’t have to be perfect but it does have to BEGIN. .
Rather than promising ourselves that we will start tomorrow–let's make those first changes today itself. Because in this crazy, messy, happy, sad, glorious thing we call “life”–the only thing we have for certain is today. So let's make today count, and start the journey that takes us toward who we want to be.

 "Every Expert was once a Beginner"
.
Every person who excels in their line of work/hobby or is the top of their industry started as a beginner.  A beginner who made mistakes, stumbled, fell flat on their face and overcame many obstacles to be where they are today.
.
Stop saying you’re not good enough, stop comparing yourself to other people, stop saying “who am I to do this thing,” because the truth is – you are good enough, your message is meant to be heard and you deserve to fulfill your passion for the things you love. .
If you want to achieve your goals, focus on each day and those little steps toward making them come true. .
Don’t get side tracked by what others are doing, just do it little by little and if you stay persistent, you can achieve your goals.

 "If we wait for the moment when everything, absolutely everything is ready, we shall never begin."
~Ivan Turgenev
When we begin to pay attention to the process and focus on building the skills that we need to use in order to get the results, we will begin to enjoy the process. We will begin to live in the present and begin to enjoy the moments that we may not have paid attention to before. .

 May it be a year of new adventures, creating new happy moments, a year of reconnecting with people in your lives. I personally try to evaluate each year what was good and what has some space for improvements in my life. It’s not like a new year resolution, but it’s like a year evaluation and trying to plan best for the year to come. But this doesn't refer only to my work but a major part of it is evaluating my life. My relationships with people, my response to things happening to me, the importance of things in my life and prioritizing, … So, I’m stepping into new year with some new decisions, some new priorities, hoping this will improve the quality of my life for the future years. With each year that passes by, I’m becoming more and more aware of the importance of true friendships, good and meaningful relationships with people around us, taking care of our bodies and souls,…

I used to be obsessed with being perfect. If I wasn’t the best at something, I couldn’t sleep at night. Becoming great never felt as good as I imagined it would because there was always room to be better. I was constantly dissatisfied and disappointed in myself.
I now look at the things I do as opportunities to get better from one day to the next. It’s more satisfying to set and meet an attainable goal, like focusing better and writing an extra article tomorrow, than it is to obsess about perfection, stressing because I’m not a world-famous author.

By focusing on small improvements and mini-goals, you’ll naturally move yourself toward your larger dreams. And you’ll respect the way you’re doing things.
I don’t think happiness is so much about what you have. What you have changes; your “blessings” evolve. Happiness is about how you interpret what’s in front of you. How proud you are of the way you live your life. How willing you are to enjoy simple pleasures, even if things aren’t perfect.
Though I have’t always done this well, today I choose to focus on the good—both in the world and myself—to feel happy right now. How will you tune into happiness today?
If you have your heart set on a specific outcome, do not obsess. Outcomes change and vary too much to be exactly what we hope or wish. Just take the time to savor and enjoy the process.😊
"When we choose to enjoy the process, our happiness is no longer reliant upon an outcome."
~Yehuda Berg

When we begin to pay attention to the process and focus on building the skills that we need to use in order to get the results, we will begin to enjoy the process. We will begin to live in the present and begin to enjoy the moments that we may not have paid attention to before. .
It's not about being perfect, it's all about putting in effort. And when you bring that effort every single day, that's when transformation happens, that's how change occurs!
"Never forget how far you’ve come,
Everything you have gotten through.
All the times you have pushed on even when you felt you couldn’t.
All the mornings you got out of bed no matter how hard it was.
All the times you wanted to give up but you got through another day.
Never forget how much strength you have learned and developed along the way."

Comments

Post a Comment