Design Inspiration. Planet Stencil Library.

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.

The Daily Stencil Inspiration: Blue Tile

Pattern overall (no pun intended) is good in my mind, but then there are some patterns that are excellent.  This is a case in point.  I love everything about this: the pattern and the combination of cobalt blue, sky blue and gold.  It is rich and opulent and just beautiful.  You have to like pattern and colour to want this, but if you do, this one is a winner.  We have done this stencil, a tile pattern, OTT57 Tile No. 12, on a wall, but it would work on floors and fabrics as well as furniture.  It was just too good not use on the walls.  This is a new Ottoman/Persian/Moroccan tile pattern made up of geometric shapes.  It looks spectacular done in these jewel tones, but it can be done in a single colour and in a more subtle way.  It does not have to cover a whole surface and you can just cover part of the area. Really, I am waffling because this picture says it all. This stencil is part of the tile section of our Ottoman range of stencils (which includes Persian and Moroccan patterns).

Today's Stencil Inspiration: Modern + Traditional = Perfect Mixture

If the purist look is not your thing, then you are person who likes to mix and match styles.  This is usually an intuitive look.  You just know what mixes well and what doesn't.  But one of the keys to successful mixing in decorating is usually a nice contrast.  Too close and it looks like you tried to match but missed.  Better to have a larger difference in looks.  Here we have taken a French style, old country curved chest of drawers, but it clashes nicely with sleek modernist vases.  With the stencilling we have done the same.  Both are from our new French Inspired range of stencils.  We have used FR13 Scroll Repeat on the drawer fronts and FR41 Trellis in the small size on the walls.  There is a pleasing contrast between the angular diamond of the trellis and the soft curves of the scrolls. 

Rachel. 

Stencil Inspiration for the Day: Channelling Josephine

French empire style dating from the 1800s is an enduring neoclassical look in architecture, furniture and the decorative arts.  I couldn't tell you why it remains popular.  It just is.  It is a quite formal style that includes elements of classical greek and roman decorative styles.  Maybe it is just a style that lends itself particularly well to interiors.  Maybe it is a style that we are used to seeing in larger, grander houses (historically speaking), but does translate well to the smaller, more humble home.  For whatever reason, it is certainly a timeless style that works in most homes and with all styles of furniture and accessories.  This particular repeat, FR12 Hugo, is large, but open so is not a heavy or busy design.  We have given it a bit of a rococo or adam treatment by stencilling it in white on a pale coloured background.  It is from our new French Inspired stencil range.  Hopefully, Josephine would approve of this one.

Stencil Inspiration for the Day: Toile for the Walls

Let's just stick with traditional today.  Because sometimes, traditional is quite gorgeous and cannot be bettered. Although you can vary it or modernise it, in some cases, the original treatment is best.  If you want a french country look (always popular, always a great theme for interiors), it doesn't get much better than toile (de jouy).  However, to be correct, what we know as toile de jouy actually originated in Ireland in the mid 18th c), but quickly moved through Britain and into France and it is the French version that we are most familiar with.  Toile ("de jouy" referring to the area it came from) simply means canvas and therefore was the same for this type of fabric and it has stuck.  The premise of toile is simple.  It is usually a cream coloured background with a repeated pastoral scene over the surface in a single colour.  Blue and dark red are the most traditional colours, but other colours have appeared throughout time.  Toile has never gone out of style, it is a design classic.  But its popularity has waxed and waned throughout the past couple of centuries.  Typically it has always been a fabric, but wallpapers have also appeared.  And now there are stencils.  We have a few different toile stencils and in fact have a toile section in our Vintage range of stencils.  But we have added this pattern FR43 Sheep Toile to our new French range of stencils.  It is a simple all over repeat pattern and for the traditional toile look, stencil in one colour on an off white background.

Today's Stencil Inspiration: A Different Kind of Tone on Tone

We often talk about how to make pattern more subtle by using tone on tone.  Well this is a slightly different way to approach tone on tone.  It is an all over repeat pattern with a slight damask style to it.  It is FR10 Grenadine and it is from our new French Inspired range of stencils.  We have painted the wall in a mid tone of our chosen colour, a slightly burnt orange.  Instead of stencilling in a single tone, either darker or lighter on top, we stencilled in two tones, one lighter and one darker on top.  The effect is still subtle.

Stencil Inspiration for the Day: Tone on Tone with a Large Scale Repeat

This is a big repeat.  A BIG repeat.  It is 44 inches (1.1mtr) tall x 27 inches (69cm) wide.  And there is a lot going on in it.  Such a grand repeat deserved a grand name and that is why we called it Versailles.  It is part of our new French Inspired stencil range and the code number is FR6.  This large scale repeat can hold its own in big grand stately homes, but it can also work equally well in your home.  Even in the grandest of homes, this type of pattern would likely have been treated like many damask patterns and been done in a very tone on tone effect.  Also, and this is the clever bit, within the repeat, there are lots of small shapes so that even though the repeat and the stencil is large, it does not look overpowering in a smaller space. 

The Daily Stencil Inspiration: Velvet Walls

No, these walls are not really velvet, but we've made them look like velvet. At the turn of the last century, there were two designers who specialised in stencilled velvets for fashion and home.  They were the very well known Mario Fortuny and the less well known, but equally talented, Maria Monaci Gallenga.  Both created beyond beautiful things.  I nearly pass out whenever I plunge down a rabbit hole (i.e. surf the internet) and look at their work.  The idea was simple.  Take a lovely velvet and then stencil classical or slightly ottoman designs over it in metallic paints.  Then, of course, the not so simple bit is to take these velvets and creating stunning dresses and coats etc.  Anyway, it is worth 'google imaging' both designers and having a look yourself.  I find their work hugely inspiring because it just looks so rich and classic.  Here we have painted the walls in the darkest matte black possible.  Then we have stencilled our new FR2 Classique Repeat from the repeats section of our French Inspired stencil range in True Gold and Pewter paints swirled together in a slightly random effect.  The gold is mostly on the leaves and anything left is infilled with pewter but it is not perfectly defined so the colours do overlap and merge for a more blended look. 

The Daily Stencil Inspiration: Finding Direction

Finally! We have added our Nautical Bathroom stencils to our website.  The Nautical Bathroom at The Stencilled Home has existed for many years and been hugely popular to see on our tours and in the press.  The stencils have always been available, but we finally did it properly and added them to the site as part of our new British Inspired stencil range.  The section is called, appropriately, "Rule Britannia" harking back to the days when we ruled the waves.  To do the full bathroom look, you need the entire section of stencils but they are all sold separately in case you don't want the full treatment.  The cornerstones of the range are two large round motifs: the Zodiac (which we have on the ceiling) and this, RB1 Compass which is the focal point of a large wall in our bathroom.  Both come in different sizes up to very large.  The compass comes in 24", 48" (as shown in this picture) and 72" (as in the nautical bathroom) diameters.  It is in sections and layers for ease of placement.  Even in the medium size, the compass is dramatic enough to hold its own.

Today's Stencil Inspiration: L'Indien Splendour

There is not a lot I can say about this stencil except that it is fantastic.  Whilst you can do it in different colours, I personally think it is a design that works best and has most impact when stencilled in a single colour.  I am partial to blue schemes, especially where different shades of blue are used in the same room so I love this scheme.  I also like how the stencilling would look great in white, especially in this room, but we have gone for black just to put a different twist on it.  The stencil is an allover repeat and it is FR11 L'Indien Repeat from our new French Inspired stencil range.  It is based on hand block fabric designs and is classic and timeless.  And it works with any type of decor.  It is a bit different from most repeats in that it is made up of small shapes.  It is a regimented repeat, but has a free flowing look about it. 

Today's Stencil Inspiration: Busy Can Be Subtle

This is AM24 Fruit Basket and it is a full on repeat pattern stencil from our Folk Art range, part of our USA Inspired stencils section.  It is just about a busy a pattern as can be.  It is full of shapes and the repeat is tight.  Like any design, it can be done in any colour you like and any number of colours.  Does it have to be a bold pattern though?  No.  I have chosen this design to demonstrate how tone on tone can make the busiest of patterns quite, well, quiet.  We have stencilled in softly in white on a pale grey background.  You can make the design even more subtle by making the two tones closer together if wished.  So don't be put off by a busy design if you like it.  It can usually be made understated simply by colour choice.  On a side note, this stencil also works as a motif.

Today's Stencil Inspiration: Colonial Tonal Style

The best thing about stylised design is that you really get to take artistic license.  There is no obligation whatsoever to stick to natural colours, because the design is no longer "as in nature".  Colonial design is the perfect style to show off how you can use any colours you like regardless of what Mother Nature indended.  Side note: in fact when it comes to realistic natural design, you can still use any colour you like to suit your decor, but I think it is harder to make your mind walk away from the real life colours and choose something very different.  This is easier to do with stylised design.  Here we have taken a lovely colonial floral repeat pattern and stencilled is in shades of a golden beige colour.  Both the vase and the flowers are done in the same colours.  The rustic look lends itself well to this type of treatment.  It is quite a busy repeat, but the tonal look makes it patterned, but not heavy.  It also means that you can stencil onto quite a strong background colour and still not have the walls overwhelm the space. You can do this design, AM30 Williamsburg from our USA inspired range, in many ways.  This is just one option.  But it does demonstrate how easy and effective it is to be flexible with your colour choice with a stylised stencil.

Today's Stencil Inspiration: Pattern That Goes Up to 11

I have written a lot about how many stencils can be made subtle or bold depending on the choice of colour and this does apply to most designs.  But there are a few that are either loud or louder and even in subtle tonal colours are going to have your attention.  They demand it.  These patterns are for rooms where you want the walls (or this would look fantastic on a floor) to be the focal point.  To balance the room, the furniture, art and accessories will be quiet and minimal and very much in the background. If you get the room balance right, then it all works very nicely and whilst it is a maximalist decorating scheme, it is not "too much".  This type of things is not to everyone's taste, but just like there are extrovert personalities, there are extrovert rooms.  So this pattern, AM27 St Augustine from our USA Inspired stencil range, is just that.  Dial it up to 11 with confidence. 

The Daily Inspiration: Quilty Pleasures

Yes, that is what we called this stencil.  How could we not?  Specifically it is AM26 Quilty Pleasures from the Folk Art Section of our USA inspired designs.  It is a repeat pattern laid out in a square grid.  Within each square is a different motif (of 4 different motifs).  You can be creative and change the layout of the motifs or miss certain squares out by leaving them blank.  In fact, as this is a three layer stencil, the first layer which is the simple grid shape with little diamonds can be used on its own as can all the motifs.  This is a design that was inspired by fabric (and would look great stencilled on fabrics) but works equally well on walls and floors.  You can use several colours like we have or go for a more monochromatic look. 

Today's Stencil Inspiration: Quiet Optical Illusion

This is a fantastic stencil design and we currently have it all over the dining room walls at The Stencilled Home.  It is called AM13 Stars Over Lichtenstein (we have used the large size here) and it is part of our new USA Inspired stencil range.  It is essentially a double layer repeat that creates an interesting optical illusion.  But unlike the mind bending optical illusion patterns we are used to that have the potential to induce vertigo in some cases, this is a small scale, gentle, almost textural design.  It is a perfect background for any style decor and you can make it bold, as we have done here and in our dining room, or subtle by using pale tonal colours.  The first layer is a regimented repeat of dots (hence the reference to Lichtenstein).  The dots are prefectly and evenly spaced (trust me).  The second layer is the "star" done here in gold leaf for maximum drama.  The simple addition of this star shape has the effect of gathering 4 dots closer together so that it looks almost like a very stylised flower with 4 round petals and a centre.  Interesting what shapes can do sometimes.

The Daily Stencil Inspiration: Black and Cream

Black and white has long been a colour combination (if you want to call it that) associated with contemporary or modern interiors.  I personally find that a bit harsh at times.  It can definitely work and be effective, but I think I prefer black and cream.  It can still be modern and contemporary, but it is just a bit softer.  It doesn't have so many hard edges if that make sense.  Here we have used the colours with our AM14 Gothic stencil from our new USA inspired range.  To me, this design looks like a Batternburg type lace.  It is a reverse stencil, so paint your wall the colour you want the pattern to be and the stencil the background back in.  In this case, the wall was painted cream and then it was stencilled in black.

Today's Stencil Inspiration: American Victorian

This is such a terrific stencil.  It is in the Folk Art section of our new USA Inspired range of stencils, but I also think it looks very Victorian.  It has that busy stylised look so favoured by Victorians.  I love these types of designs because I think they make excellent backdrops in any kind of scheme, especially with contemporary or mid-century furniture in a mix and match way.  This may be a busy pattern but done in tonal colours, it really is quite neutral.  I know that sounds odd, but it works the same way a Persian rug does in so many styles of room.  They are always heavily patterned and yet they work anywhere and people don't realise how colourful and patterned they are.  This stencil is AM22 Chicago.

The Daily Stencil Inspiration: Stencilling is Perfect for Children's Rooms

Decorating children's rooms is a given.  I can imagine many people have decorated their childrens' rooms before they got around to decorating their own.  It is in aid of putting a bit of fun and stimulation into their little corner of the house.  Kids love pattern and colour from as soon as their eyes can focus (do we become more afraid of it as we grow older?  That is another blog post perhaps).  The problem (or is it?) is that children grow up and quickly.  When they are young they seem to hit a major milestone every couple of years.  And what worked in the room when the child was a baby, may not be so appropriate when they start nursery, which may not be appropriate when they are well into junior school and on it goes.  Redecorating can end up being an expensive endeavour.  But there are things you can do to keep that cost down at least.  You can either choose something ageless.  Something fun, but something that can work with them as they grow.  Or you can stencil which can easily be painted out and something else put in its place when needed. This latter option still allows children to have something that is quite specific to their age, but it can be easily changed when they grow out of it.  Here we have had some fun with AL7 White Rabbit from our Alice in Wonderland section of stencils and the FNT26 Classroom lettering stencil which is part of our In Your Own Words range.  IYOW is a range where you pick the style, the name or phrase you want and the size and we make it up for you.  The FNT26 Classroom stencil is particularly fun and the hands come with it free of charge.  It has been done on one wall to make it even simpler.  When this is no longer needed, just the single wall needs to be repainted and something else can be stencilled instead. 

The Daily Stencil Inspiration: Modern Floral Stencil

This is such a terrific floral pattern stencil.  The stylised flowers and added linear effect take it away from being too pretty.  We have done it in a very vintage style here with dusky colours so it looks like a pattern that would look at home in american prairie and craftsman houses.  But this is also a design that looks terrific in a single colour.  Imagine the whole thing in black on a cream wall.  Just as we get pleasure from flowers in the garden, we can get the same pleasure from flowers in interiors, only year round.  That has to be the reason they are such a popular and consistent theme in decorating.  This is AM3 Modern Floral from our new USA inspired range of stencils.

Today's Stencil Inspiration: Neoclassic Elegance

There are many definitions of the word classic, but essentially it means of recognised merit; or restrained, balanced, austere; or pertaining to the civilization of ancient Greece and Rome.  And that covers all the reasons why it is a decorative style that crops up time and time again through the ages and one that is still popular today although we tend to call modern interpretations "neoclassic".  It is a simple, elegant decorative style that immediately elevates any home.  It can work in large stately houses or in small townhouses.  It can be made to look rich by using darker colours and gold leaf as we have done here, or it can look light and airy done in a pale colour on a pale wall.  It has a certainly formality but is not too heavy.  This stencil is AM28 Charleston and it is from our new USA Inspired stencil range.

Stencil Inspiration for the Day: Mid-Century Roses

Almost good enough to eat.  These roses are a bit candy-like which is why we have probably leaned towards using these particular colours.  This is pure 1950s novelty print.  This is not mid-century as in avant-garde furniture design but rather 1950s full circle skirt with crinoline.  It looks great paired with a curvy sofa and it is pure boudoir chic.  This one is unashamedly girlie and sometimes (all the time maybe) we need a space just for us.  A space to escape to where we can indulge in the prettier things.  Boys have their man caves.  There is space in between for democratic decorating.  So this one is for you ladies.  AM15 Roses repeat pattern stencil from our new USA Inspired range. 

Rachel

Stencil Inspiration for the Day: Neutral Pattern Part 2

Yes, there is such as thing as a neutral pattern.  This is the type of pattern that can cover a whole room but sits quietly in the background complementing whatever else is going on around it, regardless of its style.  This AM1 Stars repeat pattern from our new USA Inspired range of stencils, is just such a pattern.  It has a neoclassical feel with elegant and simple stars and dots, but it can work with any scheme.  You can use any colour(s) you like.  It can be stencilled in white on a pale background or multiple colours on a dark background.  It works with everything.  This is another one of those perfect designs for when you do not want plain walls, but don't want something that will be the focal point.  This stencil would also look great on fabrics (curtains for example) as well. I sent one yesterday to a customer who was using it on a ceiling and in alcoves

Stencil Inspiration for the Day: Glamorous Deco

The phrase "Golden Age" can mean different things to different people, but it is widely associated with the 1920s/1930s Hollywood.  The film industry was booming and although films were shown in black and white there is no denying that a huge amount of creativity went into sets and costumes and generally creating this glamorous aura in films and with everyone associated with them.  Of course, this was around the time of Art Deco which is always seen as one of the chicest decorative periods so the combination of deco and Hollywood was a heady one and one of pure escapism and aspiration for many people.  We created this stencil with those two themes in mind.  It is quite simple really and again we have made use of dots so that the stencil holds together well.  It lends itself well to being stencilled in metallic colours, but really you can do anything you like.  We chose to pick out the central dot in another colour, but the design can also be stencilled in a single colour.  It is another perfect background stencil that will complement a wide variety of schemes adding a bit of elegance and Hollywood. The stencil is AM7 String of Pearls and it is part of our new USA Inspired stencil range.

Stencil Inspiration for the Day: Trailing Willow Repeat

The premise of a repeat pattern stencil is that you have a section of a design that will repeat to cover a surface.  Some of the time, in fact, most often, the repeats are quite regimented.  You can easily pick out a single repeat and see how and where it repeats.  That is the nature of the design and the way it is meant to be so I do not say that as a fault.  But sometimes there is a design where the repeat blends in so well to the next repeat that it doesn't look regimented at all and instead looks free flowing.  This new stencil AM29 Willow & Ribbon, from our latest USA Inspired range of stencils is just such a repeat.  If you are looking for a more relaxed design that still covers a whole surface, then this is one for you.  To add to the look, we have stencilled it in a few colours, softly, so each colour blends nicely into the next adding to the informal look of the stencil itself.  When you stare at this, you can pick out the repeat, but you do have to look.

The Daily Stencil Inspiration: Creating Your Own Art

We do several versions of paint drips and paint splatter stencils.  We just like them and perhaps it is the naughty child in us, but there is still something quite irreverent about paint splatter.  This is our latest, AM4 Total Pollocks, a multiple overlay pattern from our new USA Inspired range of stencils.  We have done other paint splatter repeats, MD41 Paint Splatter for example.  MD41 is a single layer and you stencil it in one colour, then twist it and overlay it and stencil in another and keep doing this as many times as you like.  Or you can use a single colour each time you overlay it and again do this as many times as you wish until you get the density of drips desired.  AM4 Total Pollocks takes this further.  We have made a stencil with 4 different sheets of drips.  And the key to this one is that the final sheet which only has a few drips, is meant to be stencilled in a standout colour.  This stencil was designed so you could really recreate something that looks totally random and totally, well, Pollock.  To create the effect above, the first three sheets were stencilled in very tonal colours and then the drips on the final sheet were stencilled in burgundy and mustard just in the odd place.  Each sheet should be done randomly, there is no right or wrong way to use it.  You can twist and turn each sheet about and overlay it.  So, like an artist, you "feel" your way through and go on pure instinct.  No measuring.  We do provide instructions to help you.  This stencil is great on clothes, in kids' rooms, on canvas as a piece of art, all over furniture, walls, floors, ceilings....it is a very versatile design.  And still a bit naughty.  But at least your parents are not going to shout at you for this one. 

Stencils Of Pheasants: Designed For Our Students, Available To Our Readers

We have another 'exclusive stencil set' to offer to our readers, newsletter subscribers and social media followers. The new stencils of birds were created to work with the Chinese wallpaper mural set that our students receive on our Chinoiserie stencilling class. However, their size complements many of our Chinoiserie panel stencils. Remember that we can enlarge or reduce the scale of our stencils to suit. 

The bird stencils can be ordered individually or as a set. I wandered around the house holding them in front of drawers and cupboard fronts. They seem to be a good size for decorating furniture too. They are pheasants and grouse. For speed, I have just called them Bird No.1 to Bird No.4 but I know either you or I will come up with a much better title for this new, mini collection. Suggestions?

 

I have photographed each one next to a tape measure so that you can see the size. The measurements and the prices are written in the comments section of this blog below. These new stencils are not on our website.  They are only shown on our social media, so please contact us in the comments if you need more information.  Mark it as 'private' if you do not want your comment to be published. Alternatively, you can email or phone us, or leave a message on our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages. I am rather excited about them, I hope that you are too.

Helen.

Stencil Inspiration for the Day: Perfectly Folk Art

As part of our new USA Inspired range of stencils, we put together a comprehensive Folk Art section.  These designs are more simple and stylised but are no less sophisticated.  Their artisan style have a homeliness (in a good way) and accessability factor, perhaps unlike any other decorative style, that makes them work in a variety of schemes.  This stencil, AM37 Ohio Repeat, is a lovely all over repeat with a border (vertical) and two floral motifs at its heart (note: these can be used separately). The stripe has always added a bit of formality to decorating (stripes have always been a popular theme in interiors).  But here the stripe is a slim border with a wide gap between interspersed by two stylised floral motifs so the whole effect is elegant but not too formal or fussy.  We have stencilled it in darker and sludgier colours than you would traditionally see folk art decoration, but the whole effect is still light and it offsets the dark antique furniture well.  Folk Art decoration can be rustic, or not, depending on which direction you want to go in.

Introducing our new French Style Stencils: Versailles Pattern

I chose this image to post on our Stencil Library Facebook page when we announced the unveiling of hundreds of new stencils that we created for our online shop.  It shows me removing one of our new stencils to reveal the pattern beneath it. Its name is FR6-Versailles-Repeat and I had much enjoyment from stencilling with it. The FR6 stencil is large and it looks good in one colour, therefore I was able to decorate quite a few room sets with it over a weekend. 

I painted a wall Jasmine Yellow and stencilled the Versailles pattern in another matt emulsion paint from Johnstone's Paint called Saffron Yellow, then, I added a little shading with Raw Siena from our range of acrylic paints. This was to give a subtle variation in colour throughout the pattern.

One room set completed....Yaaay, this is my 'happy face'.

Next, I went to my studio and painted a fake wall with Clarity Green from Johnstone's Paint. 

I stencilled some boxes and files with the matching pattern called FR42-Versaille-Trellis. I used a dark, blue colour called Midnight from Johnstone's Paints for the stencilled decoration.  If using a large stencil and a single, flat colour, it makes sense to use water based household paint and a large stencil brush or a paint roller. Save the artists quality acrylic paints for more artistic stencilling, blending or shading and apply these techniques with stencil brushes.

Colours can be mottled together using sponges as well as brushes.

Now, of course, this is not real, Notting Hill Tube Station does not look like this...but don't you think it should?

Helen

The Daily Stencil Inspiration: Large Scale, Dark and Moody, French Neoclassical Style Pattern

Did you notice the green wallpaper the recent royal wedding group photo at Windsor Castle? I noticed it straight away and thought it looked similar to some of our new ranges of repeating stencils.  We have designed some cracking new repeat pattern stencils as part of our NEW French Inspired stencil range.  Many of them are large and elaborate and neo-classical.  Fit for a palace and your home in equal measure.   This design, FR1Josephine Repeat, looks not unlike the pattern on the walls in the Royal Wedding official photos at Windsor Castle.  We have chosen to do this stencil in dark and moody colours for a slightly different treatment.  Historically, decorating like this would have appeared in the grand homes in gold on a mid-tone background or in tonal rich colours.  Traditionally the owners of these grand homes were the only people who had the budget to decorate like this, using hand-blocked papers, woven silk or hand painting and gilding.  But times have moved well on and now this kind of pattern or decor is within many peoples budget.  Stencils certainly help to get the look and they allow you to be creative with the colour.  These walls have been painted an aubergine colour and the stencilling done in a pale grey lilac.  The scale of the pattern may be large but this can work in most room sizes.  It can be as bold or as subtle as you like just by the choice of background colour and stencilling colour.  Never be put off by large-scale repeat patterns and certainly not darker colours if that is your preference.  Remember your home is your castle (or palace).