Introducing My New Chinoiserie & Jardiniere Stencil Designs From StencilGirl
04/11/2019
I’m thrilled to finally be able to share that StencilGirl®️Products is releasing the Chinoiserie & Jardiniere Collection today. And my toes are absolutely twinkling with excitement because these stencils were designed by me! It has been excruciating not to be able to share this news or to keep from posting pics of the projects I’ve been creating over these past few months. But now my lips have been unsealed so I can tell you what inspired me to create them and finally show you some of the projects I’ve been so quietly working on.
My inspiration for all four of the stencil designs was rooted in a few antique and vintage Asian styled family heirlooms that I've treasured since I was a child. I‘ve always loved the honesty and simplicity of the nature inspired patterns and the cool, smoothness you feel when you run your fingers over the high shoulders of a porcelain ginger jar.
I designed them all to be stencil/mask combinations. This means that the stencil and the mask are still attached together when they are shipped and need to be detached before you start creating. This just takes a few quick snips of the scissors or a craft knife and then you’ll be ready to go. I love working with stencil/mask combinations because they give me so many options when it comes to layering colors and expand the possibilities for making mono-prints and collage papers on Gelli Plates.
Chinoiserie Bouquet Mask
My small, but treasured collection of flow blue plates was the inspiration for the 6x6 Chinoiserie Bouquet Mask. The blurry cobalt blue and white porcelain patterned designs are rich without being fussy and just make me happy. I love using this stencil to make collage papers to use as backgrounds or as elements in my art journal and mixed media projects. I created a blurry look, (reminiscent of my flow blue plates) in the paper covering the kimono and in the collage paper below by applying white gesso in a haphazardly fashion with a cosmetic wedge through the Chinoiserie Bouquet Mask over a dark, multi-layered, background.
I also miniaturized this stencil and made a dangle for my art journal page with Shrink Plastic. I sponged ink from a Moonlight Duo Ink Pad over the stencil onto the Shrink Plastic; outlined the design with a black permanent fine tip marker; punched a hole with my Cropodile; and then used a heat gun to shrink the plastic; pressing down firmly at the very end with an acrylic block to flatten the piece while it was still hot. I wired the dangle with a piece of copper wiring, added a bead, and attached it to the burlap page in my Dina Wakley Journal with a needle and embroidery thread.
Jardiniere
I also have a fondness for vintage jars, vases, and urns. I remember being at a barn auction in Newfane, Vermont when I was a kid and my Mom bid on and won a beautiful small jar that we later found out was from the Ming Dynasty. Since she was a believer in enjoying what you have, it sat prominently on the living room coffee table for everyone to touch and admire. That is, it sat on the coffee table until the day my brother was fooling around with a NERF Ball in the house and... (I’m sure you can picture the rest of the story in your mind. I still cringe just thinking about it. But the cringe is more at myself for not having the foresight to gather up all those pieces and save them. Oh what a beautiful mosaic those broken pieces of porcelain would have made.)
The 12x12 Jardiniere Stencil was inspired by a collection of antique vessels. Unadorned, they make a great journaling space to write in your art journal or they can be embellished with Crests for a more decorative look.
Crests
The 12x12 Crest Stencil is a collection of ten, 2 1/2 “ decorative masks that includes a pagoda, a torii garden gate, a trisected chrysanthemum, a chrysanthemum over water, a wild cherry blossom, a wild ginger plant, my Nana’s lamp, a China plate, a big wheel, and bamboo stalks. The designs were inspired by some of my family’s heirloom antiques sprinkled with some traditional Japanese family crests.
The set also includes a solid circular mask that can be used as a protective shield for gel printing, spray mist, and other mixed media techniques. I designed the Crests to coordinate with/ embellish the Jardinier Stencil vessels. (Many of the pics in the other sections of this post are examples of this.) Crests are also perfectly sized, (2 1/2”) and proportioned for Artist Trading Coins. I also love using them with a small round Gelli Plates to stamp the designs directly into my art journal.
Ginger Jar
Who doesn’t love a ginger jar? They have such a classic design. But they also have an extra significance for me since my Mom’s name was Ginger. I created this 6x6 Ginger Jar Stencil with a dogwood branch from the tree growing in my back yard
Altered Book Junk Journal Sampler (Work In Progress)
I’m currently in the process of making an Altered Book Junk Journal Sampler using the Chinoiserie & Jardinière stencil designs. So far, I’ve only finished a few pages but I’ll keep you up to date with my progress.
That’s it for now. Thanks so much for stopping by and letting me share my excitement with you. Feel free to leave a question or comment should you have one If you create anything with these stencils, please be sure to tag me as I’d love to see where your creativity takes you.
Hugs, Jill
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