Feature Friday: The Bordeaux Headboard

Hi Readers!

Sorry for the late post, we've been so busy lately!  I wanted to show you another in-house project Laura did.  We have a wonderful client who requested a custom design of a Bordeaux Wine Label.  Well we designed it all and cut it and the first version turned out to be an "oops" stencil where we goofed up on an R.  Now we couldn't send it with a flaw like that, so we had to redo the stencil and mail that version. 

That left us with a 99.9% perfectly great 24x24 stencil, which seemed terrible to just toss in the trash.  So Laura decided to redo the headboard in one of her bedrooms with it.  Check it out.

Great, right? 

Here's how she did it, wish I had a few more process pics for you!

She roughed up the headboard with sandpaper so the paint would adhere better (it was just a plain wooden headboard).  Then she glued on the scallop-work that's at the top and bottom corners.  (I call that stuff gingerbread, not sure if it has an actual name). 

She painted an undercoat with a taupe base color.  Then she applied Folk Art Crackle Medium.   Next came that deep blue top coat.  She sanded the edges to expose some of the taupe base coat and then stained the edges with a wood stain.   The gingerbread got a coat of Folk Art metallic bronze paint. 

That left her at this point.  Do you see how cloudy the top coat is right now?  There are a few options to rectify that.  You can spray on sealer, which we have done many times.  I have problems with spray paint and so does Laura.  I have a really heavy hand and I almost always get a blotchy seal and drips from spray paint.  What Laura did here was brush on Modge Podge for a sealant and it worked great. 

Big difference, right? 

We just loved this custom, so we wanted to share with you.  This is an exclusive design and not for resale, but if you are ever interested in having custom work done, just shoot us an email. 

Hope the rest of your weekend is swell.  I'm sitting here getting caught up on work and listening to Ray Charles.  Doesn't get much better than that!  :)

Etspiration Wednesday: Alphabets

I love letters.  I am a font junkie, can't get enough letterpress blocks.  I obsess over old broadsides and vintage Victorian ads, and all for the letters.  Half of the fun of designing a stencil is finding that perfect letter style to compliment the idea of what we're going for.  We've got a number of complete alphabet sets in our Alphabet category now.   We also have quite a few selections for big 12x12 individual letters in the Alphabet category as well.  We also do some custom monogram stencils!  But as you well know, found letters are also amazing.  Here's a look from Etsy at some amazing alphabets and individual letters that tie in famously with our alphabets!

1A:  Custom Framed Cursive Alphabet Card Image Courtesy Oliverpoodle
1B:  Custom Spencerian Letter Stencil Image Courtesy Maisondestencils
1C:  French Decor Alphabet Book Coasters Image Courtesy CheltenhamRoad

 Love this Alphabet card in 1A, takes me right back to grammar school.  Fun fact:  My mom's handwriting actually looks like this.  Mine is basically illegible chicken scratch. 

2A:  French Animal Alphabet Print Image Courtesy ChildsTouch
2B:  Alphabet Softcover Notebook Journal Image Courtesy momentinthesun
2C:  Deco Style Winged Wooden Letter Image Courtesy EdiesLab
2D:  Serif Style 3x3 Alphabet Stencils Image Courtesy Maisondestencils

I dig these winged letters that EdiesLab does.  They can do a whole alphabet that way and I want to buy every single thing in their shop!!

3A:  Deco Red Alphabet Tape Image Courtesy KaynisKreations
3B:  Alphabet With Bird Letterpress Broadside Image Courtesy BigWheelPress
3C:  Ornate Western 4x4 Alphabet Stencils Image Courtesy Maisondestencils
3D:  Handmade Embossed Card Set Image Courtesy MichelleMach

 That alphabet tape is Washi tape, which is some of the coolest stuff around.  I'm not much of a scrapbooker, which is one of the primary applications I've seen for Washi tape, but the possibilities are endless! 

'

4A:  Custom Gothic Letter Stencil Image Courtesy Maisondestencils
4B:  Sign Language Custom Tote Bag Image Courtesy lilimandrill
4C:  Vintage German Wax Mold Hornbook Image Courtesy catsandthecradlesoap
4D:  Plastic Acrylic Sign Board Letters Image Courtesy willworkfordecor

This hornbook in 4C is pretty amazing.  This item was my requisite "I learned something" in the making of this blogpost.  So hornbooks were these handheld primers that small children used to learn their letters or religious passages, so called because they were protected with a thin layer of horn or mica.  (mica is a transparent-y sort of mineral).  Now most hornbooks were kept for quite some time, passed down, and are collectible today.  But this particular listing is for a horn book mold, which cake batter was poured into.  So you could have your cake and learn something too!

Thanks as always to the Etsy sellers for use of their images.

We've got a lovely feature coming up on Friday, stay tuned!

Feature Friday: Paris Apartment Chair and Desk

Well I'm a day late and a dollar short with our Friday Feature!  I'm out here in Arizona visiting family and it's simply too hot to be on time.  :)

Check how great this feature is.  Kelly from Shabulous took this desk and chair from a consignment store and stencilifed (totally a word) them.

Now these were great furniture pieces to begin with.  Particularly that chair, look at the back!  It was made for stenciling on.

She used Paris Grey and Graphite Annie Sloan Chalk Paint for the paint.  Always great choices, we loooove Chalk Paint!

Now this here is great.  She used a ruler to make sure she was painting our Fleur de Lis border stencil straight on the desk.  Never in a million years would I have thought of that, but what a good idea.

For the chair back, she used our Paris Apartment No 5 stencil.  This is one of our most popular chandelier stencils. 

Here's the finished product.  The chair and desk look terrific together. 

If you'd like to check out our Fleur de Lis border and other border stencils, hop on over to our Flourish and Scroll category.

To have a look at Paris Apartment No 5 and our other chandelier stencils, check out the Chandelier category. 

Definitely check out Shabulous, it's a great blog and we were delighted to be featured there.  Here's a link to the original post.

Have a great weekend and we'll see you on Wednesday!

Special Wednesday Post: Wholesale

Hello Readers!

No Etspiration this week because we have two very special things to talk about! 


First and foremost, we'd like to mention that we have an amazing wholesale program.  If you own a brick and mortar store or if you just want a LOT of stencils for a great value, Maisondestencils Wholesale has an option for you.  We've developed a PDF catalog for our customers that showcases our wholesale collections.  If you'd like to receive a copy of the catalog, please send us an email, we'd love to hear from you.

For full details on minimums and quantity requirements of our wholesale program, please check out our online store. 

Our second development is more visually appealing.  We thought we'd show off what our new retail packaging looks like.  Every stencil ships in its own cellophane sleeve.  The bag topper has our logo on the front, care instructions and SKU number on the back.  The topper has a hang hole for easy retail display.

We're so excited about our packaging changes and the development of our wholesale program!  Thanks for reading and we've got a spiffy feature for you on Friday!

Feature Friday: The Burlap Wreath

I've got a wonderfully different feature for you today!

Kathy from Cottage Dreams has created a wreath made of burlap and adorned the center of it with one of our stencils!

Isn't it gorgeous?  Perfect for Autumn, I get such a homey, fall feeling from it.

The backing for the wreath is actually a clock face that didn't work, so I imagine you could use just about any round board/thing, since it's just getting covered in burlap.

Great tip though, she gave the clock face a quick coat of white paint just to ensure nothing could be seen through the weave of the burlap.

After that, she stapled the burlap to the back of the clock face.

From there on, she simply used the center portion of our Le BonBon Reve stencil.  Sneaky tip, we also sell the center portion of this stencil as a 12x12 on its own.  It's called "Paris Laurel Wreath with Crown."  I know, we're so inventive with our names. 

For the actual looping of the burlap, Kathy gave a link to a great tutorial from a blog called Top This, Top That. 

The flower embellishments are from Michaels.

If you'd like to check out the original post on Cottage Dreams, click no further. 

You should most definitely check out Cottage Dreams in general, it's a beautiful blog and if you spy with your eagle eye, you'll see a stencil of ours in her banner!  :)

If you'd like to check out Le BonBon Reve or the aptly named Paris Laurel Wreath with Crown, check out our French category.  It's gigantic and wonderful. 

Thanks to Kathy at Cottage Dreams for letting us feature this wonderful wreath.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Etspiration Wednesday: Thanksgiving

Well September is upon us and it's starting to feel like fall here in Oregon.  The spiders are out, the weather is getting a bit nippy in the morning, and our micro summer is on its last legs. 

I can't wait for Thanksgiving.  It's not the turkey.  It's not the stuffing (although my mom's stuffing is amazing).  It's the cranberry sauce.  lol!  I can't get enough of it and I'm the only person who eats it!  More for me!

Thanksgiving is not our most extensive holiday in terms of stencils we create, but we do have some nice ones.  Why don't you check them out along with some sweet stuff I found on Etsy??

1A:  Give Thanks5.5x11.5 Stencil Image Courtesy Maisondestencils
1B:  Vintage Victorian Thanksgiving Card Image Courtesy NeatStuffAntiques
1C:  Vintage Sewing Thread Box Image Courtesy CindyRaeCollection
1D:  Gold Letterpress Turkey Card Image Courtesy PressedInBrooklyn

That sewing thread box in 1B is Turkey Tastic! 

2A:  Vintage Indian Corn Feedsack Image Courtesy Louisianaminis
2B:  Thanksgiving Subway Art Stencil Image Courtesy Maisondestencils
2C:  Give Thanks Be Joyful Print Image Courtesy HenAndCo

HenAndCo has awesome prints.  So bold!  Really great Halloween stuff in their shop right now, go check 'em out!

3A:  There's Always Something To Be Thankful For Stencil Image Courtesy Maisondestencils
3B:  Vintage 1920s Sweet Potato Can Label Image Courtesy 32NorthSupplies
3C:  1894 Pilgrim's Progress Hardcover Book Image Courtesy GraniteMan59
3D:  German Pumpkin Salt and Pepper Shakers Image Courtesy ScribbleFitz

Pilgrim's Progress is the book Jo and her sisters are obsessed with in Little Women.  I read a lot as a kid and Little Women was one of those books I seemed to want to re-read over and over.  I also loved the movie version that came out when I was younger with Winona Ryder and a young Christian Bale as Laurie (/swoon).  Anyway, there is such a Thanksgiving feel to both Pilgrim's Progress and Little Women.  They're full of reverence for the ideal of family, of giving, and of gratitude.

4A:  Acorn Burlap Pillow Cover Image Courtesy YellowBugBoutique
4B:  Honeycomb Table Topper for Thanksgiving or Harvest Image Courtesy Meeshy
4C:  Butterfly Brand Golden Pumpkin Label Image Courtesy papervignette


I just think this acorn pillow in 4A is beautiful.  I love that there's a hint of burlap for an aged look, but it's not the chief material.  The chair is gorgeous too!

That's it for this week, got a splendid feature for you on Friday!

Feature Friday: Great Britain Burlap Bags

Happy Friday all!

It's a regular scorcher here in Astoria today, 82 degrees.  I guess summer hasn't quite given up yet!  I've got an awesome feature today courtesy of Heart Vintage Design.

She's taken burlap bags and stenciled our circular Great Britain stencil on them.  It looks amazing with two colors!  I just love how long these bags are too.  I ordered burlap bags for our craft show and we got two sizes.  Little micro bags for the kids which fit oh, a pack of gum and that's it.  We also got a medium size as well, which was something like 8x10, but that's more of a decorative size.  You can't put all that much in there. 

But these bags are 14x26.  That's perfect for a lot of stuff, including all the umbrellas, crumpets, tea, burberry scarves you need to start your own British Invasion.

If you take your eagle eye and scrutinize this photo, you we see a few more of our stencil designs!  She does great work!  :)

Heart Vintage Design has a great blog you can check out here.   She also has a facebook page you can like here.  She also sells at Adjectives Market, which looks awesome and I would like to visit post haste. 

If you're interested in the stencil used, do check out our UK category, it is chock full of British goodness. 

That's all for this week, pop in on Wednesday for our weekly Etspiration!

Etspiration Wednesday: Or not?!

I would be putting up an Etspiration post today, but they are experiencing some crazy downtime, so looks like that ship has sailed for today.

So I'd like to talk to you a little briefly about Maisondestencils, where we're at in terms of our business and where we're going in the future.  It seems like a good time, right?

Hi, we're Maisondestencils.  We're a 2 woman show, and we make stencils.  We can make anything you want, within reason.  We love custom work and we love your ideas.  Some of our best concepts have actually come from our customers.  Awesome, right?

We're always looking for the next big trend in home decor.  You might say we're on the 'cutting edge' of stencil design.  Wocka wocka!  That being said, we have our feet firmly planted in the long, wonderful tradition of antique art and typography.

We are so inspired by what our customers come up with, we love sharing with you.  And we're getting more and more busy and successful everyday.  You may have noticed in the past month or so that our ship times have been a wee bit more lengthy.  We are trying our best to streamline some aspects of our production so things move quicker.  So we can grow to provide stencils to more people but still embody the cut-to-order service that we have at present.  Every time you purchase a stencil from us, it was cut for you.

We don't have a warehouse.  Your stencils are not moved on a forklift.  They are made in the USA by two people with a combined:  tween, toddler, and 3 crazy cats.

We love what we do and we want to thank you for making it possible.  We're talking to you, crafters whose ideas never stop, who can repurpose anything!  And we're talking to you, intrepid store owners who said to themselves, "I can do this.  I can open my own shop.  And I want to retail stencils!"  We couldn't do this without you guys.

While I was waiting for Etsy to resolve things today, I baked some banana nut bread.  If I could, I'd invite you all over for a coffee and baked yumminess.  It's delish.

Have a fabulous Wednesday and we'll be back with an Etspiration tomorrow.  <3