In honour of us getting our new shed, 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. The roof wood was warping and cracking. I don't think shops should be allowed to sell things aimed at the garden unless the materials they use are weatherproof. Or they should state it's for interior use only. Anyway, I also had some vintage plates with chips in the rims, so I decided to try my hand at Pique Assiette. Basically, it's mosaic made up of broken china, or ceramic. 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 blue to match a shade in the tiles and then I artificially aged the roof by overpainting it 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. But I think my bird box has a touch of vintage style about it.
The shed isn't here yet. It's due next week. I will get a picture of it in all it's glory as a before and after blog. It might even get me started on the Moroccan Courtyard I've been threatening to create because the shed will be one of the boundaries of that area.
I've just gone and found my original plan for the garden from April 2011. The shed is going exactly where I planned it. The pond is in. The new lawn and bee border are made. It's coming together.
