Gwen

Join Me for Tinker Tailor Artist Maker!

Hi all! Just checking in to let you know about a new event I'm involved with...  I'm incredibly excited to share that I'm an educator at Tinker Tailor Artist Maker - an Eat Cake Create retreat. I've had the pleasure of attending their Art is You retreats as a student on three occasions, so I know how wonderful their events are and I'm thrilled to join the family!

I'll be teaching three new, never-before-taught workshops at this amazing new event in Redwood City, CA (just outside of San Francisco): 3D Boho Collage, Stenciled Mixed Media Medallions, and Mixed Media Floral Still Life.

In addition to my classes, there's a fabulous lineup of over 50 studio sessions with some truly wonderful teachers. I hope you'll join us!

Registration will be open to Gold Pass members on January 11th and to the general public on January 12th. You can also sign up to receive an email as soon as registration is open, and workshops are going to fill quickly, so you'll probably want to do that. You can head on over now to get all the details and start planning your classes.

Creative JumpStart 2019!

I'm super excited to announce that I'll be participating for the fourth time as an artist in Creative JumpStart (CJS) 2019, run for the 8^th year by Nathalie Kalbach. If you're not familiar with CJS, it's a one-of-a-kind online event to kick your creativity into high gear in January 2019. 

Learn techniques, discover new materials, and connect with other artists and crafters. 

Throughout January participants get access to 31 downloadable videos from 31 featured artists. I'm proud to be one of those artists, called “JumpStarters.” See for yourself:

CJS19 Promo Video from Nathalie Kalbach on Vimeo.

Interested? Head on over to Nathalie's site to sign up or to get more details.

You get 31 videos - over 5 hours worth of video content -  for just $40 (USD) if you sign up by November 26 2018 11:59 pm EST. Afterwards it will be $45USD until November 30th 2018, and $50USD until December 31st 2018, before it goes to its normal sale price of $60USD on January 1st 2019. 

 So what are you are waiting for? Sign up today! I hope to see you there!

Black Friday Shop Sale & Cyber Monday Teasers

It's Black Friday, and you know what that means... sales! I've got a few deals to share if you're interested, starting with a sale + Black Friday coupon for my shop.

I'm downsizing my store, so most of the items are already on sale from 10-50% off, and for this weekend only you can also save an additional 20% (plus it's 20% off the non-sale items like stencils, embossing powder, and sari scraps) when you use the coupon BlackCyber2018 at checkout.

For all you stencil fans, here's a heads up that all of my stencils (and all stencils at StencilGirl) will be on sale starting Sunday, 11/25 through Tuesday 11/27 for 20-25% off - look for the details in the banner below and make sure to use the coupon codes!

Finally, one more teaser... I'm an instructor in Art Walk Alchemy 2019 and there's going to be a little Cyber Monday sale for those of you who are interested in signing up... details coming Monday, but you can learn more about the course now.

Join Me for Art Walk Alchemy!

I'm excited to share that I'm an instructor in a new year-long online art retreat from Mystic Springs Studio called "Art Walk Alchemy 2019." The theme for the year is going to be focused on totems and talismans — those ideas, objects, and emblems that represent something significant in our lives, and I couldn't be more excited.

Each month you'll receive two lessons - each with at least 1-1/2 hours of video, from two different professional artists... 24 in total! There's a diverse and amazing group of artist mentors joining us this year, and I'm thrilled to be a part of it.

I can't share peeks of my project just yet, but I can tell you that it's going to be part sculpture, part totem, a bit goddess-inspired, and chock full of some of my favorite mixed media tricks and techniques. We'll create a 3D mixed media piece that’s kind of a cross between a spirit doll and a totem. I'll share techniques for creating a basic armature by working with clay, foam, cardboard, a wooden dowel, and aluminum foil. Also, some alternatives for faces aside from sculpting – I’ll provide ideas and even a few sources. We’ll create some embellishments, including items for the totem that go through and inside the doll – starting with a headdress. We’ll embellish the entire structure using beads, trims, paints, fabrics, broken jewelry, small found objects, and paper. I’ll also share alternative ideas for representing the totems aside from creating them from scratch. The entire piece will be based on a pedestal of some kind, with options to be discussed in the class. I'll be providing patterns that you can download and use at home - it's going to be fabulous, if I do say so myself!

For just $99 (early bird price good through 12/31/18,) you get all 24 downloadable art lessons, a creative community, supply lists and early access to some course packs, plus downloads and freebies throughout the year. There's even a payment plan to make it a bit more budget friendly.

Here's a quick little intro video with a bit more information and a quick peek all 24 of the teachers:

 

Head on over to Mystic Springs Studios to get more details and register for the class!

My First Online Class - Boho Grunge!

I've had requests to do online classes for quite a while now, and I'm thrilled to share that it's finally become reality! Today I'm releasing my first online class, "Boho Grunge," with StencilGirl on their StencilGirl Studio website.

This course will walk through the creation of a mixed media panel, done in my signature Boho Grunge style, from start to finish . I didn't have the project pre-planned other than to bring some likely options to the shoot, so you get to see the organic process as it really happens in my studio!

Here's the project that I make in this class - it's called "Crossroads."

In the workshop, I'll share the background technique that I used for this piece, as well as some stenciling tips, how I created the layers, and how I selected and assembled the elements of the focal point. I'll even show how I made different metals look the same and applied a faux rust effect! You can use these techniques to create a similar piece on your own, or apply them individually to your projects.

I'm very happy with how the class came out, and it was a lot of fun to film it... I hope you'll enjoy taking the workshop just as much! You can check out the introduction video and intros to each of the course chapters for free, or register now! I hope you'll join me!

June Workshops at Papercraft Clubhouse!

I'm excited to announce that I'll be teaching two all new workshops at Papercraft Clubhouse in Westbrook, CT next month - June 8th and 9th (Friday and Saturday.) Both classes center around fun, technique-driven projects and I'll be sharing lots of new tips and tricks throughout both days. Registration is now open! You can call or visit the store to sign up (860-399-4443.)

First up, Friday June 8th we'll be Getting Abstract with Crunchy Collage...

Class is $105 and goes from 10am to 5pm with an hour break for lunch (bring a lunch or plan to order from one of the local restaurants.)

In this class, we'll work on an 11x14 canvas panel to build a background using paints, stencils, stamps, and collage. Then we'll use my "crunchy collage" technique to add some really cool texture. You'll also have the option to add in some dimensional pieces. You don't have to do circles or flowers - I'll show you how to use this technique to create pretty much any shape, and colors, motifs, etc... are all up to you!

Check out the class page on my website for more photos, class details, and supply lists, or you can call the store to register (860-399-4443.)

_______________________________________________________________________

On Saturday, June 9th, we'll be making my Translucent Art Journal - a 5"x7" accordion style art journal with watercolor paper, and of course, a few cool translucent pages.

I'll show you my "faux resin paper" technique, and we'll make some translucent papers to use in our journals. You'll have the option to add in skeleton leaves or dried flowers, or bring something from home! (It needs to be quite thin, though.)

I'll also show you some fun background techniques and we'll use paint, stencils, stamps, and collage to prep some backgrounds in your new journal, and then we'll assemble it so that it's ready to work in when you get home!

You can see more project photos as well as class details and supply lists on the class page on my website. The class will go from 10am-5pm with a one hour break for lunch (bring a lunch or order from a local restaurant,) and the class fee is $105. I'll be providing the paper for your journal and supplies for your translucent papers. Interested? Spots are limited, so make sure you call and sign up soon! (860-399-4433.)

Any questions? Feel free to shoot me an email or message me on Facebook.

Hope to see you there!

 

 

Announcing... Creative JumpStart 2018

I'm super excited to announce that I'll be returning for the third year in a row as an artist in Creative JumpStart (CJS) 2018, run for the 7th time by Nathalie Kalbach. If you're not familiar with CJS, it's a one-of-a-kind online event designed to kick your creativity into high gear in January 2018. 

Learn techniques, discover new materials, and connect with other artists and crafters! 

Throughout January participants get access to 31 downloadable videos from 31 featured artists. I'm proud to be one of those artists, called “JumpStarters.” See for yourself in this fabulous preview video:

 

 Here's the break-down of what you get when you sign up:

You get 31 Downloadable videos - over 6 hours of unique content -  for just $40 (USD) if you sign up by November 29 11:59 pm EST, 2017. Afterwards it will be 45USD until December 31st, 2017 before it goes to its normal sale price of 50USD. 

So what are you waiting for? Sign up today!

_______________________________________

Want to keep up with projects, tutorials, classes, and shop news? Sign up for my newsletter!

 

 

At the Improv with Mary Beth Shaw and Seth Apter

Last weekend I was lucky enough to go to Mary Beth Shaw's studio in St. Louis and join eleven other women for a fabulous 2-day workshop with Mary Beth and Seth Apter. It was called "At the Improv," and it was literally kind of an improv'd class! They demonstrated different techniques and processes that they typically use in their work, playing off of each other and sometimes even working on the same canvas. We were then able to take those ideas and inspiration and apply them in our own work. Mary Beth was super generous - she had a huge stash of canvases, collage papers, paints, and other supplies that we were free to use. 

One of the most enjoyable parts for me was meeting people I've only talked to online - like Mary Nasser! She and I have worked together with StencilGirl for several years now, but this is the first time we got to meet in person! We sat at the same table and it was so much fun to hang out in person!

We worked on making parts and pieces that we'd be able to incorporate into our work throughout the weekend - I grabbed lots of different papers, paints, stamps, stencils, and just had a blast! (Photo courtesy of Seth, since I forgot to take any!)

We also got to experiment with several supplies that I don't use too often, like fiber paste! Here Seth was showing us some of the ways he likes to use it in his own work:

At the end of day one, I'd made a good start on two different canvases, I had a fabulous pile of art parts, and I had some fiber paste experiments drying in the kitchen.

Day 2, we were back bright and early and dove right in! We went straight to work with more fabulous demos throughout the day, like this one where Mary Beth showed us how she does line work in her abstract art.

The day went by way too quickly! It was amazing to go around the room and see what everyone else did during the weekend - there was some awesome work! Here's the whole class - a pretty good looking group, if I do say so myself!

I also got a photo of the StencilGirl crew - me, Mary Beth, Mary Nasser, and Seth.

Of course, I can't forget about the artwork! Here's where I ended up at the end of class on day two... one completed 8x8 canvas, one mostly complete 9x12 canvas, and the start of an art journal page (right-hand side.)

I also had my fiber paste background - it's not done, but I like where it's going!

After class that night, I was still feeling the itch to create, so I pulled my journal back out and worked more on the page I'd started in class. I happened to have these stained-glass-esque figures that had been pulled off of something else and tucked into the journal, so I took one of those and added it onto the page. Here's where it ended up:

A closeup that shows the texture from the background elements I'd added in class:

Now that I'm back home, I've been able to get into the studio quite a bit this week and finished up my canvases. Here's the first one - this was pretty much done in class and I really like it - it was so much fun to build up all those layers!

Here are a few closeups so you can see some of said texture a bit better...

Finally, the second canvas... I just put on a few finishing touches with paint and glaze after getting home, and I really like this one too! The coloring is similar - you can tell I was working on both of them at the same time so I used pretty much the same paint palette on both of them.

Of course, a few close-ups of this one as well... I used some textured elements and some fiber paste skins and I love the dimension that it adds!

Whew! That's a lot for just one weekend, don't you think! I'm so glad that I got to go - I had a great time reconnecting with friends and meeting some wonderful new people, and happily, I'm also feeling re-energized and ready to get back to spending more time in the studio!

_______________________________________

Want to keep up with projects, tutorials, classes, and shop news? Sign up for my newsletter!

 

 

 

June Classes at Papercraft Clubhouse in Connecticut

Hi all! I've mentioned the classes I have coming up at Papercraft Clubhouse in Westbrook, CT, (in less than two weeks now!) but I thought I'd give a little more detail about each class and also share some videos I've put together that may help decide some of you who are on the fence about coming. Hopefully they'll also help those of you already signed up so that you have a better idea of what to expect, what I'll be providing, and what you'll want to bring to work on your projects.

Here we go!

First up, Friday morning (June 16th) I'm teaching my Mini Mixed Media Medallions class from 10am to 1pm. This class is $60, but it also includes 1/4 lb of Aves Apoxie Clay (normally $10) as well as a few other goodies I'll be supplying for you. (You can also click through to the class page where there are lots more pictures of the class samples, plus a full description and supply list. You can watch the video there as well.) The samples are very much in my style, but you can bring elements, colors, themes, etc... that are totally different and really make these medallions your own!

We'll use clay, beads, metal findings, and more to create 1-2 medallions during this fun and fast-paced class. For those who have taken my Mixed Media Shadow Boxes class, there are some similarities in how the projects start, but then we diverge quite a bit from that approach with how our foundation evolves into a medallion that can be used on a book cover, in a shadow box or assemblage piece, or as a piece of statement jewelry.

Here's a 9 minute video that shows you more about the samples and talks about class supplies and some of what you can expect from this workshop.

____________

Also on Friday 6/16/17, I'm teaching Boho Art Journaling from 2-5pm... this class is $55.

In this workshop, we'll learn a background technique to start our pages (or canvas - you can bring your own canvas or panel if you'd prefer that to working in a journal,) and then we'll use stamps, stencils, and some fun techniques to make boho style animals to go on our pages.

Here's a 7-ish minute video going over more about the class and what to bring with you.

Again, you can hop over to the class page for lots more photos of the class samples with the full description and supply list.

_____________

Finally, on Saturday June 17th I'm teaching a full day class called Of Angels and Icons that runs from 10am-5pm with a one hour break for lunch. This class is $105 and includes the canvas, plus other supplies that I'll be bringing to share.

We'll create an 11x14 mixed media canvas inspired by Russian Icons and Mexican Folk Art (with my own spin, of course!) You can go in whatever direction you want - lots of opportunities to really customize this for your style. We'll build the background for our canvas (different techniques from Friday,) as well as working on wings and halos and creating the paper doll itself, then we'll pull it all together.

I've got a video for this one as well - also about 9 minutes, that will talk much more about the samples and supplies.

As always, you can check the class page on my website for lots more details as well as many more photos of the class samples.

___________

Spots are filling quickly for these classes (especially Saturday's class which only has a few openings left!) so if you're interested, give them a call at the Clubhouse to sign up! (860-399-4443 - note that they're closed on Mondays.)

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or message me on my Facebook page. Hope to see you there!

 

 

Mixed Media Shadow Box - Seascape

Things have been so busy lately that I haven't had time to work on much art, especially art that's just for me, so I'm pretty excited that I managed to finish the demo piece that I started in my Mixed Media Shadow Boxes class back on May 3rd at Papercraft Clubhouse in Westbrook, Connecticut.

Here you go - it's a seascape featuring a (mostly) handmade fishy!

The box itself is decorated with stencils, paint, cool sequined and metallic trims from India, sari yarn, and of course, the old drawer handle on top!

Here's the back, using my new Art Deco Borders stencil.

On this piece, I accessorized the front of the box with some sea themed goodies - I took store-bought jewelry components and beads and completely revamped them to use here.

And of course, a close-up of my fishy! He was based on a wood cut-out, but I modified that as well :) I cut parts of the wood, and then I used Aves Apoxie Clay as the basis for constructing the rest of it (as well as for most of the rest of the assemblage that I did on this piece.)

I'm super happy with how he came out! It was really fun to make, and it's one of my favorite pieces in quite a while :)

Finally, If you haven't already heard, I'm excited to be going back to the Clubhouse in June for three more classes (June 16-17.) You can see the events on my Facebook page, or check out the class pages on my website.

Friday:

Mini Mixed Media Medallions  10am-1pm

(if you like my shadow box, or wanted to take that class but missed it, you'll love this class! It also uses the Aves Apoxie clay as a base for creating super fabulous embellishments - or even statement pendants!)

Boho Art Journaling 2pm-5pm

Saturday:

Of Angels and Icons 10am-5pm

Space in the classes is filling quickly, so make sure to call soon if you're interested in joining us! Also, if you have questions about the classes feel free to message me, leave comments, etc...

 

Mixed Media Shadow Boxes - Class Recap

I wanted to post a little recap of the Mixed Media Shadow Boxes class I taught two weeks ago at Papercraft Clubhouse in Connecticut. It was such a fun day, and I was overwhelmed by how many people came out on a Wednesday during the day for a workshop!

Here's a quick photo of my samples of what type of project we were going to do:

We had six hours, and we did some dimensional stenciling on the inside and outside of our boxes, we worked on creating a sculptural focal point (which most everyone made themselves!) and we also had a lot of fun embellishing the whole thing.

I did actually remember to take a few photos this time (I'm terrible about remembering to take photos during class!) and fortunately Patty also took several.

Here are a few candids I took of class members, hard at work:

A few more from Patty...

She also got a few of me during demos throughout the day:

Also a fun shot of our goody table where I spread out some of the embellishments, tools, and stencils that were available for the class to use:

And, of course, there's all of the amazing and creative artwork that everyone did! I remembered to take pictures at the end, but I MISSED ONE! I'm so upset! There's also a gorgeous seahorse / ocean themed box that I somehow missed photographing (please send a photo so I can add it to the gallery!)

I added a student gallery to the class page (scroll down) so that you can see each individual project and, if you'd like you can click through to a larger version. They were all unique, creative, and so beautiful! I was very impressed by what everyone did and how each person put their own style into their piece.

A few shots with friends throughout the day... me with the uber-talented Fran...

Then Jill and I - (hi Jill!)

Finally, a fun little selfie with me, Patty, Kim, and Fran:

It was such a wonderful day and a great class where I think I learned just as much as the students! I've been working on finishing up my demo piece from class, so I'll share that in the near future :)

In the meantime, I'll be back at the Clubhouse in June for three more classes (June 16-17.) You can see the events on my Facebook page, or check out the class pages on my website.

Friday:

Mini Mixed Media Medallions

Boho Art Journaling

Saturday:

Of Angels and Icons

Space in the classes is filling quickly, so make sure to call soon if you're interested in joining us! Also, if you have questions about the classes feel free to message me, leave comments, etc... 

 

Boho Art Journaling - Elephants and Peacocks

Lately I've been working here and there on putting together one more half-day class to offer as an option when scheduling in-person classes (for now, at least... I'm sure there will be more later!) The original plan was to make collaged elements, but about half-way through my first sample the boho spin popped out of nowhere and insisted on becoming the theme for the workshop. I'm so glad I followed my inspiration on this - I love this new class which is now, quite appropriately, called Boho Art Journaling with Stencils & Stamps.

Here's the first sample - a boho elephants art journal page:

The idea for the class is that we'll learn a fun art journal background technique (which can be applied to panels, canvases, etc... as well,) and also make our own patterned papers that will then become part of a collaged element that's the focal point of the spread.

I love my boho ellies!

Of course, I had to take it one step further and try this out with a peacock:

This particular shape is not one that I'd recommend attempting in a 3-hour class (unless one is a very fast cut-and-paster!) but I wanted to show some of the possibilities of the techniques.

I love adding different textures and dimension into my journal.

I'm really excited about the possibilities with this workshop, and I'm crossing my fingers that it gets scheduled! I'm planning on doing some more samples soon to show how this can be adapted for more styles and shapes (it doesn't have to be boho if that's not your thing,) and I'm excited to experiment more.

You can see more photos and info on the class page, and if you're interested in hosting this and / or another class, shoot me an email!

 

Mixed Media Shadow Boxes / Shrines Workshop

Hi all! As you probably know, I've been working hard over the last few months to get new classes available to be scheduled for in-person workshops. I'm excited to announce that my first workshop of 2017 is now open for registration!

I'll be teaching Mixed Media Shadow Boxes / Shrines at Papercraft Clubhouse in Westbrook, CT. The class will be Wednesday, May 3 from 10am to 5pm (there's a 1-hour break in there for lunch,) and the class is $100 for the day, which includes the cost of the supplies I'll provide (clay, shared tools, a few other goodies...)

Hopefully I'll see plenty of you there! I know it's a weekday, but I'll be in the area for an art retreat that weekend and Tracie was kind enough to invite me to teach while I'm there. As a little teaser, I'll also be back at the Clubhouse June 16-17 with more classes! (We're still working out details, but watch for another announcement soon!)

In the meantime, you can get all of the class details and lots of close-up photos of the samples on my website, or you can call the store at 860-399-4443 to register today!

Hope to see you there!

 

Art Journal Design: Stamp, Stencil & Collage

Over the last month I've slowly been working on filling out my list of available classes to offer to stores or groups interested in having me come teach in person. I finally finished up the sample and class write-up for the last one that I had planned for now; I'm calling it Art Journal Design: Stamp, Stencil, & Collage. This project is for an art journaling class where we make a simple art journal from watercolor paper and then decorate the cover and do 2-3 spreads. 

Of course, it's not just any old random art journaling... this workshop is structured around learning fun mixed media techniques along with a series of design principles that I use regularly in all of my work. I'm sharing my secrets here! LOL. Of course, as the name suggests, stamping, stenciling, and collage will definitely be involved!

The cover has some principles and techniques, of course, and then the three inside spreads really get into the meat of the subject.

You can definitely see by the sample spreads that we'll cover quite a variety of techniques and topics in class!

I'm worried that we won't have time to do three spreads in class, but we'll see... I probably over-planned (surprised, anyone?) but I'd always much rather try and give you more in class than less!

This one comes with a surprise inside...

You can see more detail photos as well as course description on the class page on my website.

I've had a lot of requests to make classes available online as well, so if this is a class that you really want to take and it's not offered in person near you, let me know so I can add it to my list to make into a virtual class.

If you're interested in hosting a class, shoot me an email!

 

Mini Mixed Media Medallions

I'm still at it, working feverishly in my studio as I try and finish up the samples for all of the prospective in-person classes I'm offering. The latest samples are for a class I'm calling Mini Mixed Media Medallions. I've used clay, metal findings, beads, and other goodies to make "medallions" (for lack of a better term) that can be anything from a funky statement pendant to an elaborate version of a Lover's Eye (or not so elaborate, but I like everything pretty over the top!)

Here are the three I made as samples:

Of course, I have individual photos and close-ups for each of them... I can't decide which is my favorite. Maybe this one?

It would be a bit big as a necklace, but maybe on the cover of a book?

This might be my favorite too...

It could definitely work as a pendant - a very funky, tribal feeling statement pendant...

Last but not least, this one went through a rough phase, but I think I pulled it out in the end and I really love this one too:

Maybe a book cover? More likely the focal point of a larger mixed media piece at some point in the future.

There are more photos on the class page along with a class description, etc... (this class isn't scheduled anywhere as of right now, but hopefully it will be!) If you'd like to see this as an online class, make sure to leave me a comment and let me know (I'm keeping track of requests so I know what to work on first when I start putting together online classes.) If you're interested in hosting a class, shoot me an email!

 

Save

Save

Mixed Media Floral Still-Life

I've been on a total creative roll over the last few weeks! So many ideas are running through my mind, and I've been lucky to spend pretty much all of my free time in the studio getting those ideas out of my head and into my art. 

One of the larger ongoing projects I've been working on has been making samples for the new in-person workshops I'm offering for stores or groups who are interested in having me come teach. The latest is a sample for another new full-day workshop - Mixed Media Floral Still-Life paintings, and I was actually kind of shocked at how quickly and easily this one spilled out and onto the canvas. I love how it came out, and I hope you do too!

Just a few close-ups of the piece:

The focus for this class will be working with paper, acrylics, and mark-making to make our own beautiful floral compositions. If you want more info, you can check out the class page with more photos and description. If you're interested in hosting a class, shoot me an email!

 

Of Angels & Icons

Lately I've been working on putting together a list of class offerings so that I can try and schedule a few in-person teaching appearances this year. I've already added some existing classes to the list, but I've never taught full-day classes and I'm working on developing a few (along with a few new half-day classes) so that I can add variety and options to the list.

One of the new classes I'm going to offer is called Of Angels & Icons and it's inspired by a few things I love all mixed together. The first is Mexican folk art - I love the bright colors and the relative simplicity of the shapes and figures. The second are icons - I spent ten days in Russia last summer and visited a lot of Orthodox churches and cathedrals. I was incredibly impressed by the beautiful icons and the artistry and detail (and let's not kid ourselves... I love how ornate they were with lots of beading, gems, embroidery - they were stunning!) I took those two influences and mixed them with a touch of Indian / Asian flair and my own personal style.

I was super excited to work on the sample for this class, and I LOVE how it came out!

Here are a few close-ups so you can see some of the details:

Her halo is based on a gorgeous diecut from Spellbinders, her wings are from the Fractured Angel stencil by Kate Thompson.

The heart is hand-made - I used clay, jewels, metal findings and paints and I love it!

I also hand made my own applique for the sample (making the applique isn't part of the class - sewing takes a while!) I used die-cut felt flowers from the Tim Holtz Tattered Flowers Sizzix die and the leaves were from another Spellbinders die set (did you know wafer thin dies could cut wool felt? I didn't, but they can... beautifully!) I spent WAY too much time adding all the stitching and a little beading, but I love how it came out. I even took my first stab at doing a fish scale technique with sequins. I'm thinking I'll do a separate tutorial on making your own appliques. I know I'll make more - I learned a ton from making this one.

The background features one of my all time favorite stencils - the Marrakech Mix stencil by Michelle Ward. There are tons of other stencils in the background, and some in the body as well but they all kind of fade into the background (deliberately, of course!) The head is a Dina Wakley Media stamp - it was just perfect for this project!

It was so much fun to work on this and to plan out how this class will work. I'm really hoping someone chooses this one for me to teach at some point, but I guess we'll see! If not, I still love her and I'm going to be making more soon!