Something old

I haven't taken any pics of much the last few days, so thought I would show something I did about 18 months ago, I had taken part in a jigsaw swap on UKScrappers and really enjoyed playing, so thought I would do one on my own. I bought a set of four puzzles from a local £1 shop and used the nine piece one, I wanted something for Graces room, that would stand the test of time and that she wouldn't grow out of, I had an ATC pad of vintage children images so used that, along with lots of cream paint and some lace and this is the result.

Grace loves it and so do I, it has pride of place on a shelf in her bedroom.

Trish xxx

In The Garden

I have been trying to do some things with my garden this year, we have started trying to grow our own veg (no pics of that yet) and I have been clearing loads of weeds and beginning to see what flowers we actually have. I knew we had strawberries last year, I am hoping we get loads more this year and the gorgeous blue, I think they are forget me nots, and the stocks and violas that I planted in a couple of old plastic troughs, just a short one today as I am running round like aheadless chicken sorting out my jewellery party tonight.

Trish xxx

Show and Tell Sunday

Today I am playing for the first time in 'Show and Tell Sunday' hosted by Analise of Sugar Sugar, today its all about china, crystal and silver, well I don't have any silver or crystal but I do have china. I love tea sets, I have four that I would call complete or semi complete, then I have 1 trio. This is all my tea sets together including the trio.The first one I bought was this gorgeous Blue Roses one by Royal vale, I have had it about 15 years, it cost me much more than I would be prepared to pay today.

This beautiful yellow one I picked up from an Oxfam shop about 6 months ago, its a ridgeway design and so summery.

I also got this autumnal one from the same Oxfam shop about 2 weeks ago, its another Royal vale one, but only came with the plates, cups and saucers, no milk jug, sugar bowl or cake plate.

I think this one is my favourite at the moment though, I bought it yesterday from the Willow Wood Hospice shop, its our local hospice, it only cost £4.99 and came with the milk jug, sugar bowl and cake plate, another Royal Vale and its so pretty, the blue doesn't look as lovely in the pics but is a gorgeous perriwinkle blue.

And finally, my trio, I got this from (yet another) charity shop, I think it was Marie Curie about 2 weeks ago, when I had finished my shelves, I wanted something pretty and pink for them and it was only £1.99 too.

Tagged!!!!

oh my!!! I have been tagged by the lovely Lace Hearts

The rules: I have to answer 6 questions about myself. At the end of the post, I then tag 6 people and post their names, then go to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they have been tagged and asking them to read my blog for the rules. Then, I must let the person who tagged me know when I've posted my answers.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?

well, I met OH 10 years ago in July, so I was living on my own in a flat in Portsmouth and working in Basingstoke as a manager for Barratts Shoes.

2. 5 things on my to do list today?

ummmmmm, well
1. go to the butchers
2. tidy the kitchen (its a bloody mess)
3.get some more cigs, am nearly out lol
4.update my blog (oh look am doing that now)
5. finish my avon deliveries.

3. Snacks I enjoy?

chocolate, chocolate and chocolate

4. Things I would do if I were a millionaire?

give enough money to my dad so he could finish his dream home in france and rescue all the animals he wanted.
give some to my baby sis to get her house all done
give some to Willow Wood Hospice, a local hospice
buy OH an Aston Martin DB7!!!!

5. Places I lived?

oohh where do I start, I was born in Dover, England and lived in Deal until I was 3, we then moved to Gosport in Hampshire as my dad transfered from the Marines to the Navy, lived there until I was 17 then moved to Portchester, again Hampshire, where I lived with my Dad for a year, then moved to a few other local places with my first hubby for 5 years, then moved to Southampton for about 2 years, then back to Gosport for 2 years then to Portsmouth where I lived in 3 houses in 6 years and now we live in Glossop, Derbyshire and have done for nearly 6 years (phew!!!!!)

6. 6 peeps I wanna know more about ...

Di
Karla
Tifany
Maria
Caz
Jo

right, thats it for today, no pics

trish xxx

Bathroom Cabinet No2

My second bathroom cabinet, (please ignore the revolting tiles on the wall, we haven't decorated the room yet) its amazing how much brighter the room now looks just painting two orangey, yukky cabinets cream. I like them both, just need to do all the other orangey pins things too, shelf, loo roll holder and towel rail, I will need more paint though :)

I have been frequenting a new forum recently, those norty ladies are the ones giving me ideas about painting my furniture!!! I am involved in a swap there for June titled 'Strawberries and Cream' I have already finished making one thing for it and need to scour some charity shops/boot sales to find some other bits too now :) I am quite excited about it, finding out who my swap partner will be and getting goodies back in the post.

Trish xxx

FA CUP WINNERS

I am a very happy bunny today, Portsmouth Football Club won the FA Cup yesterday, I may live in the North West now, but am a Pompey girl at heart, we lived there from I was 3 years old until I was 33, Our house was so close to Fratton Park that when Pompey scored, you could hear the crowd. I have been to my fair share of Pompey home games (in my youth lol) and William went to his first match a few weeks ago at The City of Manchester Stadium, he loved it, unfortunately Postmouth lost to City, but after 69 years of waiting we got FA Cup back!!!!!!!

On another note, look what I got through the post on Friday, she is called purdy and is hand crafted by the lovely Elaine of mustard seed gift shop isn't she gorgeous, she is sitting in pride of place on my new shelves.

trish xxx

Bling a Little Birdhouse in your Soul

I have been doing a lot of blog hopping recently and found some lovely blogs and posts, one which really stuck out and inspired me was this one by Beth of Gathering Dust 'Bling your Birdhouse' as I scrolled through the pictures I found the gorgeous beaded one she had done, I thought to myself, oooohhh I like that idea, but with buttons, so, thats what I did, I had the birdhouse already, so painted it with acrylic paint in a deep red, then made a start on the buttons, now, I ran out of my faithful 'Glossy Accents' and because I didn't want to wait (very impatient I am) I used super glue, well I am sure you can imagine the mess I made of myself!!!! I used fabric glue to stick the pom pom braid and ric rac on and also the vintage flowers button on the apex of the roof. The image of the bird is one I have had floating around in my pictures for ages, I got it from a free site, but for the life of me can't remember which one (sorry) I used a faux optical lens over it which covers the hole that is there for the tiny mini birdys to get in!!!

The finished object isn't as 'clean' as it would have been with the glossy accents, but I love it just the same, it will sit on my dressing table now that its finished. I would like to say thanks to Beth for letting me use her idea and the link to her blog (you must have a read while you are there).

Trish xxx

More Painting!!!

I seem to have found a love for painting bits of furniture, I bought these shelves on saturday, they had been sanded, so i just gave them a wash and got started with the paintbrush, now like the muppet I sometimes am, I forgot to take pics before and before I put it on the wall, so this was the best I could do I'm afraid, as I have to get at an angle to take it :)

On the top is the angel I made using the pattern from Tona Finnangers Sew Pretty Homestyle
the middle shelf has an expresso set from AVON on it, on the bottom shelf is a piggybank that I have had for about 20 years and it was quite old when I bought it and my lovely new trio I bought from a charity shop this morning for £1.99.
Trish xxx

Re vamped bathroom cabinet number 1

For the last week I have been revamping one of my bathroom cabinets, rather than buy new ones as there is nothing wrong with them other than the yukky orangey pine colour.

Before AfterThese are the cabinet knobs I used, I bought a big pack of 10 from Wickes and painted them a lovely pale blue, then used a varnish over the top as it wasn't special bathroom paint.

Its up in the bathroom now and looks fab, just need to make a start on the other one now.

Trish xxx

Charity Shop Finds

Yesterday I went shopping in a local largish town just to go shopping in various charity shops, there wasn't a great deal but I did manage to pick up a few bits and a couple of new things too.

The rosey vintage style tea towels are from Wilkinsons, a bit of a bargain at £1.99, much cheaper than some of the designer ones you can get, the glass dish was 50p and will sit on my dressing table with my brooches in, the enamel tin was £1 I was hoping to be able to use it for pies but am not so sure now as it is a little rusty, unless someone lovley knows how I can bring it back to a useable state :) and the crochet doily was also 50p and is to sit under my bowl of pot pourri in the front room. I am happy with what I found, I also bought a really pretty brooch too, but that will be for another day. Take care and have a good day

Trish xxx

Productive Day

Hello, i have been quite productive today, made these 2 hearts, I think I might sell them at my next jewellery party, need to get a few more done too. We also popped to B&Q today too, I got some lovely vintage white paint and 6 lavendar bushes, the paint is for the bathroom cabinets that I am going to shabby up, they are both that horrible orangy pine (yuk) I have taken before pics, but you can wait til they are done till you see them and the after pics. The lavender plants are to go alongside the path at the house end of the garden, they are quite small at the mo but by the time they are fully grown we will have a full hedge along there.Oh well back to work and school tomorrow, I will be out all morning delivering avon also in the evening too, Martin is off though so I might get him started on the cabinets.

Take care all

Trish xxx

Old for New

These are some curtains that we had in our bedroom in our old, old, old, old house, they are far too short for the windows here so I dragged them out of a box and washed them to make them into cushion covers for our bedroom, there is far too much fabric to just make some for me so I am doing a couple for my little sis too, she has just moved into a 200+ year old lodge house (with an AGA!!!!! am so jealous) and wants to shabby chic and olde worlde it all. I have already made her some gingham hearts to hang on doorknobs, no pics of those sorry.

Beans Beans good for your ART

I have been playing, I took inspiration from Jo on IACW and used an old baked bean tin to make this little pot for G's bedroom, to go on her new bedside cabinet actually, I also took some inspiration from some of the gorgeous vintage style blogs around, I love the vintage look and feel and thats what I tried to re create.

I used daisy Ds paper, a vintage image from The Vintage Workshop, some old lace, earing and a brooch, some organza ribbon, bead and wire. Hope you like it.

Trish xxx