Small things Bright and Beautiful... StencilGirl® Zine Challenge

Hello friends! It's a new season and though it's been awhile... I'm still creating! This has been a year of putting family and home first, and getting back to painting. I have lots to catch up on in the coming days and weeks.

Today I am excited to share the "StencilGirl® Zine Challenge"... a new collaboration project in which Tina Walker posed the challenge to create a one-sheet ZINE using StencilGirl® Stencils. These collab projects are fun and really stretch my creative muscles!!

For this challenge I used things that end up in my purse and pockets... the tags with quotes from my daily cup of tea. My ZINE is fashioned from a recycled ledger paper folded to ATC size (2 1/2" x 3 1/2"), which is the perfect size and scale to properly showcase these tags. My ZINE of "Wise Words from the Tea Leaves" is made using my stash of StencilGirl® ATC stencils.

This is the inspiration we were provided for this Zine Challenge. With a simple sheet of letter size paper folded following the illustration, a mini book is created. Size it up or down, this format can be arted up in a zillion ways!

I think this will be really interesting out of a large sheet of painted up watercolor paper, but for this challenge I am working small so I can use some of my stash of StencilGirl® ATC stencils that I've never used. I love to make "Artist Trading Cards" (ATCs) for trading with artsy friends. This small art is sized at 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" and making a book using this sizing proved to be quite fun!

I let the muse rule here and she always goes for the "one touch rule"... using things that I have picked up on search for other things. My base is a sheet of ledger paper on the table leftover from an altered composition book project. An interesting choice – OK why not?!

The paper is slightly larger than letter size. I want my end result to yield  ATC size pages so I do a few measurements and tear edges down to size. I want to stencil black on this greenish paper, though it is a bit thin. I'm concerned about bleed-through on this old paper. The way the paper folds to create the zine I won't be utilizing the back of sheet when folded down. I applied a light coat of black gesso to the back with an old hotel key card. Sorry no photo, I spilled my black gesso and had a mopup painting emergency. I'm happy to report that no paint went to waste! LOL!

With paper dry and reinforced, I followed the zine folding steps and went over folds with a bone folder to make them nice and sharp. Since my outer edges were torn, I also tore the center where the diagram says to cut. Fold down a quick and easy book!

Follow along as I share how I built up the layers on this spread in my Zine...

Overall I stenciled with Vicky Boutin Gold stencil paste using StencilGirl® L763 -- ATC Mixup NASSER

Wow!!! I love the shine and contrast on the ledger paper. 

Next I pounce blue acrylic through this wonky squares pattern on StencilGirl® stencil L543 -- ATC MIxup 1

Now we're getting somewhere! 

Loving this but I'm about to go crazy...

Grabbing what is on the table, I used a cheap office store brand glue stick through the star pattern on StencilGirl® L657 -- ATC Mixup DUBE

I am using a fun and messy technique – a glue stick resist. First, I apply glue stick through stencil, let dry. Then I apply a layer of black acrylic over the top. While wet, gently wipe paint away in a circular fashion to remove the glue stick with the excess paint to reveal the lovely layers below. 

This glue stick didn't mask everything like I had expected but the effect is pretty exciting! I go back with some pens and markers to complete and add some more stars. Next time I will get out my "art project" assigned glue stick, not the cheap gooey one for sealing envelopes.

I attach the tag, finish the final details with scribbles and pens. This page is the perfect backdrop for this tea tag wisdom.

"BRIGHT and BEAUTIFUL"

Completed spread.

Detail of tea bag tag quote...
"The universe is withing you. Bright and beautiful."

An inspiration worthy of being a mantra.

I love the size and scale of my Zine and it fits nice in the pocket of my purse. I am enjoying making additional volumes of this to use more of my tea bag tag quotes. I have a whole baggie of them that need a home.

StencilGirl® Stencils Used :

L763 -- ATC Mixup NASSER

https://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/stencil-ATC-Mixup-Mary-c-Nasser-p/l763.htm

L657 -- ATC Mixup DUBE

https://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/stencil-ATC-Mixup-Dube-Carolyn-Dube-p/l657.htm

L543 -- ATC MIxup 1

https://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/stencil-ATC-Mixup-1-Mary-Beth-Shaw-p/l543.htm

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I hope you enjoyed this project. How would you create your own ZINE? CLICK HERE to jump over to see the other zines made for the "StencilGirl® Zine Challenge".

Thanks for dropping by! :) Sb