Decorative arts and handicrafts
Decoupage
Decoupage (or découpage) is the art of decorating an object by gluing colored paper cutouts onto it in combination with special paint effects, gold leaf and so on. Commonly an object like a small box or an item of furniture is covered by cutouts from magazines or from purpose-manufactured papers. Each layer is sealed with varnishes (often multiple coats) until the "stuck on" appearance disappears and the result looks like painting or inlay work. The traditional technique used 30 to 40 layers of varnish which were then sanded to a polished finish.
3D decoupage (sometimes also referred to simply as decoupage) is the art of creating a 3D image by cutting out elements of varying sizes from a series of identical images and layering them on top of each other, usually with adhesive foam spacers between each layer to give the image more depth.
Pyramid decoupage (also called pyramage) is a process similar to 3D decoupage. In pyramid decoupage, a series of identical images are cut into progressively smaller, identical shapes which are layered and fixed with adhesive foam spacers to create a 3D "pyramid" effect.
Origins
The origin of decoupage is thought to be East Siberian tomb art. Nomadic tribes used cut out felts to decorate the tombs of their deceased. From Siberia, the practice came to China, and by the 12th century, cut out paper was being used to decorate lanterns, windows, boxes and other objects. In the 17th century, Italy, especially Venice, was at the forefront of trade with the Far East and it is generally thought that it is through these trade links that the cut out paper decorations made their way into Europe.
Materials for decoupage crafts
Common household materials can be used to create effects. Here is a short list of supplies:
· Something to decoupage onto. Examples include: furniture, photograph albums, plates, ceramics, shelving, frames, mirrors.
· Pictures to decoupage with. These can come from myriad sources: newspapers, magazines,catalogs, books, printed clip art, wrapping paper, greeting cards, fabric, tissue paper, lace, paper napkins
· Cutting utensil. Scissors, craft knife or razor blades can be used.
· Glue. Standard white glue works best if it is diluted with a little water. Specialty glues can be found in most crafting stores.
· Smoother. Popsicle sticks work well. A brayer is a specialized tool like a miniature rolling pindesigned to help remove wrinkles, remove excess glue and smooth pictures.
· Glue spreader. Many things around the house can be use for this: cotton swabs, paint brushes, sponges.
· Rags, sponges, tissue paper to help wipe up glue and other clean up.
· Sealer. Glue or other decoupage medium can be used as a sealer. Alternatively, polyurethane, spray acrylic, epoxy resin or other lacquers are usually used.
Quilling
Quilling or paper filigree is an art form that involves the use of strips of paper that are rolled, shaped, and glued together to create decorative designs. The paper is wound around a quill to create a basic coil shape. The paper is then glued at the tip and these shaped coils are arranged to form flowers, leaves, and various ornamental patterns similar to ironwork.
During the Renaissance, French and Italian nuns and monks used quilling to decorate book covers and religious items. The paper most commonly used was strips of paper trimmed from the gilded edges of books. These gilded paper strips were then rolled to create the quilled shapes. Quilling often imitated the original ironwork of the day.In the 18th century, quilling became popular in Europe where gentle ladies of quality ("ladies of leisure") practiced the art. It was one of the few things ladies could do that was thought not too taxing for their minds or gentle dispositions. Quilling also spread to the Americas and there are a few examples from Colonial times.
Many quilled art works can be found on cabinets and stands, cribbage boards, ladies' purses, a wide range of both pictures and frames, work baskets, tea caddies, coats of arms and wine coasters. Storage boxes, larger than most jewelry boxes with drawers and/or tops that opened, quilled lock boxes, and much more. Some items were specially designed for quilling with recessed surfaces. Quilling was also combined or married with other techniques such as embroidery and painting.
The craft has gone through many transformations and changes through the ages using new techniques, styles and materials. Dimensional quilling creates 3D items.
Today, quilling is seeing a resurgence in popularity with quillers (people who practice the art of quilling) on every continent and in every walk of life. No longer confined to the "upper classes", this is a peoples art form and the beauty of the art is always expanding. The craft has become increasingly popular due to the low cost of the material. It is used to decorate wedding invitations, for Christmas,birth announcements, greeting cards, scrapbook pages, and boxes. Quilling can be found in art galleries in Europe and in the United States and is an art that is practiced around the world.
Polymer clay
Polymer clay is a type of hard enable modeling clay based on the polymer polyvinyl chloride (PVC). It typically contains no clay minerals, but like mineral clay a liquid is added to dry particles until it achieves gel-like working properties, and similarly, the part is put into an oven to harden, hence its colloquial designation as clay.Polymer clay is generally used for making arts and craft items, and is also used in commercial applications to make decorative parts.
History
Bakelite, an early plastic, was popular with designers and was an early form of polymer clay, but the phenol base of uncured Bakelite was flammable and was eventually discontinued. Polymer clays were first formulated as a possible replacement for Bakelite. One of these formulations was brought to the attention of German doll maker Kaethe Kruse in 1939. While it was not suitable for use in her factory, Kruse gave some to her daughter Sophie, who was known in the family as "Fifi," who successfully used it as modeling clay. The formulation was later sold to Eberhardt Faber and marketed under the name "FIMO" (FIfi's MOdeling compound).
Ganutell
Ganutell is a Maltese art form of making artificial flowers from wire, thread, and beads.
In his introduction to the book Ganutell by Maria Kerr, the Maltese scholar and historian Guido Lanfranco states that in Maltese eighteenth and nineteenth century history, one finds numerous references to ganutell which can be considered to be the Maltese art of making artistic flowers. The word ganutell is derived from the Italian cannotiglio and in fact this craft, which can also be considered to be an art, was "imported" to Malta during the eighteenth century from mainland Europe. The way the craft eventually evolved has made it distinctively Maltese.
This craft had its ups and downs and by the mid-twentieth century a considerable section of the Maltese population hardly knew of the existence of ganutell and only a few had mastered the various techniques of ganutell. The techniques had been passed on from generation to generation by word of mouth with little or no documentation until it seemed that this craft was destined to be forgotten.
Towards the end of the twentieth century, the Education Division offered evening courses in ganutell and the craft started on its way to recovery. Today it is known not only in Malta but interest has been shown from a number of European countries, North and South America and also in Japan.
Bead weaving
Bead weaving uses tiny seed beads and string to create decorative works of art as well as wearable items, such as necklaces and belts. There are two methods of bead weaving — one method uses a loom while the other method, commonly known as off-loom weaving, is created with a needle or by hand. Both methods of bead weaving have a storied history on the North American continent. Craftspeople continue to practice bead weaving in the 21st century.
It is believed that bead weaving originated with Native American tribes. One theory is that the Native Americans received the small glass beads from European traders and began weaving the beads into their textiles. Another theory holds that bead weaving is one of the oldest art forms and came about at the same time as basket and fabric weaving.
Early bead weaving methods did not require any tools. These techniques were most likely quite similar to braiding and were known as wire work, even though the string used to hold the project together was usually made of either animal hides or twisted together plant material. In the 20th century, wire-work beading came to refer to threading beads on to thin strands of wire to make jewelry.
Off-loom bead weaving
Off-loom bead weaving is a family of bead work techniques in which seed beads are woven together into a flat fabric or a three-dimensional object such as a ball, clasp, box, or a piece of jewelry. All off-loom techniques can be accomplished using a single needle and thread (no warp threads), but some have two-needle variations. Different stitches produce pieces with distinct textures, shapes, and patterns. There are a number of different off-loom bead stitches, including:
- peyote stitch, also known as gourd stitch
- brick stitch, also known as Comanche or Cheyenne stitch
- square stitch
- herringbone stitch, also known as Ndebele stitch
- Pondo stitch, also known as African circle stitch
- right-angle weave
- triangle weave
- bead netting
- African helix
- Dutch spiral
Frivolite
Frivolite originated in the 19th century in France as an imitation of point lace (another type of textile). Frivolite is known as tatting in the English language, encaje a la lanzadera (shuttle lace) in Spain, in Italy it is recognized as occhi, in German, it is Schiffchenarbeit, and in the east it is makuk.During the 19th century, frivolite was only used or made by the wealthy. Frivolite was and continues to be a luxury which only a few could afford.
Frivolite is a common past time for the women of San Ignacio Cerro Gordo, a small city located in Los Altos de Jalisco, Mexico. Women gather in the afternoons to socialize while making pieces of frivolite. Frivolite is a tradition that has become a great part of San Ignacio C.G. culture.
History
Some believe that frivolite originated over 200 years ago, but there is no evidence or documentation of frivolite recorded before the 19th century. Frivolite as an art came to San Ignacio C.G. during the time of the French conquest (1861).The French troops located themselves in the territory of Jalisco from 1861 until 1866. At first, frivolite was a craft that was taught to the local women by the nuns. San Ignacio C.G. is a small city that is very influenced by the Roman Catholic Church, just like all of Mexico. The women were taught the older, simple patterns that consisted of a single thread passing through the stitching. Today, there are newer pattern that are more complicated and make extensive use of abbreviations and almost mathematical notations. The use of mnemonics was taught to the women as a method to remember the stitches and patterns of frivolite. The use of mnemonics was a successful technique that has allowed frivolite to survive.
Frivolite or “Tatting is a curious variety of lace or trimmings.” When frivolite originated, it was considered “woman’s work” because only women who could afford to stay at home would have the luxury of making frivolite. In San Ignacio, the tradition of frivolite being an art of stay at home women still remains. Women get together to socialize while working on pieces of frivolite.
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