Real Size Furniture

I was oh so lucky a few weeks ago to spot a fabulous chest in a skip of all places. So having asked the owners if it was ok I pulled it out and dragged it home, thankfully it is on wheels. Unfortunately I was so excited to set too with it that I forgot to take a 'before' shot so you will have to imagine thick and very dark varnish. It has at some point been used as a horse for sawing wood on, as there were a number of deep cuts in the top. I rounded these off with some sand paper and then slapped on a coat of blue paint from Annie Sloans range. Clive then waxed over that (after he added several extra coats as he is more of a perfectionist than I am!) and hey presto the most wonderful chest! It is now in our bedroom chock full of yarn and fleece!

 Inside the chest is a built in lidded compartment on the left which is just THE perfect size for knitting needles and my umbrella swift (for winding skeins of yarn!). You can't see it so clearly here as it is in shadow.

 I picked out my favourite scrap book papers and collaged the insides.

 I just love the effect.

Now all those papers that I never want to use because I want to keep them whole and nice I can see peeking out each time I get some yarn!

 It looks perfect with my handwoven piece of twill I did the year before on my four shaft loom, and the fabulous yellow lamp my mother-in-law found in her attic for me.

I have been working on finishing my Xmas House. It would have been totally completed today had I not found that my Snow Writer had totally dried up and was unusable! Oh the irony seeing as there was tonnes of the real stuff falling outside the window. Anyway here are the latest photos without snow.

Firstly the distressed table with the 'glass drawer knobs'.

Here is a full view with chimneys, icicles, topiaries and front steps in place.

A close up of the icicles.

 Lastly a side view.

But no snow!!!!

Lovely Post and So Many Things Made

I had wonderful post this morning from Little Tea Wagon. I love sweet packaging and nearly always end up photographing the package before opening it. I had such a lovely time opening it up!  

The sticky tape is just lovely!

Inside more sweet packaging and some beautiful little fabric pieces!

This was inside! I love these old fabrics cannot wait to create something. It is almost definitely going to be something hand paper pieced.

Also have ever so nearly finished the quilt for our bed. I fell in love with the darker blue deer fabric from the Kitzbuhel range by Westfalenstoffe, so obviously had to make a quilt with it along with all its complimentary fabrics. It is pieced and quilted only needs the binding!

The silk scarf I have been weaving on my rigid heddle loom with some Noro yarn is also finished and I am so pleased with it!

Fleece Club from Saras Texture Crafts arrived and immediately got washed as it has been wonderful weather for drying fleece. There was Vendeen, Texel, Hebridean and Manx Longthan. It is all ready to spin now so I cannot wait to get started.

On my craft table is the 14th scale Georgian Mansion by Cynthia Howe that I am loving to build. It went on hold for quite some time whilst I built up the courage to do the tiny windows all the mullions were seperate as was the acetate for the glass and the window frames!! The electrics are in and it is so nearly time for furniture.

I have been happily embroidering some hearts as a present for a wonderful friend. It is the first time I have embroidered with fine wool instead of silk but I have loved it and want to start the project all over again and was quite disappointed when it was over!

Lastly but definitely not least as I am so proud of this! I have woven a braid on my new inklette loom. It is the stars and stripes pattern from a free inkle pattern e-book from Inter weave. I did the whole thing in Pearle number 5 and I loved it. So much fun to do and the results were great. This too was a present for my wonderful friend. I may now have to weave another one to keep!

The four shaft floor loom is warped and ready to go and there are plenty of other projects being worked on.

More Secret Books and More Little Sheep

Spurred on by having so much fun with the Bunny Tails Secret Book the other day I have plunged into another one. This one is called Herbs and Teas. I love the artwork on the cover it is beautiful. You can always count on the Betterleys to do these things to perfection.

This is the back cover which I think is just gorgeous.

Inside....

Downstairs ....

Upstairs ...

Then it was onto the furniture. First the Tincture Cabinet. I think it is wonderful that the bottles are carved out in the piece of wood and not just a picture to stick in. They look wonderful, you cannot tell from this photo just how small this piece is and how tiny (and therefore difficult to paint!) the bottles are.

The bedspread has lovely sunflowers all over it. Here is the bed on an English two pence piece to give you an idea of scale.

All the furniture so far. Maybe at the weekend I will get chance to finish this lovely little project off.

I have also finished my Little Sheep of the month cross stitch. Just in the nick of time as the third one landed on my doorstep just as I was putting the last stitches in.

Secret Halloween

A while ago my friend Joey and I had a day making the Halloween Secret Books from Robin Betterley. This year we have had a fun day building the furniture to go inside.Wonderful details and just a great deal of fun.

Even a knife to carve the pumpkins!

I love the monster cabinet.

That is the first of the Secret Book series that I have fully completed. Now to place it on the bookshelf and start another.