DECOUPAGE: PORTRAIT ON A WOODEN BOARD

Today I'd like to start a short series of presents for my mother-in-law, her twin sister and their brother. I thought there was nothing that would satisfy those proud grandparents more than the likenesses of their lovely descendants. Each portait was made in different style and technique to match different interiors they're going to hang in, but the connecting line between them is that they're all made on wood. 

The portrait I'm presenting today was made on a small cutting board. I painted the wooden board with purple wood stain, then applied one coat of crackle varnish and painted the board with white paint mixed with a hint of the purple stain I'd used before.

For the image I used a family photograph which I had processed slightly by adding some purple undertones to it. I wetted the edges of the laser printer printout to be able to rip the contours off nicely and achieve this battered vintage look.

I glued the image on using transfer gel and removed the excess paper by rolling it with wet fingers.

Then the time came for some final touches, scrubbing the edges with sandpaper, reapplying some wood stain in places where bare wood was unveiled, used an ornamental stamp with pearly ik in the upper corners, coated the finished work with a couple of layers of matte acrylic varnish, tied a ribbon with a purple wooden bead and that was it!