Mrs. Goldfinger gilded her vintage paint box to give it an extra oomph!
I used GOLD LEAF, an elegant accent decoration that you can use on almost anything.
In reality the gold is far more shinier than on this picture.
Gold Leaf an (expensive!) foil made of gold- has been used for thousands of years in the decorative technique of gilding.
Something to which gold leaf has been applied may be described as gilt or gilded.

For accompanying music click on
Goldfinger Soundtrack

HERE IS HOW IT WORKS: (See zoomed in picture)
1) First I gave my paint box a red base-coat (Venetian Red) specially made for gold leaf.("Old World Art" no. 801)
It's a water-based acrylic base coat with no fillers or matting agents. I used it to seal and prepare the surface for the adhesive providing a very authentic red color to show through the cracks in the leaf.

2) After 60 minutes I applied a thin coat of GOLD LEAF ADHESIVE (Brand:Mona Lisa or Old World Art) with a brush.
As the glue dries it will change from a milky white to clear.
After completely dry (60 minutes) you may begin leafing.

3) It is hard to work with! The gold leaves will stick to anything they touch, making it very tricky to transfer them.
Each leaf is bound into a small booklet from which I lifted carefully -with clean dry hands- a sheet of composition gold leaf and apply it to the sticky adhesive surface.
Some overlapping is alright.

4) When surface is completely covered, gently smooth out the leaf with a small soft brush.
Fine cracks and spots of the red base coat will show through in places where gold leaf has torn.
This is desirable to give the authentic "Old World Art" appearance.
Large spots however may be patched with small pieces.
Remove excess leaf with a soft brush with smooth, soft and gentle stroking.
Burnish gently with a cheese cloth pad until smooth.

5) Apply "Satin Sealer" as a final protective finish.
If you desire an antique look, complete your project with "Antique Glaze" and another coat of Satin Sealer.

Copyright Olga van Dijk 2009©
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