Vintage Wallpaper As Art

Do you ever buy a piece of clothing and then all of a sudden it's like the only piece in your closet you just wear it to death...well I have a habit of doing just that. I also do it with my work I come up with an idea and then it seems to be the only thing I know how to do ...until the next brainstorm...almost 20 years ago from painting deeply carved and ornate syroco, I went to painting silverplate with all the lovely reposse work, to finding furniture that had details and carvings or appliques to highlight, to ornate victorian frames with roses and scrolls. which led me to making collages...

which leads me to vintage wallpaper...one of my favorite decorating tools. I used it on many of my collages as the backdrop the starting point because it was like art in itself.

The wallpaper I am talking about is from the 1920's the 1930's or 40's. It looks handpainted it's not prepasted not vinyl and most often brittle but all you need is a sharp fingernail and some paste....couldn't be more simple!

wallpapers listed in my etsy store

A few yards left of this too

and this deco one in pink

If you don't paint flowers you can cheat using wallpaper...
or border paper

deco border great for hatboxes

or cut out the design and decopauge a single flower or bouquet

 

I handpainted the gold frame around the girl for a Trompe I'oeil effect

 

or you can cover a door or a cabinet big or small

 

 

or the back of a cabinet or shelf

 

 

rustyrosepetals on etsy 

or the side of a wardrobe

or a small section of a piece of furniture to highlight it

 

 

 

tops of furniture

original paint drysink with 1930s wallpaper to match Listed on etsy

table tops

 

you will need alot to do a screen

 

 

or just a little to use it as art in a picture frame
(great to display a piece of jewelry if frame has no glass) ...

or a broken mirror can be a useful and pretty again

 

or on and old window...

 

 

 

of course you can use vintage wallpaper as intended
on a wall too
or a backsplash in a kitchen or bath....
but thats another blog!

Vintage Vignettes with Girls

Before I can even get into this new world of blogging and how do I change my background and put my photos in and link to this and...and...

I want to be creative or this wont be any fun and I will not be a blogger...

Here goes my first attempt sharing some pictures of sweet little scenes in my home....

 most with girls in the background .....I love to decorate and sometimes I do it small

Little romantic vignettes telling stories

of the different sides of me

with small vintage items that could fit on a shelf or a box or a windowsill.

Deco flapper half doll and the model for her in a vintage bridge tally card...

Vintage blue half doll sits pretty on shelf with antique Limoges porcelains

A rare flathead sewing half doll and collage shelf in backround

Jadeite green tin with hand painted flapper becomes a work of art

Vintage Flapper era vanity items are my favorites....Powder Puff skirt half doll shelf scene

Vintage Pink German Perfume Bottle

Flapper ribbon girl and vintage lingerie ribbon etsy shoot

My favorite picture! A close up German Google eyed porcelain in pink pajamas too cute!

One of my first Victorian Collages...this was my mascot or logo on vintagepastelle website

Vintage suitcase with original collage decoupaged on it makes a wonderful background

An antique paperdoll dress inspired this hatbox creation in greens

A vintage Tintex dye box was inspiration for a sewing hatbox theme in pink

My wedding collage shadow box (one of manyboxes I created)

 to use as backdrops for displaying my vintage jewelry

Vintage half dolls and powder puff wand mixed with elegant glassware and Limoges vignette

Small shelf scene with hatbox powder box doll mannequin bisque half doll and small trunk

 (this shelf was no bigger than 5" wide)

I use small framed pictures as backdrops for porcelains on shelves or inside cabinets

 This one a victorian lady print .

Instead of a framed picture I used an edwardian lady on a vintage stockings box

 as a backdrop and a head vase in foregound...

A vintage hatbox compact creates a delightful vignette with a hand colored postcard

Here a whimsical scene with a kissing salt and pepper couple

on a collage shelf made from scrap wood and an old music sheet and book page

A torn hatbox with pink roses is a backdrop and creates a charming vignette

simple pleasures ....