About Me
I took a weekend workshop in découpage at my local community centre in 1994. At that time, I didn't know what découpage was, but I wanted a new hobby which didn't take up as much room and wasn't as time-consuming as silk painting. Was I wrong about that! Once I found out about it, I got the bug and it is still what I love to do most of all my hobbies. I worked on wooden boxes first. My first teacher made me drill the holes and put the hinges on myself and then line the box. I really got a good grounding in completion of the piece. After practising a lot, I did a class with Denise Beilby. Denise taught me to work on a goose egg first. I really loved it and still work on eggs of all sizes. I went to Denise's classes for about a year and learned painting skills. I did a workshop with Nerida Singleton and learned to work under glass. Nerida taught me how to glue the image on, how to apply metal leaf and oxidise it and other useful techniques. Every time Nerida attends a craft show she has a new technique or a new way of approaching decoupage. As well as the two teachers mentioned I joined the Découpage Guild of NSW in 1997 and learned from the other members. The Guild has given a number of workshops over the years which have helped me grow and develop my decoupage. In 1999 I entered the Sydney Royal Easter Show for the first time. It was exciting to see my pieces in the cabinet where thousands of people walk by and look. I still compete there. 2005 was the first time I entered all 4 categories - traditional, egg, under glass and Victoriana. Victoriana is no longer the style consisting of Victorian images of sad chubby children and roses which cover a piece. Now it means a piece totally covered in paper with no background painting in evidence. I opened my website in 1999. At that time, there wasn't much information on the internet about découpage so I decided to start a website where one could find out all the necessary information in one place. Of course, I will never accomplish that but I work on it constantly. By now my friends are probably smiling. They know I don't look like this in my everyday life, especially when I am painting and glueing! This photo was taken during a "glamour" shoot which I did for my husband's birthday. I was born in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. I came to Australia when I was 23 and have lived here since then. Now I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. I love to visit Canada and it's hard not to feel the pull of my birthplace when the weather is nice. But then there is a day of fog and rain and I remember why I chose to live in Australia. I am now married to a wonderful man who is 29 years my senior. Age means nothing to us and we are extremely happy. I have a lovely daughter, Danielle. We have a very close relationship and I enjoy that very much. This is a big site. If you want to see what is herelook at the sitemap. Where do you want to go?
Last updated July 2006. |
MODERN
18TH CENTURY
ORIENTAL
EVERYDAY
EGYPTIAN