Feature Friday: New Custom Name and Date Stencil

Happy Friday!

Sometimes the idea for a stencil comes from purely selfish reasons.  We're not entirely altruistic here at Maison.  lol!  A while back while working on the pallet project, I realized I was going to have some leftover wood and wanted to make something for myself.  So I created a monster 24x24 pallet sign I wanted to fill a blank wall in my kitchen.  I didn't really know what to do with it though. 

I was browsing through our stencils for something to blow up that size when I started thinking about our custom name and date stencils.  They're really popular for crafters who want to make signs or pillows with the date they got married. 

There are some great options there, but I wanted something that had more of a vintage look, to go with the feel of my house.  So I designed a stencil that had a bit of a Victorian look and had it cut mega large for the 24x24 pallet.

I really love the way it came out, even if the sign is way crooked on the right side.  I thought about fixing it, but I like it imperfect.  We live in a crooked house, on a crooked street, just go with it, you know?  I'm pretty boring about reusing paint, you may have noticed.  So that red color is the same as our hearth pad for the wood burning stove, our staircase going to the second floor,  and several signs elsewhere in the house.  It's nice to have some continuity in color, I think.

Here's another photo of the kitchen.  We have a built-in breakfast nook my husband built.  That's what the sign is above.  It's one of my favorite spots in the house.  I sent a photo when it was all done to Laura and she really loved the design and insisted we make a pillow with it as well.  (I'm learning how to sew.)  So she dragged out her Viking and showed me how she makes her pillows and we used this stencil for my demo project.  The fabric is actually drop cloth from Home Depot.  Too cool!

So the pillow resides in the living room where it is most often loving sat upon by our orange cat, Moe. 

Nico, the tortiseshell, favors the other chair.  I love the way the pillow came out.  We used a 12x12 size for that and decided we want to offer it in the store.  So if you check out the custom category, you'll find this stencil there.  Like all of our custom stencils, just email us after purchase with the info you want plugged in and we'll design it for you.

That's all I've got for today, catch you next week!

Feature Friday: Tout Va Bien Pillow

Happy Friday!

It hailed here today.  I've got a roaring fire in the fireplace and Graham and I are watching Barefoot Contessa.  (Nice break from cartoons!)  In other words, it's all good here in Oregon.  Which reminds me of this feature I've got for you today.

How cute is this little pillow?  Courtesy of Forgetmenotdreams.

It's so sweet and simple and I love that the stenciling is done in brown.   Tout Va Bien actually means roughly, "All's going well." 

You can purchase this pillow from Forgetmenotdreams' Etsy store.  She's got great stuff, I LOVE her tags.  I just have to show you these cat hang tags.  They have nothing to do with us, they just crack me up.

I have two cats schooled in this philosophy!  :)

If you want to check out the Tout Va Bien, please browse our fabulous French category. 

Have a lovely weekend!  See you next week!

Etspiration Wednesday: Coffee!

I love coffee.  Cafe au lait the color of caramel.  Turkish coffee so thick a spoon could stand in it.  Fru fru lattes for when I need a sugar and caffeine pick me up.  I don't discriminate.  I think there's a time and place for coffee any way you brew it.  My mom and my sister both make a killer cup of coffee.  I think there's something about having someone else make you a cup of coffee that makes it more special.  Just like when I'm visiting home and my mom makes me a sandwich.  It's always better, you know?  Even if it's the same exact tuna fish I'd make at home. 

We found out we're going to have another little one, so my nose has been turning up at the smell of coffee these past few months.  It's very sad because I still love the idea of coffee, but my stomach wants nothing to do with it. 

So today I cruised around Etsy just thinking about coffee while I ate raisins.  It's all that sounds good lately, lol.  And pickles.  I'm such a cliche.

1A:  Bee Queen Coffee Mug Image Courtesy mudstuffing
1B:  Woodland Bird Coffee Sack Basket Image Courtesy BrinandNohl
1C:  Dutch Enamel Coffee Pot Image Courtesy NorthSeaVintage
1D:  Coffee Subway Art Stencil Image Courtesy Maisondestencils

 I am blown away by how cool mudstuffing's ceramics are.  You absolutely have to check out the Etsy shop.  Great stuff!

2A:  Coffee Handmade Wooden Sign Image Courtesy ShopHomegrown
2B:  Espresso Stencil Image Courtesy Maisondestencils
2C:  French Peugeot Coffee Mill Image Courtesy ShopYU
2D:  Burlap Coffee Sack Africa Pillow Image Courtesy TheWatsonShop

 This Peugeot coffee mill is just off the rails.  I love the color, love the emblem. 

3A:  Cappuccino Stencil Image Courtesy Maisondestencils
3B:  Recycled Burlap Coffee Tote Image Courtesy TheGreenBeanBag
3C:  Syracuse Railroad China Demi Tasse Cups Image Courtesy Diantiques

 I don't think anything really needs to be said about how gorgeous the print on this recycled coffee sack tote is in 3B.  Wow! 

4A:  3 Red Enamel Canisters Image Courtesy BrimfieldFinds
4B:  Coffee Items Red Tea Towel Image Courtesy tlane
4C:  Mrs Claus Coffee Shop Holiday Stencil Image Courtesy Maisondestencils
4D:  Cafe Au Lait and Beignets Print Image Courtesy NolaTawk

I dig this red tea towel in 4B, which has sort of a 2D poppy Jim Flora feel.  Would look great in a bungalow kitchen.

That's all I have for today.  Got a snazzy feature for you on deck for Friday.

Feature Friday: The Thorsten Eckart Pillow

Good Morning Everyone!

We have been so busy with our 20% sale.  Just in case you aren't on our mailing list, right now all our stencils are 20% off now through Sunday.  Just use code: stockup20 when checking out on our website!

I wanted to show you guys this great pillow though, courtesy of FunkyShique.

FunkyShique makes these out of feedsack inspired fabric as they are bed pillows.  The fabric has a more soft feel, which I can appreciate.  I don't think I'd want to lay my weary head on a grainsack.

She sells these in her etsy shop as a single listing and a two pillow listing.

They look just perfect on that bed!


Thorsten Eckart is one of our German Feedsack stencils, I just love it.  You can check out it and it's other German brethren in our Feedsack category.  

Here's a link to the listing for this item in FunkyShique's Etsy shop.  You should totally check out her Etsy shop, it is filled with amazing stuff!

Etspiration Wednesday: Bees Bees Bees

Around the corner from my house, we have this old church with a steeple that was converted to a residence at one point.  It's on our walk route we take the little one on, so we walk by it most every day.  We started noticing around a month ago that there's a hole in the siding with bees flying out of it.

The first time we saw it, we were thinking, "Huh, I bet they're bummed.  They've got bees in their house."  Then, being the worry wart that I am, we started monitoring the progress of the bees.  Then we realized, the bee house church was vacant.

What to do?  Let the bees exist there?  Inform no one?  Was it really even our business?  Bees need a home too, and bees are not really thriving the way they used to.

In the end, I called the police department because I couldn't really think of a better place to warn about bees.  We don't have a bee hotline here.  When I called, they literally said, "You've got bees?  Oh yah, here's two numbers."  So I guess this was not nearly as random a question as I thought.

I ended up talking to a really nice beekeeper who removes and rehomes bees for free. 

I've always liked bees.  They pollinate flowering plants.  They give us honey.  They're pretty much terrific.  And while these bees were all cozy up in their church house, they needed a new hive.

After the bee saga, I took to etsy to see what buzzworthy listings I could find.  Here's what I came up with!

1A:  Leather Journal featuring Vintage Bee Image Courtesy inblue
1B:  Vintage Guerlain Eau Imperiale Bottle Image Courtesy Villavillacolle
1C:  Beautiful Honey Bee Hive 12x18 Stencil Image Courtesy Maisondestencils
1D:  Antique Printers Block with Bees Image Courtesy Reclaimability


This bottle in 1B...wow!  It is gorgeous.  You've got to check it out.  And you know I had to throw in a printers block.  From what Reclaimability states, that printers block was from a high school.  What a cool school crest!

2A:  Bee Love Paris Pillow Cover Image Courtesy TheWatsonShop
2B:  Vintage French Honey Carton Image Courtesy candly
2C:  Bee Crown Laurel Wreath 12x12 Stencil Image Courtesy Maisondestencils
2D:  Recycled Vintage Mug with Honey Bee Image Courtesy ReCycleCeramics

ReCycleCeramics takes old mugs and china cups and sand carves small graphics on them.  The results are very clean and sweet.  Love this bee mug.  They also have really cute mugs with trees and bikes on them.

3A:  Bee Lady Letterpress Card Image Courtesy FerdinandHome
3B:  Honey of Brittany Bee Crest 12x12 Stencil Image Courtesy Maisondestencils
3C:  Blue Bees on White Fat Quarter Image Courtesy MakingStuffUp
3D:  Wooden Box for "Mad Bees" Image Courtesy BlueberryBeastie

I think that every home needs a wooden box for containing mad bees.  You never know when you'll need to threaten mad bees, and who would believe you unless you had a tasteful wooden box dedicated to such a purpose!

4A:  Pair of Bee and Skep Candles Image Courtesy SweetBeeHoney
4B:  Vintage Bon Bon Label with Bee Image Courtesy StellaTheresa
4C:  Queen Bee 12x12 Stencil Image Courtesy Maisondestencils
4D:  Natural Raw Honey from Columbia Gorge Image Courtesy Vyne

This bon bon label is stunning!  I love the art nouveau motif!  Love the color, love the gold leaf.  Perfection! 

We'll be back with a bee-autiful feature on Friday!  Stay tuned!

Etspiration Wednesday: Christmas In July

Christmas comes early for crafters.  And if you're in the business of supplying crafters, like we are, we have to be even more prepared.  Well we're totally not, we're one half crazed artist and one half type A lady with a baby split apart by 1,000 miles.

But we're in the progress of growing and getting more organized and historically, one of our busiest holidays is Christmas.  So I sat down the other day and designed some new stencils for the most wonderful time of the year.  I took a spin around Etsy and I literally had 12 amazing products inside of 10 minutes.  Not surprising, eh?  And I could have done 10 each of every type of thing I selected, but I tried to vary it.

So here's a look at some Christmas in July items on Etsy.  Enjoy and Joyeux Noel!

1A:  Silver Believe Banner Image Courtesy AnyOccasionBanners
1B:  Christmas Subway Art Stencil Image Courtesy Maisondestencils
1C:  Le Pere Noel Ornament Image Courtesy ALaceAffair

I just love this Le Pere Noel Ornament in 1C.  Vintage newspaper lends such a great, antiqued look to anything, even something we typically associate with glass or ceramic, like ornaments.

2A:  Toys Wooden Christmas Sign Image Courtesy TheSquareNail
2B:  Joyeux Noel With Scrolls Stencil Image Courtesy Maisondestencils
2C:  White And Red Wooden Heart Scandinavian Decoration Image Courtesy ArtAngel

I had to include this Scandinavian decoration in 2C because it speaks to my heritage.   Christmas culture is so wonderful in Scandinavia.  From St. Lucia in Sweden to Finland's claim as Santa's home, it's really unique and very different from the sort of Coca-Cola Santa traditions we have here in the US.

3A:  Handpainted Christmas Wrapping Paper Image Courtesy OscarAndOllie
3B:  Elf Christmas Stocking Image Courtesy habitationBoheme
3C:  French Christmas Subway Art Stencil Image Courtesy Maisondestencils
3D:  Christmas Card Retro Bicycle Image Courtesy anistaDesigns

These Elf Christmas Stockings in 3B are too cool.  The coffee and tea shop around the corner from me gives away their burlap bags and I am always tempted to take them, but I am painfully ashamed to admit I can't sew.  So props to habitationBoheme, these are super neat.

4A:  Wintry White Pinecone Wreath Image Courtesy EcoChicNYC
4B:  Partridge In A Pear Tree Pillow Image Courtesy ElsaBeta
4C:  Joyeux Noel No 25 Stencil Image Courtesy Maisondestencils

I love this Partridge pillow!  I want a whole set of the 12 Days of Christmas pillows strewn about my living room for Christmas this year!

5A:  French Christmas Santa Gift Tags Image Courtesy TheNestinSLT
5B:  Red Reindeer Christmas Pillow Image Courtesy TheStudio202
5C:  Pere Noel Stencil Image Courtesy Maisondestencils

Love love love this Reindeer Christmas pillow.  I cannot get enough of red and white as a color combo.  It's so crisp and graphic.  I also think this is such a fun pattern.

As always, we've got a snazzy feature lined up for Friday.  Until then, Merry Julymas!

Etspiration Wednesday: Birds Birds Birds

You knew it was just a matter of time right?  Until Maisondestencils buckled under the intense pressure of birds.  Birds with crowns.  Birds without crowns.  Birds on pillows!  I saw a post on ApartmentTherapy the other day that whales are the new birds, so I suppose I am hopelessly behind the times, but I still like birds.  (Brb while I go design 4 whale stencils!!) We took a hike on the 4th through this wonderful trail here in Astoria and the weather was absolutely perfect and you could hear jays and all other sorts of songbirds.

Here's a salute to our fine feathered friends.  This is literally the least difficult Etspiration I've ever compiled.  Bird bonanza!

1A:  Bird Wooden Wall Hanging Set Of Three Image Courtesy SweetiePieSuite
1B:  Bird Accent Chair Image Courtesy UrbanMotifs
1C:  Vintage Style Bird Powder Box Image Courtesy DreamingTreeFarm
1D:  Nest 5.5x11.5 Stencil Image Courtesy Maisondestencils


You've got to check out that chair in 1B.  The print is fab, it has cockatoos on it.  My Aunt Shirley had a cockatoo and she used to feed it chicken.  I never really contemplated how bizarre that was until I was much older. 

2A:  Bird In Nest Cup Image Courtesy SodaByAmy
2B:  Un Petit Oiseau Card Set Image Courtesy littlepigeoncardshop
2C:  Bird Wooden Keepsake Box Image Courtesy EspeciallyMade
2D:  Eggs of European Birds Vintage Lithograph Image Courtesy Carambas

I'm loving these cards in 2B.  The french translates to:  A little bird told me.  Too cute!

3A:  Fly Away Bird Burlap Pillow Image Courtesy NextDoorToHeaven
3B:  Birdcage Keep Calm Stencil Image Courtesy Maisondestencils
3C:  Nest Wooden Block Set Image Courtesy UniquelyDifferentToo

I absolutely love this Fly Away Pillow in 3A.  I'm a huge Allison Krauss fan and her rendition of that hymn in O Brother, Where Art Thou?  is just perfection.

4A:  Love Definition Stencil Image Courtesy Maisondestencils
4B:  Pastel Egg Tags Image Courtesy lacegrl130
4C:  Vintage Ceramic Pie Birds Image Courtesy HippopoVintage
4D:  Bird Decorative Pillow Image Courtesy PillowMio

Growing up, we were never really a pie family.  Mom made this dish called Pineapple Torte, which was my brother's favorite.  As for me, I never met a brownie I didn't like.  But pie, not so much.  Now I know better.  We made this peach and mascarpone pie yesterday, it was a hit.  Anyways, I'd never heard of pie birds until I was an adult watching 'Good Eats.'  (great cooking show, btw)  I really like the look of these two little fellows in 4C.

Got a snazzy feature for you tomorrow!   Tune in, same bird time, same bird channel.