Further to my previous post.

Hi guys.
 As promised, today I'm here to share the "more practical" side of my altered drawer unit.
Plenty of pics and some lessons learned (by me!) along the way....

 This is the starting point, a small drawer unit and the frame of the aquarium.

 I began by adding DecoArt Media crackle paste through various masks

 This is where lesson one comes into play. If you want your paste to stick you need to either prime or sand your unit. I forgot!

 So, once I realised it was beginning to flake off as it dried I just very quickly painted over everything with DecoArt Chalky finish paint because I didn't feel like starting again! Not that i'm a lazy crafter or anything....... because chalk paint adheres I managed to salvage my start with a little loss of detail. But hey, I was after a weathered faded abandoned look so I was cool with it. (That's my excuse and I'm sticking with it)

 Once the first coat was dry I glued on an assortment of gears and cogs and added a patchy layer of my second colour of chalk paint.

 Followed by a third colour, also in patches. This is where you step back and think, o my word this is SUCH a mess, I've ruined a perfectly good piece of furniture!

 Lastly, I added a final light covering of my fourth colour and left to dry.

 For the next stage. The exciting bit where everything begins to come together and become more cohesive, I took a mix of white spirit and bitumen paint and brushed it over everything.

 Once it's dried a bit I began to wipe it away to lighten and reveal the layers underneath. A tedious and messy job involving white spirit and copious cloths.

 The next stage is fun, adding Metallic Lustre to bring out the details.

I painted the frame of the tank with a light coat of chalk paint, To finish it off I added a wooden element I had made along with a chain with a gear and cog pendant.

The end result is this. I love it to bits. So, the tale may not be as romantic as the previous post but hopefully you enjoyed seeing how it all came together.

DecoArt Products used.

Media white crackle paste
Chalky Finish paint - Rustic, Legacy, Enchanted and Relic
Metallic Lustre - Gold Rush
Light Satin Varnish