Sunday 26 April 2009

Insert 'Time' Related Pun Here





Oh dear this blog is started to get as cluttered as my life... too many unfinished projects. I keep promising to show photos of something finished and then I get distracted and the next post is completely unrelated....

I'm afraid I haven't changed just yet and so here is another disorganised post. I am hoping my life and consequently my blogging will get itself in order soon.

I have just finished a nice little project which I have been mentally working on for a while. A while ago I found a lot of old French fashion magazines hiding in the back of a funny little antiques shop. They are absolutely fascinating and so inspiring. Some are in a beautiful condition and I just look at them in a caring, aren't I lucky to have such lovely things to look at kind of a way. However I'm not one to have much time to look at things properly so I have used some of the less pristine magazines to decorate items of furniture so that the images can be appreciated daily.

I covered a mirror and some shelves and was really pleased with the effect. As the paper is quite thin it decoupages really well. Here's that mirror...


This time round I worked on another antique shop purchase, a clock. This time I decided to go about things properly and plan everything before, finish off everything neatly etc... I am very pleased with the result. I have rather relunctantly decided to sell it as I think other people should be able to have a bit of twenties french chicness in their homes, but I do keep imagining it in my new dream kitchen... However I think I should focus on finding the new dream appartment first!

So here are the pictures....
An in progress shot (sorry no before pictures, that would have been far too organised... although look I put down floor protection like a sensible adult)

And here is the finished article...


Some of the magazine pages are so funny, I particularly enjoy the adverts... creams for a saggy chest (complete with pictures) and remedies for hairy lips. Nice to know that the lady of 1924 had the same beauty concerns as we do today. Here on the back of the mirror you can see an advert for a flatter stomach and clearer skin...


I'm actually really pleased with the back, I finished it off properly and it makes me feel a bit proud when I look at it. I think it's these little details that I want to work on with PrettyGreen, recycled (or upcycled sounds a bit nicer) doesn't have to look like a design compromise.


Well there we go a very rambly post, but more pictures than usual, so if you're anything like me you'll just have looked at them! Maybe next time I'll show you where I've got with my embroidery projects, but I'll have to finish them first...

Sunday 19 April 2009

My Own Fair Hands Only Reached For The Purse

I'm meant to be studying at the moment so less creative pursuits are taking place (actually this is a lie, many a procrastination project has been started it's just that I don't get round to finishing them because then I'd have to admit that I'm really not working)

However I have noticed that my usual stingy and thrifty self is transformed by the chore of revising and suddenly I get flash with my (non-existent) cash. Last revision session I ended up with a new alarm clock, 3 books I have and never will read, 2 new dresses and photo frame. It is terrible how easy it is to shop online, some sites even remember my card number so I don't even have the moment of down-to-earth logic when I have to reach for my purse to save me.

This time round I thought I was being better and have largely managed to avoid my online shopping demons (the Laura Ashley website is my worst weakness). However I have just been shopping in real shops with real money. I am not sure which is worse.

I did come away with these beautiful shoes though and as a further time wasting pursuit I have photographed them for your viewing delight...



Please excuse my hideously pasty leg and instead concentrate on my bargain success. These Cavella shoes were reduced from £80 to £19 and most importantly were IN MY SIZE.

I shall be wearing them with another procrastination find... these 1940s hair tutorials courtesy of super kawaii mama

Thursday 16 April 2009

Further Forays Into Embroidery

So I have finally bought the world's smallest crochet hook! I may have got a little obsessed by the mission and it is probably too small for going round my bird cage from the last post, but I'm sure I'll be able to improvise.


I have also been trying another embroidery pattern, this time inspired by a picture my boyfriend drew for me this christmas. It was a very pretty I.O.U. for a bottle of perfume...


I decided to embroider it onto a dress I often ignore because it's a bit plain (I think this was either brave or reckless considering this is only the second thing I have embroidered) As with last time I was lazy so I didn't really draw out the pattern and did most of it by eye. The bottom is a little wonky, but otherwise I am fairly pleased with the outline...


I have added some colour details since this, but I had to unpick some of the satin stitch as it was too baggy. If anyone can give me some advice about how to fill in the main area of the bottle I will be very happy. I'll try and show you where I've got to with the colour in the next couple of days.

Saturday 11 April 2009

First Ever Embroidery


I used to do cross-stitch when I was younger (I was even part of my cross stitch club at school... I was one of the cool kids), but I found it a it restricting and time consuming.
I really liked the idea of being able to take a drawing and reproduce it with embroidery straight away with NO CHARTS (cross stitch charts used to make my eyes go funny!)

I was really inspired by this image I found on MadisonCraftStudio's etsy.


I drew the design onto the fabric in pencil before I started, but I mostly just made it up as I went along. The pencil lines to follow weren't very useful as the design was more of a sketch because I was so impatient to start!

I'm not 100% sure what I'm going to do with it. I blanket stitched around the edge because I thought about crocheting round it like a doily, but I realised I would need to buy a hook which is small enough.

Any ideas of how I can use this will be super appreciated!

Thursday 9 April 2009

Camera Saga sorted... I think

The Olympus camera had arrived when I got back from France. I looked at the box and decided to just stick with it. Having used it a bit I can understand the criticisms, but to be honest with all the choice of cameras available for the time being I'm sure I'll be able to settle with this one rather than having to search through the camera jungle again!

Now I've decided to keep my camera a whole new world has been opened up to me, I have many things to show you, but for now I'll just stick to this camera case as I've already written about it...


(pictures taken by my new camera... so not sooo bad!)

As I mentioned before I was heavily influenced by Hine and her beautiful cases. As I made this while I was in France I had to use measurements from the internet and it is a little too large. I think I will make my camera a little padded tube to slide into inside the case for added protection and mostly because then it won't rattle around.

While I was in France I managed to pop by the shop which sells factory leftovers again. I picked up another big bag of elastics and underwear supplies in some beautiful colours. I also grabbed a few extra bits which I don't think I will use so I will be putting them on etsy later this evening if anyone is interested.

Thursday 2 April 2009

The trials of indecision

Today I thought I'd start to make a camera case for my new camera inspired by this very cute video by hine...

However yesterday may have been a bit of an april fool moment. I went to get the dimensions of my new camera from amazon and noticed the comments from buyers (surely this should I have been the first thing I would have read...) and everyone, all three of them, said it is not good...
Now I'm back to square one!! I think I'm going to have to return it when it arrives. £100 is a lot for me and it's my first digital camera - it has to be good!

HELP!

Wednesday 1 April 2009

NEW CAMERA!

I have finally decided that my 3mp camera phone just won't do and I will soon be the proud owner of this little beauty. I literally spent all day yesterday getting lost in the depths of the digital camera world. There are definitly times when you can have too much choice! By the evening I had gone mad trying to work out whether one camera's lack of image stabilisation was going to be the bain (funnily enough this is not a word I have to use very often and I have no idea how to spell it!) of my life or whether I might be able to live without it considering I've managed to sleep fairly well at night these last few years with what might be wobbly pictures. Well I shall soon find out. I finally managed to decide on this one. If anyone has any advice on which camera I should have bought (probably too late now, but feel free to let me know that this is a wonderful camera and my day was well spent) then please pass on your knowledge.

What all this means though is that I will soon be getting far more involved in my blogging and etsying and all those other things that nice cameras are for!

I'm also back in France for the week and I'm hoping I'll be able to pay a trip to that factory surplus store again...