a little flora and fauna

When I recently posted about a kitchen I hand-painted earlier in the year, I mentioned some murals that I was going to do. Well I took a couple of days off work this week and made a start.
My brief for the first one - a heart with the client's initials inside and some flowers and birds (flora and fauna), to be placed over the bed in the master suite. I'm ok with flora, but not so good at fauna, but then over confidence is not a good thing anyway !

I made a rough sketch, but nothing too definite, as I always find that my ideas change slightly when working on a large wall.

I drew straight on the wall (apart from the birds, which I made a tracing of first) and then used tracing paper to give a mirror image, so that the piece would be balanced evenly over the bed.

Starting to paint is always the most enjoyable part of the job.

This is the finished centrepiece. On the right of the heart is the male bird holding a flower and looking back at the B for Belinda and at the female bird who has a ribbon round her neck (you've heard of artistic licence, haven't you !) and who is next to, and looking at Jose's J.

I added lots of ribbons and bows to the design to keep it pretty and had to add pink to the neutral and pale blue shades, to pretty it up some more. It wasn't difficult to see my client's taste, when looking at the bed linen and other things in their home, and I like to tailor my designs to suit each client specifically.

Before

After

The client's love it, which is great, because I was definitely worried about those birds. It just provides an extra focal point to the room. 

I've started the next one, but have to go to work at the cafe till Tuesday now, so won't be able to finish it till next week. Although I won't have had a day off in about two weeks I really enjoyed doing this one - 'a change is as good as a rest' they say !!

linking up with

 

Tuesdays Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Cowgirl Up @ The Farmhouse Porch

What's It Wednesday @ Ivy and Elephants

Wow Us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style

Primp Your Stuff Wednesdays @ {Primp}
All Star Block Party @ Full Circle Creations

Open House Party @ No Minimalist Here

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage
Vintage Inspiration Friday @ Common Ground
 

if it weren't for you !

I have been looking for three cheap candles for my 5ft candelabra for some time. Recently I found some in my local supermarket for £1.oo each. This is a real result as all the others I have seen are about £6.oo each and I don't want to spend nigh on £2o.oo !

Only problem, they are very white, and if it weren't for you I probably wouldn't have bought them.
If it weren't for you lovely fellow bloggers I wouldn't have thought to give my candles personalised blankets !

Ok, this may not be your taste, this time it may not have been you, but somewhere, sometime, someone wrapped a candle, and I thank you.

So, I wrapped my candles too - in music sheets, ribbons and lace and treasured brooches.

Then I took off a bit of the lace and two of the brooches, because although I like ornate stuff, I'm not so good with too much pretty (although the princess who often sleeps in this room would probably love a whole lot more, preferably in pink !).

 

So I have another little part of the mini guest room finished and my parents candelabra that was once wired for electric light (and which I wrapped a metal garland round) fits in perfectly.

 

 

Not bad for the total cost of £3.oo. so thanks for the inspiration !

 

Linking up with Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays @ Coastal Charm

 

 

 

free stuff !

We all love free stuff don't we !
Well, I get lots of free stuff from my bff Pandy and her mother. They are always offering me things that they no longer need or buying things for me that they know I will love.

The first few things came from this summer's Boot Fairs, sort of like an outdoor Flea Market, but literally setting up a table by the boot of your car.

Pandy knew I would love this coral, because of all the driftwood and shells that I drag back from the beach.

And she couldn't believe it when she found the lobster claw (for 50p) to add to my boxed collection.

I love these apothecary style jars with the square knobs.

A couple of months ago Pandy decided that she didn't want this great birdcage, too shabby for her, and although I have one already, this one is bigger and better.

And I managed to get the glass-topped table back from my ex. Although I originally bought the Laura Ashley fabric and made the tablecloth, it was like receiving more free stuff because this hasn't been in my possession for over 7 years !

Pandy's been buying cutlery for me too, because I've been working on those framed pieces to sell, but I just couldn't let go of this spoon. Is it a tea-strainer ? I don't know, maybe someone will enlighten me !

The last few things come from Pandy's friend Claire. She runs a business called Clutterbugs, where she helps people sort out their homes. One client of hers, a retired gentleman, gave her loads of things. She kept some pieces, gave some to Pandy and let Pandy choose some for me.

I can't imagine what the two of them kept because I'm sure I got the best stuff !

Oh yes indeedy, a fantastic set of scales.

A gorgeous jug (no maker's name on the bottom) that sits perfectly with the rest of my blue transferware.

A pretty papier mache box with china lid, because I have quite a lot of oriental pieces in my bedroom.

Who doesn't love a chicken or two hanging around the kitchen.

And lastly, well it's that time again. Time to start adding to my Christmas addiction collection, and Pandy knows my taste perfectly (no, these didn't belong to the retired gentleman !).

Yay for free stuff and generous bessie mates !

Note to Pandy - I don't just love you because you give me loads of great things, all the time - honest !

 

 

Linking up with Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays @ Coastal Charm

a before and after kitchen !

Not my kitchen, but one I hand-painted for a client, earlier in the year, before I got the job in the cafe.
I promised a couple of people the pictures, so here they are finally.
I didn't manage to get pictures with the clients belongings back in place, but hopefully you can see the difference.

Before

The kitchen was originally hand-painted in yellow and white and had a lot of eighties detail. My client was offered a new kitchen by her husband (nice guy) but said she loved this kitchen, so I repainted it, and they had new work surfaces (corian), floor tiles and appliances.

After

Ok, so this is probably why I haven't posted it before, because the photos are quite boring, but she just wanted a cream kitchen (with one exception) and no paint effects.

Before

Now you can see why it needed doing, with all the water damage around the sink unit, after over 20 years of use (and three kids).

After

All spruced up with hours of painting, and filling, and varnishing, and finished off with crystal handles.

Before

After

They just need to get their very old chairs re-upholstered, and the oven needs fixing in properly.

Before

After

The door in the middle goes into the laundry room.

Before

After

My client wanted a blue dresser, and I think it's great to have a bespoke piece. It took us a couple of days to get the colour right, but she loved it in the end. I should have taken that awful chair out of the shot !

Before

After

After

After

My clients were lovely people, but I don't miss this work. I don't miss sitting on the floor for hours, with a painful back and knees (the whole job took me 100 hours) and I don't miss the travelling. This job was north of London and I had to stay there, and I'm really a bit of a homebody.

Having said all that I have just accepted a small commission to do some murals. They won't take me long, I can get the time off work and there will be no bending down (as they are over double beds). I will post pictures later on.

This week we're pretty busy at the cafe because it's half term, and on Saturday I will be working all day and most of the evening because we're having fireworks on the beach. We're going to do a BBQ and pumpkin soup (that's the head chef's job, I'm just the helper!). I hope the rain holds off because it could be fun, last year they reckon 300 - 400 people showed up ! 

Wish me luck - I just hope me old knees hold up !!

my multi-purpose mini guest room # 3

I need to keep all my sewing stuff in here because I have no place else for it.
I have quite a few things - threads, fabric, cross-stitch charts, canvases, ribbons and trims, and lots of unfinished needlepoint.
In my early 20's, I worked in a needlepoint shop in London, and so tried lots of different techniques. I even did lots of extra sewing for the shop in the evenings, in order to save to go travelling.
So, now it's stashed all over this little room.

Ribbons and all kinds of trim are in the Ikea drawers.

I just have to decorate them !

As I'm trying to spend as little money as possible, I used some floating shelves I already had, but added the corbels underneath to make them fit in with the scheme a bit better.

Some cross-stitch charts and sewing magazines are in the box files. I covered these years ago, with photocopies of the fabric in the room.

It still needs a bit of sorting out !

Pandy (my bff) found 4 matching jars, that fit perfectly in my wire rack - they'll be filled up soon enough.

On the table are my favourite peces. 

My Grandmother's sewing box.

Her button box.

Her tin with hooks and clips (written on a very scrappy piece of paper and stuck on).

A dish I love with a little scissor case and wooden needle holder.

I made up the patchwork design on the scissors case, it's on 18 gauge needlepoint canvas, and done with silks, but I didn't do the finishing. We had an amazing lady at the shop who made these up with the tiny piping. She also made up beautiful cushions and eye-glass cases, and worked on soft furnishings for an interior company.

And the reverse.

There are canvases and bigger trims in the baskets under this table. 

This area needs a bit more work, and the sewing machine will probably sit here, or at the end of the bed when I have made a cover for it.

Finally, I managed to find some cheap storage boxes to fit under the bed and hold all my fabrics. Five of them fit perfectly.

So another long, drawn out post, you know I can't do short ones (though I have tried !). 

The guest room is nearly done, just a light fitting to finish (I've been on it for weeks !). A few bits of sewing to do and the Ikea drawers to decorate.

Do you see the coaster on the edge of the table, that's for a glass of water ...............it is a guest room after all  !!!!!!!!!!!!!

linking up with

Make it pretty Monday @ The Dedicated House

Tuesdays Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays @ Coastal Charm

Cowgirl Up @ The Farmhouse Porch

Knick of Time Tuesdays @ Knick of Time

What's It Wednesday @ Ivy and Elephants

Wow Us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style

Primp Your Stuff Wednesdays @ {Primp}
All Star Block Party @ Full Circle Creations

Open House Party @ No Minimalist Here

Pot Pourri Friday @ 2805

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage
Vintage Inspiration Friday @ Common Ground
Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest

Sunday's Best @ My 1929 Charmer