Posh Vanity

Now this is a fun and easy process, but it does require some patience or a night when you are going to be up until 2:00 A.M. anyway so you might as well be removing paper from a vanity.  Good thing I had one of those nights!

I'd say it was worth staying up late for this result wouldn't you?  DIY Paint's Crystal Clear Liquid Patina is a wonderful Transfer Medium in addition to being a sealant.  I practiced on a much smaller piece first and when I achieved success had my poster of fancy ladies all ready to go.  Here are the details:  1.  Paint your piece first, mine is painted in Vintage Linen over Prairie Gray.  2.  Distress and seal your entire piece in Liquid Patina.  (You may seal the main body in wax or the Dark and Decrepit  Liquid Patina if you are wanting a more aged appearance, but the surface for the transfer should be sealed in the clear patina.)  3.  Once dry, measure and cut out your poster/paper.  Give it a generous coat of Liquid Patina ON THE PRINTED SIDE.  Immediately lay this coated side down on your surface and with a brayer smooth it out, removing all bubbles.  You may need to wipe up any patina that squirts out from under so check the edges once you are finished smoothing it.  Then walk away from it.  Really.  Don't get in a hurry to remove the paper.

4.  I gave mine a good 12 hours to dry and set itself before I started removing the paper backing.  To do this have a spray water bottle handy.  Spritz and gently rub your fingers over the wet area until the paper begins to roll up.  Then rub and rub and rub until you get all the paper off.  It will take some time or patience so good music or a nice long movie is helpful.   5.  When it first dries it may have quite a haze.  That is either more paper or more likely the dried on liquid patina.  So keep spritzing, rubbing off the patina (you can feel it on your ultra sensitive fingertips)until you feel the super smooth finish.  I kept a soft rag handy to wipe off the patina as it softened and balled up.  This last part takes some time.  6.  Once you have removed, gently, all the patina and paper residue let it dry.  It might not be crystal clear, but it is not super hazy any longer.  There may be some parts that no matter how gentle you might have been did not transfer.  I lost one of the ladies' hat.  If you have painted your piece in a color that will blend into the background this helps hide those spots.  It also helps that my poster print was of a Monet style painting where details were not sharp and clear to begin with.  More forgiving.  7.  Once your piece is dried seal it.  I sealed with the Clear Patina.   I actually did 4 very thin coats and I changed direction, horizontal to vertical, to create a linen or canvas effect.  For a more durable water resistant finish I topped it all off with 2 coats of Aqua Clear, the Heirloom Traditions top coat that I am LOVING!

I chose to line the drawer with some fun paper, added a new fashion forward knob on the drawer and covered the bench seat in a fabric that I found that mimicked the colors in the poster.  TaDa!  A fun transformation!
In the upper right hand corner is a Shop DIY Paint with a red 'affiliate link' button under it.  This will take you to my online shop within Heirloom Traditions.  You can find the Paints and Crystal Clear Liquid Patina within the shop.  And better yet, they have packaged a product for those who are only looking for a Transfer Medium under the "Sealers & Additives" section called 1 Gel Instant Transfer Medium & Decopauge!  There are also other great products that might interest you creatively!

Have a super week!

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