I made this! Ornate notice board

I bought this large ornate picture frame before I bought my current flat. It fitted in with the decor of where I was then, but since I moved and decorated, and it suddenly looked all....wrong. So it lay under the bed, stored with other items I love too much to give to charity, awaiting for inspiration for me to transform it into something altogether different.

A while later I had an idea. I had some white paint left over from the kitchen make-over, and a few coats later....

And rather than using it as a picture frame, I thought it would make a nice notice board. So off to Ikea, and a Stanley knife and some glue later, I had a new notice board. I added these beauties I found in the haberdashery store - (another great find in Barnett Lawson)

Gorgeous, colourful birds with bendable wire legs for 'perching' on hats, costumes, or wherever you like - such as an ornate notice board....

Nice, no?

I love U's

I think this collection makes up for the fact that, as a child, I'd always be disappointed that I couldn't buy those really tacky 'personalised' name stationary that you'd always find in gift shops and the like. There was always a 'Sarah' pencil case or a 'Rebecca' ruler. There was no 'Ugochi' anything. Unsurprisngly....So I've started collecting the letter 'U'. I didn't realise I had started doing this until The Boy pointed out that I had several scattered around my flat.

I have letter press blocks (found going for a song in Snoopers Paradise, an amazing treasure trove of vintage, collectables and antiques in Brighton)

A letter from an old shop sign from eBay (another bargain - I like to think because no-one else likes 'U's)

And my latest buy is a wooden letter that can be painted and decorated as I so wish (from the lovely Supernice shop on Columbia Road, London).

I don't know anything about typography, I just know I like it. And maybe I should learn some more about it, as I apparently have another obsession in the making.

There's an old office building on my way to work that looks like it has lay empty for years, but I noticed this week that builders are on the site and  some rennovations are taking place...surely they wont want the old 80's signeage currently languishing on the front...?! I think I may have to have words with them - there's a letter U there with my name on it....

P.S - I once told a stationery supplier for the company I worked for of my childhood plight - and they did this for me

Nice!

I Made this! Jacket updates

Not strictly something I made myself, but I did some customising and updates to give a fresh lease of life to a couple of my jackets.

As I've said before, the 'Make Do and Mend' trend is in full flow at the moment, but even before it was the trendy thing to do, I've always loved to update, embellish and re-new my clothes. Yet again, I headed to Barnett  Lawson for some haberdashery goodies.

The first jacket was actually a new buy and an absolute bargain. I walk to work down Lower Marsh everyday; Lower Marsh is a market street just behind Waterloo, packed with quirky boutiques, cafes and coffee shops and, my favourite, the daily market stalls. On my way to work recently, I saw this army issue jacket on sale for £1. Only £1!! Very 'on trend' for the Summer, and just crying out for a bit of work...

A few stars, some gold embroidery epaulettes, an antique gold weave trim, and Bob's your uncle. The haberdashery cost more than the jacket!

                                        

                                         
And the other jacket is one I've had for a while, but has been languishing in my suitcase under the bed (where the clothes I like, but not enough to be in the wardrobe, reside). I removed the boring navy plastic cheapo buttons, and replaced with some lovely gold mirrored buttons instead.

Et voila - very chic and Marc Jacobs-esque. Nice, no?

I made this! Handmade jewellery on Pink Door First Floor

Anyone who knows me knows I love to accessorise, and I'm a big fan of jewellery. So, in another effort to be creative and take my hand to a new skill, I've been learning how to make my own. With a little help from a friend who has been on a course (thanks Emilie!) I have been able to make a few earrings and necklaces, and I'm now itching to go on a course myself and learn more. Here's a few I made earlier...

Turquoise and Rhodochrosite drop earrings

 Blue glass Amazonite and grey Quartz drop earrings

I like to use semi-precious stones; Turquoise, Jade, Jasper, Quartz, Agate amongst others. I love colour, a natural, unfinished look and bold and chunky designs; I'm no shrinking violet and neither is my jewellery!

Chunky Turquoise and Jasper necklace

Lapis earring

Multi semi-precious stone necklace

I'm planning to make some of my designs available to buy here on the blog - let me know what you think, and if anything takes your fancy....

Sew good

I made a pact with myself at the start of the year; this was the year I would buy myself a sewing machine, and actualy use it too. I had made several plans to buy one before, but they fell apart due to laziness, lack of room, or me having a nervous breakdown at the price of a decent one.

But this year, armed with donations from my family for my birthday (thanks all!), I went to John Lewis and got myself a sewing machine.

The lovely lady who sold me the machine also sat me down and went over how to use the machine - I did textiles GCSE, but scarily that was 11 yeas ago. So I learnt how to thread it, how to choose which stitch to use, how to change the feet, how to use the free arm, and something about a 'drop feed dog', which sounded more like how you get your pet to eat its food, but apparently it is sewing machine related.

So far, in just over a month of ownership, I have already made two cushions and a simple fabric bag using some African wrapper material that had been sat just waiting for me to do something with it. Not bad, methinks.

I've just booked myself on a basic sewing machine and dressmaking course so I can learn to  follow a simple pattern, and start making clothes. The Boy is hankering after a pair of trousers to suit his 6 foot 5 inch frame. Better get me some lessons then...

Coffee Pot love

I have a confession to make: I'm ever so slightly obessed with retro coffee pots.

It started with a trip to Pop Boutique in Manchester. I resisited The Want for everything as usual, trying to stay focused on only buying something I really really liked, and I saw this:

I think it was the shine of the chrome, the sleekness of the design, and the fact that I could carry it back home to London (couldn't say that about the amazing G-Plan dresser it was sat on. As much as I had The Want for that, there was no way ot was going in my suitcase). Very pleased with myself, i paid my £8 (bargain!), and left.

Then there was the time I was in Mitcham (random yes, but there's a good concentration of charity shops, and I can get the tram there. Genius), when I saw this amongst the tat:

My heart swooned. It's so amazingly retro and the pattern reminded me of the old 1970's curtains in the house I grew up in (it was the '80's, but still...)


I was sure I'd seen that pattern before, so i looked at the base which told me it was a Hornsea Herloom piece. On to Ebay I went to find matching pieces, and that I did. But I also saw more, and more and more reto coffee posts - chrome, ceramic, '50's, 60's, 70's ...and my obsession was in full swing. The latest is this beauty from Germany. Check out those flowers!

So yes, I am obsessed. Ironic really as I don't even drink coffee....

The Joy of Charity Shops: Oslo style

Myself and The Boy went on a weekend break to Oslo recently; it's a great city with my favourite combination of good shops, good bars and a good vibe. I spent a lot of time gawping at the beautiful traditional wood houses painted in red, blue or white and the ornate city buildings...but me being me, I was most excited by the chartity/vintage shopping. I'd done some reading before we left and knew the best area was Grunerlokka. Luckily for The Boy, there were plenty of cafes to sit in, as his usual waiting outside the shop routine was out of the question when the average temperature is minus 5 degrees.

I saw lots of lovely things, but the best store was Fretex Unika - a part of Salvation Army Norway. Lots of good stuff, not cheap (but nothing is in Oslo. And i mean nothing), but it is well worth a visit.

I got these beauties; a gorgeous pale grey leather 1970's handbag and a pair of red leather gloves with a furry lining. Very pleased with myself. Well, I was until I got my credit card bill...