Jane Davenport Stencil Blog Hop! and GIVEAWAY

When approached by the lovely Jane Davenport to be part of her new stencil blog hop, of course I jumped up and down and fist pumped..then politely accepted. I loved watching what people created with her first set of stencils when I worked with her at the Sydney Craft fair this year, to watch people's personalities just jump out of the page as each woman took the stencils and created something wildly different...


I myself never got to play with the first set, but I have enjoyed coveting the second set. As have my teacup humans.

When the package arrived at my house, little Lily Boo was just as excited as I was.  As was master Elijah, who just wanted to be in the photo shoot...this stencil has been used just a little bit!

 Lily wanted to try them straight away, and for me, I'm not going to deny her using them, what harm could she do to them, I always want her to feel like she can use as much of my things I as use myself.

She may have squeeled when she worked out what happens once you lift the stencil, it was ADORABLE to see the glee on her face,  once she coloured in all the lines..what would happen once she peeled the stencil off.

but of course you are hopefully here to see how I used the stencils... Lily is just an added bonus.

So I wanted to make the stencils still look like 'my style' and I hope that by now I actually know what my style is, so I got to work making something that I felt represented me as an artist.
I worked in two journals, my actual art journal and my written journal which is a Midori Travelers notebook.

A simple and more understated approach then something a little more WILD and bold.

I also had ideas of making my own Gift wrap paper using the face stencil in a repeated fashion, but time got away from me!

I wanted to create bold lines, since a black paint pen has fast become one of my most relaxing things to do in my journal...just draw lines, I like to create worlds with just lines. I also wanted to use lots of colour, so welcome to my 'Twisted Sista' spread.

Using paints, and copic markers, paint pens, washii and a few bright distress stains to create something that is uniquely me...and yet show how amazing Jane's set of stencils really are. I used black gesso and a make up sponge to get my girls down and tried to be rough so they didn't look so perfect. My scale like women have become some of my faves things in my journals to date.

In my Midori Journal, I used some distress stain just to give a little colour, a black ballpoint pen and some prisma coloured pencils to create something simple and yet beautiful. I also matched up some washii tape, and of course my written journal contains photographs.

so there you have it...my take on these amazing stencils!
below is something I haven't finished, but she will soon be transformed into something...

I am allowed to give away one set of stencils! so leave a comment below and thanks for stopping by! please leave your email address in the comment so if you win I have a way to contact you!
or if you are just as excited as I am about these stencils and cant wait...you can get them from these places

The stencils are available here:

Northern Hemisphere:  http://www.artistcellar.com/stampstencil/acSignatureSeries.html

Southern Hemisphere:  http://www.instituteofcute.com/stencil-series/

More chances to win a set of stencils! pop over to the other bloggers doing their take on the stencils...these lovelies are also giving away a set each!

The blogging schedule
September 28 - Artistcellar (www.artistcellar.com/wp)

September 29 Jill K. Berry (http://jillberrydesign.com/blog)

September 30 Dawn DeVries Sokol  (http://www.dawndsokol.com)

October 1 - Joanne Sharpe (http://joannezsharpe.blogspot.com/)

October 2 - Connie Hozvicka (http://www.dirtyfootprints-studio.com/)

October 3 - Effy Wild  (www.effywild.com)

October 4 - Tamara Laporte ( www.willowing.org/blog)

October 5 - Dion Dior (http://www.diondior.com/)

October 6 - Courtney Brook (http://ravenscauldron.blogspot.com/)

October 7 - Kate Palmer (http://www.sparkletart.com/)

October 8 - Jane Davenport (http://janedavenport.com/)

enjoy and have fun 
x Courtney

The Artful Journey- Day 22..My Creative Space.

Its a thursday and for once I'm on the ball, with having something done! I spent the day at my mums place today to just 'get away' from my house the boxes and the random messes everywhere was starting to get me down..so I packed my bag and my trunk of travel supplies and off I went.

Knowing I wanted to do a Christy prompt and my homework for Janes Course, I decided to combine the two! I picked the Foam prompt from Christy which was make your own stamps using fun foam... I LOVED this!

ball point pen and foam and WAH LARRRR stamps!


and in Jane's class we needed to do a mixed media spread in our journals that used a body in the spread..now my body is simple..but shes there... the page grew from just her little legs...which is what we learn't today 'lolly legs' hehe

can u spot my stamps?


lots of spraying, layering stencils, stamps a sprayed doiley, watercolour washes, abstract flowers and some text..and you my dear friends have yourself a layout in your art journal!
for more delightful crafty arty goings on, pop on over to our creative space to see the epically long list!
xx Courtney

Get Your Art On - Day Three

Breezing through the Get Your Art on Month (she says on day three lol) I have done odds and ends art wise today! with my little ones drawing in their colouring in books for most of the day, it gave me a chance to work in my colouring book aka my art journal. Today I did a full page face, which I am slightly in love with, lots of watercolour, inktense and graphite...finishing touch was a skin toneish doily spray over her face to give a bit of a different look.
I also finished a spread in my journal that was once a horrible transfer disaster!! the image I used for the gel transfer wasnt the right ink, so it was just a horrid mess! and the page stayed an abomination for a good few weeks lol, till I re worked over it. Stencil work, outliner, inks, watercolours washii tape and a Digital image from GulfSprite's range of digital downloads found Here

and the last bit of art, was decorating envelops for my mail art penpals, I got a little behind on my letters so Im making a valiant effort to get back on track!! lots of sprays more digital images for Gulfspite, some of my silly doodling and coloured pens to create these two envelopes.
so that's me done for today! Tomorrow I head to my mums house to make a Remains of the Day Journal with my Mumma.

I signed up to the course just this morning, and watched all the vids hungrily! and all I want to do is make beautiful junky journals! the eco artist in me just booms with glee over the idea of these journals.

I'll see you tomorrow with the fruits of my art journal labours!
pop over to traci's blog to see her day three and the links to other artists.

xx Courtney