painting tips for stenciling

I am working on a Design Trifecta-a pink and orange, ethnic inspired, chalkboard stencil! The pic on the left look a bit more purple than the actual wall.


It looks great  so far and all that's left is to chalk it. The chalking is the last step that give the wall a patinaed look. The nice part about Hudson Paint's Chalkboard paint in the low to no oder, durability and easy cleanup. With painting an entire and stenciling and wall, I used many designer tricks to complete the project. I compiled some tips on painting stencils below.













Clean up tip: One of my best tips!

I like to place my paint tray in a plastic bag and when the painting is done, I can simply lift the bag off, turn it inside out, and all my paint mess in contained. It leaves me with a clean paint tray and saves water from having to wash the tray- with is a trade off with the plastic bag. I can also use the bag to wrap my roller in and save the wet roller to use again in the next few hours for the next coat!

Chalkboard tip #1:
The instructions say to use a 1/4 inch nap roller, which is for very fine finishes. I used a 1/4inch "mohair" roller for the body color of the wall and for the stencil, I used a 2 inch wide sponge roller. This allowed for an even coat and for hitting all the details without needing to pour out lots of paint.

 

 

Chalkboard tip #2:
Large stencils can be difficult to paint without allowing for drying time after each stencil. And when painting a large section of wall, this can be time consuming. Here my easy tip. Use the registration marks on the stencil to map out the entire wall. Measure and mark, then measure and check your marks! Once everything aligns, then you can stencil one section and skip the next all the way down the wall. Once the first pass is completed, go back and stencil the spots you skipped. The registration marks allow for perfect alignment and by running two passes the first is dry enough not to smear!

 

 

Stencil tip:
stencil adhesive! You can spray the back of the stencil with stencil adhesive and turn your stencil into a giant sticky note! or you can use re-positionable tabs in the back to make the stencil stick to the wall without lots of tape. Both methods are very helpful when you are painting alone.

Fashion tip:
OK, it's not really fashion, only kind of... I do not wear shoes when I paint, unless I am doing ladder work. Why? Because if I drip paint and step in it, I know. It is cold. However, if I was wearing shoes, I would not feel it and possible track it around the flooring. Barefootin'. It is the best way to paint!

Hudson paints- just arrived

I am super psyched about the arrival of my new chalkboard paints! They are from Hudson Paints and I am sampling them for a larger project. Big box stores just do not offer the color array of this company... much less the good customer service and humorous names for the paints!

I cannot wait to get started on my sample boards and post my first project! The colors I have ordered are (clockwise) Genius Pink Genius, Sweet 13, and Hot Kolor.

The plan first is to create magnetic, chalkboard peg boards for my sister's sewing/workroom.  The original plan was for Christmas... but I could not pull it together in time. So, Birthday then! The bigger project is to create a chalkboard wall in a clients home!

Skull-duggery for the home

Celebrating Halloween year round can seem, well, not so seemly. Too Elvira. Too devil worshipping. However, adding a bit of Gothic to a home can add humor, depth, and gravitas. Here are some great picks to add a touch of Gothic Halloween to your home!



Day of the Dead is becoming a popular holiday in the United States adopted from Mexico, like Cinco De Mayo. The roots of the celebration is in honoring the departed and celebrating their life. It takes place on November first, in the Catholic calender is it known as All Saints Day. This graphic and beautiful pillow can be a gentle reminder of loved ones that have gone before us or a celebration of the beauty of graphic design and artful renderings. This "sugar skull pillow" is made of burlap and is from "The Watson Group" on Etsy.

Sometime antique furniture needs a touch of unconventionality- thank the family heirloom that doesn't fir into your modern aesthetic. Changing the hardware can change the piece. These bird skull drawer pulls could be just the touch you need!  This cast metal crow skull is silver plated. More information on the skull drawer pulls can be found HERE at BillyBlue22 on Etsy. 

A side view of the silver placed crow drawer pull from BillyBlue22 on Etsy.

Plate collections are a great way to decorate in a formal setting, to show of beautiful dinnerware that is not in use, or as a "placeholder" for future art purchases. This place add a bit of cheeky humor to your average plate collection! Create by the folks at the Lucky Fox on Etsy, this fun plate ships from England and adds instant interest to a staid collection.

No, you are my favorite! Always forgetting to leave a note? Wish you could write thoughts on the inside of your head? What to shock the in laws? Have I got the perfect thing for you! This skull is cast plastic skull if covered in chalkboard paint and is the perfect spot or leaving a note for the rest of your household. What time is the little league game? Check the skull. Starting a grocery list? Write in on your head.  Like to doodle? This guy is made for all your sugar skull skills!
Brought to you by iamhome on etsy.