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Julia's November Stencil Release - From Our Home to Yours!

 

Our homes have never been more important than in this unprecedented year. They've not only been the roofs over our heads, under which we routinely take shelter to eat and sleep; they've also been our workplaces, the schools for our kids, and the sanctuaries sought when the outside world seemed too chaotic and complicated for words. And so, in my penultimate set of 2020, I pay tribute to our homes and the special place they have played in our lives this past year. This month's From Our Home to Yours design - the facade of an elegant home - can be decorated in myriad ways for the holidays to bring your friends and family endless cheer.

Here's a quick look at this November's stencil release:

New NOVEMBER 2020 Stencils

And here's where you can find all of the related stencils on my partner Confection Couture Stencils' site:

Also, heads up! The Holiday Manor background stencil in the background set (pictured immediately below) can now be purchased all by itself (as can many of the background stencils in my sets).

image008

Use of that stencil alone will create a look something like what you see on the cookies here:

IMG_4557two simple JUST backgrounds

Of course, depending on the size of the cookie you use, more or less of the background stencil will reveal.

JUST BACK NICE MORE CONTEXT

A partial reveal always adds interest to a cookie, IMO!

Also worth pointing out: I used untraditional holiday colors of pale sky blue, electric purple (which looks almost pink), custom-blended purple (violet and electric purple), electric green (which looks almost yellow), leaf green, and brown, but a more traditional red-and-green palette would look great too. (Note: All colorings used are AmeriMist with the exception of the brown, which is Chefmaster Harvest Brown, and the blue, which is Spectrum Flow Sky Blue lightened with Spectrum Flow White).

You could further dress up these background stencil-only cookies with sanding sugar (for snow on the evergreen limbs) and royal icing transfers (for dimensional wreaths and garlands). I'll be dressing them up with more stenciled elements (from the foreground stencil) instead, but first a note about my Stencil of the Month Club.

If you're one of my club members, you'll get the background set part of this release, as well as Confection Couture Stencils' larger laurel wreath stencil with two sets of ornament overlays:

SOM_NOV_2020BORDER

If you're not familiar with my Club, you can read all about it here, but basically it gives you huge savings (20%!) on the multi-piece background set in each release, as well as another complementary single-piece stencil designed by my partner. Plus, these items are automatically sent to you each month, so you'll never miss my latest designs!

Now, on to exploring the details of the background set!

From Our Home to Yours Dynamic DuosTM Background Set (8 pieces)SJU0334_package_contents_pixelBORDER

It includes eight pieces this time, along with a special extra background layer (#1) designed to block off any previously airbrushed trees and building facade (in layer #2), so you can add shadows or highlights to the door and window interiors. In fact, that's how I added the electric green to the windows and the electric pink to the doors on the cookies above, and also below:

IMG_4747NICE HOR TWO MESSAGELESS USE

And a closer view . . .

two messageless NICE SQ

I used three of the four foreground elements (all but the bell) on these two cookies. In the case of the wreaths, I airbrushed them directly on the cookies, whereas in the case of the poinsettia swag on the left cookie, I made it as a fondant appliqué. (Note: A fondant appliqué is thinly rolled fondant that is airbrushed and stenciled and carefully trimmed. It's then left to air-dry until it is rigid enough to pick up and hover over or hang off the cookie without misshaping.) I also used the background stencils to make fondant appliqué trees that are placed in the foreground of both cookies and propped up with tiny blobs of fondant to give them extra dimension.

And, just so you can better appreciate those details, here are a couple of more up-close-and-personal views:

SINGLE NO MESS MORE CONTEXT LIGHTE NICE

SINGLE TALL GOOD SQ CLOSE

LOL! I forgot to airbrush the door panels in the center of the wreath above, but what a happy accident! I ended up with another nice, albeit unintended, design variation!

Now on to the complementary message and frame set!

From Our Home to Yours Dynamic DuosTM Message and Frame Set (7 pieces)SJU0335_package_contents_pixelBORDER

This set is extra loaded this time too, with four frames and five (yes, five!) messages that can be added to the background set elements! To give you an idea of the many style variations now possible with this set, take a gander at the photos below. In this first one, I've used the set's namesake message "From Our Home to Yours" along with a fondant appliqué wreath. All of the other elements are stenciled directly on the cookie . . .

SINGEL COOKIE LEAST CONTEXT OPENER USEFOHTY SQ NICE

Here's that namesake cookie again, but, this time, it's paired up with a cookie flaunting the "Joy" message, which handily fits into the transom at the top of the door . . .

IMG_4667NICE HOR TWO MESSSJOY MORE CONTEXT SUPER NICE SQ

Or, how about "Noel" with an adjoining wreath?

noel sq more contextBRIGHTER

That certainly works too, as does this spin on one of the background set-only cookies pictured above. Here, I attached a fondant message to the lower door panel. It could have been placed just as effectively on one of the front steps!

TALL ALT FROM OUT HOME SQ

Even a tiny "Noel" plaque with no additional door dressing looks inviting!

1 Mess 1 no mess sq even lighter

And . . . remember those background stencil-only cookies that I showed at the very start of this post? Well, I'm a more-as-more person as you should know by now, so I just couldn't leave them that plain! Here they are, now adorned with the whole nine yards - wreaths, swags, and framed messages . . .

IMG_4816 2 jazzes up background only cookies with mess now

I count four fondant appliqués on this one cookie!

BIG JAZZED UP JOY NO WITH MES SQ GOOD

Even this smaller cookie neatly fits three appliqués!

small jazzed joy more context v NICE SQ LIGHTER

Seeing as I just came full circle in this post, let me wrap up with the following "recap" video and summary of key links. Please also check out my and my partner's many other Christmas stencils and New Year's stencils. We've got so many options to give you holiday cheer!

'Til next release, best wishes, from my home to yours, for a happy, safe, and prosperous holiday season and new year!


Key Links:

If you have any technical questions about these stencils, just email me at sweetlife@juliausher.com or leave a comment below. Please, however, direct all ordering and Club questions to my stencil partner, Confection Couture Stencils, at service@confectioncouturestencils.com. Thank you!

Attachments

Images (21)
  • Julia's November 2020 Stencil Release in a Nutshell: Cookies and Photos by Julia M Usher; Stencils Designed by Julia M Usher with Confection Couture Stencils
  • Holiday Manor Background Stencil Only: Stencil Designed by Julia M Usher with Confection Couture Stencils; Graphic Design by Confection Couture Stencils
  • Cookies Using Only the Background Stencil Layers #1 and #2: Cookies and Photo by Julia M Usher; Stencils Designed by Julia M Usher with Confection Couture Stencils
  • Bigger Cookie Using Only the Background Stencil Layers #1 and #2: Cookie and Photo by Julia M Usher; Stencils Designed by Julia M Usher with Confection Couture Stencils
  • Julia's November 2020 Stencil of the Month Club Offering: Stencils Designed by Julia M Usher with Confection Couture Stencils; Graphic Design by Confection Couture Stencils
  • From Our Home to Yours Dynamic Duos™ Background Set Contents: Stencils Designed by Julia M Usher with Confection Couture Stencils; Graphic Design by Confection Couture Stencils
  • Two Cookies Using Just the Background Set: Cookies and Photo by Julia M Usher; Stencils Designed by Julia M Usher with Confection Couture Stencils
  • Closer View of Two Cookies Using Just the Background Set: Cookies and Photo by Julia M Usher; Stencils Designed by Julia M Usher with Confection Couture Stencils
  • Closer View of Small Cookie Using Just the Background Set: Cookie and Photo by Julia M Usher; Stencils Designed by Julia M Usher with Confection Couture Stencils
  • Closer View of Tall Cookie Using Just the Background Set: Cookie and Photo by Julia M Usher; Stencils Designed by Julia M Usher with Confection Couture Stencils
  • From Our Home to Yours Dynamic Duos™ Message and Frame Set Contents: Stencils Designed by Julia M Usher with Confection Couture Stencils; Graphic Design by Confection Couture Stencils
  • Cookie with Set's Namesake Message: Cookie and Photo by Julia M Usher; Stencils Designed by Julia M Usher with Confection Couture Stencils
  • Closer View of Cookie with Namesake Message: Cookie and Photo by Julia M Usher; Stencils Designed by Julia M Usher with Confection Couture Stencils
  • Cookies with Namesake and "Joy" Messages: Cookies and Photo by Julia M Usher; Stencils Designed by Julia M Usher with Confection Couture Stencils
  • Closer View of Cookie with "Joy" Message: Cookie and Photo by Julia M Usher; Stencils Designed by Julia M Usher with Confection Couture Stencils
  • Large Cookie with "Noel" Message: Cookie and Photo by Julia M Usher; Stencils Designed by Julia M Usher with Confection Couture Stencils
  • Small Cookie with "Noel" Message: Cookies and Photo by Julia M Usher; Stencils Designed by Julia M Usher with Confection Couture Stencils
  • Cookie with Message in Bottom Door Panel: Cookies and Photo by Julia M Usher; Stencils Designed by Julia M Usher with Confection Couture Stencils
  • Jazzed-Up Background Stencil-Only Cookies, Now with Foreground Elements and Messages: Cookies and Photo by Julia M Usher; Stencils Designed by Julia M Usher with Confection Couture Stencils
  • Big Jazzed-Up Background Stencil-Only Cookie: Cookie and Photo by Julia M Usher; Stencils Designed by Julia M Usher with Confection Couture Stencils
  • Small Jazzed-Up Background Stencil-Only Cookie: Cookie and Photo by Julia M Usher; Stencils Designed by Julia M Usher with Confection Couture Stencils

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Comments (4)

Newest · Oldest · Popular
@E. Sherwood posted:

Love this set!  I see so many variations and could be used in all four seasons.

Yes! I can see it in the summer using some of the elements from my Mother’s Day garden set, or just with handpiped flower pots and window boxes on top!

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