Stencils from Maison de Stencils

Well in my last post back in mid March I was getting ready to go on vacation with my kids...did that...but, unfortunately, I had a nasty case of double walking pneumonia. You really don't know you have it until it settles in and makes you very ill.  I spent the night of the surprise birthday party in hospital. I have had 7 courses of antibiotics since March, one of the last series was regime of injections for 5 days...OUCH!!! But I was in to see doc today and he thinks we might just have it on the run...got my fingers crossed.

I discovered through blogland a company called Maison de Stencils you'll find them here .  I'm absolutely head over hills for the French stencils~~~ooohlala. I ordered several including the one below, Musee d' Orsay.  I have my eye on some Halloween stencils also. I just got word from the company that my Maid of Orleans soap advertisement shipped today...yeah!!! 

Anyway, as you can see above I have already put one stencil to good use.  Sometime back I was junking in Bandon, a small seaside community about 16 miles south from my house.  I was in a thrift shop and some people came in all a twitter about a real junk store just down the road and that you should take time to check it out. It was only a mile or so further...so what the heck.  I have drove past this place a dozen times and never knew it was there. It's on a hill surrounded by storage units...if you didn't know to look for them you wouldn't find it. It was a "Real Old Time Junk Shop" boxes by the dozens to pick through, stuff stacked everywhere, even hanging from the rafters.  I was in junkers heaven!!! 

Well while trying to squeeze through an isle (that you had to go back the way you came) I discovered this case.  I opened it up and it was full of junk and most of the parts of a portable photo enlarger.  I really liked the size of the case as it's quite large...but I didn't care for the contents.  So I went up front and got the very old, but extremely spry gentleman shop keeper and inquired about the case. Well he had to take a look to be sure what I was talking about...so back to the back we went.  He opened it up and said "you sure you don't need this stuff?" No, I didn't need it.  So he got a box dumped the contents and sold me the case for $5.00. I know I was happy!!!

I had no idea what I was going to do with the case, I was thinking of using it like a big chalk board. Then I found Maison's, ordered my stencils and patiently (sort of) waited for them to arrive.

So I gathered my supplies, case, white and grey craft paint, stencils, stencil brushes, arched board for curved line (this hangs on my gate during the holidays). Chalk, and an adjustable sewing ruler (my ruler of choice...wish they came in a longer length).



 
The black of the case acts like a chalk board...you just erase any marks when the paint is all dry. 

In this photo you can see my chalk marks. This was a little bit tricky and I had to make adjustments on each side...it's not quite centered...but looked odd when I did center it. 

I completely missed taking a photo using the large Maison stencil.  All is done in white except for the chair which is a light grey. I just used pieces of blue painters tape on all four side...it held very securely.  I had no leakage under the stencil.  It turned out beautifully.  The case didn't have a handle so I used a couple of lengths of burlap covered cording left from another project.


I have several more projects lined up for the other stencils...so stay tuned.

This is the case sitting outside my shop. You can see it from both directions.
I think it makes great advertising for the shop front.  And I've gotten quite a few compliments on it.

Did you notice the street address? Rue de Lille...

 




  

 I bet it's for my sweet Lilly.

Please go check out Maison de Stencils and get your stencil on!!!  Untill next time~~~Happy Hunting and Gathering!!!