My Last Refurb Bastion …… My Bathroom

In the past eighteen months I have sorted out much of the house, it has given me something to concentrate on, a continual focus, as well giving me a bit of a thrill as everything has come to fruition.  Nothing has been that major, just a freshen up, a lot of painting,  new soft furnishings and the rearranging of my bits and pieces.  At first everything was very neutral in white and magnolia but as my confidence has grown, colour, mainly turquoise, lime green, fuchsia pink and purple has crept into almost every room, making things interchangeable!

My bedroom has been my favourite project so far …… it has become my “boudoir” … but February will see the start of the last bastion of my refurb,  to wit the bathroom …. at the moment it is sooooo urggggh I am ashamed, and is the room that no one sees (until now) …..

…. see I told you it was urggggh!  The plan is that it will all be retiled in white (again!), with a new loo and sink, flooring and a cupboard for storage.  I want it to be a girlie spa for me and Lu and so my bit is going to be making a patchwork effect bath panel, front and side!  I have Googled extensively for fancy bath panels but have drawn a blank …. so I just have a picture in my head …. heaven help me if it doesn’t work.  I am going to use squares of my prettiest, flowery craft papers and then coat with lots and lots of layers of matt varnish to make it waterproof. 

 

At the side of the sink I am going to make another one of my bejewelled mirrors, I am hoping that Primark will have plenty of bits that I can disassemble after Christmas and I still have quite a few bits and pieces still to be used.

The old mirror is very plain …. so I am hoping to find something like the mirror below to replace it, it’s from Argos, and is the perfect size, but unfortunately is cream …… so I need to do a bit more searching, and will hopefully find a bargain in the sales.

I have already bought two sets of glass shelves from Argos to go on the bath wall, which I am hoping to fill with lots of coloured glass charity shop finds that I can put tea lights in for ambient relaxing bath times, I am are hoping not to use the main light very often.

And finally, I found these picture frames in Poundland that are just perfect for the ideas I have in my head ….

…… measuring 10” x 8”, 7” x 5” and 6” x 4”, I am planning on filling them with more patterned papers and pieces of “dramatic” jewellery from Marc ….. and then arranging them on wall next to the loo.

Well, that’s the plan anyway ….. so it a watch this space situation as I start doing my bits towards a completion date at the end of February when hopefully everything will come together.

W E Interiors

557-561 Battersea Park Road, SW11 3BL London, United Kingdom

Poor Marc was up to his eye balls at the end of November making goodie bags for the “Grand Launch” of W E Interiors, in Battersea  run by his partner Rick with Rick’s sister Lynn.

The Worshipful Mayor of Wandsworth was there to cut the ribbon and the shop was jammed packed with guests and potential customers.  I wish I could have been there, especially to see all of Rick and Lynn’s hard work and attention to detail come to fruition,  it would have been so exciting!

……. but at least I can say that I expertly priced some of the vases and candlesticks on my last visit that were on show and for sale !!!

Since I was there I can see from the pictures that Rick and Lynn have added a lot more beautiful stock …..

…… including several pictures by “The Artist to the Stars”, John Lee Bird, who sent me a portrait of my monkey Darrell on his birthday …… and you’ll never know how rare and fantastic that honour was!

Hopefully I will be able to have another mooch around on my next visit, hopefully in February, especially as I have my eye on a pair of glass jars and a couple of cushions

Oh …… I almost forgot ….. Marc’s goodie bags!

Marc doesn’t do anything by halves …… I just hope he saved me one! Everything was carefully put together to reflect the “corporate” colours of W E Interiors, with Marc’s unique flair ……

…… including his beading and pins ….. and flair for using Spellbinder dies.

….. and Elizabeth Shaw mints!!!  The little stockings (Primark) contained more goodies, including W E Interior key rings and more sweeties!

As I said,  it won’t be long before I am back …. I just need to persuade Rick that perhaps having an attractive Brummie sales assistant who is prepared to drape herself (discretely) over some of the glamorous pieces of furniture is just what W E Interiors needs to welcome and make it’s showbiz clientele feel at ease and at home !!!!!

Fame ….. In Dubai – On ExpatWoman

Oh my goodness I was doing a little bit of Googling and found this link to my blog ……
http://www.expatwoman.com/dubai/monthly_shopping_deals_crafts_crafters.aspx

It seems that ExpatWoman.com is a community website for all the information you need about living in Dubai and I’m on there ……………. I am totally, totally blown away!!

What Is Marc Like? A Ranger Melting Pot Of My Own!

What is Marc like ?…… Look what I unwrapped on Christmas morning!

A Melting Pot of my very own ……oooooooooooooooo, just seeing it bought back such happy memories of my last two visits to Marc when we tried faux soldering in the summer and Movember Moustaches in October, memories that I will treasure forever of Marc’s infectious enthusiasm, our laughter and the horrendous mess we created in his lounge ……..

But Marc, being Marc didn’t just leave it at giving me the melting pot of my crafting dreams did he? ……Can you imagine how I felt when I found all these at the bottom of the box, hidden under the melting pot’s packaging …… Marc what are you like?  LOL ….. I know what you are like ….. and I love you soooooooooo much it hurts!!!

Well, it would have looked extremely rude not to have had the teeniest, tiniest play on Christmas morning while the turkey was cooking wouldn’t it?……..

So I quickly melted down a small quantity of Cosmic Shimmer Lapis Sapphire embossing crystals and poured it into a heart shaped cookie cutter, adding a few Beadazzles and making a hole very, very quickly before the heart set …. et voila!!  My Christmas heart tied with ribbon left over from The Wedding of the Year!

What a wonderful present, what can I say?  There is much watching of You Tube ahead for me to learn all the techniques, Googling for inspiration and much experimenting to be done, my mind is buzzing, and I am planning on using 27th December to go through and tidy as I go along my craft cupboards finding and putting aside all the bits I think I can "Melt Pot" with …… so expect a post almost every other day for the next year or so while I get to grips with my new “toy”.

Thank you sooooo much Marc

IT'S CHRISTMAS

There’s nothing left for me to say …… all our festive crafting should be done (heads up – it’s Valentines Day next!!!!!), all the fussing and fretting about what to get for who is over, and your turkey should be stuffed to high heaven and at this point probably in the oven ……..  so it’s finally here, as Slade are oft heard to sing every year, very, very  loudly ………….IT’S CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

I hope you have a WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL day ……. lots of presents, good food, but most of all lots of good memories in the making, that will long out last most of the presents, to stay with you for always. 

xxxxxxx With much love …. Helen xxxxxxx

Santa’s Plate

I have to confess here and now that this Santa’s plate is a blatant and unabashed copy of one I saw when Googling.  I wanted to make my friend’s adopted son Jacob a special plate to leave out on Christmas Eve for their first Christmas together ….. I had the plate, the Sharpie pens ….. but no idea what I was going to do ……… and as I was soooo tired and time was of the element I copied the plate that was the easiest to do and that didn’t mention “cookies”!

I used Sharpies permanent pens, I don’t think they will be that  hard wearing and wouldn’t dare put the plate in the dishwasher, but for something that is only used once a year …. with careful washing it should last for the next couple of years.

More Handmade Christmas Cards From You …… And A Fiendish Thought/Plan ……

Once again thank you for all the lovely cards you have sent me ….

My efforts however, this year have, for me been very, very disappointing ……

…… things happened from September onwards that conspired to not leave me enough time to do all the Christmassy things I had planned/hoped to do …….

….. so in the coming year I am going to take a leaf out of Cheryl W’s book who left this comment the other day ……..

“I have vowed to start making my 2014 cards and tags in January - I'm thinking 4 or 5 of each per month would be such a help come next December. I wonder if I can stick to such an audacious resolution!”

And to add to this plan, instead of holding the ideas back until the end part of the year I am going to post them as and when, throughout the year ……. well that’s the theory!!!!

Again,  “Thank You” for all the lovely cards, you’ve put me to shame!

Christmas Cards 2013

My most favourite Christmas Cards every year are the ones that have been made for me. They are the ones that stay on my festive shelves the longest and are the ones that are always put away in my “special” drawer to keep and treasure,  as well as for inspiration.  These cards have popped through my Yuletide letter box in the past few weeks and I thought they deserved to be shared.

The first card came from Chris who “adopted” one of my monkeys, Benji,  a couple of years ago …… I immediately recognised the Accessorize snowman stickers from a couple of years back. I still pop into Accessorize now and again to look see what new stickers they have ….. but perhaps I’m just over them now, but in the past year or so I don’t think they have been a patch on past years (as above), when I used to rave on and on about them,  …. neither do I think that they are the value for money they used to be ……. which is a great shame! However I know that all great things sometimes have to pass.

This next card is from Diane who also adopted two of my monkeys, naming them Hank and Marvin and always leaves such funny and lovely comments on my monkey blog. I just love it ….. and will use it as inspiration for using ribbons and charms more in the coming year ….. something I am always very nervous of.

And finally,  a card from the Equally Lovely Denise, The Lovely Laura’s Mum.  I know Denise has just got herself a Silhouette Cameo and has taken to using it like a duck to water, making me feel very inadequate, as my skills after goodness knows how many years are still very rudimentary.

Perhaps another task for me to get to grips with in 2014, I have a monthly subscription for Silhouette templates and download regularly, only for them to linger unused amongst my files ……… perhaps I should aim to use at least one of them in a project each month!

Bejewelled Christmas Trees – Perhaps Next Year

I was in the Dentists Surgery awaiting my turn for the drill, when looking through the magazines, as you do,  I saw an article by Kirsty Alsop about Jewelled Christmas Trees after she had  seen book by Bobi Hall called Classic Jewelled Pictures …… now how up my alley is that?Well, I couldn’t wait to get home to have a “Google” and this is part of another article I found ………

“What could be more lovely than a lighted, jewelled Christmas tree picture to highlight your holiday decorations? What could be a more delightful way to enjoy your beautiful but old and out of style or broken jewellery you haven't worn for years, but can't bear to throw away!"

As owner of Bobi's hobby in Alhambra, California, Bobi Hall was a successful business woman, craft teacher and popular guest on TV's "Creative Living". Bobi was thrilled at the chance to be one of Hazel Pearson's guest artists as she had built her business on much of the knowledge she had gained from hazel's "extensive variety of craft books".

In this book Bobi details the many steps it takes to create one of these beauties.

(Creative American Craft series "Classic Jewelled Treasures" by Bobi Hall, 1973)

Then I started searching for pictures of jewelled Christmas trees, both old and new and just loved the idea ….. I love the old, heavy, vintage frames and the fact that some even light up ….. oh Mon Dieu!!!!

It’s too late to make one this year ….. but it’s an idea I am certainly considering for next year …… however, I don’t think I could be bare putting so much work into something that I would only have out for about three/four weeks of the year … because I am really funny about having decorations up for too long after Christmas Day ………. but I have a feeling I won’t be able to resist the temptation …… so I think I may have enough jewels, I just need a deep and ornate frame ……

Have a look on Pinterest …… where some of the examples just make my mouth water!!!!

http://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=jewelled%20christmas%20trees

Wooden Gingerbread Man Tag

I made this really. really, really quickly, so please, please excuse the blobs of glue ……!!!!

There’s really nothing special about it, I just needed a tag in a hurry ……  so I grabbed a wooden Hobbycraft gingerbread man from their Christmas range (packs of 4 – 99p), added some black flat backed gems from Paperchase, a red gingham bow and a bit of fiddlefart doodling!  I know I can/should/will fine tune the idea, perhaps for next year (!?!?!?!?),  when I am in not such a hurry!!!!!