perfecting bad decorating . . . 'our creative space - epic fails"

Greetings all,
Thanks again for joining me on this week of imperfections.  I pride myself on creating beautiful handmade products, using my skill for putting colours/ patterns/ prints together with decorating talent, alas there are plenty of fails along the way.  My epic fails include a mix of faux decorating & hiding flaws.    

See these wall stickers & cut out greeting cards??  They're hiding marks on the wall.  Not sure what cheap paint they use on Army houses, but it's pretty friggen fragile - nothing like those Dulux Wash & Wear paint ads where children can throw muddy footballs & spaghetti bolagnaise at the walls, it all glides off with one wipe of a cloth held by a mum with a smug smile on her face & the paintwork is perfect again.   

I give you the piecing-pants fail, say no more, we've all done it right??

 I picked up this vintage children's desk for $10, bought an orbital sander & put in my all to remove the fugly lacquered-fairy-sticker-nightmare off.  It's defeated me, i'll have to buy some paint stripper gel to complete the job, then decide what to do next, paint, stain, leave raw??  Maybe a Scandinavian look.  I want to win this one.

 I finally decorated my 3rd daughter's bedroom while she was on a sleepover last weekend & it's a secret forest theme - only the owls up the tree are a bit freaky at night!!??  Children's bedroom made spooky!!

 Last Christmas i spent $100 on these papier mache reindeer, with all sorts of visions of spraying them gold or leaving them raw & adding a red ribbon, oh i know, a raffia bow.  I could use as props on my Christmas market stall - never happened.  By the time i went to do something with them, some were broken/ children had drawn faces/ the dog had chewn off 3 legs (of 3 different reindeer).  Argh, they have all since been recycled & my husband can say "i told you so" as he said "you'll never use them, they'll be in the bin by next Christmas".  Christmas waste of money.     

 I love my hot pink Flamingo lights, no one else does, so they sit in a box waiting for the next wild party, only the children suggest i keep them for myself.  Hmmm, party light fail, sad face.

 My eldest lives in a bedroom conversion (half of my studio) in an effort to give each child their own bedroom . . . i bought her this cheap wardrobe & gave it a French makeover.  Nothing fits in it, coat hangers, clothes, shoes, it's useless.  Argh, wardrobe malfunction!!

 Just couldn't resist rehashing this photo - from International Women's Day celebrated at Shop Handmade.  Playing the sophisticated designer entertaining the fashionistas of Canberra, i managed to scoop some delicious dip, let it slide off my cracker & plop on my shoe!!  Graceful??  Cocktail food fail!!  

 For actual decorating & creative success, check out Our Creative Space, i hope to be more worthy of their link list next week!!  Love Posie
PS for those of you know who notice the time i post - they are scheduled so my husband can read them in Afghanistan before he goes to bed each night after a hard day at war.  He actually likes to be the first to read them, bless him!!  

our creative space . . . 'restoring a vintage school desk' . . . part 1

Greetings all,

This post could have been called 'crimes against lacquer' as seriously, my $10 vintage school table refurbishment, is turning into something which requires a sand blaster!!

 I really can't stand fairies.  Mercifully, fairy costumes, books & accessories were not any of my daughters' favourites either.  This desk cements my dislike of purple winged creatures.

 Not only was the table painted hideous yellow (left over undercoat me thinks) but covered in fairy stickers & lacquer . . . maybe 20 coats??

 I solicited the assistance of my mignons (pupil free day/ teacher's strike, i've chained my 3 public schoolers to the sander) . . . they have been sanding around the clock.

 After the first hour, this is where we were up to, an exposed bottom edge & top corner . . .

& a headless fairy (insert evil laugh).

 Child safety??  DIY OHS&E??  Yep, the good old extension-cord-through-the-front-door-trick.  I'm using the heaviest sand paper i could find & it's still a long, slow job.

Sanding & carpal tunnel syndrome are not a good combination, i can barely type, so come back in a week for some true progress.  My husband is home on Father's Day, maybe he can give this a whirl??  For more creativity, take a peek here.  Love Posie