Stencil Sunday: NEW Lemurian Gardens

We are excited to have three brand new Lemurian Gardens Stencils from StencilGirl, designed by our friend Linda Edkins Wyatt, now available at The Ink Pad. The first set comprised two 6x6" stencils (Leaf and Tulip) as well as three mini 4x4" stencils (Lily, Spiral and Pansy). The second set consists of Lemurian Leaves (6x6"), Blooming Violet (4x4") and --possibly my current favorite-- the 8.5x11" ATC Mix-Up, which I've used with nine different Oxide Ink blends, featuring the newest Distress color, Salvaged Patina.

It's no surprise that Salvaged Patina blends wonderfully with all of the blue and green Distress Oxides, but I was pleasantly surprised that it was also possible to bring in some yellows, greys and pinks as well! I like to blend my oxides using old-school fingertip Sponge Daubers, because of my mild case of carpal tunnel syndrome. However, it must be said that Picket Fence Studios' Life Changing Blender Brushes really do live up to their name!

My favorite blends, so far (starting at top left): 1. Lucky Clover, Cracked Pistachio & Salvaged Patina; 2. Salvaged Patina, Cracked Pistachio & Twisted Citron; 3. Salvaged Patina, Speckled Egg & Kitsch Flamingo; 4. Salvaged Patina, Peacock Feathers & Scattered Straw; 5. Salvaged Patina, Mermaid Lagoon & Rustic Wilderness; 6. Cracked Pistachio, Salvaged Patina & Weathered Wood; 7. Broken China, Salvaged Patina & Speckled Egg; 8. Salvaged Patina, Speckled Egg & Victorian Velvet; 9. Seedless Preserves, Mermaid Lagoon & Salvaged Patina.

Using the blends I made above, I added the nine designs from Linda's ATC Mix-Up Stencil as follows: to Blend 1, I added the large spiral in Rustic Wilderness; to Blend 2, I added the rosebuds in Broken China and Shabby Shutters; to Blend 3, I added the abstract teardrop pattern in Chipped Sapphire; to Blend 4, I added the lily in Spiced Marmalade and Rustic Wilderness;to Blend 5, I added added the abstract tribal square in Blueprint Sketch and it faded away into nothing, so I had to make a new blend of Squeezed Lemonade, Cracked Pistachio & Salvaged Patina, which worked well; to Blend 6, I added the large rose bud in Kitsch Flamingo and Mowed Lawn; to Blend 7, I added the more detailed spiral in Faded Jeans; to Blend 8, I added the tulip in Dusty Concord and Evergreen Bough; and Blend 9 also turned out to be a bit too dark to layer a detailed flower, so I made a new blend of Speckled Egg, Salvaged Patina and Shabby Shutters, to which I added the pansy in Seedless Preserves and Evergreen Bough. 

I decided to add all the completed ATC cards to an accordion booklet, made from a 15x4" piece of watercolor paper which I scored and folded at every three inches. 

I secured a piece of seambinding behind the cover image, which I tied into a neat bow, to hold the booklet closed.

I hope you'll be inspired to experiment and find out what your favorite Salvaged Patina Oxide (or regular    ) blends are; then try layering a favorite stencil or stamp over top as an accent. There are additional ATC Mix-Up Varieties, as well as lots of other lovely StencilGirl selections available at The Ink Pad.