How to use my Stencil Collection to create pattern

I created the designs in my Stencil Collection to be diverse in style and to work perfectly as on their own, as well as together. I love creating new unique patterns by overlapping one, two or three different stencils. This overprinting is one of my favourite techniques – and today I’m sharing my top tips on how to get a cohesive look (hint – it’s all about colour!)

Stencilled school desk

I always let the shape and style of furniture guide me when it comes to adding a design or creating a pattern. The inspiration for the vintage school desk came from the graffitied desks that we can all remember from schools. I replaced the graffiti with my stencils and ran with the idea, using every single one of the stencils in my collection on this one desk! To counteract the busyness of the pattern, I kept to a simple monochrome colour palette, using Chalk Paint® in Paris Grey as the base colour and Old White for the stencils. To give the piece a lift of colour, I added pops of Barcelona Orange and Provence. I finished with a coat of Clear Chalk Paint® Wax which keeps it wipeable (and resistant to any real life graffiti)! The end result is fun, a little cheeky and full of creativity.

Tip: Don’t worry about things getting too overcrowded here. If things start to look cluttered, you can paint over any areas that you aren't happy with.

If I’m using just one stencil but want to create an interesting, overlapping pattern I turn my focus to the colours I’ll be using. I will use a base colour, mid tone and lighter shade. This is so there is enough variation between the colours for the pattern to be seen without getting lost.

In the image above, you can see a pattern I created by overprinting with my Petrushka Stencil. The pattern is loose and random, but the colours are carefully thought through. Here, I chose Antoinette as the background, and then used Aubusson Blue and Barcelona Orange, blending them together in areas and then lightening them with a little Old White.

If you want to see my overlapping stencil technique in action, take a look at my YouTube stencil tutorial here.

My philosophy is very much of a free style of working which is why I love playing with stencils. I don’t like things to be too measured, or precise, and I certainly don’t want to get so bogged down in details that I can’t see when something is right just as it is. The devil may be in the detail, but sometimes you have to rip up the rule book and enjoy finding out where it can take you!

As ever, please share your pictures or tweet your pictures using #anniesloan and make sure you follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter: @anniesloanhome

Yours,

Annie

Annie Sloan Christmas Shelfie: Concrete Candle Holder

In my previous blog post I spoke about how, at this time of year, I love gilding. So here is another project that uses a little metal leaf, but this time with a stencil.






























This candleholder was a gift from the wonderfully creative blogger Hester, who ingeniously made it by hand from concrete. I loved its handmade-yet-industrial feel, and wanted to give it some festive pizzazz with a little paint, some stencilling and some gilding.

You will need:

• Concrete Candleholder 
• Gold Size 
• Masking Tape 
• Amsterdam Green Chalk Paint®
• Stencil Brush
• Small Flat Brush
• Brass Leaf 
• Valeska stencil

To recreate this look, first paint a solid line almost halfway up the piece, all the way around the candleholder, using masking tape and the small flat brush to create a straight line. Once dry, work out exactly where you will place the stencil. Here, I've reversed the stencil to create a cross, however you could flip it to create a diamond shape. The choice is yours! Using the masking tape to hold the stencil down, paint the design on the concrete all the way around.

Once the paint has dried, use your stencil again to dab a small amount of the Gold Size onto the painted stripe. As soon as the Gold Size has turned from pearlescent to clear, press the Brass Leaf down gently. Leave the leaf on for 5 minutes before wiping away the excess. You can now seal in the leaf and paintwork with Clear Chalk Paint® Wax.

And there you have it! I love the way it looks traditionally festive with the green and gold, yet the concrete makes it modern. What do you think of this project? And the projects for my Christmas Shelfie so far? Please do let me know!

Yours,

Annie

#25Project Transformation 1: Germany!

I'm thrilled to share with you the first transformation from the #25Project! I have eagerly been  waiting for photos and stories to roll in from community centres and spaces that we have helped transform around the world, and this one from Germany is just fantastic. I feel very proud of my Stockist Vanessa Metz from Simply Vintage and my German Distributors Ulrike and Sonja for the hard work, expertise and dedication that they put in to create this wonderful transformation – and what a privilege for my paint and products!

Below are before pictures of the‘2gether’ Community Centre located in Ubstadt-Weiher, South Germany. The centre hosts many activities and events for all generations, including ‘Mother and Baby’ groups, breakdancing lessons and team afternoons for the elderly. Over the years, the interior of the space – although loved – became neglected and deteriorated. When it was nominated for a transformation, I knew that it would really benefit from a lick of paint or two!

Before

I have to mention the fantastic work that Vanessa did in organising this transformation. Vanessa is wonderfully kooky and colourful (you never know what colour her hair is going to be next!) and she did an incredible job rallying the troops (in this case volunteers and other local stockists including Ulrike, Sonja and Horst). I can only imagine how exhausting it must have been painting away in that 32 degree heat! However, Vanessa’s buoyant smile, the sandwiches and snacks sponsored by a local baker, the lunch prepared by Ivonne who works at the centre and the fact that this was all for a good cause meant that the weekend long transformation flew by!

After

I love the way my stencils and fabrics are used in the space - and how great does the snooker table look painted? A palette of French Linen, Country Grey and Graphite with pops of warm colour has been used to create a sophisticated but welcoming space. Check out that brilliant skyline too, painted 5 years ago by local children, it was given a loving restoration.

This is the very first of 25 transformations – watch this space and I will share each and every transformation with you as they come in. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this project, and can’t wait to share the next one with you very, very soon!

Follow #25Project on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to watch the projects come together.

Yours, Annie

The 12 Crafts of Christmas - No.9: The Gift Wrap

For the ninth of my 12 Crafts of Christmas, I'm providing you with inspiration for your gift wrapping. This is such a quick and easy way to personalise a present, and it's something the whole family can do. Simply choose your favourite stencil from my Stencil Collection, and one or two colours from the Chalk Paint® palette. Holly who works with me at Annie Sloan HQ created one design using Old White and my Tallulah Stencil on brown Kraft paper, and another with Emperor's Silk and my Bell Flowers stencil.

For that extra special touch dye some cotton tape with Chalk Paint® and add a pattern using a complementary colour. I love using my Circles, Sand Dollar and Valeska Stencils to create borders!

Yours, Annie

Follow #12CraftsofChristmas on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

The 12 Crafts of Christmas – No. 2: The table linen

For the second of my 12 Crafts of Christmas, I'm sharing a super simple and effective way of creating festive linen for your Christmas table! To make a runner like the one above, all you need is some masking tape, Blu-tak, and of course, some of my paint, Chalk Paint® and fabric. I used my Pure Linen fabric and chose a palette of Burgundy, Scandinavian Pink and Old White – a colour combination inspired by Carl Larsson's very traditional Swedish paintings. 

I made another table runner with Kirstie Allsopp at the Handmade Christmas Fair in Manchester, UK, a couple of weeks ago. We used Olive-dyed Pure Linen (see this post to find out how to dye fabric with Chalk Paint) and my Antheia stencil (applied using my new Sponge Rollers). This is a no-sew table runner, so really couldn't be simpler. I let the fabric edges of the runner fray a little – I love the rustic effect!

Another really fun and simple project that you could try is painting a napkin for your Christmas table.
For this you can use one of my stencils to create patterns and images on the linen. I particularly like the way that sections of my Bell Flowers stencil can be used and overlapped to create a poinsettia-like image. Experiment with different designs in my range – I think Petrushka or Tallulah could be very festive, too. I edged my napkins using fabric tape which I stencilled in the obligatory red and green (or Olive and Emperor’s Silk!) using my Circles and Bell Flowers stencils. Simply fold the tape over the napkin edge and a basic running stitch using embroidery thread, or even wool will secure it in place. Of course, you could use any pretty fabric scraps you may have to hand for your own finishing touch.

If you already follow me on social media you may know I was in Poland last week. Such a beautiful place, and I just adore the way they use colour. I have to include this example of stencilling on Pure Linen from a workshop I did with Polish bloggers. No, it’s not a traditional Christmas design but wouldn’t it make a lovely present?

Thinking of trying this project out at home? Remember to share your projects with me!

Yours, Annie

How to stencil a chair with Chalk Paint®

I have been dying to show you my new video tutorial about stencilling. My stencil designs and the way I work with them is quite free and, I hope, liberating!

In this two-part tutorial, I combine two of my stencils in random overlapping patterns to transform an old dining chair. It’s a fairly standard splat back chair with a good central panel for stencilling on. I love playing around with my stencils and I want to point out that just because you’re using a stencil with a particular design, it doesn’t have to inhibit your own creativity – mix them up, take the elements you like or those which are right for a particular piece from each, and see what you come up with. It's all about overlaying different patterns to come up with something unique.

For this particular project, I’m using my Lavender stencil and overlapping it with my Classical Bird – an idea inspired by one of my Stockists which I liked so much I had to try out for myself!

Before I even get started on a project, I like to sketch out the look I’m going for. For this tutorial, I decided to use Duck Egg Blue from the Chalk Paint® palette as my base colour. Although it can be tempting to stencil against a white background, it can be quite stark and using a mid-tone, fairly neutral colour will make the pattern sing out, especially if you’re using Old White in the pattern, as I do in this piece.

First, I paint the chair. You’ll see I tip it upside down whilst I’m painting it, as this makes the job so much easier. I’m using the larger of my Pure Bristle Brushes to apply the Duck Egg Blue, and this helps bring out the texture of the wood.

Once the first coat is dry, I can start stencilling. I already have a good idea of where I want the pattern to be, so I rely on my judgement when it comes to positioning the stencil.

Using sponge rollers makes overlapping stencil patterns a quick and very straightforward process. (For smaller, more detailed designs, I’ll use my Stencil Brush to stipple the pattern on). I’ve just brought out two sizes of Sponge Roller and I use both in the video. Don’t overload the roller with paint, and be gentle but firm. Remember, if the finish is denser in some areas and lighter in others that can work very well.

Although I’ve a good idea of what I want to achieve, I don’t always end up following my sketch in every detail. Random can be good sometimes, go with the flow and enjoy seeing where you may end up. Once I’m happy with the design, I add my Clear Wax and that’s really all there is to it!

I've shared Part 1 of my tutorial above, you can find Part 2 on my YouTube channel.

Also - I must tell you – I’m very excited because tomorrow I’ll be doing a demonstration with Kirstie Allsopp again, at the Handmade Christmas Fair in Manchester. She’s going to be joining me at my stand where I'll be teaching how to create a very special Christmas table runner with stencils and stamps (so easy and quick and no sewing involved!). I’ll be sharing pictures and tips in a few weeks, so watch this space!

Yours, Annie

Tim Gould's dream cupboard

For his second Painters in Residence project, Tim Gould was inspired by Mexican art to transform a kitchen cabinet into a bold statement piece using Chalk Paint®.

Tim started by creating a neutral background using Country Grey and Paris Grey, and then highlighted the doors and panels with French Linen. Using Graphite – a soft black from the Chalk Paint® palette – he painted the frames around the doors to create a border. Then, with a small artists brush, Tim softened the edges of the frames by applying small dots of lighter colours that were also used on different areas of the cupboard.

Tim created his illustrations on Adobe Illustrator and printed them on to vinyl to use as stencils. He painted these in with Barcelona Orange, Antibes Green, Provence, English Yellow, Emile and other bright colours from my colour palette. He outlined each image in Graphite and then hand-painted dots and other embellishments to pull everything together.

Finally, Tim painted inside the left-hand cupboard in Graphite, and inside the right in Pure, adding a cartoon image with typography in each. I love how the result reflects Tim's distinctive wit and personality.

Yours, Annie

Follow Tim on Instagram, Facebook, and his website: http://www.objectables.co.uk/

And remember to follow #PaintersInResidence on Instagram and Facebook, as well as my Painters in Residence board on Pinterest.