The Milk and Cream Co. Stencil

*this is a sponsored post

I love stencils.  I use them almost daily in my business.  I make a lot of my own stencils with my silhouette machine but I’m always up for a cool stencil I can purchase to add to my stash.  So when my friend Angie from Knick of Time developed her own line of stencils I was thrilled for her (and for me cause I love cool stencils)  – and then she offered me a free stencil to try out and share about with all of you!

Angie sent me her Milk and Cream co. Stencil along with a stencil brush.

I used some reclaimed pine boards that used to be shelving in a closet.

I painted the board with a new line of paint I am now carrying called ‘Colors of Sweden’.  This color is my fav of the line, and all the colors are awesome!  This one is called ‘Gustav’ and is a wonderful shade of pale grey.  NO VOC, this paint dries fast and the finish is amazing.

For the stencil I used Paint Couture paint in Midnight Blue, and I used the stencil brush Angie included with the stencil.  The brush was awesome.  Just the right length bristles, good stiffness without being too stiff, and a good size for stenciling.

For this stencil I wanted a soft, faded look so I offloaded the brush really well before starting to stencil.  The ‘drier’ the brush the more hand-painted your stencil will end up looking.

Softly and gently I painted over the stencil with slow, circular motion.  No pouncing for me – this technique gives a prettier look 😀

After the paint dried I sanded lightly with 400 grit sandpaper to give it even more of a worn look.

Then I decided to distress a bit more.  I added some Weathered Wood glaze from the same line as the Midnight blue paint.  I sell all these products and I love every single one.  I will share more about my paint line soon.

The Weathered Wood glaze is very subtle – you can see it in the top half of the board where I’ve started adding it.  Since this glaze is so light I brush it on and leave it instead of wiping it back off like you need to do with darker glazes.

And here is my finished piece.  I love the soft, barely distressed look it has.

I loved the stencil, it was well made and easy to use.

This stencil also cleaned up well.  I recommend you wash your stencils as soon as you are finished using them.  I lay mine in my kitchen sink and run warm water over it.  I use a a soft scratcher to work lose any paint that has dried too much to rinse off with just water.  If I need to I add a bit of dish soap too.

All cleaned up – cleaning up each time prevents paint from building up on the edges of your stencil.  Too much paint build up and you will need a new stencil.  Taking the proper care of your stencils will allow you to use them for many projects 🙂

My husband added keyhole slots to all my wood boards.  I made several different styles and sold them at the pop-up shop event The Summer Market.  I made a few extra and will share them with you soon.  They will be available in my shop this fall after I’ve had time to restock!

I made one in red and white too.  Loving this color combination!

Take a look at all the stencils Angie has to offer in her shop.  Make your own ‘Milk and Cream’ sign or choose from one of her other great designs.

Jill

*I received the stencil and brush for free in return for sharing about it here.  All opinions are 100% mine.

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