A Sketchbook for Venice, Italy!

A few weeks ago, Carolyn Dube from StencilGirl Products sent me her new Venetian Building stencil and asked me to have fun with it.  The image is based on her travels to Europe and this stencil is a set of buildings that you can see from the St. Mark's Square area in Venice, Italy.  Fast forward a few weeks when a friend told me she was going to Venice, Italy and asked me if I could make her a small sketchbook to carry around with her in her purse.  

Sure I can!  And I knew the perfect stencil to use for the cover. 

Step by step:

1.  Lay the Diamond Waves stencil across a piece of white cardstock - vertically - and spray with Lemon Zest Dylusions Spray by Ranger.  Remove the stencil and clean it well with paper towels.  Remove any excess ink from cardstock also.  Then lay the Diamond Waves stencil across the design again but, this time, lay it horizontally.  Spray with Vibrant Turquoise Dylusions Spray. Remove excess with paper towel.

Now, do this again but with the other piece of white cardstock. This time I used Lemon Zest and Fresh Lime Dylusions spray (in place of the Vibrant Turquoise).

These will act as your front and back covers for the book.

2. On ONE of the pieces of white cardstock you just prepared, lay the Venetian Buildings stencil over the design and adhere pieces of scrap xerox paper to the edges of the stencil. Secure with tape. Spray with the After Midnight Dylusions Spray. Remove excess spray and remove stencil from cardstock.

3.  Lay the CLEAN Venetian Buildings Stencil back over the area you just sprayed, secure with removable tape, and outline with a Uniball Gel Impact White pen by Signo.  Parts of this stencil are very flexible and will shift easily - such as the 3 windows - so...work SLOWLY.  Do NOT rush.

4.  Trim your front and back pieces for the book to 8" x 8" and, if you are using a 12" x 12" piece of chipboard, cut two pieces to 6" x 6".

5.  Apply glue to one side of each of the chipboard pieces and lay them in the center of the front and back pieces.  Smooth with bone folder.  Trim corners with ruler and sharp knife or scissors. Apply glue to 4 sides and pull over back. Then glue the inside 5 78" x 5 7/8" cover pieces. 

6.  I then sprayed a scrap piece of white cardstock with the After Midnight Dylusions spray.  Used a heat gun to dry it.  Then die cut the words "VENICE" and "ITALY" with the Typewriter Upper Alphabet Set from Memory Box.  Glued them to the front of the book.  Cut 24 inside cardstock pages at 5 7/8" x 5 7/8" and bound the book with my Cinch.

Supplies used:

Venetian Buildings Stencil by Carolyn Dube for StencilGirl Products

Diamond Waves Stencil by Carolyn Dube for StencilGirl Products

2 pieces of white cardstock for front and back covers (8.5 x 11 or A4)

2 pieces of chipboard 6" x 6"

2 pieces of scrapbook paper or cardstock 5 7/8" x 5 7/8" for the inside of the front and back covers

Dylusions Sprays by Dyan Reaveley for Ranger in Lemon Zest, Fresh Lime, Vibrant Turquoise, and After Midnight.

Scrap xerox paper

Scotch tape or removable tape

Roll of paper towels

Uniball Gel Impact White Pen by Signo

White glue/brush

Bone Folder

Scissor or X-Acto Knife

The Cinch or Bind It All

Typewriter Upper Alphabet Set by Memory Box (98367)

Hope you liked this tutorial!!  

Hugs -

~Michael

Mixed Media Mini Album on StencilGirlTalk!!

Some of the Mixed Media Mini Albums I have made.

The stack I have made.  This is very addicting.

Hey everyone. My new blog post is up on StencilGirl Talk. And today it is how to make a very easy and cool Mixed Media Mini Album. With a video!! Hope you can hop over and take a look - just - CLICK HERE!

And The Winner Is.......

Good morning everyone.  And Happy Easter to all that celebrate!  I am blown away by the number of comments left on my blog post for the StencilGirl stencils and other goodies!! I really think you guys want the Brasilian chocolate more than the stencils.  Ha Ha.  I wanted to answer every blog comment left but it would have thrown the contest off.  If you left me a comment to answer, I will do so after the winner is announced.  

I had 161 comments and I numbered them 1-161, starting with the first comment left on the blog.  Using random.org, the winner is -

Martha Rose  who wrote "This 80 yr old stencil junkie hopes she wins!  Glad to discover your blog via Stencil Girls Club FB Page.  Thanks for your generosity!"

Martha Rose - please email me your full name and address to michaeltrent@gmail.com and I will get your goodies off to you this week!  

Congratulations Martha Rose!!

Thank you again to everyone that left comments, subscribed to my blog, added me to their feeds and Google+ accounts.  Keep watching for more Blog Candy contests in the next few  months!!

Hugs and Kisses 
~Michael

BLOG CANDY STENCILS!!! BLOG CANDY STENCILS!!!!!

**Blog Candy Update!!  - I have a few more items to my Blog Candy - 

A 6x6 StencilGirl Stencil called Bird In Window by Pam Carriker, a box of Brasilian chocolates, a Brasilian Scrapbooking magazine called Guia do Scrapbooking, which means Guide to Scrapbooking.  It's in portuguese but you can get great ideas with the pictures and layouts they give.  

And I have added a 6" x 6" Gelli Arts Gel Printing Plate!!! 

---------------------------------------------

Hello everyone!  My first Blog Candy post!! 

Long story short - in November, when StencilGirl had their big Black Friday sale, I placed an order.  Due to a glitch in their system (but in our favor) the same order was shipped to me - twice.  Since I did not pay for one of the orders, I emailed John at StencilGirl and he told me to keep them and offer them up as blog candy at a later date.  Hence....this BLOG CANDY post!! 

All you have to do is leave me a comment on this blog post and then follow me or subscribe to me.  How do you do this, you ask?  Well there are two ways...on the left side of my blog is a button that says "Join This Site".  Just click on that button and follow the prompts.  Or, click on the "Subscribe Via Email Here", enter your email to get my blog notices, and you are good to go. 

On Easter Sunday I will pick the winner.  This Blog Candy Contest is open to ANYONE, ANYWHERE, in the whole wide world!!  I want the world to know about StencilGirl!!  So, tell your friends, post this to your blog, Facebook page, Tweet about it, tell your neighbors, the babysitter, even the cashier at the supermarket!!  LOL

What's in the Blog Candy?  So far, the Blog Candy consists of the following StencilGirl stencils - 9x12 Wing Stencil by Pam Carriker, 9x12 Diamonds Large by Andrew Borloz, 9x12 Gears by Mary Beth Shaw, 6x6 Waves by Terri Stegmiller, 6x6 Window Ledger by Pam Carriker, and a 4x4 Mini Sq. Clover Leaf by Mary Beth Shaw.  But...the more followers or subscribers that I get, I might just keep adding stuff.  Maybe even some Brasilian chocolates?  LOL

If you have any questions just leave a comment here or email me at michaeltrent@gmail.com.

~Michael