Taking A Week Off ........

Just to let you know, I'm going be taking a week off from blogging until 7th June, I don't usually like to do this, but I really don't have a single post in the pipeline to keep things going while I am with Marc at the cottage. 

Goodness only knows what we'll be getting up to, but rest assured I'll be taking lots pictures and filling you in as soon as I get back, it'll just be so lovely to feel and be "normal" again after so long apart  ........... until then, keep fiddle farting and stay safe xxxxxx 

Domed Skeleton Fairy

Not to everyone’s taste I know today and a huge sorry, I was so absorbed when putting this domed skeleton fairy together, taking photos of the process just flew out of my head.

This is Marc’s birthday present from me, I knew I was going to make him some sort of skeleton, but to be honest, I didn’t really have a clue where I was going until I was about half way through.

I started by gathering two lengths of the wonderful black and gold lace (80p for a huge length from Evesham Fabric Shop) to create a full, double layered skirt.

The scepter was made using a cocktail stick, a small skull bead (The Works), a silver, star shaped spacer bead for the neck frill and a gold crown charm (Ebay from China), if you are prepared to wait 2 to 3 weeks for your bits, it’s so much cheaper.

I first tried putting “the fairy” on a old, wooden, cotton reel pedestal but it soon became apparent that she was never going to stand without toppling over every five seconds ……. so I then thought "dome", having a spare one in the cupboard from my Christmas shelves. I had to use Super Glue to hold her in position.

After adding a crown, the scepter and wings (£1.50 -The Works, I originally only bought one packet and kicked myself for not buying more after making my first skeleton fairy a few weeks ago, and then low and behold I spotted them in a basket in another Works, needless to say I bought all they had).

Then I went a little bit mad, adding a whole pile of plastic spiders, using a glue gun to the skirt and then on the back of the wings,  ………

…… followed by more skull beads in between the spiders …….

……… not “less is more” on this idea!

Adding the glass dome over the top gave the whole thing a completely different feel, it felt as if it was now something “special” and then ………. I went the whole hog and put tiny battery operated lights inside the dome as well.

I can’t wait to see Marc’s face when he opens the box, it’s been really hard to give it away, even to my best friend ……. but I think if I rearrange my lounge shelves a bit, I have another dome to make one for my own.

I’m At The Cottage! Marc’s Birthday Tut.

As you read this I will be safely and very happily ensconced with Marc and Rick at their cottage in the depths of the Worcester countryside. I haven’t seen Marc since July 2020, I can’t believe it, though we speak regularly on the phone, it just isn’t the same as being together in the flesh!!!!

It’s tradition (except for last year) that I always spend Eurovision with the dynamic duo, which also ties in very nicely too with Marc’s birthday, so double festivities. With Covid restrictions slowly lifting, we’ve all been double jabbed and we can, from 17th May, mix indoors as a group of six or two households so perfect timing for a wonderful few days.

Now, Marc and I don’t really do birthdays, but there’ll be a special sack of “tut” for this weekend …….. let’s just say that the charity shops of Evesham have been well and truly scoured these past few weeks for some pretty epic treasures!

Finding a Basset Hound to grace Marc’s shelf is always really hard, so can you imagine how I felt when I saw this beauty (above), I pounced like a graceful gazelle to secure it and the price?  Only 80 flipping p!  There are no markings, but it’s heavy, I’m not sure what it’s made of ,but it’s solid, I was so chuffed.

Then there’s this, which is going to be a gift that will be almost impossible to top in the future!  I can’t wait to hear Marc near collapse with laughter. I could see everyone’s jealous faces in the shop  as I clutched it to my ample bosom, hoping against hope that I would change my mind and put it back.  Not a chance.  A large, illuminated hedgehog for indoor or outdoor use (PAT tested) for the grand sum of £2.50, with it’s original price tag still on at £19.99, what a beauty ……..

……. and did it work? You bet it did!  Eat ….. your …… hearts …… out!

To keep us busy in the afternoons I got us both a diamond painting Madonna each from AliExpress £3.59, by the time were are half way through Marc will probably be regretting ever pointing them out to me! 

I think I’ve done myself proud, I even managed to find Marc some packs of Diam Latte bars after he messaged me on the Poundland Appreciation page saying that he thought it would be rude if we didn’t try them.

This final corker, was 40p (same shop), I like to think of it as Marc and I gazing whimsically, in our younger years, captured forever, lost in our thoughts at the bottom of my garden, watched on by …………

…… what looks to be a cross between a bird and a  some sort of rare white whale/dolphin??? What the?

I even got the perfect lounging outfit for the weekend ……. for just £3.00, again for the same shop as all the above.  Before Covid Marc and I were going to go up Shepherds Bush Market to get me a kaftan for my stays,  I know it isn’t as colourful as the one we had planned, but, this also has a long waistcoat to go over the top, for extra swishability and, dare I say glamour, with a capital G!  Can you imagine the laughter as I glide into the lounge, shortly after arrival, when I usually say that I am going to slip into something more comfortable?  Marc will, pardon the expression, wet himself! There was a sort of head band that also went with the ensemble, but I think I must have put it down on the spare seat while sorting out my shopping when I stopped for a coffee and left it there ……….. doh!

xxx HAPPY DAYS xxx

An Most Enjoyable Learning Curve

I have to say, starting to sell on eBay again has been quite a learning curve, mainly because this time round I am need to go out to find pretty inexpensive things in the hoping to flip for a small profit. 

It seems I have a bit of an eye, however some things that I didn’t think had any real value but would be perfect to put a smile on everyone’s face for my famous festive tut sacks, after some research had a bit more about them ……..

…….. like this beaded doll that cost me for £1.50 ……..

……. which apparently is a South African handmade and hand beaded Rasta Ndebele doll who “among the Nguni people is a diviner, who claims to be able to contact ancestral spirits. It is said that she receives the will of the spirits and is a protector of the society. Her opinion and judgments are very important, she is seen as an important figure in their culture" Each doll is unique as the patterns from one doll to anther are different in style, pattern and colour.  She is exquisitely made but who knew?

From another shop on another day, for just £1.60, came this figure.  I just loved her, but she fits nowhere in my flat, otherwise I would have kept her. She turns out to be a hand carved, beaded African tribal stick doll with accented brass (?)jewellery.  I can only find one shop in the US to reference her by, where very similar dolls sell for £125, how she got in Evesham goodness only knows. I think she might be a slow burner, but hopefully one day someone will stumble upon her and know exactly what she is. She is really beautiful.

From the sublime to the ridiculous, there’s these Miller Goodman ShapeMaker Cubes, found in a 3 for 99p box, but for which I paid 50p because there wasn’t anything else in the box that I wanted.  To be honest, I didn’t look inside, I just thought Iris and Bertie could play with them for a while and then I would make Christmas tree decorations with them!  Again I got it totally wrong, these currently retail for £39.99 new from the original company who made them, or bizarrely, for as much as £127 in some other shops?  I don’t think these have ever been played with.

Of course I have to sell the things I list first, I think they have the potential, but who knows?

My set of vintage Cherry B glasses that cost me £2.50 have gone …………

…… as has as the Hannah Turner “Birdy” teapot, that cost me £2.50. I just need to be patient, but it’s making me go out more and with an aim (now that we can) looking at all sorts of things with new eyes, all the research is always very interesting as well as useful for descriptions …….. plus my adventures/discoveries help fill the odd blog post in fallow times when I am not inspired to craft, like today!

Oh My Goodness Me A Whole Plethora Of Wooden Christmas Decorations

What can I say to my wonderful friend Anne or Mrs A ……….

………. who when sorting out some of her “defunct” Christmas decorations thought of me, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

She remembered the vintage wooden toy Christmas wreath I put together last year and thought I might be able to make use of a few more bits and pieces.

http://itsallfiddlefart.blogspot.com/2020_03_09_archive.html

Said wreath was much admired when I put it on my front door last Christmas, with several people asking if I’d make them one too, however, sourcing the wooden bits took a long, long time and if I’m honest, if I asked what it was worth to me in time and effort, they would quickly change their mind!

But after Anne’s very generous and kind thoughts, well, it would be rude not to think about having another go, it might take a while, but it’ll give me a mission, getting me really rummaging  in all those tucked away boxes in the charity shops of Evesham etc. for more wooden pieces. I already have a little wooden village, so I can use a few of the buildings, trees and soldiers to add to this collection. I also have more than enough small bristle Christmas trees, plus flat wooden shapes like gingerbread men and Christmas puddings that I can add Ranger Enamel Accents to, to fill in the smaller gaps and add layers.

As I said it might take time, but I have already set a time goal in my head, so watch this space……..

You can catch Anne on her blog https://itsanalienlife.blogspot.com/.  I was lucky enough to meet up with Anne in Swindon in 2017. She and her friend Dianne had adopted four of my monkeys and we held a little reunion for them all. Let’s just say we never left the hotel in the two days we were there, we were talking and laughing so much, perhaps with Covid restrictions easing another “convention” really should to be on the cards, monkeys and all!

My Decopatch Writing Desk

Well, it didn’t take half as long as I expected, probably because I was all enthusiastic and gung ho, but my “new” writing table is in situ, in use and I am sooooooo chuffed.

The first thing I decided to do was paint the legs and drawer of my £3 charity shop table a deep turquoise, using left over emulsion paint from my spare room.

I didn’t do any sanding down, which probably isn’t the most professional thing to do, but I have always said I am an impatient crafter, but lesson learned, if I do anything like it again, I will sand it to give the paint something to adhere to.

And, despite now having a craft room, I still ended up performing this transformation in the lounge! Doh.

It took three good coats of paint to cover the dark wood of the table, which lead me to paint the rest of the table with some spare white paint, because I reckoned the dark wood would make the Decopatch papers I had ordered look darker than I wanted.

I thought I had ordered plenty of Decopatch papers, however, some the colours didn’t work.  I started on the sides and it was going pretty OK, but when it came to the top I began to run out of all the small print/patterned designs I had.

Now, my gut feeling was to stop there and order some more papers of the same designs to the ones used on the sides, but the impatient me decided to carry on regardless introducing a few colours that weren't on the sides …… I think I got away with it, and to be honest, no one will notice other than me and on this occasion I really don’t think it’s going to mither me, as sometimes happens on other projects.

However, I knew I had to be patient and let the papers and PVA dry out properly for at least 24 hours to avoid any chance of a disaster before I started to satin varnish the whole thing.

Fortunately the Wilko Quick Dry Satin varnish does exactly what it says on the tin and dries quickly, so the six/seven layers I added didn’t really take that long.  I varnished the Decopatched areas first, followed by the legs and drawer.

I removed the black paint on the knob and sprayed it with gold paint, although I hope to replace it with a small, faceted glass one when I can find one. 

All I needed to do then was tighten the screws holding the legs a bit and voila, a new desk to sit at while enjoying the view while I am blogging.  I love it, the colours really make a rather plain and boring area zing!  Now……. what can I Decopatch next?