Upcycled storage box / ottoman – progression photos

March 31, 2022March 31, 2022Leave a comment

Hi again fellow followers! My latest blog post is progression photos of a upcycled storage box / ottoman. This is the one I’m most pleased with, hope you like it too! 🙂

I started off the project by giving the box a good clean with sugar soap, and a thorough sanding with my black and decker mouse sander. I then applied a primer and undercoat which dried in a couple of hours; a huge improvement from before with the shabby chic bedside cabinet – 16 to 24 hours that one took! I then applied a little bit gloopy (unfortunately a few years old) furniture paint in a clotted cream colour. Next I decoupaged the front and back of the box with a gorgeous sort of marble effect silver wallpaper my friend kindly donated. Afterwards, I used furniture wax to seal the clotted cream paint, and satin varnished the decoupage. To finish, I wood stained the top with antique pine wood stain, and painted the hinges black. And here it is completed…

This is my favourite upcycling project so far. I think it looks quite classy with the decoupage, and is unique; hopefully it’ll raise a lot of money for the Children’s Air Ambulance once it’s sold 🙂

I’m not sure what my next project will be, I’ll keep you in suspense, ha! I’m not volunteering today, having a chill out day for my birthday, 31 today, hooray! It snowed this morning… almost like a white Christmas 🤶🎄🤶🎄

Thank you so much for taking the time to read, appreciated.

Many thanks, Lauren xx

Casper the Cosmic Wolf diamond art – progression photos

March 27, 2022March 27, 2022Leave a comment

Hi fellow bloggers / followers, my latest blog post is progression photos of a cosmic wolf diamond (crystal) art, with over 6500 jewels. I hope you like…

With there being over 6500 jewels, you can imagine it’s very time consuming to complete a diamond art; it is however greatly therapeutic. It’s lovely to put my music on and enjoy the creative process. Moreover, it is deeply satisfying once the art piece is complete. I donated it to the Children’s Air Ambulance 🙂 🙂 Here is Casper!

I’ll look now at purchasing some more diamond arts, either from the Range again or online…

My third upcycling project for the Children’s Air Ambulance is a storage book I mentioned previously, to which I’ve already decoupaged and painted. So watch this space! Likewise, I’m going to get knitting hats / scalves etc for refugees, I think that’ll be a lovely thing to do 🙂 🙂

As always, thanks so much for reading /viewing 🙂

All the best, Lauren xx

Rustic charm distressed TV cabinet – progression photos

March 22, 2022March 22, 2022Leave a comment

Hey again! My latest blog post is progression photos of a rustic charm distressed TV cabinet, upcycled for the Children’s Air Ambulance. Hope you like…

At the beginning of the project, the TV cabinet was a dark mahogany colour wood – not always a preferable shade to sell nowadays. Therefore, it was my job to sand using a black and decker mouse sander – still very time consuming it must be said despite not being hand held sand paper! As you can see, I went for a distressed look. One of the drawers of the cabinet unattached also, so I used ‘no more nails’ to secure. After extensive sanding, I kept it simple and classic by rubbing on a furniture wax – to give a rustic shabby chic feel 🙂 🙂 The result…

My next upcycling project for the Children’s Air Ambulance is some sort of storage/ toy box I intend to paint, varnish and decoupage but before then I may have finished a cosmic wolf diamond art to donate. We can’t sell hand made items as a charity unfortunately, so along with what they send off, I’m going to knit some bobble hats, scalves etc for the refugees in Ukraine. I think that would be lovely to do…

Thanks so much for taking the time to read / view, much appreciated.

All the best, Lauren xx

Shabby chic decoupage bedside cabinet

March 15, 2022March 15, 2022Leave a comment

Hi blog followers, my latest blog post is progression photos of a shabby chic decoupage bedside cabinet I upcycled for the Children’s Air Ambulance.. Hope you enjoy!

Firstly, I thoroughly washed the bedside cabinet with some sugar soap and sanded by hand with sand paper. I then primed with a 16-24 hour dry primer (mistake, won’t be purchasing again, too long a wait), and sanded some more the next day.

I decoupaged the drawers, front and inside, with a pretty duck egg colour/ bird pattern wallpaper, using mod podge. I likewise decoupaged the top of the cabinet too. I sealed with furniture wax on the Rust-oleum furniture paint, and a clear satin varnish over the wallpaper.

I almost bodged the project up by trying to distress the sides. It just did not look right at all, so I tried to salvage it by repainting, leaving a few little distresses on the front/drawers, to keep a shabby chic effect.

As only my first attempt in years, I think I’ve done a pretty decent job. Far from perfect, but not bad. Moving forward, I think if I continue to decoupage/paint, to make sure all is smooth and to a professional standard so the Children’s Air Ambulance can make the biggest profit possible. If I improve and learn by practice they could hopefully sell my upcycled furniture for a lot of money!

This is my next project, a mahogany TV cabinet I’ve begun sanding with a black and decker mouse sander I bought yesterday. So watch this space!

Thanks so much for taking the time to read /view my latest blog post, I appreciate your ongoing support 🙂 🙂

Much love, Lauren xx

‘Dakota the Dragon’ 20 progression photos

March 7, 2022March 7, 2022Leave a comment

Hi everyone! Good evening, hope you are all well 🙂 The latest blog post is 20 progression photos of an amateur acrylic painting. I’ve kept with the fantasy theme and painted a dragon/castle, hope you like 🙂

I used my art therapy books as inspiration. Dakota and the castle are quite similar colours, with fluffy white clouds in the blue background; I love their effect. I’m pretty pleased with how it’s turned out, as is only my amateur second acrylic attempt. Hopefully the more I practise, the more I’ll improve! Here is the finished piece:

Coming soon, maybe more fantasy/fairy inspired tale acrylic paintings (mermaids, witches, fairies etc) or a gigantic wolf crystal diamond art I bought from the Range, or excitingly, upcycled furniture as I am beginning volunteering as a furniture refurbisher for the Children’s Air Ambulance this week! 🙂 🙂

Thank you so much for reading /viewing!

Thoughts with the the people of Ukraine, and hope of a world free from war and atrocity.

Many thanks, Lauren xx

unicornpostbox

art / craft, travel / theatre

Month: March 2022