Ideas & Inspiration

A recent post on DesignAmour prompted me to do a bit more research about stencil graffiti art. There were some great links in Melanie Royals' post that day and if this type of stenciling stirs your creativity, I urge you to follow through to some of those sites to inspire you when it comes to thinking outside of the box about stenciling.

Here are a few other good resources to check out:

• Stencil Graffiti - links to stencil graffiti artists sites, shows, information
• Watch a video of a sunset with dolphins jumping out of the water being created with spray paint and stencils.
• Over at Wikipedia you can find some great information about Stencil Graffiti, examples of artists works, history of stencil graffiti and many fascinating links.

This research that I have been delving into inspired me to go to my studio and see how I could adapt this type of work for use in clients' homes. I don't want to have to wear a mask while I work, and I am pretty sure my clients would not be too happy if I showed up to work on their walls armed with aerosol paint cans, but I can definitely see a use for an airbrush. Since I currently do not own an airbrush, and have no airbrush experience, I'm using traditional stencil brushes and sponges. My experimentation in this area has only just begun and I will try non-aerosol spray paints and a host of miscellaneous applications.

I pulled out several of my one overlay stencils, some open weaved fabric, and paper doilies and just started to play. It was a lot of fun! I sold this finish last week, to go on a long accent wall in a teenage girl's bedroom. You can follow the progress of this room over at my PainterGirl blog. For this sample board, in addition to stenciling through some fabric and paper doilies, I used stencils I had on hand from Royal Design Studio and The Stencil Library.

This time of year my kids are always on the run, and tote bags dedicated to their various activities help keep us organized. Over the years I've stenciled many bags for my friends and family, and they make a great way to carry library books, swimming gear, or piano books. I also keep one stocked with kids' magazines and puzzle books for doctor's office visits.

This cute little tote bag was painted for a John Deere tractor crazy two year old, using the tractor from Nancy Tribolet's Down on the Farm collection.

This piano bag was stenciled using Artistry by Glovier's keyboard stencil and Whimsical Walls Musical Notes Stencil

This swim tote was stenciled using designs from Whimsical Walls Oceanic Odyssey collection.

My favorite totes are the BAGedge 12 oz Canvas Tote with Contrasting Handles. The handles are long enough to throw over your shoulder and you can pick a color to coordinate with your stencil design.

When painting on canvas, I prefer to use a solid creme type of stencil paints and Whimsical Wall stencil brushes. The split bristles on these brushes are specially designed to hold a LOT of paint, and the domed shaped helps get in between the fibers of the fabric.

This golf themed piece of luggage is currently for sale on eBay.

Marjorie Harris Clark, of Florida is displaying some of her beautifully painted luggage on her website.

I received this great stenciled tote when I attended the SDAG conference in Rhode Island in 2007. It was filled with stencil related items! I now use it to carry supplies to and from my job sites. Totes are available in so many sizes and styles now and would make great party favors for any celebration you may be hosting.

Finally, I found two great books, both with projects and stencils included, that would be great for stenciling totes and luggage:

Stencil Me In, by Marthe Le Van shows contemporary uses for her stencils, provides instructions and includes 28 removable acetate and laser-cut stencils.

Stencil 101 by Ed Roth provides step by step instructions with 25 reusable stencils included.

Happy stenciling and Happy Travels!

I have just begun my research into this topic of stenciling Luggage and Totes and wait until you see the many, many clever and creative options that abound!

MarkMyStuff.com will make a custom 1-line stencil from sturdy oilboard for $15. A visit to their website will net you some inexpensive ways to quickly identify your luggage from everyone else's on the conveyor belt at the airport.

The red stenciled suitcase, shown left, comes from the ehow blog, where you will find complete "How To" instructions.

You can find the Luggage Identification System below over at It's My Bag. This kit includes an assortment of stencils, paint and applicators.

I found a great little book of travel poster and luggage label stencils. This book by Penny Vedrenne contains a series of multi-overlay stencils for you to cut and use.

Well Julie and I have certainly had a lot of fun researching this topic! There seems to be an abundance of very clever ideas created by some fantastically talented individuals! Today we are featuring a few more ideas and we will be sure to visit this topic again soon. If you have created a headboard or headboard wall that you would like to share with our readers, please send that info along to us.

I particularly liked this panel idea from Better Homes & Gardens. It is comprised of three hollow core door panels. Complete instructions can be found by following the link above.

Using this panel method, the possibilities are endless for design options! Any of the stencil resources found on stencilsearch.com will provide you with more than enough inspiration to get this project underway.

This chalkboard headboard idea was found on Apartment Therapy. Again, it could be adapted, maybe using chalkboard paint directly on the wall and stenciling a border for the frame.

Finally, a peek at Lorraine Ulen's website yielded some beautiful floral headboards. Lorraine is one talented artist and I invite you to visit her website for some more breathtaking work!