Design Inspiration. Planet Stencil Library.

How to fake the look of mosaic with stencils

An alternative title to this post could be 'Taking the Ache out of Mosaic' We show you how to fake the look of mosaics with stencils.

Originally, we designed our mosaic stencil collection to enhance floors and walls. However, the smallest of the sizes is a good scale for use on furniture and looks rather splendid on fabrics too.  There are three sizes available to order in the mosaic section. They are all in scale with each other so if you want a medium sized border make sure that any tiles or motifs are medium sized too. The large size has impact and is fast to stencil, the smaller sizes look more realistic. My first two pictures shows the small (or standard) size on the wall and the medium size on the floor. 

A medium sized mosaic tile and border stencil was used to decorate these concrete pavers in the yard behind our office.

Most of the mosaic stencils have layers; one for each colour so the application of the paint is simple and precise; you will not have to worry about colour separation because we have done that for you.   You just need to decide which colours you would like to use. This fabulous collection of stencils is simple to use and looks great.

A mid-tone background is best to stencil onto when using the mosaic stencil collection, both grey and brown are suitable colours because they offer a realistic grout effect when combined with light or dark colours. 

The mosaic collection of stencils from The Stencil Library can be accessed from our older, larger website or from our newer, smaller website.  If you type the word mosaic into the site search on either of our sites you will find even more mosaic borders that are not part of this collection. 

Recently, USA customer JCM Studio of Decorative Arts in Westminster, Maryland used our mosaic stencils to decorate the entry ramp area to the workshop.

photo by Jutz Moreland. The owner Jutz Moreland said it took her a while to do but was thrilled with the outcome....so are we. You can see her photos and videos on The JCM Studio Facebook page

Northumberland based decorative artist Sabina Rose stencilled the window sills in a conservatory with border no ML6-M

......and I stencilled this stencilled canvas floorcloth using the MT1 Plain Tile, the ML5 Border and the ML17 Corner Tile; it was one of the classes I taught.

A helpful instruction leaflet full of tips and information is included with stencils from the Mosaic Collection.

Feeling inspired? 

Helen.

 

 

 

Yaeko's Golden Squares stencil.

This stencil helps to mimic the squares of metallic leaf that you may find in the background of Asian style murals and wallpapers. One of the experts in this style of decoration is Japanese artist Yaeko Kurimata of the Tokyo based Faux Arts Design   Yaeko designed this stencil as a tool to help speed up the process of measuring and masking squares. We are pleased to be featuring it in the 'New Stencils' section of Stencil-Library.Co.Uk  

Faux Arts Design often create large scale artworks therefore her stencil helps them (and us) decorate full walls as well as smaller projects like wardrobes or canvases.

There is a skill in achieving the appearance of gilding that Yaeko creates but with practice and experiment you will find your own way of using it. My first attempt gave an appearance of Northumberland stone which was perfect for the Chinoiserie panels project that I was working on.

Yaeko often uses a metallic painted background ( I use metallic wallpaper) the squares are stencilled in a vaguely haphazard manner to give the impression of antiquing or corrosion.

Yaeko uses a lint free rag to further distress the surface paint but this is only one of a myriad ways to use the stencil.

I often stencil the squares using an acrylic scumble glaze tinted with paint. I no longer sell the glazes but they are available at DIY stores. The glaze makes the paint dry slowly without making it runny and then I can make imprints into it using sponges or fabric.

I found that 'Yaekos Golden Squares' stencil also helps to create the effect of a tiled background. The background becomes the grout colour and the squares are stencilled with the colour of the 'tiles'.  To add further interest keep the squares stencil in position and place a patterned stencil on top of it.  Stencil though both of the stencil layers,  The pattern will appear only in the squares and if all was lined up correctly gives the impression of decorated tiles.  I'll try and do a demo and publish it here or at our Instagram page.  However a similar project showing stencilling a pattern within a shape can be found here

This is the pair of us muralling in Tokyo some years ago. It is very rare that we sell stencils from another designer but the stencil is fabulous...and so is she so we made an exception.

Helen.

The Daily Inspiration: French Country Chic with Toile de Jouy Stencils

Nothing is so evocative of the french country style as toile de jouy.  It is so simple.  Detailed country pastoral scenes were repeatedly printed in a single colour, usually black, blue or madder rose (a corally pink) on an off white cotton or linen background.  Toile actually originated in Ireland, but really became popular in France in the 18th century and it has been produced continuously since.  It is the french interpretation with the blue and rose red colour that is most widely recognised and replicated.  Although other colours have been and still are used (green, brown, magenta and lilac for example).  It is the perfect decorative pattern to turn into a stencil although the tiny cross hatch detailing of the printed fabrics does get lost in a stencil version.  However, I think you will agree looking at the above photo that a stencilled toile is still really effective and does look like a printed fabric.  The scenes tended to be round-ish in shape and repeated fairly tightly over the surface.  Over time, the fabric would soften and the colours fade slightly with laundering so the fabric would have this lovely washed out look.  This look is easy to replicate with paint and a stencil as you apply the paint so sparingly to get a washed out look that you build up to get the intensity you want.  But it is a single colour stencil job so quick and easy to do. In fact, with paint and a stencil, you can make sure that your walls have that lovely old country look or you can make it more solid and opaque if that is your style.  In our Vintage range of stencils, we have a whole section of Toile and Damask stencil patterns (damask being another old classic fabric pattern).  The toiles come in a range of themes: some are more french, others english and still others chinoiserie.  Some are single layer stencils and others are more detailed still and done in 3 layers, but can still be done in that single colour look.  This featured stencil design is VN89 Hunting Dogs.  

Today's Inspiration: Being arty, literally

I never tire of this stencil pattern.  It is just so much fun.  Even more so when it is paired with traditional furnishings.  This can be as bold or as subtle as you like but taps into that art/graffiti/modernist vibe that is always a nice backdrop to any decorating scheme especially if you are trying to keep old things updated.  If you read the interiors magazines, there has been a lot of chatter about artful patterns in decorating for a couple of years now.  This is just the type of thing they are talking about.  Paint splatter is not easy to get right and have look decorative (as opposed to messy) and whilst the idea of standing in your room and chucking paint at your walls sounds fun and naughty, the reality is that it is hard, messy and the novelty would wear off after about 10 minutes and you may struggle to get something that looks nice.  Jackson Pollock had the skill, more than you think and the collectors paying millions for his work now, recognise that.  So get the fun results without a headache with our stencil.  The stencil looks sparse initially, but the idea is that you twist and turn and layer it with different colours to get the density of paint splatters you want.  Leave it sparse or keep going.  Use contrasting colours for a bold look or keep it tonal for something more subtle and textural.  The best bit....no two schemes will look remotely similar.  So you will always have something completely unique, like a piece of art.  MD41 Splatter stencil from our Modern Design range of stencils.  Comes in 4 sizes.  For this look, go for the large or xlarge.

Rachel.

A stencil collection inspired by Lanvin's blue bedroom

There is a beautiful blue Art Deco bedroom in Paris and this is the photo...

that provided the inspiration, that created the stencil ...

and this is how it looks on a wall.

In 2008 The Stencil Library was commissioned to make a set of stencils for a magazine that wanted to create a blue and white bedroom just like the one that Interior designer Armand Albert Rateau designed with couturier Jeanne Lanvin in the early part of the last century. The feature was to publicise the newly recreated Lanvin rooms at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris. Unfortunately, soon after the stencils were designed the magazine ceased publication and the stencils did not get their chance to shine. We are now hoping to give them a better fate and they form part of our range of ‘Stencils inspired by France’. You will find them at The Stencil Library website, look for the French section.
We are treating you along with our Instagram and Facebook followers to a sneak peek.  There are 12 different stencils in the collection and their prices range between £9.00 and £130.00. Read on for a bit of history, more pictures. different colour-ways and further details of the stencils.

LAN1 is the stencil that looks like the main embroidery pattern and LAN2 mimics the shape of the plaster moulding that goes over it.

We went a little freestyle with elements of the design from Lanvin's bed covers and made a basket of flowers stencil, some border stencils and some motifs that help to create the decoration for furnishings and accessories.
The floral decoration on the original walls and fabric were embroidered onto cornflower blue silk with ivory stitching with accents of copper and orange. Fancy plasterwork and some rather fabulous Art Deco furniture completed the look. A stencil is a less expensive way to achieve the style.

If blue and white are not to your taste you might consider using metallic paint, this effect is stunning on both dark and light backgrounds.

Our paint is by Lumiere and offers a subtle shimmer on walls and fabrics.

I now have a black dress stencilled with this design but will save it and show you at another time.

These blue-grey walls feature the same LAN1 stencil in gold paint on both sides of a long corridor.

The area ended with a cream coloured bathroom and the stencilling continued on the bathroom wall to complete the vista. We made the stencil a little taller to accommodate the sloping ceiling on the corridor. Are you starting to realise the versatility of this stencil and its companions?
If you would like some Art Deco style, French chic, remember that we are offering our readers and social media followers a chance to buy these stencils before anyone else. Not all the stencils in the new collection appear in this post.

You can visit a re-creation of the original room in the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, Paris. My photo of it was snapped from the pages of my copy of Decoration et Haute Couture by Helen Guene.

Helen

 

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Tropicana

Recently Susi of Susi Bellamy Cushions and I went to the Maison & Object show in Paris.  We both agreed that one of our favourite trends was large abundant, tropically flavoured foliage.  It was used both as a print and as an actual indoor garden theme by way of realistic and deliberately not so realistic fakes. 

It just so happens that we have two glorious tropical leaf stencils in our range.  This wonderful cheeseplant repeat stencil VN128 Monstera

and this palm repeat stencil VN165 Rainforest

 

Both from the Natural World section of Vintage range of stencils and both designed from single motif stencils from our Garden Room range of stencils should you simply want a single plant.

I think this particular look has been famous ever since it was used throughout the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel in the 1940s...it is still there and people who have seen it or know of it have been using the theme in their own homes ever since. 

photo from the Beverly Hills Hotel

This is the bar with their world famous Martinique paper which is still available.

House of Hackney have been doing large leaf patterned prints since they started.

photo from House of Hackney

Large abundant rainforest foliage has even turned up on clothing.  I love this dress from Dolce & Gabbana:

photo from Dolce & Gabbana

There is no denying that through time, large, abundant, lush, dense foliage has inspired us in many ways.  We have always liked being surrounded by greenery whether real or not.  I, for one, and very glad that nature has come indoors again.

Rachel
 

A brief look at art nouveau

On my way back from Paris recently, I scanned through various European interiors magazines I had picked up.  In amongst all that is hip and happening, quirky, contemporary, the latest thing, I came across this article in Marie Claire Maison (the Belgian edition) on recently renovated Louis Vuitton house in Asnières (a Paris suburb) which jumped right off the page.  It is now a private museum and still where most of the bespoke LV goods are manufactured.  What a perfect and lovely art nouveau gem. 

Personally, art deco is more my thing, but I cannot help but marvel at the artistry and creativity of the art nouveau style everytime I see it.  It is timeless.  No wonder it is one of the most popular ranges of stencils we do. 

To skate over history quickly, art nouveau is a highly stylised, flowing and curvilinear style often incorporating floral and plant inspired motifs and colours.  It was particularly popular in Europe and you tend to see the most spectacular examples in Paris, Brussels, Vienna and Prague, although I am sure there are splendid examples throughout the continent.  It encompassed architecture, furniture, décor, art and accessories.  There is no room for the straight line here, everything about it curves.  You only have to look at the decorative plasterwork in the LV house to see this.  I love the rounded edge to the ceiling.  Its heyday was at the turn of the last century from about 1880-1905.  The colours were very natural including all shades of greens, sludgy yellows, teals, creams, warm and soft. 

The most famous art nouveau designer in the UK was Charles Rennie Mackintosh.  However he had his own interpretation with many more geometric elements. 

image from glasgowmackintosh.com

To me he is the bridge between art nouveau and the reaction to it, wholly geometric and modern art deco.

Painted decoration was a popular part of art nouveau which is why we do so many art nouveau stencils and why they work so beautifully in many styles of décor.  Because they are so obviously stylised, they look good in any colours even when you move away from typical art nouveau colours. 

I think our stencil DE202 would be great for recreating the deep border in the LV house. It has a similar look with its stylised flowers and larger size.  Even if you don't have a curved ceiling, the rounded shapes in this border will certainly create the feel.

I love the detail on the quite splendid bow window.  The leading is wonderful enough but look closely at the morning glory growing up the sides and across the tops. 

We do some wonderful tall slim motifs that look good running up the side of the window or fireplace.  I think the iris motif like this DE257 stencil translates particularly well into the art nouveau look. We do quite a few tall thin motif stencils.  They are so versatile and can run up the side of fireplaces, panels, art, doors, windows and more.  You can use both sides of the stencil, with care, to create a mirror effect too.  Motifs are great when you want a bit of added detail, but maybe not much more.

It is not often that people think of using vertical borders.  I like the slim bit of detail painted between the panels. 

We are not all so lucky to have actual plaster panels in our house but panels can be simply created with paint.  Whilst I do not claim that painted panels are going to look quite like plaster ones, you can have the effect by masking off a panel to your chosen size with tape and painting it a slightly different colour from the wall.  It is a great way to break up a surface and add interest.  I love the idea of one of our vertical borders such as this wonderful fuchsia design DE176 running vertically between floor to ceiling painted panels.  The panels themselves being plain or areas to hang art.  Put a 6 inch gap between them and stencil this border which is only 4.75 inches wide.  As it is a slightly different format, it is something that is bound to get comments and yet couldn’t be easier to achieve.

The most impressive art nouveau interiors include bespoke decorative details that would require an artisan and no doubt be pricey.  Have a look at this amazing stairwell in the Victor Horta House in Brussels. 

But strip away those details, you are left with quite a few, usually painted, decorative details that can be achieved with stencils.  I would say that Art Nouveau is possibly one of the easiest historical styles to channel on a budget.  It doesn’t take much to get the look.  Even non-art nouveau furniture compliments it well so you don’t need to find specific antiques.  Some of the furniture in the LV house is simple, classic velvet covered shapes.

Finally, no brief visit to Art Nouveau would be complete without a door picture and every time I come across this frontage in Brussels by Delune, I sigh.  It is just the most beautiful thing from any era, which just so happens to be art nouveau.

Yes, indeed.  It is a beautiful decorative style and it is so nice to see beautifully preserved examples.  If ever you find yourself in Paris or Brussels, it is worth taking an art nouveau tour.  You won’t be disappointed.

Rachel.

Louis Vuitton house photos Vincent Thibert

Horta Staircase photo from VisitBrussels site

Delune door photo unknown.

Exterior wallpaper and stencilled murals.

Rachel's recent post How Far Can You Go With Pattern features 'outdoor wallpaper' and one of the images showed a wave and fish design by Gio Pagani for Wall&Deco.

Image from Wall&Deco

I liked the design and started contemplating the merits of 'out wallpaper' along with murals or stencil work and where you might pick one alternative over the other. To add weight to the stencil alternative I have compiled a few photos of our carp and wave stencils from my files.  All these stencils can be ordered in special sizes and are shown in our Japanese Style stencil range. Masonry paint can be tinted with stainers to provide a wide colour palette for use on exterior walls. However; I have used acrylic paint on clay pots and concrete pavers in the yard at home and it has survived seventeen years of British weather so far.

Wave border JA34 and JA52 Wave repeat stencil from our Japanese Style range. 

Stencils on terracotta pots from Chinese Style and Budget Collections.

Helen

 

The One and Only Toshie: Charles Rennie Mackintosh

teatowel by Gillian Kyle

I finally got to visit Glasgow.  It was a flying one day visit as a surprise for my sister's birthday.  She loves Mackintosh so we drove her up to Glasgow for a Mackintosh themed day.  We are probably well overdue for writing a post about this esteemed designer, architect and yes, stenciller. Although I would say that such is his creative output and status, he is worthy of many posts.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh got into architecture at a time when much was changing in the design world.  To oversimplify things he rode the wave of what was dubbed "Free Style" and started to create his own distinctive, world famous art nouveau architecture, decoration and furniture designs.  At the turn of the last century his design for the Glasgow School of Art (recently badly damaged in a fire) was taking shape.  Many regard this building as the birth of modern architecture.  It is easy to see why.  Most architecture of the time, especially for commerical buildings, was still very much Victorian.  Mackintosh saw beyond his job as an architect.  I daresay he was a bit of a control freak, but he not only designed the buildings shapes, but also it's interiors, furniture and accessories.

photo source unknown

He quickly gained an international reputation.  His style, quite his own, took elements from the arts and craft movement (natural materials and shapes, stylised flowers), mixed in a bit of orientalism, and married it with hints of the art nouveau movement coming out of europe. There are many books on Mackintosh if you want to know more, but I rather like a small tome called Charles Rennie Mackintosh Masterpieces of Art by Gordon Kerr which is both informative and includes lots of pictures of a wide variety of CRM's work.  I like to think that his style is the perfect bridge between art nouveau and art deco.

image from brucehamilton.co.uk who are furniture makers responsible for the dining suite here and making marvellous reproduction Mackintosh furniture designs

He was fond of the square in different combinations with stylised flowers, mainly the rose amongst other motifs (take a close look at any of the interior shots in this post).  And he liked to use a stencil to do it.  Towards the end of his career he discovered the triangle, but it is squares and roses he is most famous for.  Sadly ill health curbed his career and by 1928 he had died.  Thankfully his legacy lives on and a fair amount of his work has been preserved.  And this is what we set out to see on a whistle stop tour one day of the vibrant Glasgow.

We drove north of Glasgow first to Helensburgh to see one of his most famous residential commissions, Hill House, thankfully in the hands of the Scottish National Trust. 

Budget constraints meant he could only design the structure and certain rooms.  Whilst certainly not an outrageous design by today's standards, the building still has a shape that is quite modernist and unique and stands out against the other turn of the century houses in the area. 

The spaces that were completely designed by Mackintosh are fantastic.  Some spaces are light and airy with white surfaces on which pink, purple, grey and green designs were stencilled. 

photo from glasgowmackintosh.com

Others were darker.  I was also impressed by the spaces that were not completely Mackintosh designed.  The combination of traditional antique furniture in a room with Mackintosh panelling and fireplaces was just as pleasing - a testament to how versatile his designs were and how well they combine with just about anything else.  Even though they were so obviously contemporary, they complimented the traditional well. 

After Hill House, we drove back to Glasgow and parked the car at the Park & Ride just outside of the city centre.  It just happened to be across the street from the Scotland Street School.  I was unaware of this building and as we drove by I remarked how Mackintosh like it was and so it turned out to be.  Again he referenced traditional Scottish baronial towers but added his own touch by covering them with masses of small paned windows. 

The light must have flooded in.

We were collected at the Park & Ride by Glasgow Taxis who operate a bespoke tour service.  For two hours we were whisked around Glasgow City Centre looking at Mackintosh buildings (popping in where possible) and a few other famous Glaswegian landmarks.  What a terrific way to get around.  We would never have been able to see so much given our limited time had we done it ourselves.  Sadly, but not surprisingly,  we could not go into the famous Glasgow School of Art as it was badly damaged in a fire last year. 

photo source unknown

Thankfully the fire department, recognising that it was a building of high importance, worked hard to save as much as possible and contain the fire so that as little of the building was damaged as possible.  Because most of the interior was covered in wood, the damage was still extensive.  Full restoration is underway and it will look exactly as it did before the fire.  We visited a church he designed, Queen's Cross Church, as spartan as you would expect for a church, but still undeniably Mackintosh. 

We stopped at the tower Mackintosh designed to hold a large water tank on the premises of the Glasgow Herald newspaper (newspaper offices were always catching fire so they commissioned a new building complete with inbuilt water tank) which now has a terrific gift shop on all things Scottish housed at its base. 

Here I snapped up a Tunnocks Tea Cake tote (tunnocks tea cakes are a famous glaswegian snack), the Mackintosh teatowel at the top of this post and a fab book on Tartan which will probably inspire another post soon.

Our taxi dropped us off at the world famous Willow Tea Rooms on Sauchiehall Street where I had booked a birthday afternoon tea. Bookings are recommended.  I must mention that the Sauchiehall Street tea rooms have now closed for a massive refurbishment (open again in 2018) but the tea room business has moved to nearby Watt Brothers Department Store so it can continue during the refurbishment.  Check the website (click on the link above) for the address and to make bookings.  The Buchanan Street premises are still open.

We were seated in the wonderful Salon de Luxe.  When it was built. you had to pay extra for your tea in this room as it was so resplendent. 

This is one of Mackintosh's crown jewels and it can still be enjoyed in all its glory.  He designed everything right down to the waitresses' uniforms.  As you can see from this photo, not a cake or sandwich was left. 

Full of tea and food and inspiration, it was time for us to head home again. 

Our Mackintosh stencils are one of our most popular ranges and it is easy to see why.  The style of decorative detail suits many types of interiors and they are so easy to put together in interesting ways.  In a way, the use of squares is almost like having a set of building blocks at your disposal.  It is easy to be creative with the form and layout of Mackintosh's motifs as we have on a couple of occasions. 

I stencilled the walls in this room so I can personally testify it was the most easy and satisfying style of stencils to use. Stencils used here were elements from custom sized TP30 and BB48 as well as MS75 at the standard size.  We chose to focus on the black, lilac and cream colours with hints of pink to keep it quite true to CRM's oft chosen palette.

I was so glad to finally get to Glasgow and see some examples in person and am thrilled that his ground breaking work is still appreciated and preserved.  Honestly the first thing that strikes you as you see it is how modern it looks.  Hard to believe his buildings,interiors, art, furniture and decorative accessories were created over 100 years ago.

Rachel.

All photos Stephen Egglestone unless otherwise stated.  Unknown source photos will gladly be credited, just let us know.

The Jazz Age and Art Deco Stencils

A visit to 'JAZZ AGE: Fashion & Photographs' at The Fashion and Textile Museum was a highlight of my recent trip to London. The exhibition deserves more than one post so I shall just write about stencils on this one and save the gorgeous outfits and painted scenery for another.

The stencils had been ordered from us a while ago but I did not know where they were going so it was a total surprise to me when I saw them on the walls of the exhibition. Actually, I think I shrieked.

The stencilled decoration on the walls helped to put the fashion in a wider context of changing style through the 1920's starting with the fluidity of the Art Nouveau style, Belle Epoque and the Edwardian period. The stencil is part of VN57 Lalique from our Art Deco and Victoriana range in the Vintage Collection at The Stencil Library. The stenciller has used just the first overlay of the design. I think that the result looks complete although it is not. Follow our link to see the design in its entirety.   All our stencils can be ordered in custom sizes but I think that the museum bought standard ones.

The next booth introduced exoticism which encompassed a decorative interest in Egypt along with the re-emerging trend for Chinoiserie and Japonisme.

Notice how well the stencilled pattern looks even when there is little colour or variation in tone.  Devore velvet gives a similar look and there were such pieces on display. The stencil design is CH42 Mythical Birds it can be ordered from the repeat pattern section of our Chinese Style range.

Trend was probably the wrong word; Is something a trend when it never appears to go out of style I wonder? 

The third room put me in mind of Hollywood and of the French Riviera.  I felt quite at home, not because of the geographical connotation but because some of my favourite outfits are trouser suits, dress shirts and tail coat. I have a pair of silk shoes that look like that too. The stencil is DE313 from our Art Deco Style range of stencils 

The fourth booth featured DE314; I remember stencilling a larger version of this in shell pink and pearlescent white as a back drop for a window display at Selfridges. I was not able to get to london at the time to see it. It was featured in Elle Deco Magazine and I have since lost that issue so can not show you. The same shell design is stencilled in red and black on a wooden floor at my home; it is in an art deco themed bathroom which I am sure will have appeared on this blog many times but I may feature it again soon just in case you missed it.

The stencils are not all from our Art Deco range. You can find links to the relevant pages in my text.  The Jazz Age Exhibition finished the day after I visited but if that is the standard of exhibition to be found at The Fashion and Textile Museum in Bermondsey, South London I will be back for more. The stencilled tableaux were just a small part of the exhibition; The scenic painting throughout exhibition was delightful and was attributed to Paul Stagg and I presume that included the stencilling of the designs. If I am wrong someone please tell me. I hope to receive the book of the exhibition tomorrow and that will help when I write the post about the fabulous fashion that I saw. 

Helen. 

 

 

Bad Attitude Stencils: Naughty? No, stylish.

Here at The Stencil Library, we are always pushing things design wise.  We endeavour to make any kind of surface pattern achievable and affordable (note our Chinoiserie range).  It is the challenge that drives us forward and keeps us constantly designing.  Occasionally, we like to be a bit irreverant.  One result was our Bad Attitude range of stencils.  Yes, we envisioned tyre tracks across the ceiling or barbed wire up the wall in a teen's room, but we also envisioned designs being given the stylish treatment...the sort of thing where one would walk into a classy room and then later double-take, not realising they were looking at something unexpected.  Bad Attitude: subversive and surreal, but can also be very sophisticated and fun.  Nowhere encapsulates this look more than Edward James' place West Dean (now an art college) which I was reminded of this month when the latest issue of The World of Interiors magazine landed on the doormat.

(photo: Tim Beddow for The World of Interiors)

Edward James was a poet and famous patron of the surrealist art movement.  He was fortunate enough to inherit a large estate and fortune to go with it.  In the 1930's he married dancer, actress and painter Tilly Losch.  He had a carpet commissioned with the imprint of bare feet walking across it, supposedly inspired by the sight of his wife's wet bare feetprints across the bathroom floor. 

(photo source: unknown)

Unfortunately, his marriage didn't last long and ended spectacularly whereby he had the carpet replaced with one featuring the prints of "more loyal friends", his Irish wolfhounds.  I think I like this one even better.  You would be forgiven in missing what the pattern was all together (have another look at the WOI cover photo above).  Again, it is very tonal and subtle.  If you look at the decor of the room, it is beautifully and classically decorated and yet, in a madcap way, the carpet features dog prints.  Wonderful.  They almost look like flowers and at first glance and that would certainly be more expected in such a scheme.  This is how I imagined Bad Attitude stencils should be used.

 

 

We have a paw print stencil called Beast, code BA8.  In black and white, it does look rather sinister.  But stencil it without the claw marks and in tonal colours on a floor in a room filled with tasteful antiques and it is no worse than a bit cheeky and it shows off your sense of humour.

We also do a footprint stencil which can be scaled up or down to suit.  Again, it is how you use it.  But it is such fun to think of it used in a gilded and silk decor.

One of my favourites is our giant fingerprint.  On its own, it has undertones of being arrested or bureaucracy and officialdom, but I always reckoned it looked quite textural and would look amazing randomly scattered over a wall sometimes overlapping in a tone on tone colour and as part of a sophisticated room.  So at first, you would think it is a texture (so hot in decorating right now) and then you would realise it is a load of giant fingerprints.

Sometimes art and decorating can be seen as a bit too serious.  To me, the best in both worlds is that which has a bit of playfulness as well as style and sophistication.

(photo: The Stencil Library)

I love our XL Camouflage used here with a load of art deco accessories and furniture.  Take something out of context and it looks very different.  Who knew camouflage could be stylish.

Rachel.

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Inspired by stripes in fashion and decoration

 

Making stripes on walls and floors can be easy and effective. I use a builders level or a plumb line to help ascertain the lead horizontal or vertical line and create the others around it. Often I use the DM1 Big&Bold Decorating Masks to make my stripes. These are packs of uniform lengths and width of stencil film which come with instructions to help create the perfect stripey surface. I bring you a selection of projects that have been created with the tool and some that were not..but could have been.

I decorated this hotel room with the same mask but used a translucent colour wash rather than opaque paint for the beige stripe. I may have been inspired by the following picture which shows stripes that finish before the edge of the wall.

Now I'm getting fancy and punchy! On the pictures above and below I have used the DM1 stripe decorating mask with other masks from the same Big & Bold collection. Above is DM13 Blossom and below is DM12 Sunflowers.  Notice how floors may be decorated using the same striping tool.  

As well as offering 3 sizes of mask we can cut bespoke sizes of stencil film for you to make all kinds of stripes from as I have done in this Japanese style room. Aternatively, there are various different widths of decorators tape on the market, we offer a new, very low tack one and two old favourites.

A master of the stripe in interiors and gardens is Anouska Hempel, I must write a post about her, I am such a fan. The picture shows a page from my copy of the book Anouska Hempel by Marcus Binney  and she has used the horizontal stripe to great effect. The same coloured stripes appear on the floor. 

Another great striper is Kelly Hoppen and this picture of a page from her book East Meets West shows the stripe in vertical form. Notice how the broad stripe is enhanced by a counter stripe along its edges. A narrow border stripe is acheived easily with the application of quarter inch tape along the edge of the stripe. This is how I create a slim stripe; flank the quarter inch tape on both sides with a wider decorating tape. Make sure that all three tapes just touch each with no overlap or gaps. When all three lengths of tape are pressed into position alongside each other the narrow tape is removed. Stencil the quarter inch gap that now runs between the wider tapes. Apply and reapply the tape as needed, even low tack tape can be used for more than one length of stripe.

The final photo has nothing to do with decorating rooms...but if I lose some pounds in weight and gain them in my purse I would adore this stripey shirt from Celine. The model has my hair colour..it must be a sign!

Helen

Remembering the King's Bedroom

If you are visiting Brighton in England do not miss the Royal Pavilion.  To explain how fabulous and inspiring this palace is requires a longer post (or several).  I am just revisiting one small, but amazing aspect of it that I was reminded of when I read this month's "World of Interiors" magazine.  They were writing about the King's bathroom,and a photograph taken in the bedroom showed a concealed door leading through to bathroom.  Several years ago, Helen & Chips went to the Royal Pavilion by appointment with a view to designing stencils based on the wonderful oriental inspired designs that cover the palace.  They were quite taken with the wallpaper in the King's bedroom shown here and Chips designed a series of stencils based on various elements of the paper.

Our photo of Sept 2015 World of Interiors.  Photograph shown taken by Simon Upton.

The Stencil Library designed many stencils based on the interiors at The Brighton Pavilion but I will concentrate on dragon and dolphin designs along with other motifs from the King's Wallpaper. There is a theme pack with the dragon, TP54, and another theme pack with the dolphin, TP55.  We designed a stylised wave border, BB44, that runs just above the dado rail.  Scattered throughout the paper are some wonderful stylised stars, recreated in the stencils MS72 and MS73.  All these designs are in our Budget stencil range. We can make any of them in a larger size if you wish to recreate a similar look to the original paper.  More recently, we designed two more formal repeats based on the dragon and dolphin motifs.  They are in the classical section of our Vintage stencil range and are VN290 Regency Dragons (first) and VN284 Regency Dolphins (second)

The repeating pattern could be complemented by a splendid circle stencil of Regency Dragons to decorate a ceiling, floor or round table in royal style.

If ever you are in the Brighton area, go and visit the Royal Pavilion. 

It is stunning and you won't regret it.  In fact, it is not that far from London you could take a day trip to the coast to see it.  For more information, click HERE.

Rachel

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Two pools, one hotel, Paris and an art deco stencil.

 

A newsletter from 'Sheerluxe' introduced me to Molitor via their feature 25 Cool Places to visit in Paris. I think Molitor looks fascinating. Have you been? There is a a summer and winter pool, the latter is under a huge glass canopy. The rooms and the roof top restaurant look gorgeous. At the moment Molitor abounds with art deco splendour, however it has had a varied and interesting history since since 1929. The Molitor web site offers a short and entertaining video explaining the legacy of Molitor and showing film of its history; it features Johnny Weissmuller, the first bikini, skateboards and spraycans before reaching its latest reincarnation. I recommend it. 

For a bit of Parisian lido decor in your own home try using stencils. Create your own version of this floor with our MD86 cube stencil onto concrete, canvas floor covering or wooden boards. For full on monochrome pattern try an assortment of repeating pattern stencils from our Vintage Collection.

 

For a more light hearted take on lido living our 'On The Beach', 'Paris' or 'Wish You Were Here'' wall stencils might fit the bill. The stencils are cut to order and can be custom sized if needed. Meanwhile...back to Molitor, their video and website.... and a bit of dreaming.

Helen.

Credits. Images of stencils from stencil-library.com, images of Molitor from Mltr.fr 

 

A turtally fab pattern.

Fancy surrounding yourself with geometric pattern? Well,this morning I spotted 'Link' from the Neo Collection at Fardis Wallpaper.

and here is ours.

MD31 Turtle from The Stencil Library is a geometric stencil pattern to grace walls, floors, furniture and fabrics with ease and style. It is one of a large collection repeating stencils of geometric  designs and is available in many sizes, if you do not see the size that you want talk to us...we may be able to make it for you. One of the advantages of decorating with a stencil is that the colour of the pattern is determined by the paint applied through it.... and there are thousands of colours to choose from.

Helen.

Golden Chinoiserie, meet Matt Austin.

I know that I keep featuring our CH32 Willow Pattern stencil but I'm mentioning it again beacuse I discovered this glorious gilded mural on Matt Austin's website.

Is that not scrumptious? Follow the 'gilded mural' link to see more of his work.

Mr Austin is a multi talented designer working in New York City. He did not use our stencil to create these walls... at least I don't think he did.

Those of us that are more at ease with a stencil than hand painting could create a gilded willow pattern surface by using the CH32 willow stencil. Dutch Metal Leaf and Instant Size can create a gilt effect on a lesser budget. Matt Austin used 22kt leaf.

 

This wall was stencilled by Stephanie Jones of Me & Mrs Jones, She has stores in Memphis TN and Germantown. Stephanie employed our CH32 Willow Pattern stencil and used Dutch Metal on the Greek Key Border. It is a different effect and also delicious.

Another favourite interpretation of our stencil appears in this powder room decorated by Tiffany of The Worthwhile Domicile blog

On a joint project with student Emma Robson elements of the Willow Pattern stencil design were enlarged and used in one of my attic rooms; There are several photos of it on this DesignInspiration blog. Look in 'Projects' and 'Tour our home' on the blog sidebar. 

Meanwhile, back to Mr Austin and his fabulous Midas walls; Check out his web site, you can buy from it and commission him. Amongst the goodies are some gorgeous, carved, wooden animals, works on canvas and this beautiful grisaille mural. 

Earlier this month I was a student on one of gilding supremo Annie LeMarie's classes in the USA. I was experimenting with 24kt gold leaf and one of my Gustavian style stencils. When my luggage is located and returned to me I shall show you what I learned.

Helen 

Get the look with stencils. Chinese paper cuts.

One of my favourite books is 'Chinese Style The Art of Living' by Bradley Quinn

Photo from Chinese Style by Bradley Quinn. Photography by Jan Baldwin

On one of the pages I noticed some decoration that looked very much like our Cherry Blossom and Vase silhouette stencil. It is visible above the picture rail between the calligraphy and the picture frames. I do not think it is a stencil, it may be printed or it might be a paper cut.

Our Cherry Blossom and Vase stencils are based on the idea of Chinese paper cutting. Some years ago I taught a class using them and the following pictures are examples that I made with the students.

 

This one is a stencil mask and one paints around it rather than through it. The background is white and I stencilled with blue paint, the stencil mask available by special order and this kind of design is useful for etching glass.

A more conventional stencil design CH74S shown below. The 'S' stands for Silhouette.  

 

In order to keep as much detail in the design as possible, we produced a multiple layer stencil whereby you stencil the background colour back in on one of the layers. These Silhouette Stencils come with full instructions and each layer is numbered. There are registration marks to match each layer up quickly and with ease. We expanded upon the design to include an allover repeat pattern stencil - see VN86 in our Vintage range, it is in the Toile and Damask stencil section.

I have not had the time or excuse to play with this newer one one yet but I think it is rather fab.

Our students employed the techniques that they learnt in class to decorate this wall. The stencil was CH76 Birds and Flowers

The silhouette stencils apear to be intricate but the multi-layers keep them robust whilst maintaining the illusion of delicacy.

Another of the silhouette type of stencil appears behind me, this time it is a vase with peonies from the same collection.

On closer inspection of the photo from Bradley Quinn's Chinese Style book reveals that the design below the chair rail is slightly similar to our Mythical Birds stencil. CH41 Mythical Birds is another gorgeous design that I have been wanting to create a room set with. How did I miss seeing this before??? A quick on-line search for the author reveals that he has written many covetable books, take a peek on Amazon. If you fancy decorating your room in a similar fashion take a look at our Chinese Style stencils at The Stencil Library.

Helen

 

 

Cut that out! Matisse exhibition at The Tate.

My April edition of Vogue just landed on my desk and announced news that the Tate Modern (museum in London) is about to have a major exhibition celebrating Matisse's paper cut out art. 

 

The exhibition runs from April 17th - September 7th 2014. We have been hugely influenced by these arrangements of bold and colourful shapes.  We once made a Matisse inspired blob stencil for an Elle Deco special offer.  We also designed a set of decorating masks for our Big & Bold range, code DM17.

For some reason these playful shapes lend themselves so well to fun arrangements and bright, cheerful colours (with big dollops of that wonderful greek blue Matisse used so often).  They can be used all over walls or on canvas to make your own art. For further inspiration, we found these Matisse fabric curtains being sold on ebay.  A rare find indeed and a wonderful addition to any mid-century inspired scheme. 

There is something so joyful about Matisse's cut out art and I love the colour combinations: blue, green, black, yellow, magenta, orange...all the more intense tones (no pastels here).  I am sure the exhibition will be spectacular.  But perhaps I have more of a love for them because when I was young and off school ill, my mother used to get me to cut out shapes from coloured paper or magazines and glue them onto paper in a pleasing arrangement or within another large shape.  I had enormous fun and it was the only good thing about being ill.  Rachel

Houndstooth and Chevron: Mixing pattern and scale.

 

This monotone mix of pattern and scale was created with stencils and paint.  The Houndstooth, Dogstooth and the Chevron stencils are available from The Stencil Library in a variety of sizes and styles.  So, if you are feeling brave a project such as this one could be tackled!

I thought this space to be a brilliant example of mixing scale, pattern..and colour

Photo 1 All surfaces stencilled by Emma Robson at The Stencil Library.

Photo 2 Photo of Gansevoort Hotel by TK via GS Magazine.

Contact us for details of the stencils. 

Helen

 

Peacock feather stencil and wallpaper.

I saw this pretty peacock feather wallpaper at Decorex, London.

Does anyone know where it is from? It reminded me of a room set decorated with our CO19 peacock feather stencils at the start of this century.

We still make them in large and small sizes and they work well with both formal and random placement of the motifs.

Metallic paint adds an extra peacock like iridescence to the stencilling. Apply the metallic colour through the stencil then swirl contrasting coloured paint very lightly over it.

Don't forget if you know where the peacock paper is from then tell me and I can make a link. Thanks.

Helen 

Hell yeah, leopard hair!

Stencil your 'up do' with leopard print. I'd use NC3 leopard spot stencil, not sure what Odile Gilbert used for Jean Paul Gaultier. Vogue UK October issue.

Helen.

Ideas for living from Germany's Wohn Idee magazine

When a random issue of a home and lifestyle magazine arrives it is usually because The Stencil Library has been featured and the magazine have been kind enough to send us a copy.

Wohn Idee arrived from Germany, neither Racher nor I knew what was going to be in it and so we leafed through the pages.

Was it one of our dot stencils on the picture frames? It may have been our MD33 Printers Dots or perhaps the polka dot stencil in our budget collection? It could have been either of them...but wasn't.

Were they our stencil designs on the inspiration board?

No, but they are similar to some of our repeat patterns. I liked the monochrome collage idea and have stored it to memory.

Were our silhouette stencils part of this display?

No.  However I have been wanting to do something like this for ages. We have both stencils of silhouettes and stencils of frames.  Our Blenheim frames from the Print Room collection would be just the thing.

There were many projects featuring styles of lettering. Did they use typography stencils from our 'In Your Own Words' collection. No.

Did they stencil numbers on the cushions?

No, they are embroidered and the chequerboard floor is not stencilled either.

Did this floor feature a mixture of our modern design stencils?

No, it's definitely a rug but I am tempted to stencil a floor with a mosaic of left over stencils.

I had not yet found any evidence of our stencils in Wohn Idee but was gaining so much inspiration for using them in future projects.

There were so many more tempting and creative ideas but it is not fair to show any more, you'll have to get a copy of the magazine.

Finally, was it our stencil of Hokusai's The Great Wave decorating this wall?

Yes! I would love to know who to thank for featuring our wave border. I can find no credits for photographer and stylist. I like the combination of brown, blue and grey and the way that the wave blends into the colour of the wall.

If my language skills were better who knows what else I may have learned from this issue of Wohn Idee the magazine is stuffed with tips, news and accessible ideas for home decoration. 

Danke, Helen.

 

 

Theresa Cheek stencils scraffito style

Theresa Cheek of Arts The Answer has been creating more decorative loveliness.

She has used our GMT30 stencil and Marmorino plaster to give an illusion of scraffito.

What is scraffito?  Find out more at Arts The Answer. Theresa's blog posts are delicious to look at as well as being informative.

Helen.

New fashion statement... jacquard jeans with a stencil

Fashion press and newsletters tell me that I need Jacquard or brocade trousers this season. I remembered stencilling my jeans to acheive just such a look some years ago. Originally it was to cover a stain. I chose a busy damask pattern and stencilled it silver and pink. I wore them to present The Stencilled Home DVD. They have been much admired and they are now in my EBay pile. I am selling a few items that I may be a little ahem...chunky for.

Stenciling jeans is an easy project. I reccomend making a cardboard template to fit snugly inside a leg of the jeans. Spray the template lightly on both sides with Spraymount then place it into the leg space and smooth the fabric over the card, this stops the material moving as you stencil it. Use a mist of Spraymount to hold the stencil onto the fabric then lightly apply paint using the dry paint method. I use an acrylic paint to stencil fabric; My chosen paints were Lumiere silver and Liquitex medium magenta. Golden make suitable paints too. If the paint requires heat sealing it can be done with an iron. Follow the instructions on the paint label.

Old jeans..new lease of life. Now, you just need matching shoes and bucket!!

Helen.

Mad Men, Op Art and Stencils

Jane Dagmi gave ColorChats readers the idea to try stencils to recreate the look of Roger's office from AMC's Mad Men television series.

Picture from AMC MadMen via Colorchats.

Jane showed stencils from various sources including The Stencil Library.

Photo The Stencil Library featuring MD9 Shimmer

I think our MD9 Shimmer stencil would be a perfect addition and one can make an even bolder impact by repeating the stencil over a wider area.  This design is available in larger sizes too!

Another op art stencil design that may look the part..if you dare is MD14 Pulsate in the XL size!

Photo The Stencil Library featuring Pulsate stencil and Waves.

The floor is stencilled with DM2-s Waves decorating mask from our Big and Bold collection.

I have stencilled a smaller version of MD14 Pulsate onto canvas part way up the staircase at home. Jane Dagmi's other ideas included MD Meander stencil. I have used that one also on the walls of the same staircase....  maybe I am a secret Mad Men character. She featured our MD68 Crescent stencil too.

Photography courtesy of Crown Colour Magazine/Akzo Nobel.
Editor/Stylist:	Melanie Molesworth/Sacha Cohen
Photographer:	Tom Leighton

All the MD stencils can be found in the Modern Design Collection at The Stencil Library.

Image from Madmen yourself.com

Helen.

Inspired by David Hockney and Barbara Chandler

'David Hockney has put trees on the map — and the design world has them on everything else' wrote Barbara Chandler for the London Evening Standard.   

Barbara suggested that readers could Hockney-fy their walls using spray paint and our largest bare trees stencil.   I reckoned that this was a brilliant idea and worthy of experiment, I told my husband that I'd be late home (again) as I wanted to stencil a wall of vivid coloured trees in our shop.  This reusable, plastic stencil stands at 97 inches (almost 2.5 metres) high, so it is not a five minute job to paint a wall full of them. He suggested that I spend an evening at home instead and he would mock up some walls of trees on the Mac. 

So he did!

A stencil is a tool to apply pattern and colour. The scale of the pattern, the colours and method of application are the choice of the user. Bare Trees is a negative stencil, this means that the surface becomes the tree colour and one applies another colour to surround the tree shapes.  

This is our version of how to Hockney-fy a wall with our tree stencil. Start by randomly spraying or painting the wall in a similar fashion to this.

Much of the background will be covered when the trees stencil is applied.

The stencil is positioned over the painted background, I use a light misting of repositioning adhesive to hold stencils like this in place and it is important to have the stencil flush to the wall when spraying paint through it. Tonal variety can be added to the stencilling as well as the background.   Pictures 1-3 show this effect. Careful use of a foam paint roller is an alternative way to stencil large areas of a single colour.  The following illustration demonstrates the effect of stencilling with flat, peach coloured paint over the painted background.  

Voila, a homage to Hockney's Bigger Trees using paint, stencil and courage. 

Prefer something more subtle? How about beige paint stencilled over a white surface? Or use a silver paint that can reflect the colours surrounding it.

A word about the duo that inspired the experiment. I have featured Barbara Chandler on previous posts, She is a very interesting lady, a best selling photographer, a well-respected writer, a champion of contemporary design, a well known Londonphile and her Love London work is enjoying much praise at the moment. See it on murals, fabrics, furniture, cards, books and more.

David Hockney is so much the man of the moment what could I add? His website tells much about current and previous work.  See Hockney's Bigger Picture at The Royal Academy London until April 2012. My husband is a fan of his and says that Hockney has inspired him to take a closer look the landscapes around him and see them not as ordinary but as something to be celebrated.

Bare Trees border and wall stencils are available in various sizes from The Stencil Library.

Helen.

Simple and effective stencilling

This simple yet very effective wall is stencilled using a gothic style design (GMT69) from The Stencil Library. The walls are painted with Crown emulsion paint and the picture is from their brochure.  I thought at first glance that the stencil had been reused on the cushion covers. This motif is a good size for a cushion project and a squirt of fabric medium from Golden Acrylics into the paint would make it machine washable.

The paint used through the stencils is Striking from Crown Paint and the wall behind the motifs is coloured with Rebel.  I have used Rebel quite a lot recently as it's a good rich black.  For those that prefer a very dark grey/barely black Crown has a paint called Little Black Dress which is also rather good.

The stencilling can be applied with stencil brush or foam sponge.  To get a similar look to the picture line up the side of the stencil with the edge of the wall. Determine where the central motif will be.  In this case it was just above the mantle, measure the spacing in both directions from that one.  Once the positions of the motifs are worked out the stencilling should be a quick project.

I think the result illustrates an elegant focal point for little financial outlay. With care the stencil can be re used many times and could go on to decorate another room.

If black and gold colour schemes are not to your liking you might consider white stencilled motifs over blue, cream over taupe, crimson over hot pink?

Helen.

An exclusive crown stencil

Here is the crown stencil that I told you was coming.

We designed it last year for our new stencil book but it wasn't needed.  I have only just re-found it in time for the royal wedding. It is not on our web site yet.... by the time it gets there the royal newlyweds will be home from honeymoon and rowing about whose turn it is to empty the dishwasher.  Update. It is now on our website here.

What might you use your crown stencil for?  Well the first thing that I would have stencilled would be cushion covers ...

...maybe similar to these from Rockett St George. I might have embellished my stencilled covers  with crystals or pearl buttons. For the non stencillers here are some fab pearly queen covers from RE.

photo from RE

Another nifty idea is a hook, on which to hang one's crown (or hat & coat). This handsome hook comes from Cox & Cox.

Alternatively create your own version using the crown stencil above a fab coat hook. RE have some good ones.

Seat pads, locker tops, hat boxes, chair backs, cakes, pet beds, book or file covers, table and floor mats can all have a regal make over with a crown stencil.  How about a set of painted canvas of different coloured background all bearing the crown motifs?  Maybe one would be perfect on the wall of your personal throne room. How about decorating the back of a denim jacket?

You could combine the crown with the union flag stencil that I showed you in the previous post.

Many stencil paints are machine washable on fabrics. Next year will be Queen Elizabeth's' diamond jubilee, which may be another excuse to repolish the crown stencil.  Our crown design is made from many circles which means that it will be very hardwearing. Perfect for many generations of prince and princesses to come.

Helen

How to create a stencilled Print Room

The original Print Rooms date from the 18th century.
Many grand English houses had a room in which the walls were covered in collections of prints. They were often souvenirs from the travels of their wealthy owners,
These prints were not conventionally framed and hung, but pasted directly onto the walls. Paper borders were pasted around them to give the impression of frames. Printed swags and garlands added to the decoration.
An instant art gallery!

It is documented that this fashion spread to North America but apparently no original examples survive.

Stencil designers The Stencil Library have revived the original 18th century concept with a 21^st century twist using stencils and photocopies..

In this project Helen Morris co founder of stencil-library.com will show how to create a modern day print room using stencils and photocopies.The Stencil Library offers 24 Print Room stencils in their collection The designs look good even without prints so that a collection can be built slowly.

 

Select a stencil and the pictures to be displayed.  On most of my examples I have used photocopies rather than photographs. I used my office photocopier which has settings for black & white, full colour and all tones in between.  The 18^th century displays were mounted onto flat painted surfaces but they can be stencilled effectively onto broken colour.  The surface should be smooth.

All my examples have been stencilled using stencil brushes and water based paint.  I take paint onto the tip of the brush and work the barely loaded bristles onto paper towel.  This action results in the paint being damp rather than wet when transferred through the holes in the stencil.  The stencilled image remains crisp and allows me to work fast when setting up pattern repeats.

A light spray of repositioning adhesive on the back of the stencil keeps it in place.

When the decorative frame work has been completed it is time to paste in the pictures.

They have been sized to fit with the stencil frames using the template supplied with the stencil.  I start with a rehearsal and employ the same repositioning product to temporarily display my prints.  Temporary might be the desired goal if the pictures are to be changed regularly.  When a more permanent display is needed I use wallpaper border adhesive.  Make sure all adhesive and air is squeezed from under the print.  This is important if the surface is going to be varnished.  Clean away any residue with a damp cloth.

Gilding material, crackle varnish, texture gels, plaster...

....and hand painted embellishment are all worthy additions to a Print Room project.

Smaller Print Room projects like folding screens and blanket chests make wonderful portable items that may become highly individual heirlooms.

Helen Morris