Peeling Wallpaper

Well i was supposed to be tidying the craft room and perhaps finishing some started projects. I didn't though because I made this from scratch instead (and possibly made some more mess).

Whilst moving the piles of paper and card and canvases and photos that are in a pile on the floor I found a square piece of cartridge paper that had a little bit I think of Blush PaperArtsy fresco paint on it.

I love distressed old decaying stuff whether that be rusty metal, peeling paint, weathered wood or peeling wallpaper, faded flowers. Even possibly bones, but I draw the line at decaying food though. 

So, lets see if we could replicate some peeling wallpaper.

I added some Sherbet and then some Nougat through a stencil (small squares) and finally some Sage through another stencil (flowers). Base layer done.

Next I smeared some Matt Medium over the paper and stuck down a couple of pages from my old trusty Thesaurus (best £5 I ever spent), let it dry for a bit and then started ripping it away. a finger nail really helps to get a little bit and then rip - just like peeling wallpaper! 

Now some sanding.  I'm quite brutal with my sanding as I want to take layers off to reveal the paint layers and the base layer of cartridge paper.  I also had a real go at the edges as well.  A thin layer of Snowflake was added with a babywipe over the text and then Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain Distress Ink.  Spraying it with water helps it to really sink into the base layer of paper and add that depth of decay.

By now I'd thought about what I was going to do with this creation.  It needed a photo and it needed some backing Kraft card as it was going in one of picture frames that I have going up the stairs.  I have a number of picture frames with large A4 prints of my flower photos and I'd been thinking for a while I needed to change the photos.  

The Kraft card has some Snowflake paint wiped on with a babywipe.  Some heavy sanding again to rough up the texture of the card. Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain Distress Inks added and some text from PaperArtsy Sara Naumann plate 5  added in the Distress Inks again.

The Photo is one of mine. I distressed the edges and the corners with the Prima Distressing tool (I love this tool). Added Walnut Stain Distress Ink to the edges and used the babywipe that still had some of the Snowflake paint on it to soften the image and make it a bit opaque, but I wiped away over the pinkest flower head to give a focal point and draw the eye in.

Some file tabs, dyed lace, more Sara Naumann stamps and of course stitching to finish it off. 

Ok, off to check the cricket score and possibly move the pile of stuff in the craft room into another slightly different pile of stuff! That's tidying isn't it?

Hugs

Jo

xx