Friday 11 June 2021

My New Craft Room - My Happy Place

 As part of the renovation to our cottage I was able to get a purpose built craft room. I love all things pretty, everything has flowers on it.

 I make a vast array of hobbies and crafts; Quilting, sewing, decorating boxes, stone painting, pebble art, tablemats, table runners, cushion covers, knitting for my grandchildren, crocheting, watercolour painting, cards, soft toys, bandana bibs, quilted baby bags, baby mobiles, baby name plaques, computer bags, fabric hand bags, concrete mushrooms, furniture renovation,  recovering furniture, jewellery - earrings, necklaces, bracelets, sewing kits, aprons, dolls house in a suitcase, fairy houses, fairy doors, dolls houses, muslin wraps, teddy bears, fabric covered journals, buntings, curtains and blinds, pin cushions, needle books, shell pictures, shell dolls, fabric roses, fabric flowers, succulent pictures, vegetable name sticks, obelisks, topiary, houseplants, propagation, wind chimes.

I also have written two books, my grandmothers life story and my fathers life story.  I am currently writing my uncles life story.











My new sewing machine, Brother Innovis A80.


My Houseplant Displays June 2021

 recently entered a competition to show my houseplants. I have over 100 plants and they really make my home.


My kitchen hutch



Backdoor topiary


                                                 
Cyclamens


Succulents


Succulents in the back porch,  san pedro cactus, pear cactus, etc


Peace lilies, maidenhair ferns, asparagus ferns etc



Peace lilies




Sunday 7 February 2016

Doris - renovation of a 1974 Sprite Caravan

Another project I have been working on over the summer of 2015/2016. 
Before and after photos.


 Camping at Lake Tekapo, South Island, New Zealand before renovation



Renovated on the inside, still to be painted on outside



Before





AFTER INTERIOR RENOVATION

 with new squab covers and squabs, new curtains - thermal backed, buntings, newly painted everything.


















Friday 7 August 2015

COUNTRY CHIC COTTAGE - A miniature house

I have just got back from Melbourne, Australia where I visited my brother and one of my sons. I also went to the VAME Miniature Show and Exhibition, where there were miniatures galore. Coming from little old New Zealand, we just don't have the population to justify such an awesome display of miniatures. And the miniatures available for sale were just amazing!

So, here is the (very nearly) finished interior of my Country Chic Cottage.








All the little things I bought at the show are incredible, They make the finishing touches to my miniature cottage.

Hope you enjoy the tour of my Country Chic Cottage, miniature house 2015


Wednesday 1 July 2015

Country Chic Cottage - Interior

The interior of the cottage was, I think going to be easier than the exterior! So much to make!

This is the interior so far, with the bathroom and attic (conservatory) still to be sorted

THE KITCHEN
Well, i started with the kitchen, I have just had a new kitchen put in my house (cottage) so took the idea from the real kitchen. The units are made of mat board and bench top from balsa wood. The cupboard doors are pinched from a cheap wooden cupboard and I have made them tongue and groove.


The butlers sink proved to be a problem of what it could be made from, air dried clay, maybe polymer clay, so experimented with both and polymer clay won. Had to make a mold and when I cooked the first one, it cracked, so made a second one, all good.


So with the kitchen starting to take shape, using second hand dolls house furniture, a fridge, sideboard, wall shelves, table and chair, all ready to be sanded and painted.


A look at how it might look finished!


From this to this



Wallpaper up, units painted and distressed, decorations about, chandelier up, curtains hung, flooring down.

THE LOUNGE ROOM

I had no idea what I was going to do here, had to make a lounge suite! Where to start...


So, have spent many an hour making the two lounge chairs and cushions, pretty happy with them.


Still to be completely finished, eg. the mantle and I'm not happy with the coffee table.


Had a great deal of fun making the decoration for this hutch unit, it's a wee  bit fairy, with a crystal ball, fairy dust and magic wand, a wee bit witchy with jars of potions and potion scrolls, a wee bit dolly with crystal bead bottles.



THE CHANDELIERS
You can't have a Country Chic Cottage without chandeliers, now can you. This is how I made them.



To make up cut 4 lengths of jewellery wire about 10 cm long each and make a circle to finish one end off.

Next, thread some beads onto all four wires


Gather them together and wind one of the wires around the others, as shown above. Cut wire off.


Twist the other 3 wires around each other and cut two off.


Thread a bead on the last remaining with and make a circle and twist wire to finish. Bend the 4 wires up to make the chandelier look right and there you have it!

THE FIRE PLACE

This is made of mat board and balsa wood with egg carton cut out and glued on.


THE BEDROOM


Here I have used second hand dolls house furniture again, sanded, painted and distressed


The bed head was made of an old plastic dolls swing, painted and attached to bed. The Chandelier has chain added to it. The wardrobe has small linens and lace cloths and two boxes, with a dress hanging on a coat hanger. The bedside table has a glass bead flower arrangement. Still needs some more furniture and maybe a mat.

THE BATHROOM
Under Construction

Flooring done and curtains made and up to go in front of the bath.


Flooring was made from tongue depressors, painted in squares


More to come ...