Hi all - this has been a long time coming, but I'm officially moving my blog over to my website - effective immediately! This blog will stay up as a resource, but I'm in the process of moving most of my mixed media tutorials over to my site as well (and updating them in the process, so they're better than ever! Or maybe just better. lol.) So update your bookmarks and your feed readers... you'll find all of my new posts at www.gwenlafleur.com/blog. If you're using an RSS feed reader, you'll want to use this url to get to my... Continue reading

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... Continue reading

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 8th 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... Continue reading

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)... Continue reading

Looking for this project and tutorial? This post has now moved to my website! The blog hop and giveaway are now over, but you can still also link through to more inspiration: Eileen Hull Kim Evans Gwen Lafleur <-- See the tutorial on my website! Pam Bray Ann Barnes Lisa Hoel Jennalee Anderson Diana Hetherington Anne Redfern Elizabeth Robinson Susana Magenheimer Julia Aston Continue reading

My post featuring this 3D Boho Fish shadowbox tutorial has moved! You can now find the entire article on my website. Continue reading

Hi all! I'm up today on StencilGirl Talk with my quarterly blog column focused on paint and texture. This month I've taken inspiration from the fall season and made a mixed media panel with a tree bark-esque textured background, and fall leaves made from acrylic skins. Of course, there's also a tutorial for both the background and the leaves, so make sure you head on over to check it out! Continue reading

It's that time again... when I make a new journal and assemble supplies so that I can document my next adventure while I'm on the road. This year I'm heading out on the trip of a lifetime (I feel like I've said that before... lol) as I start in China and follow along the Silk Road in the footsteps of Genghis Khan and Marco Polo. We'll be keeping mainly to the Northern trade route through Western China, starting in Xi'an and then traveling by private train through five of the seven "Stans." Of course, I'm going to need to document... Continue reading

Lynda Shoup from the Artist Tribe has a fun new project today that's going to make you want to run right out and make your own stenciled boho phone clutch! Lynda used my Art Deco Borders stencil to create the pattern on the front of the clutch... make sure you head on over to her blog for more photos and details! Continue reading

I'm excited about today's Artist Tribe project from Jill McDowell... she's combined two of my favorite things in this fabulous mixed media piece - rust and embroidery! Here you can see where she's used my Decorative Folk Flower stencil as an embroidery pattern, along with a lot of other fabulous elements! Make sure to head over to Jill's blog so you can see the entire piece and read about all the details! Continue reading

Jackie Neal is jumping in from the Artist Tribe today with a stunning mixed media canvas! Jackie used my Art Deco Sunburst Background stencil along with my Art Deco Borders stencil, Fabulous Florals skeleton leaves, and some embellished trims and fabric scraps from India to make this beautiful piece! Make sure you stop by her blog for more details and photos. Continue reading

Happy Friday everyone! Today we have Linda Edkins Wyatt from the Artist Tribe sharing a new art journal spread that shows how she uses her journal when she wants to relax, regroup, and re-center. Linda used several of my stencils on this spread, including my July 2018 StencilClub collection, the Art Deco Floral Medallion, the Ornamental Compass Mask, and she used my Not Afraid to Try stencil to create her own words! Make sure you head over to her blog to see the full post with a step-by-step overview of her process. Continue reading

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... Continue reading

Check out what Jill McDowell is sharing today from the Artist Tribe! She's done a gorgeous encaustic painting using several of my stencil designs: Jill used my Boho Butterflies, Christmas Poinsettias, Decorative Filigree Ornament, and Not Afraid to Try stencils. Make sure you head over to her blog for more details and photos! Continue reading

Hi all, Jackie Neal is back today from the Artist Tribe with another art journal spread in her sari journal. Jackie used the Enchanting Elephants and Irresistible India collage cutouts and some of the embellished trim, a small Kuchi patch, as well as my Art Deco medallion and Collage Textures and Patterns, Circles stencils. Make sure you head over to Jackie's blog for all of the details and lots more photos! Continue reading

The Artist Tribe has been taking it a bit easy this summer, but today Linda Edkins Wyatt is joining us to share how she made these fantastic patchwork sari scrap belts! She's used embellished sari scraps and Turkmen jewelry parts to put these together, and the results are just spectacular! Make sure you stop by her blog for more photos and lots of details. Continue reading

My tutorial from this blog hop with StencilGirl and Emerald Creek has moved! You can now find it on my website. Make sure to head over to my website to see the tutorial in its new home, plus you can still see all of the other fabulous posts from my day on the blog hop here: Mary Beth Shaw Seth Apter Gwen Lafleur <-- see my tutorial on my website Kim Evans Eileen Hull Continue reading

Hi all - Linda Edkins Wyatt is joining us today, showing a few beautiful examples featuring one of her favorite ways to unwind... collage. Linda has layered a variety of papers and ephemera and then added journaling and stenciling on top. She used my "Not Afraid to Try," Art Deco Alphabet, Ornamental Compass Screen, and Art Deco Flower Medallion stencils. Make sure you stop by her blog for more photos, and to hear more about her process for how she chooses the different papers and brings these lovely collages together! Continue reading

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... Continue reading

My Block Printing for Mixed Media tips and tricks post has moved! Come find the article and video on my website. Continue reading

We've got another fab project from the Artist Tribe today... Lynda Shoup is sharing her stitched boho bouquet art journal page! Lynda used my new Boho Star Circle stencil along with my Decorative 6-Petal Flower Screen and Ornamental Petals Screen stencils, peacock feather washi tape, Dresden medallions, and sari ribbon to make her fun and fabulous art journal page. Make sure you stop by her blog for more photos and details! Continue reading

Jackie Neal is jumping in from the Artist Tribe today with a fabulous ocean-themed mixed media panel, "Go Your Own Way." Jackie used my Stupendous Sea Life Collage & Embellishment Pack (currently sold out, but more will be coming!) You can also find the individual handmade Boho Fish and downloadable collage cutouts in the shop available for purchase separately. I just love how she's captured that underwater vibe so perfectly! Make sure you head over to her blog to see all the details, including the ways she invoked the feeling and even some of the texture of water! Continue reading

Linda Edkins Wyatt is joining us from the Artist Tribe today with a stellar stenciled mixed media portrait! For this piece, Linda used the stencils from my July 2018 Ceramic Tile collection for StencilClub (these have already shipped to members, but you can always order any of the older sets after joining the club!) She also used several other StencilGirl designs as well as the Ornate Border Dresden trim from the shop. Make sure you head over to Linda's blog to learn more about her beautiful art journal page! Continue reading

Lynda Shoup is joining us from the Artist Tribe today with some gorgeous embroidered pincushions that she made using one of my stencils as a pattern! She used my Boho Star Circle stencil for these - personally, I think it looks pretty fabulous this way! Make sure you head over to Lynda's blog for all the details and lots more photos! Continue reading