Union Jack Canvas

Who has the money to buy pictures nowadays....I certainly don't! So when my step-daughter wanted the latest trend of union jacks in her shabby chic room I got my husband to cut out a square of MDF, covered it with fabric from my stash......

...then added some ribbons, fabric and a silk belt from an old top....

...together with some cute beads that she had collected and voila...

Think I might do another for myself!!

Love Bex x

Everybody Loves Cushions!

Don't they?? Well I definitely do.....throughout most of my life 

my favourite saying has been 

"that fabric would look great as a cushion!"

That's what happened here....this fabric was originally a tea towel! 

Nice as a tea towel I suppose, but great as a cushion....

The ribbon was found in my local craft store and matches almost exactly...

I shall explain my cushion addiction a little more....while visiting a fabric store recently (and where I purchased the mother of pearl button below) I got chatting to one of the owners. I was asking her advice on projects I was planning and enquired about some fabric that had caught my eye, when asked what I would be using the fabric for...I answered "for a cushion". Another fabric was laid out for inspection and she asked me once again what I would be using it for....my reply "a cushion". A sample of trimming made of pretty fabric flowers on netting was offered up to another material and I asked how best to secure it in place....unfortunately she asked the question again - what would I be using it for....sheepishly I had to answer..."cushion".....see what I mean! But I just can't resist...

Bex x

Scrummy Vintage Finds...

As soon as I saw this it had to mine, I had no idea what it was immediately, but did I care? No, it was wonderful! It was all old and shabby and stuff...

It would look great in my house, and was going to be useful for something, well I'd find a use for it!

Guess what it is yet....

....Its an old Letterbox! 

The pretty side would face outside for your letters to go in and then you could open the other side (see the little hole to lift it up at the back) to retrieve your post.

I like it here at the moment on my hall table that I previously made shabby chic, but it will probably relocate to my bedroom for my jewellery.

Now that's not the only thing I found, the other item that accidently slipped into my bag was this metal shelf with a row of hooks at the bottom...

I spent about an hour wandering around the house, offering it up to each wall to see where it would live.

I'm liking my collection of Heart's happily hanging off the ends...

It's probably going to find a spot in my utility room, I tried it out with my peg jar...

...and then I could hang up my apron, towel, dustpan and brush, etc...and line up my storage jars along the shelf.

Wherever they both end up I'm glad they've found their way into my home.

Bex x

Cottage Renovation

Even though I seemed to be MIA (missing in action) on the blog front I have still be tinkering with little projects and taking endless photographs, which can be seen in my slide show of images. I've also been busy with our cottage renovation, turning it from another's well loved home (i.e dark, small, avocado bathroom, green painted  living room, you get the picture!) into our well loved home (light, bright, extended, yummy bathroom, open plan living but in a cottage style, again I think you get the picture).

An example of some nice old wallpaper!

discovered when we did this.....

....knocked the back of the house down....

The part of the house on the right is all new, the sloping glass roof is where the new kitchen sits. It lets in so much light it completely transforms downstairs.

A heart shaped jug from my collection...

Coffee, Sugar & Tea canisters from my friend 'J'...

A Kilner jar decorated with ribbon and tea pot charm for my peppermint tea...

I'm very pleased with this new edition to my kitchen, an egg rack...

More Kilner jars for storage...

My new kitchen in a sort of grey/green colour with oak worktop and oak flooring. There is a breakfast bar on the opposite side to the oven which is where we all seem to gravitate to...

and finally my lovely Butler sink in the utility room, we actually have two original ones that were already in the house but they have far too many years of grime to use. They will however find a home somewhere possibly in the garden for veggies or herbs??

Rebecca x

Weekend Project

Bored with my pine table and chairs I decided to paint them this weekend! The table had its long, skinny legs painted 'english man on the beach' white and the top was sanded down to within an inch of its life and buffed up again with natural wax. The chairs were layed with matching paint and then because I don't like anything ordinary, a scarlet heart has been added to each chair, finished off with a layer of varnish to protect from scraping bottoms.

I'm very pleased with the results....