Every day that I get to paint an Alice in Wonderland-inspired piece is a good day, and today is a good day for a good day!
Introducing the Alice Buffet!!!
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My client waited patiently for me to source just the right piece of furniture for her beach house Alice-inspired bedroom!
After months of searching, I found this piece WAAAYYYYYY out in the country on the outskirts of San Antonio.
It belonged to the seller's grandmother, and she was thrilled to hear that someone was going to put so much love and effort into making it a furniture piece to be enjoyed for many more years!
She didn't even care that I planned to paint it!!!
And I painted it!!! A LOT!!!
In fact, this piece holds so much detail that it is nearly impossible to describe it all in a single blog! I think I'll just share a few major process steps, photos, and products with you here, and if you really want to see the creation in the making you can catch it on the YouTube video.
YOU HAVE to watch the processes this week!
This week's YouTube video has a ton of gold! Check it out here.
The original piece:
Became this in just over 6 minutes. And, yes, I timed myself.
Supplies Used
Alice Buffet Comes to Life
I chose Aubergine, Peacock, Mermaid Tail, and Palmetto for what would become the backdrop to the forest scene. I simply blended and used my Best Dang Wax brush to soften all edges where the colors met.
And then, the forest was born.
I love creating the glowy look of my Wonderland pieces using a custom mix of Daisy, Fluff, and Pure Ocean!
It offers a "light" effect that is so enchanting! And building the dreamy forest is so therapeutic!
I hope you'll check out and enjoy watching this process over on the Tube!
From the hint of the faraway trees in the distance to the tiny budding flowers in the foreground, there is something for everyone to focus on! I kept this forest really simple so it wouldn't overpower the Alice features on each side.
Alice Appears
Alice flanks each side of her Wonderland, reaching for the giant gold pocket watch and nestled upon a pot of tea!
I used the Alice 2 design transfer from Dixie Belle. Once the transfers were trimmed and put into place, I decided to enhance the colors with tiny amounts of paint to bring the colors more in line with my overall color scheme.
Did you know you can paint the transfers???
You sure can!
So Alice is a brighter blonde, and her dress is a new shade of blue., and the clock and teapot are now gold! I even added pops of color to the florals!
I also chose to embellish the transfers by adding a few small WoodUBend molds! Alice now wears a crown! And the florals have a few 3-D roses!
I love adding unexpected depth with molds!
The forest also received a few mold additions!
You may see a golden key or two., and even an oversized pocket watch hanging from the tree limbs! This is something I do whenever I can! (You may remember this from my Alice in Wonderland nightstands!)
Did someone say rabbit hole?
Or how about TWO??
I may have fallen down the rabbit hole of adding rabbit holes; one on each side of the dresser!!!
This is a really fun technique that I haven't done in quite some time.
You can see my very first rabbit hole in this blog here (this has the same effect as this rabbit hole).
And this buffet had very much the same Alice vibe as well.
So I couldn't help myself.
And what would one of my over-the-top pieces be without the harlequin pattern?
Over-the-top and ON the top!
Black and white and diamonds from left to right. There is nothing more classically whimsical than this pattern! It is the perfect way to celebrate a classic like Alice in Wonderland!
The top surface and the rabbit hole sides were primed in a single coat of BOSS gray prior to being painted in order to protect against bleed-through of my white paint.
I finished off the buffet with my favorite gold liquid created by using Posh Chalk pigments, infused with Dixie Belle's Top Coat in Gloss. I used this on all the hardware, the trim around the buffet, the molds and to enhance the transfers.
This furniture piece is protected by two coats of Top Coat in Satin for a lasting and durable sheen.
Here is the final product!
I am so very thankful for clients that allow me to create from the heart! This client had a few requests but otherwise gave me full creative rights to the overall design! I appreciate that kind of trust more than I could ever explain! I really do believe it is where I find my best work. And when I am allowed to work freely......I become even more passionate about sharing my creative process with you!
It is a win-win for us all!
I hope this takes you down a rabbit hole of inspiration to create! What will you make?
Want to see some of my past Alice in Wonderland-themed projects?
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