A Messy Person's Mixed Media Solution: Fisher-Price Pool Table

My analytical, problem-solving, and engineering side of my mind has finally paid off in a big way in my mixed media journey; my 1990's Fisher-Price Pool Table (the hockey table that I use for mixed media is on the other side of the pool table) that converts to a hockey table and ping-pong table is IDEAL for drips, spills, glitter and embossing-powder mishaps, and leaking spray nozzles!

When I started using sprays and watercolor paints on a small scale, my "scraproom" was a spot on my bedroom floor.  I sat on top of an old comforter with the hockey-table top on the floor. If you don't believe me, check it out yourself.  (How did my picture of my bedroom floor get more views than any of layouts?!? haha!! Sad but true.)

After a few months, I became much more involved with sprays and inks. One afternoon, I watched my paintbrush in my hand bump into my brand new, full bottle of Raspberry Heidi Swapp Color Shine. Time seemed to stand still as I watched the ink pour onto my Fisher-Price table and onto my comforter that was sitting over my white carpet.

It was absolutely a miracle from God that the dark, raspberry ink did not leak through the comforter, although the comforter was soaked with ink through both sides! Somehow I managed to move off my comforter just enough to lift it up and catch the raspberry waterfall. I concluded that an angel must have saved me from having my carpet look like an episode of "Dexter", as the raspberry color definitely looked like blood.

I made some room in the basement then looked at the old, yet very sturdy, Fisher-Price Table. This durable and sturdy, child's high-tech, 1990's toy is an amazing solution to a messy, disorganized, and clumsy scrapbooker! Just LOOK at the amazing design: it comes equipped with "pockets" (made for pool balls originally) to catch the potential disasters! Even the table top sits on a secret compartment; any larger spills flow into the pockets and drain into the enclosed compartment under it!

To top it off, the embossing powders, mica powders, loose glitters, and paper shavings from distressing the edges of paper can be easily brushed into a pocket with my old makeup brush.

My conclusion: sometimes the solution to a problem has been right under a person's nose the whole time (possibly even collecting dust in the home).

By the way, I have already patented a version of this table for scrapbookers and mixed media artists. It will be available in stores by next year. ;-)