This past weekend I finally worked on a project that I've been thinking about for quite a while. And do you know what motivated me? I wrote it down on a piece of paper. I made a list of the things I wanted to accomplish. That's all it took.
A while back, I found a nice little Ethan Allen side table at the thrift store. It was in pretty good shape- great stainless steel modernist base but the wood finish was marred and stained. Still- a great find at $12.00. I've been using it since I bought it but each time I looked at it, I realized it needed something. I decided to revert back to one of my favorite crafts- decoupage- and give it a new look.
I wasn't sure which direction I wanted to go so decided to make a template on freezer paper. One side is matte and the other slick. Which side to work on? Flipped a coin in my head and placed the matte side up. My first idea was to create a design with paint chip cards. The first was too thick so I peeled it up and abandoned the idea.
Then, I remembered the calendar*. It had been hanging in my studio but I always forgot to switch the months over and when I did I tore the holes where the nail held it up. I had put it in a drawer until I could figure out how to hang it again. It was prime for a project. Each month was a different artist's rendering of Frida. Lots of interesting imagery to work with.
This was the first time that I'd adhered the paper imagery to another surface before applying it to furniture. It was sort of an experiment to see what would happen. It made it easier to work around the curves. And my work table is a better height than having to bend down to the low table.
I chose a few images from the calendar and arranged them before gluing them down. Then I cut the oval shape from the paper and applied it to the tabletop. I then added another four coats of Mod Podge after letting each dry for about an hour.
Here you see it next to another thrift store project- the mid-century chair I found for $15.00 and had it reupholstered in a beautiful leather remnant a friend had given me. I like the way they complement each other.
*For the Love of Frida
The calendar. I think it's important to credit the artists whose work I'm using, even though it's for a personal project. The calendar was designed by Angi Sullins, a film director and owner of Duirwaigh Studios, a design studio that creates products and services that inspire soulful imagination. The artists names of the pieces I chose from the calendar are: Johanna Stull, Maria Kane and Kinga Britschgi.
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