Showing posts with label decoupage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label decoupage. Show all posts

Monday, 8 October 2012

my imaginary shop !


For quite some time, I have been creating items for an imaginary shop. I had some success with furniture on ebay, but a few things didn't sell. I've also been working on some little gifts (since last Christmas actually - doesn't time fly !).

My studio is getting overloaded, so I need to sell some of the following pieces, in the not too distant future.


A decoupaged letter rack with cute little feet. The postcards are from The Graphics Fairy and Knick of Time Interiors. The stamps are mine.


It started out life like this.


Another letter rack, painted the same way as this little table.



My favourite pieces are of framed cutlery. These are really hard to photograph, so apologies for the quality of the pictures.


All the box frames are from charity shops. I spray painted the cutlery and rubbed it back a bit. I used little bits of organza ribbon to give a little focal point, and various back papers, some stained with tea. And of course, my trusty hot glue gun.




I've also been collecting keys, and this is the only one I've used so far.


I took some of my goodies to a place in Arundel where there is a co-operative. I can have a shelf, or two or three to display stuff, for a fee, but I also have to work there once a month. I don't mind that, but I won't be allowed to sell decoupaged or 'worded' pieces, because these would clash with other people's work. I felt it was all a bit small minded, so haven't gone back - yet !


My bff Pandy is trying to organise a Christmas party in another friend's house, where I will be able to sell some things, and then of course, there is etsy. I basically need a big kick up the derrier, to make me move on with all this stuff.


Pandy is coming down in a couple of weeks to do just that. She's also found loads more box frames for me, and is working on her own things (she did the little button heart above).

Sharing all this with you has made me realise, that I really would love to make more of this stuff.
I think Pandy needs to get her kicking boots on !!!








Friday, 27 April 2012

decoupaged tray

I've finally finished one of my 'unfinished projects'.

I think one of my favourite crafts is decoupage and I used to do quite a lot.
These are just a few.


I don't remember where the shells came from, but the 'brown' kitchen things were actually from a paper bag.
I sometimes gilded the tops of the insides and the handles, then used a crackle glaze or antiqued them.


I often found the best things to decoupage from wrapping paper, as with these great fruit pictures.
I did a lot of gilding then as well !


As you all know - blogland provides an almost infinite source of things to decoupage and for a long time I had admired the lovely graphics and layering techniques of other bloggers.

When I found this tray for £2, I had the perfect piece to try out my idea. I wanted a tray to look as though I just thrown things on it. Sort of like an in-tray that has stuff waiting to be sorted out !

And it would be so great if I could show you the before shot, but I can't find it anywhere - sorry. The tray was a pale yellow with a floral picture stuck in the middle.

So the after shot - I painted it with a few layers of cream paint, then after sticking everything down and varnishing, I rubbed in raw umber artists oil colour, to age. 


The plain postcards on the right are from Knick of Time Interiors  
The letter and the french postcard are from the The Graphics Fairy 
The stamps are real - my brother and I collected them for a while. Not that we had a clue what we were doing, so hopefully they're not worth anything.
The keys and coins are  photocopies of actual items I have. The keys I have been collecting to frame, and the coins are not old - just left over from trips abroad. I simply laid them in the old geezer's printer and photocopied them. 



I love the folds in the letter, that make it look more 3-dimensional.


I blame the cutting out of that key, on my failing eye-sight - I've been in denial for about 6 months.




The reason why this remained unfinished for so long was because it went wrong the first time around. 
I was impatient and glued everything down at the same time, and of course it all puckered up.
So I had to glue all the larger pieces down separately and leave each one to dry properly.

Patience is a virtue (it's just not a virtue I possess !).


Linking up with
Brag Monday @ The Graphics Fairy
Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays @ Coastal Charm
Cowgirl Up @ The Farmhouse Porch
Knick of Time Tuesdays @ Knick of Time
Wow Us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style
Primp Your Stuff Wednesdays @ {Primp}
Open House Party @ No Minimalist Here
Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage
Inspiration Friday @ At the Picket Fence
Fridays Unfolded @ Stuff and Nonsense
Sunday's Best @ My 1929 Charmer

Monday, 16 April 2012

unfinished projects !

I have finally returned from my job in Hertfordshire and I'm afraid I have no after shots.

I left about 8.15pm on Friday and didn't take any photos. Having said that, I will have to go back in a couple of weeks and hopefully by then, the after shots will be better. The protective covering will have been taken off the corian worksurface, and the marble effect tiled floor. Hopefully the oven will be in place and all the handles will be on.

So this is my first unfinished project - the before.





I also haven't finished this, my second ASCP project. It's actually gone wrong twice. First I drew something on the top and painted it but it looked awful, so I tried something else, and that doesn't look much better !


Unfinished project No. 2

I also bought this a few weeks ago, because I need a deeper box frame than the ones I can buy locally. So far I have managed to dismantle it and that's all. All the partitions are glued to the back piece (really well) and as I don't want them, it's going to be a little bit more work than I thought.

Unfinished project No. 3


I have been wanting to do some decoupage for sometime and have been printing off some great graphics for yet another project. My test piece below ( from The Graphics Fairy) went really well, but the actual project - not so.


Unfinished Project No. 4


And because I haven't finished project nos. 2, 3 and 4, I don't feel I should proceed any further with project no. 5 !


Unfinished Project No. 5

I love things with feet - it's a cute brass cache pot, but it'll have to wait.

And so will everything else I'm afraid as I've just started another job !