Tutorial for Altered Picture Frame with LOC Vintage Meddalion Art Stencil

Supplies Needed:
Wood picture frame
Fine grit sand paper or sanding block
Gesso to seal wood (optional)
Designer Paper to cover frame, paint for the edges of frame if desired
Adhesive that will glue paper to wood: good glue stick, Xyron, TomBow, etc.
Craft Blade (I used Fiskars Finger Blade)
Layers of Color Art Stencil
Ink and sponges (I used Craft, Distress Inks work well too)
Embellishments as desired

I started with this unfinished wood frame from Mikael's that I got for $1.00, and a piece of marbled card stock that I have had for ages so I have no name for it, but I chose it because it had some marbling for interest, but not a lot of pattern to compete with my stencil.

Next I lightly sanded the frame with a fine grit sand paper, and sealed it with a coat of Gesso, and then sanded it again when that was dry. ( I was going to add dp to my frame edges but you could paint them at this point.)

I removed the "center" materials, laid the frame face down on my designer paper. With a pencil I traced the lines of the outside of the frame, and the inside opening. Then I cut along those lines with a craft blade. I used a glue stick to adhere my dp to the front of the frame. If you have a Zyron, you could use that or even a good quality spray adhesive. After adhering it, I used my Fiskar's finger blade to trim right up against the edges. I love the finger blade because it allows you to get so close with great control. I then measured the depth of my frame and cut strips of dp to exactly fit the edges, and adhered with Tombo Metal Glue... it holds great! Again, you could just as easily have painted the edges of your frame and only added dp to the front if you wanted.

Next I laid my stencil on a corner of my frame, lining up the center of the medallion with the corner of the frame. Using Craft White Ink and a make up sponge, I began sponging on white ink. I worked from the corner out to the outer edges of the stencil. I added more in places to give almost a shadow effect, but that's all just a matter of taste. There is no right or wrong. You can always add more, so start with a light touch and go from there. When I reached the outside of the pattern, I lifted the stencil and continued sponging on more white ink farther out from the medallion, filling in the middle part of the frame lightly. It is just enough to give a "dreamy" feel to the frame, rather than harsh lines between stenciled pattern and dp.

Here is a close up view of the stenciled pattern over the dp. I continued this process on all four corners, sponging lightly some white in the space between the corners as well.

Next I just started to embellish it. I used snippets of 3 different laces, some Prima Flowers, ZVA Creative Pearls, a Leaf Die Cut from Sizzix, taupe silky ribbon from Martha Stewart, and I made one lace collar for a paper flower by cutting a 9" length of lace, sewing a loose running stitch so I could gather it up into a circle, and then stitched the seam together. Through that I slipped two shimmery paper flowers and a little silk Prima.The key is from K&Co. The butterfly is a bronze piece from the jewelry dept. at Hobby Lobby.

Have fun with it and if you make one I'd love a link so I can see it too!