Design Inspiration. Planet Stencil Library.

Stencil Gallery Australia

I am just parcelling up last week's free stencil to go to it's new owner in Australia.  This prompted me to check in with the site of our Australian partners Nic and Helen Orr at The Stencil Gallery.

They take orders for Stencil Library stencils and we make and ship to them or their customers. Visiting their site is always a pleasure because I see photographs displaying their style of creativity using our stencils.

This is one of their interpretations of the DR2 cherry blossom that I featured recently.

and here is another.

They also design and make a collection of their own.  I particularly liked this one of theirs called kumquat.

It is available as either stencil or decal, yes they make both.  Stencil Gallery host workshops at their studio in Glebe Point Road which is only a short bus ride (number 431 if I remember correctly) from Sydney city centre.

Talking of buses, they make stencils for destination banners, I rather like these.

I would feel compelled to add some imaginary names amongst the destinations....Helen's Palace maybe?  It looks like our SS3 Elephant stencil from the Budget range on the side of the planter.

Nic has stencilled many lovely interiors for homes and business around the area.  In this picture he is stencilling MD77and MD79 from our Modern Design collection

The Stencil Gallery is open by appointment. If you are going to Sydney NSW and are a stencil (or decal) enthusiast I recommend contacting them ....again if my memory has not let me down there were some great delicatessens, coffee shops and bookstores around there. Not going to Sydney? Take a look at their site.

Helen. 

Theresa Cheek, worth a second look

I featured some of the fabulous work of Texas artist Theresa Cheek some while ago and I think it is time that we revisited her.
 
Like me, Theresa is a Chinoiserie fan.

She has like minded clients too...just look at the rich colours in this powder room....and this ceiling.

I am so pleased that Theresa does not mind heights or else this scrumptious ceiling many never have been created.

It was designed to work with the fabric in her clients bedroom.  To see more of Theresa's artistry visit her blog, she finds all sorts of gorgeous things to share with us. To see Chinoiserie style stencils visit here.

I shared a 'moment' with Theresa the other day.  She was my first ever Skype video phone call.  It was wierd to use the web camera, I could see Theresa chatting in her beautifully decorated kitchen. I am now going to stencil some fabulous, portable screen to block out the swamp that is my office. I shall place it behind me when I am on web camera!

Helen

PS I am back from holiday now, stay tuned for more free stencils, an update on new designs and possibly a photo or two from my hols.

Featured Decorative Artist: Kimberly Manning Aker

We are always delighted when customers send us photos of projects done using our stencils and we like to share them with our readers so they can see different ideas and perspectives.  Today, we are featuring the work of Kimberly Manning Aker of KMACreate.  Kimberly designs for 1890's-1950's interiors.  She sent us work from two projects done recently. 

 

Kimberly was working on an Art Deco interior for a 1920's house in San Francisco.  She found some wonderful deco pieces, but when it came to drapes, she couldn't fond something authentically deco that didn't look 1980's, so she decided to create her own using our Art Deco stencils.  Stencils are not just for walls!

She used DE290 Border from our Art Deco range.  She mixed a touch of textile paint medium with a product called Modge Podge and her favourite metallic paints from Modern Masters.  She stencilled the pattern in an old muted gold and platinum along a piece of gorgeous silk taffeta.  The the taffeta was handed over to her drapery maker who sewed the full drapes up.  She was thrilled with the results as she likes adding one of a kind, custom touches to her schemes.

Based on the success of that project, she did something similar for her next project.  This time she used DE277, also from our Art Deco range.  This is one of my favourite deco stencils because it is so perfectly Art Deco to me. 

 

Just this bit of detail on the drapes adds an extra element of design to the overall scheme.  Using the right paint, stencils can be used on just about any surface and stencilling fabric is wonderful to do.  Neither design overwhelms the rooms they are in.  They just compliment all the other pieces Kimberly has pulled together.

If you would like to know more about what Kimberly does, please check out her website by clicking here.  We look forward to seeing more of Kimberly's work in the future.

Rachel. 

Bonnie's big renovation

We have featured decorative artist Bonnie Fulks from Cape Coral, Florida before.   Her recent work with our stencils will be shown on television later this week.

Bonnie writes 'The HGTV Show, "My Big Renovation" with Ed Bagley and his wife will air on August 19th, at 11:00 p.m.  This is the house that my team, Bonzart Studio participated in.  We did three rooms, the Create Room, The Hallway and the Laundry Room.
 

 The rooms were done with foils and crystals, etc.....and paint.


This is a GREEN house, that we did in Falls Church, VA.  I flew from FLA to VA to participate in this project and had 2 ladies from the area help me with it! 
It was a fun project for us!

 
There were a few people working on various areas of this home and so she may not get more than a minutes airtime to herself, but we can hope.  It sounds like an interesting and worthwhile project.  Bonnie used an assortment of butterfly stencils from the Japanese stencil collection along with chives and dandelions from the Larger Than Life group and some decorating masks from the Big and Bold selection. All stencils came from The Stencil Library Look at the embellishment she has added with foils and beads.
 

I can't get HGTV so shall rely on others to tell me about the programme. August 19th at 11pm. If you see it, let us know more.

Helen
 

Theresa Cheek

Meet Theresa Cheek, talented artist, wearer of stenciled jeans and author of a new blog called "Arts The Answer". I discovered Theresa when she submitted photos of her work to the Gallery of the International Decorative Artisans League (IDAL).  One of my extra curricular tasks as a volunteer for IDAL is to select photographs from the submissions and feature them on the gallery. Do visit.  You do not have to be an IDAL member to see the pictures.  Initially, Theresa had sent me details of a beautiful Chinoiserie mural and I wanted the gallery viewers to see more of it.  A correspondence and more pictures of her work followed.  Now, I do like to treat my lovely readers.  But too much of a good thing is not wise for anyone, so I am saving Theresa's Chinoiserie project to show you soon.  However, she has restored and recreated some fabulous historical stencilling in Texas, USA and I cannot wait to share this one. 

Theresa tells me,  "The home was built in 1888 for a prominent family.  It is known as the "Senator Chilton home" in Tyler, Texas.  The stenciling was not original to the home, but was done somewhere between 1888 and 1908.  There is no documentation as to who did it or how long it took."



She adds,  "It has been covered my whole life with layers of paint and wallpaper. I had always heard rumors of the murals and stenciling from older people.  The current homeowners are on a historical board and wanted to find out if the rumors were true.  They began to scrape back paint and found wallpaper.  This layer is what saved the stenciling.  The paper was applied in the 1930's and had a muslin liner behind it.  It wasn't until around 2000 that the murals began to emerge with the intense labor of removing multiple layers of paint and paper.  We assume itinerant painters did this, but the scale and quality is very high.  There are at least two more rooms with stenciled walls and ceilings.  We have uncovered a section in each room to show the patterns, but money is not available at this time to do restoration. There is also rumor of a mural going up the staircase wall.  Nothing has been removed in that area to prove or disprove this.  ANY HELP you might have on the style or origins of this job would be appreciated by me and the current owners." 

So if anyone can help her please comment here or on her blog.

Theresa goes on to say, "With a degree in Art History, I have always had a fascination for art.  I love the execution of a project but the historian in me enjoys researching a project to get the details accurate.  I have been an artist for over twenty years specializing in murals, gilding and restoration.  I have traveled to Europe on a yearly basis since 1999 and enjoy talking to and working with artists there.  I now specialize in decorative art, working with stenciling, faux marble and faux bois."

So there you have it.  More of this fabulous project is featured on Theresa's blog and I will be featuring her again soon.
Helen

Di Overton's Plasterpiece

Last October I told you that Di Overton and I were playing with plaster and stencils.  Di is author of the beautiful Designers Block blog and owner of Ghost Furniture.  This was her first attempt at stencilling with plaster.
Pretty good huh? But, this is her second.

When we experimented in my studio we had used a plaster product called Versiplast that I picked up in America.
Di, if you read this please leave a comment to tell my readers what you bought in the UK to stencil your project with.  I can tell you that the stencil she used was LTL12 leaves from The Stencil Library.  The stencil is made up of stem sections and a variety of leaves.  You use as much or little of the design as required. Di's stencilled leaves grew from the lounge area to the kitchen. Notice a tree also grows there.

It was difficult to keep my grubby hands from stroking the walls.  The result is very tactile.

Plaster can be applied through thin stencils and makes a pleasing result, but the texture will not be as dense as the stencilling in these pictures.  Di ordered her leaf design in a heavier film.  This is a service that we offer, but is not yet on our website.  To order a heavy stencil just contact us by email fax or phone.

 Visit Ghost Furniture to see more of Di's artistry and humour.

Helen.

20th Anniversary for Chicago Institute

Are you going to be anywhere Carol Stream, Illinois on the 20th of March?   I'm not, otherwise I would be taking up an invitation from The Chicago Institute of Fine Finishes.  They are celebrating their 20th year in the decorative arts industry by hosting a fun-filled and informative open house from 10am until 8pm.   You’ll have the opportunity to experience the latest materials, newest finishes and some fab stenciling.   There will be refreshments and prizes too!  Owner Kathy Carroll  runs one of the foremost schools in faux finising in the USA and a flourishing eStore.  Want to know your marble from your burr walnut?  Speak to Kathy.

Helen

Alison Best and The Angel

In March last year, I introduced you to the work of Alison Best.  She was having her first gallery show and some of you sent her emails and comments of encouragment.  Last week, she sent The Stencil Library this Christmas card.
 
I am glad to report that she is still creating her stencils and art.  Alison does not sell stencils in the way that I do (for others to create with).  Her stencils are the art.  She draws and cuts by hand then fills in the design with a variety of media.  Each stencil is used for a limited amount of times then it is 'retired' to become an art work in it's own right.  The card shows a circle of people gathering at the feet of the Angel of the North.  The angel of the what??  You may ask.

The angel is a massive sculpture by Antony Gormley which stands wings outstretched to welcome the traveller to the Newcastle-Gateshead area in the northeast of England.  It's a  welcome site when I've have driven hundreds of miles.  On seeing the angel, I know there is only thirty miles to go and I'm home.  I have found you a link from Gateshead Council that gives a template to make an origami angel, paper decorations and even an angel knitting pattern!  A woolly angel....what more could a person possibly desire??

I'm away for a few days now. I intend to mull wine, fill the house in greenery and make beds up for guests.  Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, I hope that you enjoy peace over the holiday. 

Helen & The Stencil Library

More from Viktoria Stockmal

Recently I featured decorative artist Viktoria Stokmal .  I wrote that I hoped soon to have more photographs of her stencil work to show you.  Well now I have.

 

No, that is not Viktoria in the photograph but the stenciled wall is her work!  I have used that same pomegranate design on a pair of jeans. 

Look at the amount of detail in these projects. 

Many of the stencil designs come from our company The Stencil Library and I am sure some are from Royal Designs but I do not know the origins of all of the stencils that she has featured.

I will not confuse you with links for all the individual stencils.  Take a look in our Ottoman Collection and the Gothic, Medieval & Tudor section. You will find many of the designs there.

 if you need to find one of the stencils either Viktoria or I will help locate them.   Viktoria is a member of IDAl. She undertakes work for both commercial and domestic properties and is in the Newtown, CT area of the USA. Thank you for the pictures Vicky.

Helen

Bonnie's Bathroom

It seems to be the season for sharing stencilled 'smallest room' pictures.  Rachel and I were thrilled to receive photographs from Bonnie Fulks of Bonzart studios in Cape Coral, Florida.

Bonnie troweled two colours of Lusterstone onto the walls of this bathroon to give it a soft metallic texture.  On top of that, she stencilled our MD68 Crescent using bronze paint. 

Bonnie started Bonzart in 1999.  She told me   "I used to be a business analyst for Freddie Mac and I wanted to turn my life around and do more of what made me happy in life.  So far it has worked, painting is easy......creativity is the name of the game with this job!!  I travel from Cape Coral, Florida which is right by Sanibel Island to Leesburg, Virginia to satisfy my customers needs." 

Whilst writing this post, I received some more photos from Bonnie.  They show a project that she is currently working on using the Big and Bold Decorating Masks. 

This design is Concentric Circles .  She told me that it had been quite a challenge, but I see from the pictures that she did a brilliant job.

Helen