Wednesday, 14 May 2014

Upcycled Charity Shop Find ….

I am rubbish at going on about my charity shop finds and then not doing anything with them …. this box has been “done” for ages, but as I wasn’t sure about it I have left it unwritten about, until now. It originally started off battered and covered in ducks …..
Upcycled Charity Shop Find Decorated Box…… so originally I painted it with a cream coloured emulsion paint, which was a complete disaster and so I hid the box away for another month or so.
Upcycled Charity Shop Find Decorated Box 1
Then,  I decided to cover it with my favourite My Mind’s Eye Stella and Rose papers and then it all got a bit complicated …..
Upcycled Charity Shop Find Decorated Box 2Upcycled Charity Shop Find Decorated Box 3
…… because I just couldn’t stop messing with it, first, I decided to add faux stitching, then I tried to distress it using Promarkers and that’s when it got a bit too “ginger” for me rather than looking faded, and Promarker over paint (?) it doesn’t work and just goes patchy and then looks amateur and quite frankly tatty….. aghhhhhhh
Upcycled Charity Shop Find Decorated Box 4Upcycled Charity Shop Find Decorated Box 6.jpg
…… and as a result, after a couple of coats of clear varnish that’s how I have left it.
Upcycled Charity Shop Find Decorated Box 5.jpgUpcycled Charity Shop Find Decorated Box 7.jpg
It’s still on my desk though and it’s contining to haunt me, …..  I think that all I need to do is to keep adding a layer of Promarker, followed by a coat of clear, gloss varnish to build up a finish which might help to make it look a bit more professional.  I might then also try gently sanding the “paintwork/varnish”,  but I need the paper to be sealed under a couple of layers of varnish before I attempt that …….
Upcycled Charity Shop Find Decorated Box 8.jpgUpcycled Charity Shop Find Decorated Box
……but there again, I also fancy stamping on it (with a rubber stamp ….. not my fee!), so chances are you might be seeing it yet again!!!