Design Inspiration. Planet Stencil Library.

Shepherd Huts at Hesleyside Huts

I stencilled one of the fabulous shepherd's huts at Hesleyside Hall in Northumberland.   

The hut was called Bracken. My brief had been to soften the edges of the decoration inside the hut with stencilled 'greenery' to match the wallpaper. The interior was designed by Anna Charlton and it was already cosy and welcoming before I got there. I just added forest themed twiddly bits. Hesleyside Hall has been home to the Charlton family for over 750 years. These luxurious huts and cabins nestle within the gardens of Hesleyside Hall, landscaped by Capability Brown in the 1700's as so many of the grand country houses were.  The interior of Bracken includes a wood-burning stove, king-size bed, kitchen area and en-suite shower. Outside there is a porch with rocking chairs and a large bath tub that you heat by lighting a log fire under it. There's a fire pit for each hut and marshmallows are provided for toasting in the flames. Not that I had time for any of that. I was here to work.

Firstly we needed to make the stencils. I know you will ask where the paper came from; it's Sybilla by Living Quarters and here's a link to it. The stencils are custom made for this one project and are not for sale. We do have some lovely tree stencils amongst our own designs and you will find them at our web site. A good starting point would be this collection as it has trees and flowers similar to the one's stencilled in the Bracken Hut.

I started by decorating the window shutter beside the bed.

 

I wanted it to look pretty from the outside as well as in. When the shutter is open one sees a delicate stencilled flower; and when it is closed one sees a tree design and then the flower is visible only when you pass by the cabin window.

I stencilled with artist quality acrylic paints by Golden and by Liquitex. Some of the Farrow & Ball paint that had been used on the kitchen area was included in the stencilled flowers and berries.

After the little door on the window was finished I tackled the bigger doors under the bed then embellished the pocket door to the shower and lavvy. All were stencilled with motifs from the wallpaper and wherever possible I made the painted decoration an extension of the paper design. None of the stencils had to be particularly robust; they just needed to do this one job so we were able to offer the delicacy of the original without worry about the longevity of the product.

Greenery was stencilled over the bed and under it.  I had to test that the stencilling looks good from the pillows on both sides of the bed.

For a similar ivy stencil see our DR1 Designer Ivy stencil.

I had a lovely day working in the most charming surroundings. I took photos and videos of the stencilling process and no doubt they will appear on the @thestencillibrary Instagram and Facebook accounts. Anna and William Charlton fed me frequently and popped in to check on my wellbeing even though they were busy with a television crew filming in another cabin.  Holiday makers staying in a neighbouring hut came visiting with offers of wine and food, they took this picture of me as I was clearing up to leave for the evening.

I could have done with a long, log lit, bath on the porch, enjoying a book from the mini library while sipping the wine that the neighbours offered but I needed to head home and pack stencils for our mail order customers. Hesleyside is in the dark skies area of Northumberland almost on the border of England and Scotland, not far from the Kielder Observatory. To learn more about Hesleyside Huts and to make a booking go to their site. The Charlton family have created a magical experience for their visitors ...just read the reviews and take a look at the tree house! 

Good night Bracken, you were a delight to spend time with and when I get a chance I will return to see you with all your soft furnishings back in place.

Helen Morris. Author

How to avoid paint leaks when stencilling; we want good, crisp edges.

Recently I made a video for our newsletter subscribers. It answered the question 'How do I prevent paint leaking under the stencil?'. Well the short answer is do not use too much paint but if you would like a demonstration join me on YouTube and will share some tips for achieving crisp, clean, repeating pattern with a stencil  The demo is less than two minutes long.

Best of British Mother's Day Gifts. 25 ideas for gifts made in The UK

The Make It British website champions manufacturing in the United Kingdom and they included our stencil classes in their Best of British guide to Mother's Day Gifts made in the United Kingdom.

They wrote

'Treat her to an experience you can enjoy together with a stencilling class from The Stencil Library. After a guided tour around The Stencilled Home, enjoy tea, cake and a stencilling session. Decorate and take home a cushion cover to remember the experience forever.'

They were recommending one of the classes and tours that we host at The Stencil Library. We have a few scheduled throughout the year and the next one is in May. However, private Tea and Stipples can be booked for up to four people at other times. 

So, thank you Make It British for our mention. My Mum and I enjoy excursions where we see and do things...especially when they involve tea and cake.

The following information is from the Tours and Classes section of our website. Contact and booking information is there too.

TEA AND STIPPLE

Tea, Tour, Make and Take (2pm to 6pm) - £47.00

Friday 19th May 2023

After a guided tour around The Stencilled Home, enjoy tea, cake and a stencilling session. Participants decorate and take home a cushion cover. Ideal for a treat to yourself or with friends. Allow 4 hours.

Private Tea and Stipple classes can be arranged on mutually acceptable dates. Price per group (up to four people) £170.00

Helen.

 

 

New Dates for Stencil Classes and Tours of The Stencilled Home

Would you like to learn to stencil or improve your stencil skills? I have dates for our classes and tours from now until June 2023 for our various events

Please contact us to book a place on tours or courses.

TOURS OF THE STENCILLED HOME. Morning or evening tours £17.00 per person

Week day eve dates start 7pm.   Weekend morning dates start 10am 2022:  

 2023: Jan 20^th Fri eve, Feb 16^th Thurs eve, March 10^th  Fri eve,  May 17^th Wed eve,  June 7^th Wed eve.

All of the rooms in Stocksfield Hall are decorated with stencils. The house has been featured on television and in many books and magazines. The tour visits 12 rooms and the guide will explain the decoration of the different surfaces. After light refreshments a demonstration of basic stencil techniques is given. It is a fun and informal event. Duration 2.5 hours approx.

Private tours for groups of ten or less can be arranged Cost £160.00 per group.

Tea and Stipple

Tea, Tour, Make & Take £47.00 2pm-6pm   2023 Feb 10^th Thurs, May 19^th Fri.

After a guided tour around The Stencilled Home, enjoy tea, cake and a stencilling session. Participants decorate and take home a cushion cover. Ideal for a treat to yourself or with friends. Allow 4 to 4.5 hours. 

Private classes of four or less can be arranged on mutually acceptable dates. Price per group £170.00

CLASSES INFORMATION FOR ALL CLASSES

Total beginners and those with previous stencilling experience should benefit from any class. Also, the classes may be useful for those that are already teaching paint related workshops and want to add some extra skills to their repertoire. We will start with the basic stencil skills then build. Once the techniques have been demonstrated the students will work and experiment to their own level. Bring a note book, tape measure and an overall/apron. Refreshments, lunch (vegetarian) and materials are provided on full day classes. Please advise us if you have any allergies or dietary requirements. Refreshments and materials are provided on half day classes. We offer a price reduction of £5.00 per class per person when two or more classes are booked at the same time (does not apply to House Tours).

STENCIL DAY 9.45-5pm £85.00   Saturdays 2023: Jan 21^st, April 1^st, May 13^th, June 10^th.

This class gives a good base to develop stencilling skills along with plenty of inspiration for using them. The day involves practical work, demonstrations and a visit to 12 of the stencilled rooms at Stocksfield Hall. Students will learn to cut a stencil and experiment with different media and surfaces including fabric. Participants gain confidence, knowledge and skills to tackle projects such as walls, floors and soft furnishings. Students take home completed samples and a starter kit worth around £45.00 which includes brushes.

 

STENCIL TECHNIQUES FOR FABRIC Half Day 9.00m-1pm – £80.00 Sundays April 2nd or May 14^th.

 

This class gives you the knowledge, experience and technique to stencil fabrics for home decoration and clothing. Using an elaborate, square Moroccan style stencil and matching borders we will decorate a length of fabric. During the class you will learn how to apply colour, repeat the patterns, how to measure for symmetry and how to connect corners in your project. The stencil set worth £62.00 is included and yours to take home. The design is suitable for walls, floors and furniture decoration as well as fabric. 

STENCIL TECHNIQUES FOR FURNITURE. 9.45am -5.30pm. £95.00. Sunday, May 14^th

Students will experiment with a collection of corners, borders, repeat and spot motif stencils to create panels, circlets and overall pattern. Special attention is given to corners, symmetry and contrast panels. Simple fantasy finishes and decoupage will be demonstrated. Students will practice with paint and metal leaf.  Many of the skills learned will apply to larger projects too.  Participants should gain skills and confidence to customise pieces of furniture and other small-scale projects.  Students take home completed samples of work on paper along with notes to accompany the class and more than £50.00 worth of stencils.

MIRROR IMAGE 9.45-5pm. £95.00   2023 March 11^th Sat, June 11^th Sun

Students will create a decorative mirror finish on a framed acrylic panel (size approx. 30x40cms). Students will explore stencilling reverse colour onto a transparent surface before gilding it.  A unique water gilding process and metal leaf will be employed.  This technique can transform flat glass or acrylic into a silver leaf effect mirror suitable for wall panels, splash-backs and furniture.  The mirror frame will be decorated using a different gilding process.  Students keep the stencil and the framed panel.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Moroccan Style Panel. £110.00 9.45-5.30pm   2023 Feb 11^th Sat   April 3^rd Monday

A fun and challenging project; Students will create a decorative panel using repeat and border designs. You will leave with knowledge, experience and a fabulous set of stencils that will enable you to create further projects.  

CHINESE FAKE-AWAY Chinoiserie stencilled mural £250.00. 2 and 1/2 half days. 9.45-5 then 10. -1pm  2023 March 3,4,5^th May 20,21,22^nd

Fake your own Chinoiserie wallpaper with stencils. We will explore ways of using stencils to create the look of hand painted Chinese wallpapers from the 1700’s to the present day. We will create at least one decorative panel using a mixture of mural stencils, borders and repeats. We will practice simple gilding and broken colour techniques. Students use and take home a stencil set with a retail value of more than £200.00 to help create future murals and panels; discount will be given on the day if additional stencils are desired.

We try to schedule different classes on consecutive days to help people when travelling; if a student is attending two or three classes, we will offer a £5 discount on each class.

Salon Bergen 2022

I'll be participating in the SALON of decorative painters in Bergen, Norway next week so I will not be able to post stencils or supplies  The website will be accepting orders, Chips will be cutting them for you but they will not get mailed until I return on the 24th May.

I apologise for any inconvenience.

If you would like to know more about Salon Bergen follow the posts from The Stencil Library's Instagram and Facebook pages. @thestencillibrary or visit the Salon Forever website

The SALON is a gathering of dedicated decorative painters from around the world coming together to exhibit their work and discuss old and new techniques, products, and information in the field. The Salon, which began in 1992 in Belgium with a small gathering of professionals, reconvened in 1996 and has been coming together in growing numbers every year since.

The Salon is now recognized as the most important and significant gathering of decorative painters in the world. 

Participants of The Salon include teachers from schools as well as those who are independent commercial craftspeople. The Salon is a way for some of the most unique traditions within the field of decorative arts to be shared amongst one another and ultimately, passed onto participants’ students. 

The opportunity enhances and extends the level of communication between serious and committed craftsmen.

The Salon is also a way for visitors and the outside public to experience the high quality of work present and meet the real masters of this craft. Ongoing demonstrations and an exhibit hall allow visitors and participants to view works specifically created for The Salon.  

Helen