Stencil Talk Newsletter - Vol. 1 Issue 1

As the popularity of stenciling continues to increase, so does the interest in decorating trends, tips, and new ideas. Yowler & Shepps has been in the stencil business since 1989. Through the years, we’ve developed friendships as well as partnerships with so many customers and professional stencilers throughout the country and abroad. We’ve learned a great deal from each other.

Now, it’s time to come together and share over a decade of knowledge and experience in the art of stenciling through Stencil Talk. Our new online newsletter focused on stenciling projects, informative tips & tricks of the trade, stuff for kids’, and much more! We’ll cover a wide range of stenciling and decorating topics, fun projects, gift ideas, and even ways to decorate on a budget. We hope you’ll take part and share some of your stenciling tips, questions, and experiences with us as well. So, enjoy our “Premier Online Issue” of Stencil Talk!

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Practice Makes Perfect
Imagine an Olympic skater stepping onto the ice to perform freestyle for the Gold without a warm up. Stenciling projects need preparation too! Your walls are painted, you’ve chosen the stencil design, and you have the paints! You are ready and itching to launch into your project. But if you haven’t done a practice run, you may not be happy with your performance. So, before embarking on your project, we strongly suggest to beginner and experienced alike to always practice with your stencil on paper or poster board. And, by painting the paper or board with the same wall paint, you will achieve the most accurate image of your finished project. Practice shading and positioning until you have the look you desire. It will be well worth the extra time and effort, and just think of all the frustration you may avoid. Your project will be enjoyable and rewarding, too!

Shading Adds a Hand-painted Effect
Shading with Shiva Artist’s Paintstiks© can allow anyone to achieve a hand-painted effect. Paintstiks are an oil based paint solidified into a convenient to use form. Because they don’t dry quickly as liquid acrylic paints do, they allow shading and realism to be added to stenciling with ease. When shading your stenciling project, always begin with the lighter colors first. Add darker colors such as black, brown, or purple for the shadows at the very edges of the stencil design (wherever a natural shadow would fall), and blend softly toward the center. An example would be to shade the base of a flower petal where it would naturally appear to be coming out from behind another petal, or along the outside edge of a rounded object. Adding shading and producing a 3-D look is very rewarding. So, practice your shading techniques, and above all… have fun!

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The current economy seems to have a tremendous effect on how people are choosing to spend their hard earned money these days. Because of the economic conditions, many Americans are re-channeling their allotted travel and entertainment funds toward creating a refuge at home for their hearts, bodies, and souls. Many of us want our homes to reflect our own individual tastes and create a feel good, safe environment.

Today’s decorating trend seems to have people wanting a more natural look. A look they can’t achieve with mass produced products. They desire things to look more handmade. People want a comfort zone. They want to express their personalities and individualities through their home’s décor.

With these new attitudes and budgets in place, it’s nice to know that stenciling is still a very personalized, affordable, and extremely versatile form of decorating. Just one simple stencil design has the ability to transform the appearance and mood of any room. Add color and style with ease. There are no limitations. From simplicity to timeless elegance, there are no boundaries when decorating with stencils. They offer us the ability to achieve our decorating goals while keeping in line with a budget.

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Lately, the decorating industry seems to be using more and more foreign words to describe different decorating styles and techniques. Here are ten common ones that you may have seen in magazines, home improvement shows, and even in the Yowler & Shepps catalogue.

Damask (dăm’ esk) noun (middle English), - an elaborately patterned, usually reversible fabric of cotton, linen, silk, or wool.

Faux (‘fō) adjective, (French) – false, fake, or imitation.

Fleur-de-lis (flûr’ de lē’) noun, (middle English) – a stylized representation of an iris with 3 petals used ornamentally and as an emblem.

Frieze (frēz) noun, (Italian) – a sculptured or richly ornamented band as on a building or piece of furniture.

Mosaic (mō zā’ĭk) noun, (middle English) – a picture or design made by setting small, usually colored pieces, as of stone, glass, or tile onto a surface.

Motif (mō tēf’) noun, (French) – a recurring subject, theme, or idea, especially in an artistic, literary, or musical work.

Renaissance (ren’e säns’) noun, (French) – the great revival of art, literature, and architecture that originated in Italy in the 14th century, and spread throughout Europe through the 17th century.

Terra Cotta (ter’e kot’e) noun, (Italian) a brownish orange glazed or unglazed fired clay used especially for pottery, statuettes, and architectural purposes.

Toile (twäl) noun, (French) – an 18th century French scenic fabric usually printed on cotton, linen, or silk in one color on a light background.

Trompe L’oeil (trômp’ loi’) noun, (French) – a style of painting that gives an illusion of photographic reality, fools the eye.