DIY Studio Shelf!

If you are looking for the Traci Bautista StencilGirl Blog Hop, please keep scrolling down!

We interrupt this Friday's favorite map artist to bring you a special mini-blog hop between Judi Kauffman and me!
I met Judi Kauffman through the StencilGirl Walnut Hollow Blog Hop. I'd reached out to Judi, sending her an email thanking her for choosing to use my map stencil in her project for that hop. We began corresponding and found we had a lot in common: a passion for teaching, love of dogs, StencilGirl stencils and Walnut Hollow, and even the colors teal and turquoise! So we had fun setting up a brand new challenge for the two of us: to use StencilGirl stencils I'd designed, Walnut Hollow products, Shimmer Sheetz, and the color teal, turquoise or light turquoise! We had no idea what the other would make!

For my project, I chose to work with my Map and Compass stencils, Walnut Hollow’s Rustic Wood Ledge and Shimmer Sheetz in Turquoise Gemstone.

I began by staining the entire wood ledge with Minwax Water-Based Wood Stain in Antique Jade.
Then I used a Colour Shaper to add Matisse Background Colors in Whisper Green, Gum Tree Green and Turquoise to the large interior portion of the ledge.

I layered and blended the Matisse Background Colors, but did not mix these completely:

Then I placed my map stencil against the surface I had just painted. I love that StencilGirl stencils are flexible, allowing me to press this against the interior portion that I wanted to stencil! Using the same Matisse Background colors I used to paint the background, I pounced these through the Map stencil with a cosmetic sponge.

I moved the stencil about, holding it in place with my left hand and I applied paint through portions of the stencil.
I pounced the lighter colors onto the darker, and darker onto lighter to give the patterns more contrast.

Lastly, I used a Tsukineko Jumbo Dauber to apply Teal Blue StazOn ink through my Compass stencil onto the Turquoise Gemstone Shimmer Sheetz. I placed the entire Shimmer Sheetz onto double sided adhesive, then cut around the shapes of the stenciled compasses.

Because the adhesive is double sided, I could then peel off the backing and press the individual compasses onto the surface I had painted:

I've turned this ledge on its side and can't wait to use it as a shelf in my studio!

It's the perfect size for lots of my art supplies!
Below are two details:

Be sure to check out Judi Kauffman's lovely mini crate tutorial and two bonus projects with instructions on the Walnut Hollow Blog, too!

Thanks so much for visiting my blog and happy creating!

Mary