OK, I’ll admit it. I am totally and irretrievably obsessed with repetitive patterns: How to translate them onto different surfaces, how to apply them with different mediums, how to make them work, and how to make all of this profitable for my customers and, yes, me! I WOULD like to retire someday, preferably to a villa/vineyard in central Italy. SO, I started messing around with this simple and brilliantly efficient Modello Marquetry Masking System for applying pattern to wood and other porous surfaces (see the cork below) and think it’s so slick that I’ve filed a patent on the process.

It’s all still a bit “in the works”, like everything else in my life, but I wanted to share these first samples with you. I was in a rush to find wood and get it cut, so settled on Oak plywood (bleech!). The grain of the wood fights with some of the patterns but you get the idea.

I’ve had a bunch of unfinished maple flooring laid down at the new building (see what I did at my house here), and some large unfinished birch doors, so will have some really nice surfaces to decorate. Now, to pick out which patterns……
November 16th, 2007 at 1:52 pm
Another Masterpiece Melanie!
Do you ever sleep girl?
Susan
November 17th, 2007 at 2:10 am
Hi, I’m amazed about your work and your wonderful blog. I hope it’s ok that I show some pictures and tell my audience in Sweden about you?
November 17th, 2007 at 8:54 am
Wow Melanie,
The timing of this is so incredible. I just ordered some books on marquetry and pietre dure. It is intriguing to me and now you just put together something to help the process. I look forward to the availability of the designs.
You are amazing!
Thersa
November 18th, 2007 at 10:03 am
Thank you guys. The process is so easy it’s almost sinful. Nothing like some of the amazing work that people to do simulate different types of inlaid wood and marbles but at least it’s something that most anyone can achieve.
Beautiful blog, Helena! Thank you so much for asking and wanting to share what I do.