Decoupage Behavin' Badly

I'm innocent, I tell ya.

I started with the best of intentions. 

And I actually had a plan. 

Painted this nice little Goodwill shop

chest in Old White Chalk Paint, three coats mind you,

and painted the top with two coats to prevent bleed-through.

Because I'd be decoupage-ing the top.

I painstakingly did a patchwork decoupage of white 

origami paper with printed pencil squiggly drawings.

I liked how it looked.

Until I checked it about 20 minutes after finishing the initial gluing.

Gulp.

Well, thought I, perhaps if I let it dry thoroughly,

the awful bloody-red stains from the

painted-over old mahogany will go away.

Yeah, that worked.

Not.

And letting it dry just made removal that much harder.

Let me tell you, once Mod Podge dries, it ain't letting go.

Not without a fight, anyway.

I scraped and tugged and soaked and I am still going to have to dig out my

electric palm sander and sand this blinkin' stuff off the top.

I have no fingernails left.

Oh, poo.

(pardon my language)

Live and learn.

Note to self:  Next time, invest in a dirt-cheap little can of fresh shellac.

Really, I should have known.  Honestly?  Deep down, I did.

Lazy isn't always the best route to take.  Too bad.  -- Cass

Lazy may not be the best route to take, but thrifty always is!
Join Linda at Coastal Charm blog for her 180th Nifty Thrifty Tuesday.  Click here!

Better Late Than Later

Recognize this chubby little beauty?

Ignore the fuzzy red "feather duster" in the lower right corner.

That is our Gilda's tail.

She has a real affinity for this piece of furniture.  Possibly because it is the same color as she.

Thirteen months ago, Howard and I went to a

moving sale near Newark Airport and picked up

this wee tiny bombe' chest of drawers.

Here it is, mostly cleaned, not yet gussied, August 2012.

It was filthy when we got it, the front heavily drizzled

in an unidentified thick, sticky brown, semi-hardened goo.

That had oozed in under the drawers.

Yes, ick.  Double ick.

I cleaned it up and put it in my booth, but after a month or so

I brought it home.  There had been no interest in it,

probably because the top was in rather bad shape.

It spent the rest of this past year in our Parlor, cuddled up against the end of a sofa.

Easy work.  Damaged goods don't bother us at That Old House.

But a few weeks ago, I decoupaged the tops

of two tables out at our beach house.

This is heady stuff.  Really.

The Mod Podge fumes go straight to your head,

and suddenly you want to decoupage everything.

"Step away from the Mod Podge, woman!"

That creative avenue being closed to me,

I cast about for other likely victims.

And the little bombe' chest came to mind.

I cleaned it again, did more work on its finish till it gleamed,

and then . . . ta-da!

A William Morris print for the top.

This time I used a brayer to smooth the paper, which works way, way better 

than using your fingers and a Teflon spatula.  And cleanup is easier, too.

Mod Podge has a long half life on skin.  Live and learn, eh?

I sealed in the decoupage, for durability, with a water-based

acrylic sealer in a satin finish.  This also took care of that teensy

bit of tack that Mod Podge has such a hard time letting go of.

Lacking a garage, electrified shed, or a cellar that doesn't give me the willies,
I do most of my messy stuff in our sunroom.  Dylan likes to stay out of the fray.

I'm still working on my decoupage technique,
but I'm happy with this piece.
We'll see if anyone else is happy with it,
when it goes into the booth later this week.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch . . . .

Last year, I got a few things from a picker who tossed in 
this tray table for free - my favorite price.  The top is a glass tray, 
and removeable.  Ignore the sample colors painted on the frame; 
this baby's getting a glamour treatment this week.

The Goodwill stores around here don't carry much furniture,

but sometimes you score.  I got a beautiful, well made 3-drawer

night stand, mahogany, for less than $20.  The wood was stained in that
dark red mahogany color, and very dirty - streaked with unknown sticky stuff.
Are we seeing a pattern here?
Anyway, I started in with chalk paint on Sunday.

I ran out of room in the conservatory, so I painted in the Study, too.

No room is sacred.  The mess is mind-boggling while work is in progress.

Nice details. 

"Say, that's a cute little pilaster you've got there, Tootsie."

Thankfully, Goodwill is still the Mother Lode of absurdities.

Such as this, below: A molded urn of china strawberries.

Or raspberries.  Or . . . chicken livers with leaves.

By the way, most of that "highlighting" is stuck-on dirt.  Lots & lots of dirt.

A scrubbing with detergent and a stiff brush, and then some chalk paint.

Check in with me later.  Probably for a good laugh.

As my Dad told me, "If you don't make mistakes, it's because you aren't doing anything."

It's Monday, and even I have to admit it is the first full day of Fall.

Blargh.  Oh well, time to break out the pumpkins and ravens.

I've already got the mums!  -- Cass

LINK PARTIES

Susan at Between Naps On The Porch hosts Metamorphosis Monday.  Click here, always.

Today, Susan features a friend's most amazing Victorian porch, decorated for Halloween.

At Boogieboard Cottage, check out Masterpiece Monday.  Go on, click here!

The Dedicated House has Make It Pretty Monday.  You can click here.  You know you want to.

It's Inspiration Monday at I Should Be Mopping The Floors.  Click!!!

And there you go.  Link Parties to linger over with a good cup of hot cider
on this first full day of Fall.  Weep along with me . . . .