Thursday, October 24, 2013

Chippy Little Jewely Cabinet

This project could easily be called the project from @!#&.  If anything could go wrong, it did.  Last week I did a tutorial extolling the virtues of TAP, otherwise, known as Transfer Artist Paper.  I love how it transforms my plain towels into a work of art, and somewhere along the way, I know I read that you could use it on furniture and glass.  As much as I love TAP, I do not advise using it on furniture.  I found a dated 80's jewelry cabinet with an oak finish.  I painted it with my Annie Sloan Old White.  It was really thick so I thinned it down with water.  I thinned it too much and I didn't get good coverage on the second coat.
Oh well, I was going to sand it back anyway.  Then I copied an image from the Graphics Fairy onto my TAP paper and attempted to do a transfer onto my wood.  I should have stopped after the first transfer, but I was convinced I would get the technique down pat.  After all, I'm convinced I read somewhere it could be done.  The image bubbled and crystallized and smeared and pretty much frustrated the heck out of me, but I persevered until I got the whole thing done.
Now I'm asking myself why I just didn't switch to a wax paper transfer method, but I'm stubborn like that.
It's really not that difficult to paint these little cabinets.  The first coat takes a little patience.
You can see how bad my transfer bubbled and yellowed.  Oh yes, it yellowed.
The long and short of it is I won't lose money on this piece but I sure won't make anything on it either.  I also believe in sharing my successes and my failures and this was a major flop.  Thanks for looking anyway, and stick to designing beautiful towels and fabric items with your TAP and leave the furniture transfers to other tried and true methods.

I may be partying at...

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8 comments:

  1. I do love this cabinet. Maybe you could salvage it by dry brushing over the hole thing with white or another color. You also may be able to hide some yellow with some dark wax. Just some thoughts.

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  2. Learning is a consistent process I find! I have heard you can use the TAP on wood as well......maybe it was a fluke! It still looks pretty! Someone will like it!

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  3. The idea is great...but I also found out that for me it didn't work well. I used another type of transfer paper. Mine also smeared, lifted, bubbled, yellowed, and because I cut around the image wherever my iron touched paint the paint smeared, bubbled and yellowed. My poor iron was a mess! I haven't had nerve to try it again. Like you, my project was still sale-able (sold...the gal loved it), but I never liked the finished product. Your little cabinet is very cute & turned out much better than mine. Do you think that the heat setting was too high for painted wood? happiness~~Mickie

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  4. Thanks for the tip Maggie! I'm certainly not looking for new frustration!!

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  5. Maggie, I did laugh...cause even though you are saying it didn't turn out like you wanted...it's better than I would have done. It's way cuter than what it did look like, I know, because I have one of those cabinets. Blessings. xoxo,Susie

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  6. Well, you saved me!!! I thought it worked on wood too, but guess I will learn from you....Thank you

    Carol

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  7. I only have used the mod Podge method. I love changing jewelry chests. Thanks for the info.

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