Decoupage from the Deep…

One sunny yet chilly and windy afternoon while I was in Florida, I told myself to buck up, stop lamenting the lack of beach weather and to get out and do something. So, I decided to check out Dearborn Street in nearby Englewood. It's a well-known area for shopping. Luckily, I happened to hit it on a Thursday when they have a big farmer's market. Booths overflowed with produce and baked goods, jewelry and crafts and some yummy smelling hot street foods that people flocked to. I was in the midst of trying a low carb diet (week #3) so I resisted. I took my grumbling belly into some gift and souvenir shops; not usually my thing but I did wind up buying a Capiz-shell wind chime. Remember those? I think one of my sisters had them back in the '70s. They made a nice, light tinkling sound. Rather than the usual round discs (which are the natural shape of the thin layers pulled off the Asian oyster shell) these had been cut in feather shapes and dyed shades of blue. When I got back home, I hung the chimes in the kitchen window where mid-morning light would illuminate them. They fit the coastal vibe and give me a warm retro feeling. Speaking of retro, another cool ocean-sourced crafted piece caught my eye at the last shop I stopped in. The business was called The Coral Shoppe and there were a few people milling about. Almost immediately I was enchanted with these large shells whose interiors had been hand painted in these beautiful patterns and illustrations. I picked one up and realized they actually were decoupaged, not hand painted. As I wandered around the store, I noticed more and more of them. Some in cool geometric patterns in warm, vivid colors. A few had been done simply with a wicker weave, others had beautiful illustrations of cats, dogs, bunnies and other animals. Decoupage is another craft hobby I remember from the '70s though it's actually been around for centuries. Decoupage, derived from the French word "decouper" ("to cut out"), originated from 12th century East Siberia where cut pieces of felt decorated the interiors of tombs by nomadic tribes, according to Wiki. China perfected the art, using paper and eventually the artform travelled to Europe and later to America. In a way, decoupage can be seen as the re-imagining of someone else's art. Usually decoupaged pieces are made using found illustrations or photos and either isolating a particular element or assembling multiple "cut-out" images together as a collage. It's one of the easiest crafts to enjoy. All that's needed is a good eye and simple materials. First, a surface to adhere the image to, in this case the interior of both clam and oyster shells. Then, the right image to fit your "canvas." The thinner the paper your illustration is on the better. Some magazine or poster stock is thick enough that you'll see and feel the edge of your cutouts. I got to talking to the owner of the shop, Jane Moyer, and she almost exclusively uses paper napkins. There are thousands of designs on paper napkins, some of them stunning. On Etsy and Amazon, you can actually just buy single quantities for the very purpose of decoupaging. Jane, too, sells singles in her shop at decidedly lower prices. The cut image is glued lightly in place on the surface and then a couple coats of Mod Podge (which dries clear) sets the piece. Finally, to give it a luster, a glossy clearcoat on top of that really gives it depth. You can even go as far as Jane does on her shell pieces. Using 18ct gold leaf paint to carefully edge the piece, leaving a sweet, gilded frame. The shells make great trinket or change dishes and great handcrafted gifts for those that deserve something special. Plus, you know how we all return home from beach trips with seashells? You swear to yourself you'll stop doing that, especially those huge clam shells. What were you thinking? They literally litter the beach. What do you do with them? They go in a jar, a box or a drawer. Well, now you've got something to do with those least desirable clamshells. And, the next time you're at a raw bar, grab everyone's oyster shells. Free materials!