Day of Coupage: Ballerinas Having Flown

This is another project I finished from my decoupage class, which I call "Ballerinas Having Flown."

My instructor, the excellent Jenn Sherr, took this photo of the work in progress.

Pretty Ballerinas decoupage

I started with an 8x10" canvas board and sponged it with acrylic paints in manganese blue, unbleached titanium, tint white, potter's pink, quinacridone carmine (burgundy), and iridescent bronze. I don't quite have the sponging technique down, but I took a small piece of sponge, dipped it in water just enough to dampen it, then I blotted it with just a little bit of paint. Then I took a piece of dry sponge and blotted and blended the paints together.

The ballerinas, flowers, leaves and ribbon are all from the same sheet of vintage wallpaper, The Ballet.

As I was cutting and placing the wallpaper pieces, I decided it was just too pretty, and needed a little edge, so I added the "disembodied" ballerina in the upper right. To finish with a little bling, I placed shiny blue sequins in strategic places, and voila!

Ballerinas Having Flown

The sequins happened to come on a wired sprig with a gift from my friend Patty D., and I think they add just the right touch, like little exclamation points (and maybe a little naughty whimsy — oh behave!).

On the back, I used acrylic gloss medium to attach a label (it's actually a beautiful sticker label I bought in Florence years ago).

Back label

Since the piece is a standard size, I decided to frame it, and now it's hanging in my bathroom — which happens to be blue and pink! Applause, bow, pirouette, curtain.

Ballerinas Having Flown, with chocolate metal frame