plump pudding

A new lease of life

The half dresser is finally painted and hung on the wall.  I love it.  Unfortunately Stephen is not of the same opinion, but men.  What do they know eh?

I ended up using Farrow and Ball oil based eggshell - it took 2 coats after a coat of primer and a coat of undercoat.  So no was was needed, but I did end up using it on the coat rack that I painted in emulsion.  Still no photos - will remedy that soon.

I kept the handles as they were - as they would only get chipped anyway.  No distressing, I kept that for the coat rack.  I am intending on using the drawers for those jars of spices that are crammed into an old pyrex jar in the kitchen cupboard. 

My next task is to find some items to display.  I dug out some of my (forgotten) 1950s china, but they're not quite right.  I do love my Roberts radio on it - and it's out of the way of naughty boys who change the station from Radio 4.  It always takes me ages to find it again!

Hopefully the weather will be good at the weekend and I can find some vintage china to put on it.  I am thinking a plate or two and a jug.  Floral of course!

Now that this one is crossed off my list, I am after a round wooden dining table and a dresser.  I'll just have to keep an eye out for a bargain.

Not exactly a bargain - but I couldn't resist, was this beautiful orchid from Tesco.  A girls needs to have the odd feminine touch here and there.  Doesn't she?

Glossing Over Things

Poor Stephen, there he was in bed and the next moment he gets up and I am painting the kitchen and talkng about having won a dresser top for the walls - which, by the way, will need to be collected, painted and hung on the wall.

It all started with the cat string holders in the last post.  I was all set to pur them up, but decided that the walls were too grubby.  You can guess the next.  As well as the walls, the ceiling and woodwork needed painting.  One very long day later, they were all finished.

I just couldn't leave it that though.  Hence the next two purchases from e-Bay.

(Not my photo as I am going to collect it tomorrow).  I decided that this would  be fabulous instead of the giant framed Breakfast at Tiffany's poster that is above the cooker.  Thankfully it isn't too far and will fit in my car - that's a relief for Stephen!

I also bought a vintage French coat hook/rack.  I'll have to take a photo of that when it's painted.  Nothing too big, just large enough to go on the kitchen wall and hang my peg bag on.  That's once I've made the peg bag!

The other item that has been painted it the mirror that I bought from the boot sale last weekend - originally from a dressing table.

I snuck that into the bathroom when everyone was out!  To keep this paining theme going, I also have my eye on a display cabinet on e-Bay.  I haven't quite worked out how to "sell" that one to Stephen.

But I would like some advice, if anyone can help.  I have painted the items in Farrow and Ball waterbased eggshell.   Obviously these need to be protected and am sure that I have read something about putting a wax on them.  I just don't know where I saw/read/heard this.

Does anyone have any suggestions/tips or pointers please.  I have to make these look as good as possible: for Stephen's sake and mine!

The End is Nigh

Thankfully the studio sort out/re-vamp is drawing to close - but not before another trip to Ikea. 

All my bits and bobs have been transferred to my wardrobe/storage which has meant more free space in the studio, but I used to rest my feet on a pile of boxes containing my carrier bags.  It was only when I sat down to do some sewing that I realised there was nothing to rest my feet on.

One trip later (plus some help from Stephen as I just cannot get to grip with all this flat pack malarky)




I was determined not to buy any more paint and used cream gloss plus a small tester post that I had in the shed already.  A coat of varnish for the steps and they are finished.  Plus, I have to say they are so much better than a few squashed cardboard boxes - just the right height.

The last job on the list was to make the curtains that hide the freezer and the tumble dryer.




That's it.  The on-going saga of the studio revamp is finally over.  What was meant to be a quick sort out turned into a major project.  But I am pleased and I have come to love my candy pink walls (I was a little nervous when I first put it on the walls).  It's turned out to be pretty colourful, but in a subdued way.  Which suits me down to the ground.

In between, finishing off three bean bags for a friend who is coming over tonight and washing and drying four loads of washing, I had some time to look through my parcel from Repro Depot that arrived today.

I just had to buy these patterns as they were incredibly cheap.





And of course some fabric.  I just couldn't resist this pretty nursery cotton print



This Swedish style print in navy and white which is not my usual type of print, but I loved it



And finally this giraffe print fabric



I'll just have to think of some new projects to use my fabric up.

Hope you all have a good weekend.  I am writing this in my heated rollers as I have some friends coming over for a pot luck supper.  My contribution?  A large pot of curry, basmati rice, naan bread and roasted baby peppers.  Plus a batch of rock cakes. 

Enjoy your weekend!

Done and dusted

Drumroll please.  The bathroom is now finished.  In the end I opted for a simple Swedish blind as it is only for show.  After rummaging through my fabric stash I found a pretty striped backing - a sheet in a former life.

Although we live in a bungalow there is as much square footage as when we lived in a Victorian terraced house. The only downside is the bathroom.  It's small. 

After the leak we ended up replacing the bath with a shower cubicle which does free up a little space. 

The only good thing in having a small bathroom is that it doesn't take too long to re-paint (and that includes doing the ceiling)!

Even though Stephen wasn't too impressed with my choice of fabric for the bathroom, I love it.

And in a house full of men, I think I need  a few feminine touches here and there.

Waifs and Strays

I am one of those people that if something looks a little battered and worse for wear I am drawn to it rather than a brand new item that could be sitting right next to it.  Plus with my constant eye for a bargain, the new and uninteresting (for me) just gets passed over.

Case in point this little mannequin.  I made some fabric corsages a while ago, courtesy of a tutorial from Lyn of Molly Chicken.   I had taken these to Market, but the presentation wasn't great.  Which could have been the reason why I didn't sell any!

The mannequin body was cardboard and the stand was a mahogany colour.  A quick sand and spray with enamel paint was all the woodwork needed.  I added a layer of wadding to the body and used this linen print to cover.   

Now all I need to do is to mount the display corsage on my mannequin and clip the remaining brooches onto the polka dot backing card that I had photocopied earlier on this week.

Then let's see whether the buggers sell!