Transfer attempt (a craft fail).

The fabulous ladies from Four Marrs and One Venus and Nellie Bellie are hosting a Stinky Linky Party for those crafting, cooking, and DIY projects that don't quite go as planned. I'm sure we all have a few big fails (at least I know I do), and normally they would never see the light of the internet. This linky party gives us bloggers a chance to let it all hang out, and to see that everyone goofs sometimes (which can be easy to forget when we only show off our best work). Make sure to check out the other stinkers, and don't be afraid to show off yours too!

Back in the spring, I made a photo wall as an anniversary surprise for my husband. I wanted to make a plaque with a quote from our vows to include in the arrangement (the quote is "I love you more than ever, and I haven't yet begun." from a Bob Dylan song). I kept seeing Mod Podge transfer ideas on Pinterest, and I thought that would be the perfect way to make the plaque. 

So, without doing a test run of any kind, I jumped right in. I got my wood, painted it, printed out the design backwards, and Mod Podged it right on. Once it was dry, I came back with a little bit of water and tried to rub the paper off and leave the design. Well... that didn't work at all! It almost, sort of worked how I expected it to in a few small places, but for the most part it was a disaster. The white paper stood out against my off-white paint, and there were a few places where everything rubbed off completely. After a few minutes, it was clear that this was not going to work at all, so I decided to rub all of the paper off. Unfortunately, there were still purplish smears and faint shadows of the letters all over the board. 

In the end, I repainted the board white, then painted my design on, and made it work. I haven't tried the transfer method again since then, but I haven't seen it around on Pinterest or other blogs in a while either. Maybe I'll give it another shot (on a much smaller project) someday. If I do, I'll be sure to let y'all know how it goes (even if it is another stinker). 

I'm linking up to the Stinky Linky Party

*Update* This hot mess has the dubious honor of being featured at the stinky linky party!