...I decided to create some decoration for it. I had an ornamental bird box that has seen better days. The paint that had been used originally I don't think was for external use because it was all flaking and peeling off after one winter outside. The roof wood was warping and cracking. I don't think shops should be allowed to sell things aimed at the garden unless they use materials that are all weather, or at least specify it's for interior use. Anyway, I also had some vintage plates with chips around the rims, so I decided to try my hand at Pique Assiette. Basically, it's mosaic made up of broken china, or ceramic pieces. I sanded back the paint on the bird box, cut up a couple of the plates and added the mosaic to the front of the box. I then painted the rest of the wood with weatherproof paint.
I painted the roof a shade of blue to match a shade in the tiles and artficially aged the roof by overpainting the blue finish with some green wood preservative. I'm quite pleased with the end result. For a first attempt. To be honest, I've always thought things made with the Pique Assette technique were a bit, well, twee. Which is why I've never tried it. But I didn't want to throw this bird box, or my vintage plates away, so I gave it a go. I think my bird box has a touch of vintage style about it, so I like it.
I may start making some more of these to go in my shop, but (as I always do) I want pass it onto my Quality Control department. Which means I'll be testing my one in my garden first to see how it fares.
