Challenge # 246 and Newly Designed and Cut Stencil

Challenge # 246 - Monotangle Trees

This week's challenge was a wonderful guest post by Dilip Patel (here).  I could spend hours on this one and try all different things, but since instead of hours, I have minutes... I went with a Bijou tile (2x2 inches).

Newly Designed and Cut Stencil

I have been thinking about designing a stencil of a repeat pattern.  So, on Sunday, I went at it and this is what I came up with.  I think I will have a lot of fun with this one.

Started out with a print from a hand-carved stamp (bottom right), trying different things on graph paper, seeing what would work as a stencil, and finally drawing the piece (top left) to be copied over and over to make up the complete design.

This is what the stencil looks like after the first test (it is 4x4 inches).  It took me forever to get each of the little pieces out - apparently I didn't press hard enough with my x-acto blade.

This is what my first print looks like (using the stencil 4 times, of course).  I also outlined all the shapes with black ink, just so I could see the pattern better.

Then I started thinking what would happen if I were to go into some of those bigger white shapes and "cut out" the inside.  I haven't done it on the stencil (yet!), just wanted to see what it would be like.  So I drew the shapes, and painted then with some of the acrylic paints I had used with the stencil.  I like it, but drawing/painting them and cutting them out are 2 very different things, so I'm still thinking if I will attempt it or not.