a post about a poster and some imposters !

I have been working on one thing for the bathroom for ages. In my mind it would have taken a couple of weeks and then I would have posted about it, but a month seems to have passed by and I am still not sure it is finished.

I've also had problems uploading photos, the gremlins in my computer don't want me to down load photos from my phone, I guess they think they are imposters !

The other imposters are the constant fireworks that have been let off every evening since Halloween to celebrate Bonfire Night. My poor wee dog thinks they're trying to break in, and that it's his job to fend them off, even though he's terrified.

I keep him between me and the arm of the sofa, wrapped in an old towel, to try and keep him calm.
By this time, he was totally exhausted.

The poster ! Well that's part of the thing I've been working on, and the main reason for the delay. I don't have a printer, so I thought I would draw it out myself. Hmmmmm..........................

 

It's from the Graphics Fairy.

 

It took slightly longer than I thought.

 

 

I used two differently sized permanent markers, and then rubbed out all the pencil lines.

Then I wetted the back of the paper and stretched it on a board, so that I could work on it properly

Ignore the masking tape, you need to use gum strip (the brown paper one), which you also wet and stick down. When they both dry out, the paper will be nice and flat.

To try and make my poster look old, I used tea bags,

 

and ground espresso coffee,

 

and then some more tea,

and then some bleach, because the tea was too dark,

then some more bleach because the permanent pen really was permanent and looked too neat,

then I sanded it because the bleach wasn't working (yes I really sanded the paper - gently).

Then the paper was papery thin, so I coated it in thin layers of acrylic varnish.

Then finally I was happy with it, and I cut it out and roughed up the edges a little.

 

 

And I've stuck it somewhere, and it stuck really well, no air bubbles, and I'll show you where I stuck it, next time !

 

And you have probably noticed that I have misspelt something on my poster (that took ages), and I've only just noticed it, whilst checking this post. DUH, silly old me !!

bathroom makeover part 1

I've been working on my bathroom.

It's an odd shape, because it has a diagonal wall in one corner, where a fireplace would originally have been. The fireplace was taken out at some stage to make way for a sink (fortunately I still have the original cast iron fire surrounds in the two bedrooms).

 

When I originally bought this house, the sink was yellow like the bath. We got a plumber in to change the taps and he broke the sink, so we had to replace it. Costly but fortunate because the yellow sink was a really ugly shape.

 

I took down the soap ball and gave it to my boss - it looks way better in the café toilets. My brother moved the lower shelf up, because I want to put some tongue and groove round the walls.

 

I took the candles sconces from the landing and put them either side of the mirror, and I really like the new arrangement.

 

I painted the items that I showed you before, the mirror and the letters.

 

The mirror has great ridges and so distressed really well.

I hung it over the bath with a cabinet that used to be in my hall.

I may or may not hang a basket underneath the cabinet (hence the screws), depending on the panelling I do.

 

I painted the letters grey, using a matchpot I had. Then I used a water based varnish to protect them, before roughly painting them white and distressing them with a damp cloth.

 

I originally envisaged them on the opposite wall, but they look better here, and I enjoy seeing this view as I walk up the stairs and into the bathroom.

 

As you can see, I have a bit of filling and painting to do, then there's the panelling, more painting, the chair, the window, the this, the that and the other.....................................

 

linking up with.........

Silver Pennies Sundays Link Party @ Silver Pennies

 

 

a little bit of this and that !

Don't you find that some of the little changes you do, make you smile as much as bigger projects.

I am working on a couple of larger things at the moment but I'm so pleased that I finally......

 

found something to put in this trio of pots. I have had them for at least 15 years, and most of the time they have been empty.

Sometimes I put cyclamens in them, but I wanted something more permanent and when I was dusting I put the coral in one and thought 'that's it' - I just went with beach stuff, the coral, seaweed and a bit of rusty metal.

 

 

They look cute on the metre box shelf with other beach finds. I also swapped the birdcage for my new mini greenhouse and put some books, a plate and a couple of Noritake coffee cups inside.

 

 

I've been looking at the shiny brass of my chandelier for ages and finally.......

 

 

put some white paint on it (I'm now wondering whether I should have tried to age the brass !?!) and gave it a pale blue silk bandage, because all chandeliers need bandages !

Anyway, white or aged brass, I'm just happy with the piece of silk I found in my stash, because it suits the dining room.

 

I also finally took the plug off my driftwood lamp, fed the wire down the back of the cabinet, and re-attached it.

 

You can see it coming out the front in this picture. Trust me (I didn't think an after shot was necessary!), it now goes down the back and into the plug socket that is actually inside the cupboard.

It only took me seven months to get around to this - not bad huh !

 

I found the one thing I'd been looking for, to finish off the styling of my new cabinet..................

 

 

Amaretti biscuits to go into my little cheese dome/cloche. I love the little green and blue papers, perfect for my buffet.

 

And the one thing that is really really making me smile is changing the door on this bathroom cabinet from this.........

to this.........................

 

I'm chuffed to bits, because I changed the door myself.

I took the door off and the laundry bin section, and bought new hinges that matched the top section, and then spent a couple of hours re-fitting the door. I had to take it off once and start again because I learnt something..........you have to attach the hinges to the door first, then fit the door to the frame.

Some of you are shouting at me 'I know that'. Well, I didn't and now I do, and it fits and hangs straight, yippee.

 

All these simple things make me smile (not the dusting, or the plate sitting on the bin), because a little bit of this and that does you good !

 

 

 

 

 

 

my new cabinet

I really felt that my new cabinet needed something large on it, like a lamp.

I also envisaged a narrow shelf above it, the sort I've seen on other blogs. I was sure TKMaxx would have what I was looking for, so when my BFF visited recently we went to Homesense in Chichester. I found the perfect shelf almost immediately for £5.99.

 

And painted it white, distressed it and hung it up the same day !

 

 

The only large lamp was £250.00 and even if I could have afforded it I wouldn't have bought it, so I kept hunting round.

 

When you go with your bff who has different taste to you, you have to make sure you don't get swayed. Dear Pandy kept pointing out loads of things (that I'm so glad I didn't bring home), but I spied something large, something that I knew would work, and something I was so pleased I brought home with me, coz I love it.

 

 

A bottle drier/hanger thingamajig. I'm guessing that it's not authentic, but it sure looks old and industrial to me and fits in perfectly and it was only £16.99.

 

I just put a couple of jugs, mugs and cups on it, it seems to look better not over filled.

 

It's turned into a bit of a buffet I guess. There's a wooden tray with old tablecloths, some napkins and an empty cheese dome (I will find something to go in it eventually). The basket is filled with natural stuff, shells, sea weed and pine cones. The little pansy print I found recently for £2, I just love the colour, though it hasn't photographed well.

 

 

 

 

I shopped my house for other pieces, my faux bonsai and my favourite tea light holders now have pride of place on the shelf. The oval plate belonged to my mother, the Christmas turkey was always served on it. It's funny how I always thought it was huge as a child, now it seems quite small.

 

I feel like I need something bigger on the wall, but the idea I have means adding something else to my ever expanding 'to do' list, so for now it'll stay as it is.

 

I'm so pleased I bought this cabinet, it really seems to suit my little house.

 

 

And what's even better, I have more storage. One can never have enough places to put 'stuff' !

 

Linking up with

Make it pretty Monday @ The Dedicated House

Tuesdays Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays @ Coastal Charm

Knick of Time Tuesdays @ Knick of Time

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life

The Scoop @ The Farmhouse Porch

Wow Us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style

What's It Wednesday @ Ivy and Elephants

Treasure Hunt Thursday @ From My Front Porch To Yours

Open House Party @ No Minimalist Here

Inspire Me Link Party @ Liz Marie Blog

Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

Be Inspired @ Common Ground

Shabbilicious Friday link party @ Shabby Art Boutique

Silver Pennies Sundays Link Party @ Silver Pennies

 

a few quid, some wonga or extra spondulies # 3

I have a list a mile long of things I need for this house. Top of the list is a rug to cover the threadbare carpet left by the tenants. Then there's the chair I desperately want recovered, because I can't bear looking at the topiary tree fabric any more. Then there's this and that and a lot of other things.

What I didn't need was an extra piece of furniture to go along my only free wall downstairs. I always loved this tongue and groove wall, with nothing in front of it except my tree at Christmas. I have never even hung anything on it because with so much stuff everywhere else, I felt I needed the blank space.



This is my blank wall, with the understairs cupboard that has a pebble handle, and oops, there's the hoover cord !

So what do I go and do. I buy something I don't need, but that I fell in love with.

I bought this..........

It's odd how the paint has chipped off everywhere except the middle section and the door on the right.

A very chippy, shabby old cabinet, with a marble top and great details. I went and looked at it three times to make sure I loved it enough, and to check the measurements. It only just fits between the architrave of the hall door and the understairs cupboard.

I love the carved detail on the front and on the corners, and the escutcheons are really pretty. I even have the original key, although unfortunately the lock mechanism is missing on the right hand side.

I cleaned it up, and scrubbed the marble top which was really dirty and covered in candle wax.

 

Then I had the best task, shopping my house trying to find stuff to put on it !

 

I tried this fake plant, which looked great, but then I missed it being on the table under the mirror.

 

The view through to the hall.

The view from the hall - this side doesn't have much chipping either.

 Then I tried my storm lantern with candle and driftwood, but I missed it off the dining room table !

 

 



What it really needed was something large, like a lamp, something I didn't have.

Which meant only one thing - I needed to go shopping !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And if you're wondering, the cabinet was £135, which means that I have spent about £180 so far (if you've been following along). And my last little bit of shopping (that I will show you next time) only took the total to about £200, which is only just over half of my overtime pay, so I'm still not feeling guilty about my little splurge..........

a few quid, some wonga or extra spondulies # 2

So carrying on from the previous post, I spent some more dosh !

I was given a unit for my bathroom and it gave me a few ideas of how to give the bathroom a slightly new look without the expense of a whole new suite (which would be quite costly seeing as how I would love a small wall knocked out, a new shower, bath, toilet and a marble topped double sink unit !!).

 

This is the unit (next to my rather shabby old shower) with a pull out dirty linen basket. I seriously need some storage in here, so I'm going to change it (hopefully) and paint it to meet my requirements, but I spent some Wonga on the two baskets. One for the top to give it some height, and the smaller one that will hopefully display prettier things, when I'm done (although it doesn't look like it in the picture, they are actually the same colour).

 

 

In the same shop I also picked up the round mirror (yes, unfortunately I do have a yellow bath). The mirror has fluted edges, and I'll be painting it white ! There are also some letters sitting on the chair, that I'd been eyeing up in the shop for a while. They were on sale, so I picked up B.A.T.H.E. and when they're painted I hope they look good hung vertically beside the cabinet.

 

This little haul cost me approx. £30, so at this stage I wasn't quite done spending my extra spondulies !

 

I just thought I'd take a look in T K Maxx. I found nothing I really needed, nor seriously wanted, until I walked past three women engrossed in a few shelves of reduced stock behind the shoe section. There on the top shelf was this.....

 

 

a miniature greenhouse, on sale for £8.00 !!! YIPEE, and just missing a little handle.

I wouldn't have spent the original £24.99 it cost because I didn't love it enough at that price, but £8.00 is perfect for a thing I don't need or potentially have space for !

 

So now, my total spending was less than £50.00, but..........

it still didn't stop there, and I went LARGER, much larger, but I'll show you next time.............

 

And please don't hold your breath on the mini bathroom makeover, because I can't seem to focus.

I'm still working on the front garden, the back garden and a potting bench. I have big plans for my hall, my bedroom and I keep fussing about in the guest room too - ahhhh, if only I didn't have to work 5 days a week !!!