Tons of fun with my first stencil

I have been playing along with Michelle Ward's GPP Street Team crusades off and on (recently more off than on :( ) since they started, and I do so wish I had the time to join in every month.

Last month the challenge was to carve your own rubber stamps, and I really wanted to have a go at that one, but Canada kind of got in the way.

So I was determined not to miss out on this month's challenge - which is to design and cut (and of course use!) a stencil.

My arty time is pretty limited, so I needed to tie this in with something else that needed doing - and the H page of my A-Z journal is due........ so an H for Hockey stencil had to be the answer :)

I traced the outline of a hockey player onto acetate (I just used a standard inkjet transparency as I didn't have any proper stencilly stuff), and cut him out with a craft knife.

I was careful to cut him out all in one go so I would also have a mask to use.

I haven't finished my actual journal page yet, but here are a few experiments with both the stencil and the mask:

First attempt with stencil - sprayed with Ranger colorwash. Ooops!!!! That didn't go quite to plan lol



I quite like the impression left on the paper towel I used to clean it up though :)



While the stencil was drying I had a go with the mask...

Stippled with pigment ink (I like this effect):



Black card, with white pigment ink spread outwards around the mask with a make up sponge (and this one :) ):


And then afterwards I had another go with the stencil - this time using distress inks applied with cut and dry foam (rather haphazardly):



I like that last one the best of all, and might use something similar on my journal page.

Thanks, Michelle, for giving me the opportunity and incentive to try something new. I will DEFINITELY be making more of these!