The hallway table update

Hi guys,

We are now getting there with the hallway table :)

Still a few jobs left to do on it but at the moment it is sitting in the hall awaiting them. 

Here it is this morning:

Can you remember how it looked?

Cushion and table were on the wrong side for where I wanted it. 

There was missing a shelf too. 

These were the first things I tweaked before giving it the chalk treatment. 

The shelf was easy peasy. 

I cheated!

Wanna know how?

Yep!  I just cut one of the old placemats to size and painted it!!!!!!!!!!!

(You won't tell anyone, will you?)

The basket on the shelf was the one I picked up on Sunday for 25p:

THE UPHOLSTERED BASKET:

I HAVE to show you how I did the upholstered basket. 

I am really happy with it. 

It was a sewing basket that I picked up for £3 initially:

I simply removed the handle, stripped off all the trimmings and used my leftover gold damask curtain fabric to reupholster it :)

First time I've tried anything like that so don't be too critical, ok? ;)

Then I added some bling trim:

And last, but by no means least, bling on the front:

It is the PERFECT height, width and depth for the little shelf :)

I would love to finish off the side with teaspoon key hooks. 

The really old ones I have just snapped when I tried to bend them:

Whoops. 

One old spoon did manage it though but as I need more than one, I bent a couple of cheap modern spoons to go either side of it:

I am hoping I can get someone to drill them for me ;)

If not, im toying with the idea of just improvising with a glue gun as it will only be holding the weight of keys?

What do you reckon?  

Is that cheating too much?

I want to complete the table with a mosaic top using vintage crockery. 

Hubster is begging me not to as he says he hates mosaics. He wants me to 'stick some paper on it'. 

Hmmmm.  

It'd look fab with ceramic though. :/

Its a lot of work but I think it would be a nice finishing touch. 

It needs something, whatever I do, as I ripped off the red leather mat that was glued to the top :O

Watch this space to see what finally happens to it....

Catch you guys in a later blog journal entry x x x

Lloyd Loom project completed!!!

Hi guys. 

Remember the Lloyd loom storage seat that I picked up for £3 a couple of days ago?

Well here it is now:

MUCH more in keeping with my decor than how it originally looked:

I simply gave it a couple of coats of chalk paint:

Upholstered the top with gold damask curtain material:

And then applied a pretty complementary trim:

I love it. 

It is such a useful little addition to the front room. 

Emergency guest seating AND a hidey hole for craft projects!!!

Yayyyyyyy :D

Hope you like it x x x

Booty time again

Hi guys. 

Just a little entry in my journal to memorialise my booty buys :)

This is the fruits of today's little excursion to the local Sunday sale:

£1 killer black satin heels with cute silver diamanté bows (I am thinking of mod podging a design to the back. I've been itching to try it!!!  Watch this space!)

25p for each scarf

10p for a tin of various sketch pencils

£2 sewing box

25p for the little wicker tray (that fits into my hall project shelf!!)

£2 for the wine table for a friend. 

Ok. Ok. 

Yes!  

That is a Wonder Woman costume :O. 

(You never know when you might need one!). 

Its XL though (more 'Blunder Woman' than 'Wonder Woman') but I am pretty sure I can work some magic with it.  

:)

Not a very big haul as there was a lack of booters due to the ominous weather forecast :/

Last, but by no means least, I have also bought this mirror for £3!!!!!!!!

That's all for today folks. 

I have given my 3 current projects a second coat of chalk paint but that is all for my lazy Sunday (as I needed to catch up on some serious TV watching with the family.)

Catch you soon :) x

Laura Ashley table & cover, Lloyd Loom bargain of the Century and a retro chair!

Today's update involves a Laura Ashley dinner set, A Laura Ashley tablecover, a Lloyd Loom Storage stool, a retro chair and my latest hallway project. 

Phew!!!!!!

You asleep yet?

Nearly?

I'll try to be brief then....

(You know I'm lying, right?)

THE DINING SET

Ok. 

Firstly, I have finally settled on The Table for my dining room. 

It was a purchase on eBay that I got on Thursday. 

This is it:

Real pretty and yet chunky, eh!

It came painted like that already. 

It is chipped, knocked and stained but I don't mind things looking much used :)

It's surely a keeper!

THE TABLE COVER 

This leads me to the next thing. 

See the 'new' Laura Ashley fabric on the table^^?

It just so happens to be that fabric I bought from the car boot last Sunday for 50p

I only found out today that it was in fact, Laura Ashley...

And I only found out today that it fits my new table:

(Yep, I just flung it over all my table settings, etc for a rough idea!!)

Not bad, huh!

THE LLOYD LOOM BARGAIN:

On the way back home this morning, I detoured past the charity shop and found THIS:

£3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, I know!!!!

I adopted it and brought it home with me immediately. 

The mustard yellow is now no more already:

It will have had its second coat later and I am about to reupholster the pad....

RETRO CHAIR

Since buying the larger table, the red swivel computer chair is too bulky in the corner. 

I have taken it into the sprog's bedroom and brought down the vintage chair that was being used for the computer upstairs. 

Needless to say, we are both very happy with our swap. :)

This is it:

I was gonna sell it and just turn the nearest dining chair around when a seat at the desk is required but I've kinda taken it to my heart. 

It's had a first coat of chalk paint and is awaiting a reupholstering too. 

THE HALLWAY TABLE

this also has had its first coat and is awaiting to be reupholstered. 

I can't wait to get cracking on the finishing touches for this. I'm feeling quite impatient!!!!

I've improvised on the missing shelf too but you will have to wait to see ;)

REUPHOLSTERY

These are the 3 pads in need of being reupholstered. 

I am using this beautiful heavy gold damask fabric that is in fact a curtain that I bought for the material (£3 for the pair!)

This bit will be fun. :)

My (hopefully) final hallway project...

Hi all,

I have decided to crack on with a new project which (hopefully) will replace my hallway furniture. 

This is it as it was when I bought it:

It is hopefully gonna replace this:

I want to draw your attention to the tweaks that are gonna be necessary. 

Firstly, you will notice that my current unit does not fit flush against the wall (which irks me greatly!!)

I need to tweak my new project before painting so that this does not happen again. 

Secondly, you will also notice that the seating area on the new unit is on the wrong side. :/

Fear not!  

I have removed the top part and reversed it around and also repositioned it backwards to make sure it WILL sit flush against the wall, yay!! :D

Tada:

Now I need to re-attach with screws before I start chalk painting it. 

I also wish to attach hooks for hanging keys on such as my current unit has :)

I am toying with the idea of replacing the leather mat with a mosaiced ceramic surface. 

The seat pad is also destined to be recovered. 

I have 2 fabric candidates. 

Pink toile cotton and a vintage heavy gold fabric. 

I am kind of preferring the pink toile one as then I can use some vintage plates for the mosaic top. 

Its gonna be awesome!!!!!

I may buy a basket for underneath for my youngest sprog's shoes as well yet. 

Watch this space. 

Nested tables, more pots and chicken shenanigans.

Hi peeps :)

Today's update begins with the nest of tables. 

It was a very quick project as I simply need to declutter the summerhouse for this promised heat wave ;)

Here it is:

I love the toile paper!  

Trying to use the rest of the roll up as it was mega bucks expensive when I bought it for the cabinet. 

Can you remember how it originally looked in the yellowed gloss with drips?

Eek!

VINTAGE POT

The next update is a repurposed bowl that I bought from the boot sale a couple of weeks ago for 50p:

It clashes with my colour scheme indoors but it looks kind of fab outside:

I padded with moss to insulate a little against temperature changes. 

I'm expecting it to crack at some point but when and if it does, it'll be turned into a mosaic as the transfer is exquisite :)

THE £5 PICTURE FRAME

OK. Remember the picture I got for a fiver on Sunday?

Well, it replaced my ikea frame pretty well. 

I'm not gonna chalk it up as it fits in MUCH better with the decor as it is:

Massive improvement, huh?  

(Just need to find another frame to replace the one that is reflected on the back wall as seen in the mirror!)

CHICKEN UPDATE!

Thought I would give my girls a mention in this entry of the journal. 

They are sadly eating their eggs (I don't blame them!). 

I have tried to black out the lay box to test the theory that if they can't SEE the eggs, they can't EAT the eggs. 

I just used gaffa tape, bin bags & scissors:

Worth a try! 

(Ps, that isn't a grubby egg^. It is a rubber egg that I used to teach the chooks where to lay when I rescued them 👍)

Another mention is my sad strawberry plants. 

The hens have managed to get under the netting and my plants are no more. :,(

Cheeky chooks!!!!! >:-(

How very dare they!

Anyway, it meant war!

I bought a few more plants and made a hanging planter by fusing recycled carrier bags with an iron.....

Can you see it?

This is how I did it....

Now if they manage to get these ones, I will succumb to defeat. 

Catch you guys in the next blog x x

Toodles :D