Stencils, Shiva, and the Nude

Did my title get your attention?

A week and a half ago ...if you mention stenciling to me I would have told you that you paid a professional to come into your house and do that on your walls. (And you would have to drop a little money in the process.) My friend Pam and a handful of Shiva oil sticks changed that in a hurry. If you haven't tried these sticks out, then you are missing a wonderful art tool. There is a video that you can view online that gives you a quick overview of them, using rubbing plates:

http://www.taunton.com/threads/pages/tvt049.asp

They are also great to use with stencils. My friend, Pam, who must have stenciled every room in her old house if you were to judge by her big collection of stencils, showed me how to do it on cloth using the Shiva sticks. I went home and was able to cut out a stencil...needed to make it a three part stencil...so I could make a fat nude dancing woman to go on one of my postcard swaps. ( Aren't my fellow swappers going to be in for a surprise with this theme?) I used a stencil burner and after a little practice not only cut the stencil out but used the Shiva sticks to get the color and shading just right. Having a very talented friend right down the street who shares her talents and skills with me is wonderful. We all should be so blessed.

Here is my dancing nude woman: