A NEW FEMININE STENCIL! Only 12 hours old!

A NEW FEMININE STENCIL! Only 12 hours old!

Good Morning!
Sorry I’m running so late!
And I have scrambled to get this blog done before it’s time to dash to my parents with Grace for the family afternoon.
So what I propose is that I just show you what happens when you rush, and then come back later and tell you all about yesterday. 
It was amazeballs! 
I saw a side of London which blew me away.
But let‘s just sort out this Saturday’s Blog first!
It occurred to me in Harrods, 
whilst eating chocolate coated strawberries for breakfast,
(why not? How often do we or can we?)
when I saw these fantastic mannequins, that we needed a set of feminine stencils. So I was on the phone to Jim, explaining to him what we needed. In fact, I even got Grace to throw a pose or two, which I then emailed to him from my Iphone. 
The power of technology!
Grace was a little bashful about throwing her arms around in the middle of London, “Mum. Really?”
But we got there!
Well I was amazed when we got the the V&A, the new exhibits were all about Fashion and Beauty and Weddings and Italian Designers! So you can image, my internal camera was clicking like crazy!
Anyway, here’s how it works. 
By the time I got home at midnight (will tell you all about it later)
there was a fabulous stencil waiting for me from Jim.
Check this out! Very excited.
So I set about first thing making a very simple arty piece for you. Hope you like it. 
Had a couple of acrylic Gelli Plate messes from a previous project, which were perfect for the background.
Picked one.
Found an old book, tore out a leaf,

drew round the inside of the stencil,

and cut her out.
Added what I could find in the cupboard which would stick her to acrylic on the back (I had ModPodge, but any PVA glue will do)

attached her to the abstract acrylic finger painting !
Dark Charcoal pencil required next.

Outline the paper doll, both on the actual printed paper
 and around her, on the acrylic paint.

Blend the charcoal around her with your finger.
Place the stencil over her and use a make-up sponge, 
torn paper and Slate Adirondack 
to add shade to certain logical lines.
See how we can add depth?
Add a couple of Journaling elements from the Journaling set with the Slate Adirondack.
Then add too much and use Black which looks way too heavy, then use a word you wouldn’t normally use in public, 
beat yourself up for rushing,
then carefully tear all the rubbish off, making sure the fibres are facing to the front…
Load a stencil brush with the Slate Adirondack and LIGHTLY start dusting the torn edges,

to bring out the layers of fibres.
Nice.
Mount on Black.
Then promise yourself that, that you 
will not overcook it next time !
Anyway, I really have to go drag Grace out of the sack and get her over to her Grandparents. 
These youngsters do like a lie in , don’t they!
I will tell you all about London later. xxx
love,

51 thoughts on “A NEW FEMININE STENCIL! Only 12 hours old!

  1. How fabulous, she's a beautiful girl. I looked on you tube and found her advert for Pandora, excellent work. Love her in the EE ad but I couldn't have gone on the roller coaster!!!

    Keep up the good work , both of you.

  2. Lovely stencil Barbara and great artwork. Sounds like you are enjoying some fabulous mother daughter time with Grace. I hope the rain hold off for your family party. Have fun ! Love Diane xxx

  3. The new stencils look fab, what a treasure Jim is and so clever too !! You certainly know how to pick them that's for sure ….. and this was yet another moment of clarity to add to your long list of moments xx

  4. Wow – love those new stencils – my mind is in a whirl already!! Have time to play in my craft room today, so better get the baking done before I get inky fingers!!! Love the photos too – enjoy your family day, Susan x

  5. Barb, fantastic new stencils. A definite must have, so are they on the website yet? Or would more images be added to a feminine wheelie stencil maybe? NLove what you have done with it. Need to go find an old book. Must say Grace is really gorgeous. Hope your family party is just superb. Have a great day everyone. Bx

  6. Love the simplicity of this design. I too have young people still in bed and i have to nag to get them up. Their excuse is that they are exhausted and it is the start of the school holidays. That was only good on Thursday which was the first day!! Mind you, a wee bonus few hours of peace from moody teenagers so i can get somewhat done!!
    Enjoy your day with your family. xc

  7. Well done! I usually have a lie in on Saturday but was awake at 7 and up by 8 ish, did take a cuppa back to bed at 7 though… Pouring with rain here so an ideal time to craft except I've not got a lot of room because I've got too much stuff and nowhere to put it…..

  8. Great stencil and piece of art . Grace really is beautiful – inside and out ( met her at the open day – and loved the heart version you did then ) Glad you had a good day in London – London stencil ???

  9. Love the stencil this is another must have. Grace looks really good on the roller coaster behind Kevin Bacon.. rubbing shoulders with the stars. I love London and the V&A, you could spend a whole week there and not see everything. Hope you had a fantastic day there and another today with the old folk. Best wishes Joan x

  10. Great art work Barbara. I was thinking about your progression over the last few years and wondered if I was to compare a signature Clarity card then with a clarity card today, would I know it was a Clarity card? Well it would depend I suppose but your extension and growth in art work has extended the range so much and you have so much more now than then. That's good though isnt it because we should never stand still in life whatever we are doing, we should move with the times at our own pace but never stand still!

    Love the stencil

    regards

    Mx

    1. I know exactly what you mean, Marilyn. I did my first Clarity workshop with Barbara nearly 12 months ago, and I find it hard to believe it was only last year, just at the start of the Gelli plate. The classic Clarity is still there at the base of everything, but it has grown and matured so much this year, and now will appeal to so many more potential crafters. xx Maggie

  11. Love the photos of Grace she looks great and well done for getting her to pose for you.
    Love the new stencil and your project. I'm looking forward to hearing all about London later
    Jackie x

  12. Terrible trouble commenting for the lastr few days………………third time lucky!

    Beautiful artwork, I have to admit that I say words that I wouldn't dream of saying in public when I mess something up (or when Google doesn't post my comment!) XX

  13. Ah you rescued it in the end, you always end up with a lovely piece of artwork. More great stencils , Jim really is very versatile. I better wait a while before ordering anything else as I spent rather a lot on Open day. Glad you and Grace had a good day and I hope you have an enjoyable afternoon. I have already had a houseful this morning, hairdresser was here and daughter and grandchildren arrived to get their hair done as well. Chaos for a while but great. xx

  14. Hello Barb. Waiting for one of my little girls (25) to come home tonight and am way too excited. She's a great poser and would often be found staring at her own reflection in a mirror trying out different expressions. Love the piccies of Grace, she really is a natural. That Jim really does work miracles. Such lovely stencils and quite different from your usual style. You do challenge us. xx Margaret Col.,

  15. Fancy producing a stencil in such a short space of time! Well done to you Jim! These ladies look so stylish and Iove the splodgy background and the figure from the torn book page edged and smudged with charcoal. The needs must edge tearing works so beautifully too. I have just received my gelly plate so will start experimenting. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. x

  16. Barbara, your work has always been lovely, and, I must admit, I still tend to go along the more classical lines. However, I have learned so much more from watching you and the rest of the design team and how you all influence each other, and I have learned to enjoy some of the more grungy type of work. This stencil will appeal to both sides of the crafting world, and I am hoping to pick mine up at the retreat, amongst other things. How fantastic are your team to be able to produce Grace so quickly. xx Maggie

  17. Hi Barb,
    I love the stencil and your team are certainly on the ball. I remember when I first started to follow you many moons ago, you'd have been horrified to have a background like that and look at you now!!
    I've had a busy clarty party day at my daughter's Zoe is 8 next week so my daughter had her party for school friends today. We did nails, hair, games, food, the cinema (to see Maleficient – it was very good ) then back to my daughter's for birthday cake, more games then party bags and home. I'm cream crackered!!
    By the way that's a Clarty party – not Clarity party!!
    I am now in my little room about to relax and craft xx

  18. Hi Barb,
    Fantastic stencils, but love the idea of a girlie wheelie. Well done to Jim too! Great pictures of Grace and how nice it must be for you to have this time with her. Love Alison xxx

  19. What an amazing team you have Barbara, for Jim (and no doubt others) to act so quickly from your initial idea to end product is astounding! Love the new stencils. Great to see you and Grace having fun. x

  20. awesome new stencil – love this and what you've done with it – I hope you've had as good a day as I have – I've been at Jo Rice's Clarity Cumbria day – it was fabulous – a great venue, great projects and company and of course the lovely Jo! What could be better – we did the shaving foam through a stencil – love it – can't wait to play with that!!! Hugs rachel xx

  21. wow! what a stencil. oh dear i feel another purchase coming on. love what you've done with this stencil.
    how cool was that to get home and find it ready! well done Jim, hugs xx

  22. Hi Barbara. I love the poses you made Grace do in the middle of town, bless her! Love the stencils too, how wonderful that you get home to find them ready. Brilliant finished piece, love the finger painting prints. Have a good Sunday. Take care.

  23. Late on here just realised handed look but live the gorgeous lady stencil it's amazing a quickly they are coming well better get to bed been busy day clarity East midland today with the lovely Saz and are craft family having fun and craft hope you had a lovely day. Well few hours and will be time for next blog so night for now x

  24. Hi Barbara,
    Another great stencil, can see lots of crafting with this one.
    Had a really great day with Saz and the crafty girls at the Clarity East Midland group, lots of gelli plate artwork which I'm loving now I've had time to play with it, x

  25. Morning Barbara, just catching up on yesterdays blog – I spent a fantastic day with Sally-Ann Hanes at the Peterborough workshop where we did a project just like this – but of course instead of a feminine stencil cut out (too hot on the press) we did hearts! Spooky or what!
    So glad your day in the big smoke brought inspiration – and how damn lovely to start with breakfast at Harrods – almost Breakfast at Tiffanys!!!
    Hope your day with Grace was a memory keeper as well as bringing the inspiration – bet the Italian display and Weddings has given you loads of ideas!
    Keep em coming Barbara – whilst its hard to keep up with you the choice you are bringing us is outstanding!
    Much love
    Kim xx

  26. Watched this yesterday….straight off to Clarity and ordered….seemed rude not to!!! Waiting, impatiently for arrival!! Hope you enjoy your time left with Darling Grace until she goes back over the 'pond' xx

  27. Love the stencil Barb, and especially as I have just found a really suitable book that I can use and not have a guilty feeling about tearing out pages. Hope you had a great day with the parents.

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