beach junk

I'm not quite ready to start my 'impossible' challenge yet (see post before this) but I have been
playing with some stuff I found on the beach.

 Worthing Beach, West Sussex - last week !

I have collected shells in the past, but recently I have been picking up all sorts of things.

This is my haul so far.

 I really like finding things now, and can't stop looking (even if my little dog would

sometimes rather go to the park !).

I love the simplicity of these things, and the unique way that time

and the sea has aged and softened them. 

First, I took the rusty wire mesh from above, and a pine frame I bought last year for £3.

I painted the frame white, because I want it to stand out against my stencilled walls,

 ( see here )

and distressed it. Took out the glass etc. and stapled the mesh in the back.

And voila -

This is a photo of my brother and I when we were 6 and 4 !!!

I love the contrast of the rust and distressed frame against my walls.

A valentine selection. The gorgeous little metal tag came on a Christmas present.

Next I took a box frame, which cost about £3.50

 (I have been storing stuff for a few months),

and added some brown paper, a fabric sample, some shells, and a little organza ribbon.

I painted the frame with one of the colours from the stencilled wall, because this will

probably end up on the opposite 'white' wall, in a group of pictures.

I have a plan for the large pieces of driftwood, that I am really excited about.

The box frame turned out so well that in the future I will frame some more of my haul.

But the best thing about this project - I didn't go out and buy anything, just used what I had !

Well folks, I must get on, it's Saturday morning and the poor dog is making sad little

whining noises, because I haven't said the 'W' word yet.

linking up with

Saturday Nite Special @ funky junk interiors

Pot Pourri Friday @ 2805

Inspiration Friday @ at the picket fence

Vintage Inspiration Friday @ common ground

Whatcha Got Weekend @ lolly jane boutique

Debbiedoos Newbie Party @ Debbiedoos

Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays @ Coastal Charm

Primp your stuff Wednesdays @ {primp}

an impossible challenge

Linda over @IT All Started With Paint and a few of her friends have been posing this question, and challenging all of us to 'Imagine the Impossibilities' !!!

Well I have been considering it for a couple of days and now I am ready to take up the challenge.

Their impossibilities range from painting a vaulted ceiling to baking bread for the first time.

My impossible is using a HAMMER DRILL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! to put up 10 shelves.

Yes ladies, that's 10 SHELVES.

Our walls (like most of the walls in the UK) are brick and plaster, so you need a hammer drill.

I hate using one, it's hard to get the d... thing to go in straight. I put up two shelves ONCE that only needed two fixings each, and it was ok. But I have persuaded the dear old geezer that my little idea of 10 floating shelves in the dining room will work. So now I just need to do it.

I should have chosen

a) purging my office/craft room - but I'm actually looking forward to that one.

If it had been earlier in the month I would have said

b) finishing all my paperwork for the last financial year - but I finished it on Tuesday !!!

My current wish list involves

c) making two really interesting radiator cabinets - but the budget doesn't allow for that at the moment.

SO - I have the wood.

I have put up ONE shelf as a trial, in the lounge.

I have a big headache from all the drilling, and I need to put up the other one.

THEN I need to find somewhere to put ALL the books while I put up new shelves

in the dining room.

These are the old geezer's books. They are mostly reading books as you can probably tell.

These are my hard-back books on crafts, painting, interiors, gardening, history of art etc, etc.

As you can see, they are in a bit of a mess, as they are too heavy for the shelves, and keep falling down. So I need some really strong shelving, and that is my plan.

By the way, these were from Ikea and they only cost about £20 each, and as we have had them for about 4 years, it's not too much of a waste of money. Also, we will save the one that isn't warped and use it somewhere else.

So, if you feel like taking up the challenge, just click on the button below, and tell Linda your ideas !

decorated alcoves

So while I am waiting for the dear old geezer to find a smaller radiator for the hall, I have been playing in the lounge. I wanted to do something in the two alcoves beside the fireplace and also to look at my home the way I would look at a client's house, and see if I could do some sort of paint effect.

Also - me dear old geezer has been asking me, to bring a little of what I do professionally, into our home. And he has been asking me for years (literally years).

This is the before, with my 'fish' photocopies, stuck on the old canvases, to see how they would look.

As you can see, there needs to be a bit of decorating here, even if it is just white. And sorry about the picture quality.

The first two stages are now finished, and I am super pleased !!!

I did a colourwashed background and stencilled a repeat pattern, then got some frames for the fish and extra mounts and put a little colour on them as well.

While I was doing this, I also painted 'the beast' - the big lack spidery wonky chandelier that I didn't used to like, looks alot better now (although I'm still going to give it more of a funky finish, like I posted here).

So, this is what I did. First, the colourwash - scumble glaze mixed with universal stainers to give a warm background to my stencilling.

The uneveness is due to the walls, that have had years of different wallpapers, patching up, re-painted, filled etc. It is all due to how porous the walls are. But this is exactly what I needed to create the effect I was after. I just dragged the glaze vertically, and didn't brush in any other direction. Normally I would work in all directions - see the pictures on the left side bar.

The next step was to draw up a stencil. I was inspired by all the coral I see everywhere in blogland, and thought it would go with the fish. I needed it to repeat easily, so I drew it in a diamond. Then spent an hour cutting it out from a sheet of acetate.

Then I mixed up a darker glaze and marked a central line with a level, under the light, and

started with the first 'piece of coral'.

 I used torn up pieces of a very cheap sponge to do the stencilling - so that I got a mottled effect, and used different pressure, to get a variety of tones.

I then used matt white emulsion and went over each 'piece of coral' again, leaving some of the darker areas to come through, especially around the edges. 

On each 'piece of coral' I added more white, (after I had removed the acetate stencil), to give more body and because the nature of stencilling is to have 'joints' which I wanted to hide.

I'm loving how the background comes through the pattern and sort of gives it a faded silk feel.

I got large cheap frames with a white mount and found another double mount, to crop the pictures neatly.

I painted the middle mount ( between the black inner mount and large white outer mount)

in the same colour as the first layer of the walls, and used a little technique I know.

I think I will do a post on this one day, as it's quite fun.

Just so you know - the walls cost me next to nothing. I had all the paint etc. I just needed a sheet of acetate, about 40p. The fish prints were 75p each. The biggest cost were the frames and mounts, which were £13.00 each, but I would have had a hard job finding a pair of matching frames at a charity shop.

Plus, I'm going for the eclectic look, and wanted some clean lines against the stencilling.

So, there it is for now - my ugly fish ain't so ugly any more, and I've named them (just between you and me folks ok). You need to read their names whilst chanelling Cap'n Jack Sparrow from The Pirates of the Carribean or Miss Eliza Doolittle from My Fair Lady !!!

We 'ave - Jim, 'Enry, Jack and Fred,

then - George, 'Arry and Geoff.

'N now you know their names, ya shouldn't be so scared of 'em.

Tomorrow the shelves, and later the radiator covers.

I know - you're thinking, TOO MUCH, but there definately ain't no minimalist here, and you know the saying 'less is more', well in my book, 'more is more' lol.

Bye for now xxx

 linking up with

Debbiedoos Newbie Party @ Debbiedoos

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Tuesdays Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays @ Coastal Charm

Show me what ya got @ Not Just a Housewife

Wow Us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style
Open House Party @ No Minimalist Here

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

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

Blog on Fire Award

Wow, my second award ! Stacey at flickerwhips very kindly passed this onto me.
Please visit her blog, she has a real knack for crafting things out of next to nothing, and also for finding thrift store treasures..

So onto the award. I need to tell you five unique things about myself and then pass it onto five other bloggers of my choice, so here goes.

1.   I didn't learn to drive until I was 42, and only passed in an automatic car, so I'm not allowed to drive a manual car - which is what most people drive in the UK.
2.   I can cut a deck of cards in half with one hand, and put the bottom half back on top of the top half without dropping any - it's my party trick !!!
3.   If you make me an instant coffee - I can taste the difference, if you put the milk in before the hot water or after. (Though frankly I'd prefer latte).
4.   I was adopted from about 6 months old. I used to tell my friends at school that I was a Turkish princess - lol. Please lots of lol'ing - of course no-one ever believed me.
5.   I really like fish, but never touch shell-fish. I don't like can't stand prawns, crab, lobster, oysters, cockles etc.etc.etc but I often wish I did - sometimes I feel like I'm missing out  (especially once, when I sat in an amazing fish restaurant overlooking Sydney Harbour Bridge).

So I would like to pass the award onto the following lovely ladies.
I would quite happily give this award to everyone, but I can only choose five.

Olga @stardust decor and style
She has a beautiful blog dedicated to promoting others, and showcasing gorgeous interiors.
AND she has given me invaluable help - above and beyond the call of duty !

Otter @ river critters den
Check out this extremely talented crafter and  amazing photographer.
Otter always leaves me lots of lovely comments and encouragement and I sincerely appreciate it.

Jen @a place to call home
Jen has a beautiful home, please go visit - I'd be round there all the time if I lived a little closer.
And thank you Jen for just being there - I think we are a part of a mutual appreciation society !!!

Tatiana @tatianadoria.blogspot.com
I have borrowed Tatiana's photos, as she has exquisite taste, not to mention a beautiful name.
Another charming blogging mate, I feel I can call a friend.

Layn @reignalayn.blogspot.com
Please visit Layn and encourage her to do more crafts and DIY as she is very talented.
Just check out her lovely 'frames' and say I said 'Hi'.

I hope you all enjoy this award, and pass it on.
Love to you all
Fiona xxx

my musings

I'm feeling full of creativity and desperate to get on with stuff but I have other things to do. Yesterday I spent about eight hours at my desk doing paperwork - very boring. Today I did some of the same, but snatched a couple of hours to 'play'.

I've persuaded the dear old geezer to change the radiator in the hall for a smaller one. He's very clever like that - he read a plumbing book and taught himself about the heating system and changing pipes and rads etc. So we will look for a smaller one on ebay. While that job is in the pipeline, so to speak; I have been thinking about the alcoves in the lounge.

The space is symmetrical, with two identical alcoves and uplighters on the walls.
I am fed up with the pictures - I did them years ago and really want a change.

The first thing I'm going to do is replace the pictures above for two pictures I found in my nearest charity shop.

The guy in the shop said they were book pages, but they aren't - they are just very good photocopies, but either way, they were a great find at £1.50 for the two.

I'm considering sticking them on canvases like these or looking for second hand frames.

I'm so pleased with them - they may not be pretty fish, but I love the colours and all the detail.

I have an idea for the walls of the alcoves - I've been looking at my home, the way I would a client's house, and I think I have the answer (I want to start tomorrow!). Then I'm going to have a floating shelf on each side.

*************************************

My other mis-spent time today was playing with the dining-room sideboard.

When I first started, the poor old geezer rolled his eyes something chronic - a bit too much girlie stuff, just too much pretty.

I just wanted to try loads of glass cloches, vases, apothecary jars - they are all so effective for display.

But they don't really go with my old geezer's beloved Beatles poster.

So..................................

No, I haven't switched the shade - it changes colour depending on the camera !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

An old mandolin, and a wire model of Brighton Pavilion.

It's not my favourite display, but I wanted to show you my light-bulb light.

I think old light bulbs are gorgeous, especially the screw in ones. I lowered them gently into a vase while feeding in some pretty fairy lights. At Christmas you could use glass baubles, but this light is fun all year round.

Do you now think I've gone a bit bananas ?

goodbye 2011 hello 2012 !

Last night I went and watched the old geezer's band playing at a pub in town. They go down well at New Year, because they play a lot of Irish jigs, which always gets people up and dancing.

See them here and here.

And today I've put away all the Christmas decs. I would normally leave them out longer, because our holiday season is quite short here - but I really feel the need to get on.

And I decided to do a little post Christmas mantle - inspired as always by blogland

and the many ever-changing mantle vignettes.

It normally looks like this -

But now it looks like this -

I used the white twigs I had added to my wreath. The larger topiary trees that I made about 15 years ago, were here anyway. The smaller ones are from my little office. I made them from eucalyptus leaves and put them in little metal pots that have a lovely patina.

An old chess board and some fir cones finish it off.

But I felt I wanted something else (there definately ain't no minimalist here either), went to my office and saw the candle sconces.

As I have mentioned before - it is rather full, but I am trying to find the right place for everything.

They were one of the things that I first painted white when we sold the cafe - and why I named this blog the way I did. I knew they would balance out the vignette. I just put two small nails in the frame, that way I can always take them out. And I'm really happy with it.

It's very hard to take pictures because of seeing my reflection in the mirror, but I love it here.

Next to tackle in this room - I want a couple of shelves on either side of the fireplace,

and radiator covers.

I haven't made a list for 2012 because I always have about 5 lists on the go anyway.

1. Little touch up jobs around the house.

2. Which pieces of furniture need painting for us.

3. Which furniture needs painting to sell.

4. What I'd like to do to each room.

4. Ideas I have for pictures and paintings for us, and to sell.

2012 is going to be pretty busy, because I need to work as well.

And of course blogging is pretty addictive and takes up quite a bit of time !!!