faux antique tin !

 I've been thinking about some decoration for my little hatch

doors for some time. I really like patterned tin, so I was thinking

of a way to replicate it, at very little cost. I looked at tin foil roasting

trays but they had too many ridges, then I checked out some wallpapers.

I found a few that I liked in a large store, and as you're allowed to take samples

I tore off about 18 inches !

I did a test piece first and it worked really well, so then I stuck two pieces

on one side of the doors - using the pattern like a mirror image.

Then I cut the main pattern in half to use on the other side of the doors.

I cut a little cross in the paper, to go over the screw heads. We don't need knobs

on this side because we just push the doors open if necessary. The bumps will

disappear with the painting.

I stuck them both on, using a glue stick, in case I want to take it off.

I painted them 'liqourice' using a match pot I had.

Then I used a candle to rub wax over the pattern. This resists the paint and

helps to protect the paper, when you come to rubbing it back.

Then I painted three layers of white on all the wall-papered sections

and rubbed them gently with sandpaper.

I'm really pleased with how it has worked out on both sides.

The living room side will fit in more with the gallery wall I am working on.

And the kitchen side gets a little bit of detail, that is just enough.

Not quite chipped and shabby antique tin, but I'm happy and the dear

old geezer and his daughter have both given me the thumbs up

and that's good enough for me !

And what's more, this was one of those 'no cost' projects !!!

Linking up with

Wow Us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style

Primp Your Stuff Wednesdays @ {Primp}

Open House Party @ No Minimalist Here

Transformation Thursdays @ The Shabby Creek Cottage

Under $100 Linky Party @ Beyond The Picket Fence

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Inspiration Friday @ At the Picket Fence
Fridays Unfolded @ Stuff and Nonsense
Pot Pourri Friday @ 2805

Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home

Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors
Spotlight Saturday @ Classy Clutter
Sunday's Best @ My 1929 Charmer
Debbiedoos Newbie Party @ Debbiedoos

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Terrific under ten Tuesdays @ At Home With K

Take-a-look Tuesdays @ Sugar Bee crafts

Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays @ Coastal Charm

Show me what ya got @ Not Just a Housewife

a tale of two lamps

When I found this lamp for our sideboard, I was sooo pleased. It was my birthday and I had just finished a couple of rooms for some clients and I was feeling flush (having more money than normal !).

When I got the lamp home my pleasure dulled somewhat, because it didn't look as great as I thought it would. Although I still liked the lamp, it didn't really work for me. The shade wasn't nearly as nice lit up and the eclectic look I was going for  just wasn't there.

Even though I could have taken the fabric off and maybe re-covered it in purple ( the colour my phone turns it), the base still bothered me.

On my beach junk post here I mentioned that I had a little idea for all the driftwood. Well, I have been working on it over the last few days, when I wasn't drilling or sawing or generally being noisy.

And I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. I started with this -

an old Ikea lamp

And made, this -

A driftwood lampbase !

I feel it goes so much better with the Beatles poster, and I just love it. I had a budget of £10 for the shade and I found one in our town in the last shop I looked in, and it's just the right mix of rustic and contemporary.

I stuck the base onto some driftwood first, because it was a little short. I put a piece of hardboard underneath and nailed through a couple of pieces to give it some stability. Then I just kept adding pieces, while trying to give it some movement.

You can see lots of glue here !

and some below (I got a nice blister on this project!).

I just kept adding pieces, so that it worked with the wide lampshade.

I even made sure the back was ok, just in case it ever gets put somewhere where it is seen from all sides (that would probably mean a larger house - one can but dream !).

To me, the whole sideboard looks alot better and is MY version of eclecticism

(I like to analyze stuff, so this is just my own point of view !!!)

Something old - something new !

 funky (Beatles poster) -  shabby (frame)

rustic (driftwood) and contemporary (shade)

antique (books - well not quite, but very sentimental) and chic (ceramic buddha)

soft (dried eucalyptus) and hard (glass vase)

and of course - add a little sparkle (mercury glass)

This little mantra is what I'm using to try and bring the same feel to the rest of the house. My dear old geezer is definately into the funky and contemporary, so I need to have a bit of something for the both of us.

Before

After

And one day, the sideboard will be painted a blue/grey and distressed heavily.

The other lamp - well it looks very pretty in my tiny office/studio, and I have

a plan for the shade, to pretty it up even more.

Linking up with

Wow Us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style

Primp Your Stuff Wednesdays @ {Primp}

Open House Party @ No Minimalist Here

Transformation Thursdays @ The Shabby Creek Cottage

Under $100 Linky Party @ Beyond The Picket Fence

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Inspiration Friday @ At the Picket Fence
Fridays Unfolded @ Stuff and Nonsense
Pot Pourri Friday @ 2805

Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home

Vintage Inspiration Friday @ Common Ground

Saturday Nite Special @ funky junk interiors
Debbiedoos Newbie Party @ Debbiedoos

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

did I do it ?????

Did I do it ?

Did I finish my 'impossible' challenge ?

5

4

3

2

1
Thunderbirds are GO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
oops, what I meant to say was....................

YES I DID

Ten floating white shelves, instead of two 'red' ikea bookcases,

collapsing with the weight !!!

I was obviously so eager to get on, that I forgot to take a picture of

the bookcases together in one shot.

But this -

became this -

and this - (my side of the chimney breast)

became this -

MY challenge - imagining the impossible, was to use a 'hammer drill' to

put up some shelves myself.

There was method in my madness, because while I'm doing THIS, the dear

old geezer can be doing SOMETHING ELSE - to be posted another day !

I started with two shelves in the lounge, which I posted about here

then started on the dining room, which I wrote about  here

We got the wood from the wood yard, cut to size £120 for 14 pieces.

I still have two for the tops of radiator cabinets in the lounge.

It is 4cm deep and some of the pieces were a bit tight, so I had to

cut them down.

We only have a 'jigsaw', so it wasn't fast !

The jigsaw has now become the 'judder saw' - because that's what I

fe-fe-fe-feel like when I'm using it.

Anyway - handy hints -

a) don't try to chisel out wood where there is a knot, it is

TEN TIMES HARDER (lesson learnt quick).

b) when the hammer drill stops working, buy a new 'bit' -

I got through two (it'll be the bricks)

c) when chiselling out wood, you need two tools - the chisel and a hammer

NOT the chisel and your THUMB (lesson learnt quick)

NB - it's probably NOT a good idea watching Johnny Depp as

Capn' Jack Sparrow while chiselling - even though you may love

his slightly effeminate swagger and beautifully slurred cockney accent !!!

(Yes folks - I did it in the lounge, hey it's cold outside, and the whole house

is covered in fine brick dust anyway, even though I used loads of dust sheets !)

You may have noticed some extra books running above the old geezer's side.

They are actually ghastly sliding doors between the lounge and dining-room.

But we have a master plan ! We're going to remove them completely,

when the old geezer turns the garage into a den/music room/rehearsal studio !

Oops - still got to find a bit of skirting !!!

It WILL look lovely, one day, when I have a lounge-diner.

SOOOOO a BIG THANK YOU to all the ladies who inspired me to do this.

The sense of achievement is far outweighed by the feeling I get when I walk

in the room - it's bigger, it's brighter and I've loved looking at my collection again.

There are books that belonged to my parents, books on crafts, paint effects,

sewing and gardening. Travel books, historical places - I've even

culled them and managed to throw out two !!!

 And I've discovered stuff I'd forgotten about, but will share with you later on.

I'm boring you all I know - SORRY - go check out these lovely ladies

Linda did paint her amazingly high vaulted ceiling a beautiful shade of blue here

Karianne made her first loaf of amazingly tasty looking bread here

Karah made a gorgeous gallery wall with only one screw here

Kelly did an incredible job of clearing out her basement here

Andrea organised her craft room - go check out this deliciously pretty room here

and Stacey actually sewed a beautiful bag for the first time here

I will be linking up to all these blogs when the parties begin

on 31st January and the blogs on my sidebar.

first the radiator cabinets........the flooring needs to go down....the hall....panelling....wardrobes, yes, new wardrobes....me, the wood yard......drilling.....easy peasy.....................  
Sorry, day-dreaming, I'm going now, honestly I am........................................................

'imagine the impossibilities' challenge

Last Friday was a bad day.

I had put up a couple of shelves in the days leading up to Friday, in the lounge. The second of which I did completely on my own, and I actually thought 'this isn't too bad'.

Friday came - the day to start my challenge in earnest !

I had taken away the books from one side, and pulled the bookcase out the night before.

I marked out the first 5 shelves with a level, and marked 6 holes on each line - 30 holes in all.

We also found out that there was a bit of skirting missing. That will have to be addressed later on !

I got out the HAMMER DRILL.

The one with the hammer action that needs a bit of handling, holding tight, holding straight, pushing with all one's might into the wall !!!

30 holes I thought - piece of cake (silly old me).

First 10 holes, easy peasy, went like a dream.

But the next 20 HOLES would't drill. I only managed to sink the next 20 holes about 1 inch. I need each one to be 3 inches deep.

After repeatedly trying, I did what all good defeatists do - I went and sat on the sofa with a cup of Earl Grey feeling very despondent !

But the same thing kept ringing in my ears -

FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION

FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION

FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION

 

 

I went back a few times, but I still couldn't get the holes any deeper.

I contacted the old geezer (he was out - probably a wise time to leave me on my own).

'It could be the drill bit' he said.

Oh, my despair was gone 'of course it's not me and my puney strength, it's the TOOLS !!!

New words were ringing in my ears -

A BAD WORKMAN ALWAYS BLAMES HIS TOOLS

A BAD WORKMAN ALWAYS BLAMES HIS TOOLS

A BAD WORKMAN ALWAYS BLAMES HIS TOOLS

After a new drill bit, I did manage to sink ALL the holes. The drill had a mind of it's own and made this hole too large (or was that me, unable to hold it steady ?)

Anyway, 30 holes later, 30 screws with rawl plugs, 30 notches bashed out of 5 pieces of solid wood, one layer of white paint, and a bit of caulk, and I am nearly there.

Tomorrow, I will fill the holes and paint a second layer of white, then it's onto the other side.
Hopefully I will make it by the 31st January !!!!!!!!

botannical prints

For my eclectic gallery wall.

Take two gorgeous prints - £4.99 each at a charity shop.

Very nicely framed in London, but just not my cup-of-tea.

Open them up and find out that they ARE book pages.

Love those uneven edges.

Wonder about finding two matching frames in a charity shop.

Wonder about putting them behind glass without a mount.

Ponder

Ponder some more.

Put two and two together - ie BOTH pieces of glass.

Sandwich the prints between the two, use ONE of the frames,

and

Ooh, I'm liking the floating botannical prints.

And the frame, which I disliked when I bought them, is now a

perfect little border. And I haven't used any tape to keep them in place.

If they're going in the gallery wall, they will end up on the white.

Although I do like them in front of the stencilling.

Will they go with my 'block' creation, from the last post - who knows.

You'll all find out when I do !!!

Linking up with

Tuesdays Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Show me what ya got @ Not Just a Housewife

Wow Us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style
Primp Your Stuff Wednesdays @ {Primp}
Open House Party @ No Minimalist Here

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Inspiration Friday @ At the Picket Fence
Fridays Unfolded @ Stuff and Nonsense

Vintage Inspiration Friday @ Common Ground

Wooden block creation 'thingey'

I have been getting on with my 'impossibilities' challenge, but slowly. There have been a few hiccups, and my strength (or lack of it), is holdng me back. Also, for a few hours a day we try to keep things quiet around here. Our neighbour is a milkman and so he sleeps during the afternoon ! And as we live in a terrace, drilling into a brick wall is not the quietest thing to do.

So, I have been working on other stuff. I am trying to get together pieces for an eclectic gallery wall. I have various prints, but I want to add some texture and 'pieces of junk'.

The red paintings are going (I wish the sofa would go too - although it is very comfortable, I just don't DO red sofas ! It's the old geezers) and somehow I need to mix the photos at the far end with some new pictures, and make it work around the little hatch to the kitchen.

I have been picking up pieces of wood - every time the dear old geezer saws something in the garden, I go around picking up interesting pieces (of course, that's my version of interesting). The rest is saved for the log burner.

One of the very many blogland inspirations I love, is the use of lettering. It's everywhere, on furniture, fabric, as subway signs etc. and it's always so effective, so I thought I would combine my chunks of wood and a few numerals and a bit of lettering.

These are my blocks laid out.

So far, so good. I can't be doing with all that printing malarkey. I work off a lap top, so I would have to go to the old geezer and say

                                                 'can I just .......'

                                                 'can you just show me................'

                                                 'can you please get off that computer that you are

                                                  surgically attached to'

                                                  etc.

                                                  etc.

                                                  etc...............................

So, I just got out a paint brush, a pencil and a few match pots, and.............................

probably should have got some tracings done, as I had to re-paint a couple.

He's thinking ' why do we have to be upstairs in this little room, when we could be in the kitchen near all the FOOD'  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, in the end, I did it all/ realised I didn't like it enough/ waited till this morning and cut it in two - now I'm happy.

Yes, it's not straight, not perfect, but I like it; and the big chunk of white wood that I cut off will become a little shelf.

 I added some (badly) cut out metal numbers, screwing them into place, and a bit of left over rusty mesh from my beach junk post and basically it didn't work with all the little blocks. So I am going to turn it sideways and use it as a shelf.

But I'm pleased with my 'block' piece. I painted letters down the sides as well. Added a few metal things I found in the 'nail and screw' tin !!!

The right side reminds me of Frankensteins monster - I got a bit slap happy with the staple gun.

My block thingy, type shelf thing-a-me-jig has versatility !!!

AND, AND ladies - my 'HOME' (from TK Maxx) has never really had a home, and now this little 'home' has found the perfect home on my creation. That was worth the hours I spent on this.

And the cost - well nothing really, as I 'found' or 'had' everything, although I did get through rather a lot of glue sticks - so maybe £2.00 (approx. $3).

Linking this with

Terrific under ten Tuesdays @ At Home With K

Take-a-look Tuesdays @ Sugar Bee crafts

Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays @ Coastal Charm

Show me what ya got @ Not Just a Housewife

Under $100 Linky Party @ Beyond The Picket Fence

Saturday Nite Special @ funky junk interiors
Pot Pourri Friday @ 2805
Debbiedoos Newbie Party @ Debbiedoos

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch