Painting Cheap Laminate Furniture - it CAN be done!

Through the inspiration of a friend and the help of a this article, I set out to improve the looks of this cheap cart I've had since 1990.  Notice the peeling laminate along the top edge.

First, I disassembled it, and cleaned off the dust.  :o)  I gave it a light sanding with 150 grit sand paper, and peeled away any loose/bubbled laminate.  Then I began with a coat of Adhesion Primer using a really soft 100% nylon brush.  I tried using a foam roller, but I didn't like the texture it left.

Then I put on 2 coats of black paint.  I waited a couple days between each coat.  This really tested my patience.  I prefer to work hard on a project and not stop until it's done.  I don't like to wait!  When the paint was fully cured, I tested my finger nail on the back of the shelf, and the paint scratched off a bit too easily in my opinion, so I followed the tip in that article I posted above, and put on a coat of satin polyurethane using a foam brush.  I let it cure for several days before I reassembled the cart.

I'm pleased with the result, and now I'm inspired to do this to more of my ugly furniture!  I'm not sure why I bought a whole gallon of that black paint.  I certainly didn't use very much of it.  Looks like I'll be painting more stuff black.  :o)

Spring Fever

I am SO ready for spring.  I can't wait to get outside and play in the dirt!  Speaking of dirt, below is a layout I did recently as part of a challenge in the Sweet Shoppe Designs community.  The challenge was to scrap some photos from 5 years ago.  Kids grow up too fast!

Credits-
Template:  Scrap Your Heart Out 2 by Janet Phillips (page 14)

Papers, Elements:  Little Know It All by Eva Kipler

"dirt" alpha (recolored):  Gleeful by Amanda McGee

Font:  Once Upon a Font by Darcy Baldwin

Here again!

Ok, so I haven't posted in like, FOREVER.  But I had some problems in the computer department for about 6 months.  First my desktop died beyond repair, and I was using my laptop.  Then my laptop died too, and I lost a couple months worth of photos because I did not have my back-up system properly working on the laptop. Sheesh!  The kite layout in the last post is one of the things I lost!  Oh well, at least it got posted in web-quality form on the internet!  But I don't have the high-resolution file anymore for printing.  So last December, I purchased a desktop once again with enough power to have fun with my digital scrapbooking again.!  blah blah blah...


So I've been wanting  to share a before and after shot of a clock I refinished.  I am continually inspired and motivated by a friend at Kammy's Korner.


I forgot to take a before picture, so I dug through my old photos until I found one of the clock on the wall in it's original condition.  This was taken in 2007 in my 90's kitchen which badly needed updating!  Oh yes, and please disregard the big no-no of putting your baby in a Bumbo seat on an elevated surface.  I'm a bad mother...shame on me.  Anyway, there's the clock with it's mauve hearts and country green frame.

And here's the after shot.  My new family room is brown, cream, and dark orange.  Now I don't need to buy a new clock!  Now how can I recolor that wall quilt?  NOT happening!

The swirls are some acrylic stamps that I dipped in cream paint.  And I tried to "grunge" it up by painting some white paint on the edges with a sponge.

Oldies

Thanks to a challenge at Sweet Shoppe Designs, I found inspiration to make a scrapbook page for some older photos.  These were taken 4 years ago, and I had never put them in a photo album or made any scrapbook pages with them.  The challenge was: "June 15th is Fly A Kite Day! Go fly a kite and scrap it!"  I have always loved these pictures.  Why hadn't I scrapped them yet?

Credits -

Kit: Trail Mix by Heather Roselli and Julie Billingsley
Photo Cluster: Bent Bunch 16 by Penny Springmann
Border: Page Frame Templates by Penny Springmann
Font: CK Typeset

Older photos, newer scrapbook pages

I just finished these pages, and I thought I would share them.  I took WAY too many photos last summer at this picnic.  But the kids were so photogenic doing the many funny relay races!

Credits - 

Kit:  Park Play by Amanda McGee

Layout Templates (altered): Album Series 5 by Angie Briggs

Fonts:  Traveling Typewriter, AMC Chalk Talk

Girls must twirl!

How do you catch the action of twirling and constant giggling in photographs?  I think the girls were quite dizzy by the time I told them to stop!

Credits - 

Layout Inspiration:  Jenny Jorgensen
Kit:  Delightful by Syndee Nuckles

Doodle Art:  Creative Memories
Filmstrip Frame:  Lifted Photos - Weathered by Melissa Renfro
Fonts: SS Play Font, CTMH Fountain Pen

End of the Year School Activites

Leah participated in the "Little Indian Track Meet" a couple weeks ago.  She did the standing long jump, and the 50 m, 100 m, and 200 m races.  She competed against other 1st-grade girls.  The 50 m race was the very first event, and I don't think she understood that the man was shooting a gun to start.  She was a step behind everyone else off the line!  We had a fun day, and that's all that matters!

Here is Libby at her Preschool Graduation.  Leah got to walk up with her!

This is Libby with both Preschool classes, using the parachute.  She caught me taking the picture and waved to me.