We’re back with another instalment of Hope this week, for those of who who missed last week’s blog, you can see how we got started right here. This week, Hope was getting dressed in only the finest furniture appliques and chalk paint.
We have plenty of mouldings for all occasions, some are small and perfect for crafty projects, others are much larger furniture appliques – I opted for the latter!
Once the decoupage had dried, I traced an oval guide so I could get a better picture of where to place my mouldings. The decision of where to put the mouldings was a task in itself. I’d map out a plan, think it was great only to have an even better idea and rearrange them half an hour later. In the end I chose the larger, ornate furniture appliques which would perfectly frame the decoupage.
It was certainly a case of not being able to see the Wood(Ubend) for the trees. I wanted to avoid overkill with the furniture appliques and let the design speak for itself so I chose the less ostentatious of my favourite three (top left) and got to work.
Those of you who are familiar with WoodUbend will know that you need to use a good quality, flexible wood glue which will bend with the furniture appliques when they are stuck down. It is equally as important to cover the whole back of the moulding with glue – and even the surface you’re adhering them too if you’re concerned – and apply pressure. One should happen and one thing should not:
- You should begin to see the glue squeeze out from the side of the furniture appliques you’re working with. This is good, it means the glue is working, you can always wipe the excess away with a baby wipe after.
- You should not see any deformation to the pattern on the moulding after applying pressure, so don’t be shy.
It was going to be an afternoon of gluing and wiping for me before Hope began to take shape. I laid the larger 1723 decorative furniture appliques first, followed up by their smaller counterparts, the 1320 scrolls and finally, the brand new, intricate 1388/9 pair.
I also had to consider the actual functionality of the drawers – they still needed to work! So that meant heating and slicing the furniture appliques, this could be done before or after they have been glued. I prefer to the after as I feel it marries up perfectly this way. Once the mouldings have cooled again you can come back with a rad pad or sandpaper and smooth off the cut.
Time for some colour, not too much – this is an elegant, antique inspired project, not a mad boho mash up of colours. I started off with Dixie Belle’s Gravel Road, a warm yet dark grey, this would form the base colour for the mouldings and really begin to emphasise the moody, aged look I was aiming for. The colours would eventually get lighter the further away from the middle we got, but I needed to take this bit by bit as the decoupage was predominantly dark.
Starting off on the furniture appliques, I had to use a smaller brush to ensure I got into all the joins and corners. I could have pre-painted them before I stuck them down but up until the point they were on the piece I was unsure as to what colour scheme to go for. Who wants an easy life?
Using a jabbing motion with the brush and then coming back in with a clean brush meant the paint the paint went on with a textured, shaded effect – perfect for blending into the lighter colours.
Dixie Belle’s Fluff was next up. It’s a very soft white with a hint of grey, perfect for blending with The darker grey I had used on the furniture appliques. I exactly the colour I was looking for, living in England 70% of the time you look out of the window the sky is grey.
Hope was to be the same.
They should call the colour, British winter sky grey!
The first coat was down, she was moody, she was dark, she was mysterious – everything I was going for. So was I happy? Of course not.
Join me next week when I completely change the colour scheme and add some Posh Chalk bling!
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