My Amazing floor ...

My living room floor has featured a few times in this blog, including some repairs to some of these old tiles. But i came up with a good plan to say goodbye  to the random pieces of carpet and expensive alternatives ... so i started with a room empty and a thorough deep clean ...

Next Michael got down on his knees and did a sterling job filling and smoothing cracks and gaps, and then the floor was sanded and washed and hoovered!

You know those old family bibles with the covers falling off and the amazing illustrations? Michael and I both have one of those and instead of being a tatty King-James-Version tome that no one bothered to read any more, this one was given a new lease of life with a ton of PVA and a sessions of careful placing of The New Testament ...

I love collage. Working with big pages was a challenge when they were wet, as they have to be wet both sides with a solution of the glue and smoothed in place to dry - with the door closed to keep curious kittens and little girls out!

Once dry I gently hoovered the floor with the brushes out, to remove any dust and fluff before applying three coats of varnish.

The finished floor is alive with stories, and a gentle cream colour. Also very good for car games and perfect for sliding with no slippers on ... 

The children were pleased, and many visitors are impressed. But does it disturb you? Is it ok to physically 'stand on the word of god' as well as spiritually? 

I clearly love patchwork and collage, cant wait to have the new budget home made curtains too!

Home work!

A dear friend painted the wood work in my lounge (except for the door) with a fresh lick of white paint, something i had never found the time to get round to! And that gave me the impetus to do a pit of patchwork and collage-ing , covering the walls beside the fireplace with a fun selection of wallpapers torn from sample books ...

I have covered the door in pages from two old bibles! And i bought this sweet wooden sign on ebay!

I am going to be papering the floor too, so watch out for that, and have begun to make a rag run from t-shirts, some of which have great memories!

This fun bunting was a gift, and it looks just perfect in my room. I usually make two-sided bunting myself, but again, have been very busy ... It has been battered by the wind hung on Bedouin tents on Weymouth beach, and has frayed beautifully in places! 

Its been a long time since i painted these walls white, over two years, but i will soon have one complete room to enjoy!

And here are two really awesome wedding favours, that look perfect on my sconces! along with some beeswax candles from Europe.

Here is my favourite corner, coming together! That's a bird who has been set free!

Our Sofa ....

I have been using my camera today to take some photographs I can work from, for my children's book ... well maybe not this one!

I think my vintage sofa (left at my request from the previous owner) is a great setting for many of our family adventures, especially those involving books or just talking together ... Come on Mum, sit down!

and I have also been working in something for the sofa - so take a good look at these 'before' pics! And take a peak at the sewing project, below -

DIY - time for knick-knacks!

It was time to get things up on the wall ... like this lovely printers tray which i bought off ebay, and then cleaned and oiled, and it is now on the dining room wall.



I am really pleased with this make-over, remember is looked like this! I used a little sandpaper to get the gentle ageing effect on the edges! This is in the hall, just below the old door bell ringer.



And from orange pine, to serene aqua, this one will go up in the downstairs cloakroom soon!

Today i got paint on me ....

Des-Res? Another Doll's House ...

once in a while it's fun to get your hands on a Do-er Upper!



first things, first - that leaky roof, I think!



and probably replacement windows and doors ... ooh, I am going to have fun with this! but those local double glazing salesmen won't get my call ...



Not sure that the Cock and Horse in the Bedroom will stay ...



Hospice, or Wet-House? Apply for change of use?


This house came from my friend's loft, and the playmobil people have already moved in!

the strange case of the dog in the garden ...

Mary loves dog ... but dog is still a little bit heavy for Mary to hump about ...



It's a girl dog, says Mary, Good Boy!



But it's too cold outside to play dog, come inside please!

Push-along Dog Makeover ....

do you remember This project?



Well it's all ready for Mary now ... the poor dog sat most of this year with no head nor tail! He is vintage and heavy-framed, but throwing him about should help build up little Mary-Mary!

hamster-car makeover ... the video !

hamster battery car makeover ...

granny bought the girls a box of boot-sale cars for christmas, among them this green one which has a motor and off set wheels so it almost walks too, and can even climb a bit ... diasy likened it to a hamster and it gave me an idea so i reached for the screwdriver!


mohair, beads, felt and hot glue and hamster-car was born!


daisy played with it all afternoon! today it has been riding on a break-down lorry. as a passenger, it isnt broken down !

have a happy new year everyone !
cat xxx

car seat make-over....

at 18 months it was time to move the petit twind up from the rear facing car seats even tho they are not yet 20lbs in weight ....
one seat given to us from a collection steve's mother has had a very worn and dirty cover...
i stripped the cover and stuck back some of the boken polystyrene which has fallen down, then i washed out all the yuck and crumbs....then washed all the scraps and fastenings in a mixture of liquid wash and disinfectant... my bowl gained its pink tide-mark when i was busy dyeing fabric for the lobsters long red bits....
matilda is standing on the cover which i have removed... all things placed on the ground must be stood on, also all manhole covers and grids must be stood on too
i cut off the slack elastic edge, and opened up the side seams which makes the seat the baby sits on...now you have a pattern to place on your lovely new cover. instead of wadding and so on i have used 2 layers of sherpa fleece, very snuggly and looks good ... this is about the 3rd car seat i have covered ....
here the finnished seat, looking 10 times better... i forgot to take pics of me sewing it back togather, and making a small seam for running some elastic into, but you might know how to do this already, and anyways i'm pregnant i do get distracted and forget ....
ta-daaaaaa!