There is no exact date for the founding of such type of needlework as decoupage, but there is evidence that it originated in the 12th century in China. There, peasants carved and pasted pictures on lanterns and decorated their homes with them. In Eastern Europe, it was first mentioned at the end of the 17th century. Then the craftsmen from Venice glued pictures to furniture and applied a thick layer of varnish on top of them. They did it expertly, the furniture looked like expensive analogues that wealthy people brought from China and Japan.
A small digression into history
Decoupage was once very fashionable in France, especially at the royal court. In England, during the Victorian era, decoupage became available to the entire population. And he came to America from England, as a favorite hobby of many ladies from the middle and upper classes.
At the beginning of the 21st century, there was a massive interest in decoupage in Russia. Nowadays, this interest is growing. His fans are people of all ages, mostly women, and of different ages. Many seriously succeeded and grew in their skills.
They do not hide their skills, but generously share them with everyone. So, in many cities of Russia they organize live master classes. A lot of people come to participate in them, their main goal is to learn more about decoupage, and also to learn how to create such beauty themselves. In addition to the living, there is also an online MK, where needlewomen transfer their knowledge and skills to a larger audience through online resources.
A wonderful master of decoupage Natalya Bolshakova
Every year, the spread of decoupage in Russia is gaining momentum. More and more talented masters of their craft appear in the vastness of our homeland. By their creativity they bring to the masses a love of beauty, instill a taste for beautiful things, develop imagination, thereby making them interested in art. It is they who help everyone to master a kind of needlework, quite new for our compatriots, - decoupage.
Among the many craftswomen, a remarkable needlewoman Natalia Bolshakova can be distinguished. This is an amazing woman with great imagination, she creates unique products using decoupage. In her golden hands, simple things turn into fabulously beautiful. And the old ones get a new life and continue to delight connoisseurs of beauty with their extraordinary appearance.
Decoupage - her work, and her love
Her students are amazed at where she draws strength and inspiration from, how she cleverly and gracefully performs all decoupage operations. After all, how much perseverance and patience is needed to transform the thing you like. It can be a wooden product in the form of a tea house, a tray, a casket or a chest of drawers, but this master also works with glass no less successfully, transforming various vases, bottles, sugar bowls or plates.
Any product requires painstaking work. First of all, the base must be sanded if it is a tree, degreased if it is glass. Then cover the surface with soil, wait until it dries, cut out the desired picture, or lace, find a place for it so that it looks beautiful in the finished product. Stick a napkin, pattern or other item. To varnish, to pick up additional decorative elements. All this master Natalia Bolshakova does masterfully, with great love.
Learning is light
And although Natalia is an experienced and recognized master, she does not boast about it, but continues to replenish her knowledge base. She tirelessly learns from other masters, discovering new ways and types of decoupage. Recently I mastered a new kind of decor in decoupage - cast lace. Natalya Bolshakova was one of the first to quickly and thoroughly study lace production, prepared MK and is already transferring her own knowledge to her students.
Beautiful, delicate lace comes out of her hands. And things decorated with molten lace (these are vases, sugar bowls, candy cans) are simply beautiful, you can not take your eyes off them. Having learned herself, she already managed to make a cast lace workshop to teach others how to do this.
Master classes by Natalya Bolshakova
She conducts her lessons with great love and patience. She is sincerely pleased that her work is in demand, that decoupage lovers with great desire and pleasure go to study at her live master classes (and use online workshops). People feel her love and are drawn to her.
It is impossible to tear herself away from her lessons, because knowledge is transmitted kindly, all information is laid out - from A to Z. Actions are clear and clear, moreover, all secrets are revealed, and all questions are answered.
In addition to a cast lace workshop, she also has many others. This is MK with a decoupage of a tea house, a buffet decor, key holders. A webinar on creating artistic decoupage and smoky backgrounds, MK "Christmas Balls", "Box for Spices", "Table Lamp", "Fossilized Mother of Pearl", "Bread Bread", "Tray", "Sugar Bowl" has been published, the stages of creating hours "Grunge", a journalist. MK Natalia is on YouTube, you can watch them at any time and learn decoupage from your favorite master.
One of her last works is an online master class that talks about how the Silver candy cane was created, and how to apply silver to glass. This is a very luxurious, elegant work, looking at it, you will never think that it has been done for some 4-5 hours. Recently, Natalia has been working on a master class "Eglomise". This is her favorite romantic style. Now he is at the peak of popularity.
An eglomise is an engraved on the back of a glass product, along a silver amalgam, a geometric pattern or grass ornament. After copying, the engraving is gilded or blackened.
And a little conclusion
Natalia Bolshakova is an engine, mastermind and inventor. Looking at her work, I want to quickly make the same beauty. Starting with a small decoupage of wedding champagne bottles, this hard-working, beautiful woman, a craftswoman with golden hands, achieved a very high level of skill in decoupage. Since 2011, she has been actively participating in the Fair of Masters, exhibiting and selling her works. They come not only to admire them, but also to purchase with pleasure, and make orders for their favorite gizmos. More than 600 works were sent to different cities and countries.