A Shabby update



This is my first table I painted. It's sold now and went to a good home. Painted in Annie Sloan chalk paint 'Country Grey'  then waxed for protection,and colour washed in another chalk paint 'Red Letter'

the top is covered in Orla Kiely design paper and given three coats of dead matt varnish to protect the top, as this one didn't come with it's glass. I now never buy these tables unless they have the glass as it's so expensive to get some cut. The person who bought this loves it. It's so nice to know it's being loved.

 

 

This was the table when I bought it

 

 

More Tables, I love these but they have to be sold as I don't have the room for them.

 

 

And this is my favourite one. The cutest table in Paris Grey and has to be sold too. It's the smallest from a nest of three, I have to work on the other two yet.

A gorgeous little 1960's Austinsuite cupboard waiting to be worked on. This I am keeping for my study. It will be painted in bright colours to match my Roman blind I still have to make with some lovely Laura Ashley fabric called 'Wallace' which is based on a 1950's design ( very unlike L.Ashley's usual cabbage roses !) photo of fabric below.

I painted an antique Victorian table to match the fabric of the blind. I have had it for over 36 years and it's spent the last 20 odd years in my attic. So I have re-invented it as a desk in very bright colours. much cheaper than the one from John Lewis I was saving for. I love up- cycling !!!

Now for my best and latest projects ! two more standard lamps, painted in Laura Ashley 'Creamware' and i managed to buy two secondhand lampshades which believe me are so hard to get at a reasonable price. I have designed and handmade my own fabric flowers and added old lace on one of them. I call this style BoHo chic and I love these two. (sadly I can't keep them as no room, so they are up for sale) they remind me of two old ladies with crazy hats on!

 

 

 

I hope you enjoy looking at my Shabby work ! there is much more to come, and I'm off to Dorset tomorrow to pick up more standard lamps ! it's so addictive. it's a good thing I have a patient husband as I've taken over every space available in the garage and I can't use the study at the moment as it's storing things already done.

m xx

A long awaited update to this blog. I have been busy honest !

Here goes let's see if Blogger is letting me upload on here today !!!!

WELL !! I am impressed as this blog is better than my allotment one for uploading ! how come ? shouldn't be any difference really, but I'm delighted to be able to get back on here and show you just what I have been up to since last year.
SHABBY CHIC -ing ! it all started with being fed up with my old chunky and lovely pine bed. I didn't want to get rid of it ! but it needed to be uplifted, so I bought some paint and painted it in Farrow & Ball 'Wimbourne White' and I loved it so much that i have snowballed from there and have been painting none stop  since.

I obviously can't keep everything as I don't have the space, so I have been selling here and there.  I love getting hold of old furniture and lampstands and upcyling and giving them new life. So satisfying. LOVE IT !

To give you some examples here below is a before of a bargain find £3 ! old bowed fronted Lloyd Loom bedside cupboard.  It was covered in layers of an assortment of paint (not good quality either) so what was I going to do with this ??? I almost gave it to a charity shop. Then decided to do my best and make it into a special girly cupboard for my 3 year old grand-daughter Florence.

BEFORE

 

 And this was the result ! complete with a fairy stencilled inside and Florence loves it.

 AFTER

 Then I got carried away and bought loads more things from eBay, gumtree, and charity shops. Here are a some of my finished pieces.

My £8 bargain little gate leg table. I couldn.t sell this so it's in my Summer house. Perfect for luches in the Summer.

These Vintage magazine racks are a pain to do as they have to be taken apart ! tricky to do, but I love them when they are finished. £20 each and for sale.

My first lampstand which I was so reluctant to sell, but it went to a good home in London.

 

This table got sold very quickly ! I only have about another eight to do ! really I kid you not !

 

My £12 bargain from gumtree, and looking good painted in my hall.

 

 

My wheelbacks first two done, all done now and fab.

 

This is where it all started from

with  this bed !

 

An antique cupboard my son wanted rid of now painted and beautiful.

 

 

 

 

 And finally this is  my amazing bargain which is definitely NOT getting painted. I know my place ! retro vintage 19050' s sideboard, which is in pride of place in my living room. I love it just as it is ! well almost ! I just have to finish sanding years of old wax and dirt off it and then a nice wax to protect it for years to come. My £40 best buy ever !

I have done so much more, just finished two beautiful Lamp stands and made my own flowers for the shades.

So as you can see i am well and truly hooked on painting, upcycling, BoHo and Shabby Chic-ing.
I have a very understanding and patient husband thank goodness, as i have taken over everywhere .

I have also acquired the nickname of Steptoe !!!

Steptoe xxxxx

Summerhouse painted at last !!

Just a few photo's of my newly painted summerhouse. The outside was done last year, but as there has been leakage problems the inside has only been painted a week ago. The summerhouse is almost six years old (No rush there then !!!) I hope you like the finished Beach hut ! as near as I will ever get to owning one !

I used Cuprinol 'Shades' in Natural Stone and Country Cream and the result is very restful.


This Potting bench outside my beach hut shed was a birthday present and it's painted in Ocean Mist

This gorgeous Duck was also a present. She is a doorstop and has a sweet sentiment embroidered on her pocket which is the reason I'm sure my friend chose it as I'm always talking about my grandchildren.

And finally I have made strawberry jam, but it didn't set as well as it usually does. It's slightly moves around the jars when tilted, but kept in the fridge after opening it is delicious.

I'm sure you are all as fed up with this terrible summer of ours as I am. Let's hope August, Sept and October make up for it !!!

M xxx

Painting more pots.

I have been busy potting up plants to sell at a local boot sale. Myself and a friend have been sowing, growing and potting up since last year, and we have masses of plants. I grew and divided herbs of all sorts, Frances divided her day lilies last year and they are now huge and have buds. We have around 20 plus lilies and dozens of different varieties of tomatoes and all sorts of other plants, too many to mention. Trouble is the weather has been so bad ( as if you need me to tell you that !!!) so we haven't been able to do our plant sale. The tomatoes are getting too big and some have to be composted as they aren't looking too good.  As for the herbs ! well they have come on a treat with the extra time they have had growing and are looking lush.

We are not sure when we can do the sale as this Sunday being Father's day so this weeks out, so weather permitting we are hoping for the Sunday after. In the meantime we have sold some plant to neighbours and friends (bless them) and we are busy painting and stencilling clay pots. I haven't done this for years and I'm loving it. A friend has already bought a large and a small one, she actually came and asked if she could buy them, so they sold themselves.  Here are the pots I've painted so far.

I designed and cut all the stencils myself and a couple are just painted free-hand as best as I could.
I sponged the tops of the small pots so they were a bit different. They have had lots of interest from friends and neighbours, so hopefully they will sell well at the plant sale. I just need to get going on more pots now.

Let's hope the weather stays bright for the coming weeks as it was so lovely today.

M x

Painting Pots

Yesterday was a busy day in the garden, so today I had a quite time relaxing and painting terracotta pots. A friend and myself are going to do a plant boot sale in a couple of weeks time and I suggested we paint pots to sell as well. So out came all my stencil brushes and paints from years ago when I did an interior design course at our local college. I am so glad I kept all my arty stuff. I even found some of my own hand cut and designed stencils.

Here are some of the pots, I have lots more to do yet and I have to finish stencilling them or even freehand painting on some perhaps.  It was a relaxing afternoon in the garden with my friend.

This stencil is actually upside down (on purpose) it is a bow with little hearts hanging from it, but I decided to use it like a flower. I might do it the right way up on another pot.

It was starting to get a bit dark when I decided to take these photo's so I will take some more when I finish stencilling and will take the next photo's during the daylight.

We have been planning the sale since last year as I have grown so many herbs and also divided all the ones I already had, so my garden looks like a garden centre at the moment.  I wont be sorry to see the back of them ! I also have a lot of self seeded garden plants and Frances divided her day lillies and we potted them up last year and they are amazing now, large and healthy plants in big pots. I think we have about 25 of the

day lillies. We are both plant fanatics and love growing all sorts of things.

I usually give away all my extra tomatoes,chillies, cucumber and courgette plants, but this year I grew more to sell, so the greenhouse on the allotment is full. Again it will be good when they are sold as I need the room for my own plants.

Hasn't the weather been amazing ?? although I have to confess it's far too hot for me, today was unbearable in my garden which is south facing, so I painted the pot beneath the umbrella.

Enjoy the sunshine

M x

Still making cushions

I made another cushion from some lovely bright fabric remnants bought for £4. That's a bargain as it's a big cushion and I love the colour. I also bought two candles from my visit to the Range in orange and Lime green of course, so the room is beginning to look a bit more colourful.

My little 'Frister Rossmann' sewing machine is 38 years old and has never let me down yet ( Sssshhhh, fingers crossed, touch wood !!)  admittedly it's not used daily and sometimes not for long spells, but it was certainly money well spent. It has a hard carry case which is useful too.

If only I could afford to get my sofa's recovered that would make such a difference. I have thought of throws but they get messy after one sitting so I can't be bothered with that.  ah well ! we can't have everything I guess !

I don't know about you but I am so fed up with April showers now ! I don't mind the rain and goodness knows we needed it, but everything was coming on well in the greenhouse and garden, and then the rain and cold damp weather has slowed it all down and the soil is too wet to plant anything out.
Moan over !!
M x

Looking for home accessories to compliment my cushions.

After making my cushions ( previous post)  I have been on the lookout for items that will add some more splashes of colour to my living room. I went through a very 'cream' phase a couple of years ago and the although I still like neutral colours on the walls and floors, I have definitely gone off the cream curtains! it all looks a little too bland. I am toying with the idea of having a contrast colour on the chimney breast wall as well.  It takes me ages to make a decision.

I find I swing between liking the Scandinavian look IE: everything white and neutral and the bright and zingy colours of the 'designers guild' what I really need is two homes and then I could have both looks !!!! Yes I know dream on ! although I do happen to know someone who has that luxury.

I love looking around in Habitat and John Lewis, they have some lovely things for the home, but I always visit our local branch of the 'Range' are you familiar with this store ? They have some very affordable and lovely Home Accessories. I also buy lot's of my craft supplies from there as well. So that's were I will be heading to see what they have in store and I'll also take a look at their online web as well.  I know they do some very nice candles, so I think some lime green and maybe some orange ones would look good.

If I find anything I will post a photo.