Check out these new designs by Laurie Mika!

Anyone who has ever visited Portugal can immediately identify with the beautiful blue tiles that adorn both the facades and the interiors of buildings throughout this amazing country. I recently traveled to Portugal and these stencils are inspired by that trip and are named for the many cities and places I visited. Being a mixed media mosaic artist, tiles have always been an essential part of my creative journey so it is not surprising that I was drawn to all of the incredible tile motifs.

There are many possibilities and ways to use these tile stencils, from background collage imagery to creating paper quilts to using these tile stencils to emboss designs on polymer clay. Each tile was hand drawn so there are tiny differences in the patterning that make them look like unique individual tiles. For anyone who has traveled to Portugal, these blue tile stencils will hopefully evoke wonderful memories and spark some creative inspiration by recreating the magic that is Portugal.

S930- Azulejo Museum Tile

Visiting this incredible tile museum in Lisbon was a highlight of our time there. Azulejo refers to the color blue (Azul) which is the predominant color of most of the tiles in Portugal. These blue tiles were inspired by both Ming dynasty porcelain design and Dutch Delftware. Every surface is adorned with beautiful tiles, many of them dating back centuries. Some of the tiles were created as large panels that are narrative in nature while many others are abstract patterns that are combined to create symmetric designs. My Azulejo Museum Tile stencil was inspired by the abstract patterning of a wall tile that was in this fantastic museum.

S931- Cascais Tile

Cascais is a resort destination along the coast that is often referred to as the Portuguese Riviera. The sparkling sea is a gorgeous blue backdrop that enhances the blue and white tiles seen throughout Cascais.

S932- Douro Valley Tile

A trip north to Porto and the lush Douro Valley nearby is a must when visiting Portugal. The Douro Valley is known for its vineyards and the grapes that are produced for Port wine. We spent the day meandering through this valley and this tile was inspired by one of the tiles I saw at a vineyard that we visited, hence the floral/vine-looking pattern.

S933-Lisbon Tile

 Of all of the cities in Portugal, Lisbon seemed to have the most tiled buildings. My Lisbon tile is based on the quatrefoil pattern which is often seen in tile murals and panels throughout Lisbon, especially in churches and cathedrals.

S934-Porto Tile

It was so much fun visiting the town of Porto on the Douro River. Porto has two sister cities on each side of the river connected by many bridges. On one side of the river, Port houses line the boardwalk. Many of these Port houses have been producing Port for hundreds of years and the buildings that house these tasting rooms are beautiful and many are adorned with tiles. 

S935-Sintra Tile

Sintra is a charming town outside of Lisbon hidden up in the foothills. The historic center is known for its colorful, whimsical Peña palace and other incredible architectural wonders. Many of the walls and interior spaces of the palace are adorned with tile and were the inspiration behind my Sintra stencil.

Line Up! Stencil. Repeat.

Line Up and Repeat.

It sounds like an order when you say it aloud.

Heard you try it. LOL

At StencilGirl® we only want to give you insight into what you can do with stencils. (Never orders.)

That said, when "line up" is applied to a batch of stencils rather than a crowd, you can transform a blank paper into something wonderful!

The rolling pin, spatula, and whisk will have you stenciling in nothing flat! This Baking Utensil Repeat Stencil is by June Pfaff Daley. Need baking implements? June has you covered.

These stencils next few stencils were designed to line up perfectly horizontally and vertically.

Quilt your own garden on paper with the pretty adjoining blossoms of the Quilted Flower Garden Stencil by Cecilia Swatton.

Diamonds may indeed be a girl's best friend but it is increasingly expensive to make art with jewels.
Try Mary Beth Shaw's darling Leaf Diamond Stencil instead!

TIP: The easiest way to line up the stencil perfectly is to match the edge row of the stencil over the pattern row you have already painted.

What if you could make raindrops splash just the way you wanted? Andrew Borloz achieves just that with his Bent Drops Small Stencil. It pairs nicely with the single design, Bent Drops Mini Flower.

We "tote" you stenciling was fun!

The hand-drawn tile pattern of  Kristie Taylor's Diamond Bell Square Stencil is ready for you to block out this pattern across the pages of your art journal and so much more.

Here it is shown with Crystal 12 pt. Mandala.

And now we come to the elegant Medieval Leaf Motif Stencil by Jessica Sporn.
Wouldn't it be lovely stenciled on the edge of a skirt?

It can also be used to make a flower as in the blue and gold pattern below.

Nifty as a background too.

This hand-drawn beauty, Curliecue Allover, by Janet Joehlin is not an exact match with regard to the earlier tip, but it would also make a pretty repeat pattern at the edge of a shirt or skirt.

Here, Janet has used Curliecue Allover in her art journal.

This stencil by Carol Wiebe is repeatable, but note the little extra space between the middle and right row. It gives the eye a place to rest and wonder. Joy! Use the Diamond Facets #1 Stencil to create a larger repeating pattern. Maybe on fabric?! Check out 3 more diamond facets by Carol.

You'll need to turn Mary Beth Shaw's Ribbon Weave Stencil to repeat it:

The Star Quilt Stencil by Mary Beth Shaw in small or mini sizes is fun for lining up side by side by side by side by...

Quit #1Small or Mini, also by Mary Beth, allows you to create a twirled pattern you can use with alternating colors.

Quilt it on paper or fabric.

Your mission, we hope you'll choose to accept it, is as the card at the top stated, to "bake the world a better place" by going forth and making art :)