Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Advent wreath by Decorattic

Advent is a beautiful time making us able to celebrate and enjoy Christmas entirely.
My Advent wreath is a bit different this year. Only one candle instead of five. I used oasis foam as a base. The rest of decorations was found in a park before first frosty days has come.
So it's almost "Made by Nature" :)

Chalk paint by Annie Sloan

I thought it was going to be only a short romance with a diffrent type of paint. But today I'm sure it's true love!
The best kind of paint I have ever used, the best results, splendid colours, smooth surface at the end...
Also, the wax is brilliant. Easy to apply, not too smelly...

It took me only 4 hours to decorate my new chest. I used new Italian decoupage paper (as promised last time :) ), chalk paint: Old Ochre and Chateau Grey, and some other colours of acrylics.
No varnish this time, as a layer of soft wax (Annie Sloan) done the job perfectly.

 

More Italian inspirations...

Apart from wonderful memories and spectacular sun tan (it's now disappearing under English rainy clouds), I've brought gorgeous decoupage paper. To my mind, Italian papers are the most beautiful, to say nothing about the quality. Those I'm showing here today will be used to decorate bedroom furniture. 

I'll share with you some photos, when the project is completed.

Keep warm and dry! :)

Tuscan inspirations

Struggling with the wettest July in history it's hard to believe there are places under beautiful sunshine.

I was lucky to have a break from our dreadful rains and escape to the land of sun, vineyards, delicious food and cicadas melody in the hot evenings. The homeland of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Dante Alighieri, Giotto... A great inspiration of impressionists... Tuscany!

 

  

I spent a week in a lovely stone farm house from XIV, with spectacular view at Montalcino, vineyards and hills. Having an amazing opportunity to admire original Tuscan interiors style, I took a course of restoring furniture and got lots of inspirations and new ideas for my future projects.

A special thanks to Marcella from LaCasella in Montalcino for her hospitality and sharing with me her experience in decorating and interior designing.

Inspired Grace

Welcome to Inspired Grace - my little website about Decoupage. 

You will find there something about the technique, my story, information about planning courses, gallery and online shop (under construction).

Enjoy your time with cutting and decorating :) 

www.inspiredgrace.co.uk

 

Dinner is ready! :) Decoupaged trays

Today something easy yet useful.
You need: wooden tray (you can get one even in Poundland), acrylic paint, decoupage paper or napkin, decoupage glue. For even better effect you can use dye for wood  insted of brown paint.
Paint the tray outside with dye (one coat is enough). Be careful - dye is watery and stains everything around.
Watch not to stain inside the tray. Once it's dry paint the inside with white acrylic paint. Two coats might be neccessary. Cut out your motif and stick it with decoupage glue. Press gently with your fingers and remove any bubbles of the air. Be gently especially with delicate tissues or napkins. Let it dry. Apply several coats of varnish. Ta-daaam! :)

Easter wishes

In memory of auntie Mary and other retro ladies

There are many old photos kept by my family. Some of them looks a bit shabby, the paper is torn in many places. But all of them are sharp so we can easily recognise faces and notice interesting details. They bring memories and work like an amazing time machine. I've chosen 3 pictures to show you this time. As a true lover of the 20's, I'd like to make something in memory of that golden epoch.
Do you know that you can create your own decoupage paper? Choose some photos, scan them and add some effects (or not) and print them on thin paper. It's better to use a laser printer to avoid smudging the image. As I'm struggling with my printer at the moment, I had to use ready paper from the art shop. I used it to decorate another children's chair in some romantic style. The images are older then my photos, I think they are from lovely victorian age.

Members of the cathedral choir in Siedlce, Poland. 1922.
And these purses... In my opinion - nicer than from Accessorize :)

My grandma's cousin. Early 20's.

My aunt Maria Waszewska - Jackowa (grandma's sister). Around 1925.
All women from my grandma's side had so beautiful hair.

In memory of auntie Maria. My design idea for a "family t-shirt". I'm wondering if my cousins would recognise who's in the picture :)


Retro children's chair - victorian motifs. Decoupage paper

Children's furniture - new project

It was the last carboot sale before winter. Too windy to have a wander round the stalls, it was rather a quick run across the market. Suddenly, something caught my eye. It was a pretty old, small, tatty coffee table. Solid oak wood, though. And a price... one pound! I didn't plan to turn it into anything different than a new coffee table, but when my daughter saw it, I knew I'll paint another piece of children's furniture.

Before:

After:


I used the same motif to decorate the chair.





My little daughter really enjoyed it :)