Showing posts with label stencils and masks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stencils and masks. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Can you hear me now?

 

I was hoping Blogger would be kind to me today, but that doesn't seem to be the case.  I will leave you a comment when Blogger sees fit. Until then, I still get "Failed to Publish."  Please understand, this is NOT my doing.

Thank you for visiting today.  This is a special day, as it is for the Earth.  It's also a culmination, where for 22 days beginning April 1, I attempted to show how to rethink, reduce, reuse, recycle, re-invent, recover, restore, or repurpose something in order to save it from the trash. It all led up to Earth Day, or "bEARTHday" in my world.  Of course, I believe EVERY day should be Earth Day, because we must find a way to save our planet. 
 
As an aside, there is more to think about than just trash.  There are endangered species to consider.  Do any of you remember when the California condor was on the extreme endangered list?  It became extinct in the wild in 1987.  In 1982, only 23 condors survived world-wide. By 1987, all remaining wild condors were placed into a captive breeding program in an effort to save the species from extinction.  According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service:
Since 1992, when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) began reintroducing captive-bred condors to the wild, the USFWS and its public and private partners have grown the total free-flying and captive population to more than 500 condors In 2004, the Recovery program reached an important milestone with the first successful chick hatched in the wild. In 2008, more California condors were flying free in the wild than in captivity for the first time since the program began.   

Now it's time to help endangered porpoises. With fewer than 10 individuals believed to remain in the wild, the vaquita is one of the most critically endangered marine animals.  It is also known as the Gulf of California harbor porpoise, or cochito.  According to NOAA Fisheries:

Vaquitas have the smallest range of any whale, dolphin, or porpoise.  They only live in the northern part of the Gulf of California, an area that is rich in fish and shrimp.  Fishing is thus a major source of income for the people there, who almost exclusively use gillnets, but vaquitas can also become accidentally wrapped in the nets and drown.  Scientists agree that for vaquitas to survive in the wild, "gillnet" fishing, also known as Fishing Net Entanglements, must end within the vaquita habitat.

Perhaps we need legislation that actually works to save these endangered porpoises. 

As those of you who have been here all 22 days know, I have brought back a favorite post from the past from April 2015, 2016, and 2017.  Today is no different.  I am sharing part of a favorite post from April, 2017.  As you read from the title of today's post it is called  

Can you hear me now? 
 
For today's recycling entry

I started with a book cover given me by my friend Sally.

I added some gold infused tissue paper

I saved from a gift.

I used white PVA glue to adhere the tissue paper to the book cover.

While the glue was drying, I decided to create a new universal hole locator.  I began with a pad of post-it-notes and a steel ruler.

I measured down 2 mm from the top of the pad on two sides and drew lines.

I used those two lines as guides to create a single line across the width of the page.

I measured 2.5 mm from the left and right sides

and drew two perpendicular lines to meet the horizontal line.


I drew a small circle at the intersections of each line,

then wrote the words "left" and "right."  That was for your benefit, not mine.

The idea is, no matter what width

you are measuring, the hole locater will work perfectly by lining it up with either the left or right side of the piece.

Here is my completed assemblage with holes punched, but minus wires.

I'm really happy about the completed assemblage.

I'm including a few random shots for your enjoyment.



I need to adhere the "Hear Hear" a bit better, I see.  As an aside, it is left over from the deli paper I used a couple of days ago.







For this assemblage, I started with a book cover and some used tissue paper.  I deconstructed an old cordless phone and used the "motherboard" as the main assembly.  I added the speaker from the same phone, along with some beads and baubles I either assembled, or used to add interest to this assemblage.   For the hanger, I used a colorful deconstructed telephone wire.  I used a stencil to write all the words on the scrap deli paper.  Everything except the PVA glue has been recycled or repurposed today.

Thank you beyond belief for your continued support of my recycling efforts through the past 22 days.   And please have a glorious Earth Day everyone.  BTW, I won't be eating cake today.   Instead, I'm having a glazed doughnut.
 

 

Sunday, March 1, 2026

Spring Forward

 

I want to begin by thanking everyone who created a journal or altered book page at Art Journal Journey (AJJ) in February.  Although I only had a couple of days in which I could leave comments, I tried to reach everyone I possibly could.

This month we are asked to Spring Forward by our dear friend Chris, this month's host, whose blog is PearShapedCrafting.  This is my first entry for March.  Details are below.
 



 
I began by using one of my favorite stencils, gifted me several years ago by Mia. I used brown dye ink to cover this 5.5 X 8.5 inch (13.97 X 21.59 centimeter) page which is on 110 lb. cardstock. The grass and sky were created with watercolor pencils and the birds, butterflies, and flowers were all stickers I had in my stash.
 
Please remember we welcome art journal pages that meet the theme requirements, altered book pages, canvases, loose, or stand alone pages including fabric and digital art.  I (and the administrators) cannot leave comments on Facebook, TicTok, or Instagram entries.  We do not allow cards!!!  Period! We also don't allow tags, index cards, ATCs, or ATCoins, unless they are part of a journal page, and as much as we don't want to, will be forced to delete your entry.  Please remember if your blog is not in English, we ask that you translate it for us since the translation tool doesn't work on some blogs, including mine.  Finally, we do not allow back-links to any journal page published prior to the start date of this month's challenge. Hope to see you and your Spring Forward inspired art soon at Art Journal Journey.
 
Thank you beyond belief for visiting today. Bleubeard and I would love to see you at Art Journal Journey with your own interpretation of Spring Forward

 

Saturday, February 28, 2026

Love of her life

 

This is my final entry for my February challenge.  Some of you "got" what I meant when I said I once heard someone say the reason Shakespeare's plays were so long was because he chose to use 10 words when one would have sufficed.  It was really a Shakespearean way of saying "Anything goes."  Please enjoy this final entry and I sincerely hope you will join in this final day of February with your entry, too.  Now that I can leave comments again, I'll definitely be by to visit and leave my own comment!

It's obvious that He was the love of her life.  Details are below.
 



 
I began by stenciling the hearts through punchinella, also known as sequin waste, in three areas of the 5.5 X 8.5 inch (13.97 X 21.59 centimeter) cardstock using red dye ink.  While the ink was drying, I covered a standard 35mm slide (which is a 2 X 2 inch plastic frame) with heart washi tape. The clear plastic cover protected the image of the boy I colored and placed inside the frame.  Next, I added the heart washi tape to the bottom of the page so the TH paper doll would have a place on which to stand. 
 
Bleubeard and I are jumping for joy that you stopped by today, and hope to also see you on this final day of February at Art Journal Journey with your own interpretation of Anywhere, Anytime, Any Place, with Anyone. 
 
 

Wednesday, February 25, 2026

Rouen and La Roche-Guyon, France

 

I want to reiterate I'm NOT trying to be a bad host because I don't leave you a comment on your blog.  Unfortunately, even though I read each post you link at AJJ, for some reason, I am unable to leave comments to anyone, even on my own blog.

You may know by now that Bleubeard and I are hosting Art Journal Journey (AJJ) this month.  Our theme for the entire month is Anywhere, Anytime, Any Place, with Anyone.

Today I have two places we will visit in France. 

Today we are headed back to the Normandy area and visiting the city of Rouen.  Details are below.
 



 
The image came from a travel brochure and the information about the town and cathedral from various sites on the internet.  The stars are punchinella, aka sequin waste.  Some areas stenciled better than others.  I used the same turquoise dye ink on both the stencil and around the outside of the 110 lb. cardstock.
 
The second village we will visit is La Roche-Guyon.  Details are below.
 


 
I started with one of my favorite backgrounds: security envelopes.  Even though there are subtle differences, each of these patterns is unique.  I adhered the envelopes to 110 lb. cardstock.
 
The image came from a travel brochure and the information about the village and Seine valley from various sites on the internet.  
 
Both pages are 5.5 X 8.5 inch (13.97 X 21.59 centimeter) on 110 lb. cardstock. 
 
Thank you beyond belief for visiting today, even though I am unable to leave comments on any blog including my own. Bleubeard and I would love to see you at Art Journal Journey with your own interpretation of Anywhere, Anytime, Any Place, with Anyone.   
 
 

Saturday, February 21, 2026

Lyon, France

 

As most of you know by now, Bleubeard and I are hosting Art Journal Journey (AJJ) this month.  Please be aware, however, we are unable to leave comments on any blog, including this one, even though I visit each and every link left at AJJ.   

Today Bleubeard and I are visiting Lyon, France.  Details are below.
 


 
I began this page by laying down turquoise dye ink through a stencil.  When dry, I added the computer generated words and the image I found in a travel brochure.  
 
Bleubeard and I are incredibly pleased you stopped by and hope to see you at Art Journal Journey (even if Bleubeard and I can't leave you a comment) with your own interpretation of Anywhere, Anytime, Any Place, with Anyone.  Thanks beyond belief for sticking with us through this trying ordeal!