Busy, busy, busy!! I’m afraid that I have no pictures to show at the moment. Not because I’ve got no projects on, quite the opposite really, I have a couple of un-finnished projects on at the moment!

I am currently doing a decoupage side/coffee table. It will look really good when it’s done, but it is taking longer than expected. Also, I bought a really nice little stool that I thought had a lot of character. However, I didn’t factor in the amount of work that it would take to make something of this stool.

It had been painted (badly) in white gloss by the previous owner, but it had a certain charm about it, so I bought it and proceeded to attempt to remove the gloss. I had forgotten how much work can be involved in removing gloss paint..... NIGHTMARE!!!!!

I started by attempting to sand it off, but quickly gave up and turned to a chemical paint remover. However, the paint was so thick that it required three treatments and loads of sanding and cleaning to get the blasted stuff off – a full day’s work for a little stool!

But never mind, the paint is off now and I’m ready to start decoupaging it. I am thinking of using some of the stamps that I’ve got left over to create a piece that matches the coffee table. It should look lovely when it’s finished, but I cannot help think that it has perhaps been a little too labour intensive?

I should hopefully have them finished soon and will post some pictures as soon as they are completed.

Winter Has Arrived!

Brrrrrr, winter has well and truly arrived in Cumbria. The nights are drawing in, the days are becoming ever shorter and it's now not possible to leave the house without a thick winter coat on (unless you're my daughter who seems impervious to the cold)! 

However, all clouds have a silver lining and with the end of the summer and outdoor season, I’m looking forward to spending more time on my various furniture projects, as well as taking photo's of Carlisle in the frost and snow. Carlisle looks fantastic in the snow, but even if we don't get any, the frost should make for some nice pictures!

Aside from the usual furniture projects that I seem to be continually doing, I have decided to have a go at decorating picture frames for possible Christmas presents for people, as well as having a go at making my own cards for all my family and friends this year. This will be the first truly homemade Christmas as I have virtually no money and lots of time on my hands. I will of course be buying my children gifts, but everyone else will be getting something homemade. I’m also considering making some of my own Christmas decorations as the ones I have stored in the attic are getting quite tatty and need replacing.

I will post pictures of anything that I make on this blog and, if I create something that I think works especially well, I will also make sure to add some step-by-step instructions.

Narnia Themed Christmas Present

Christmas is looming and I’ve been busy trying to come up with cheap gifts for my family. Aside from my kids, who will be getting bought prezzies, everyone else will be getting homemade or up-cycled gifts. The first gift that I have made has been this little nest of tables for my Mum.

She has mentioned on several occasions that she needs to get herself some new coffee tables, as she only has one remaining table from a cheap set that she bought a few years ago. I have been keeping an eye open for a set of tables that I could give to her for quite a while and, whilst I was exploring a newly opened second-hand furniture store near to where I live, I found these little tables. They were very tatty, but perfect for up-cycling and so were on sale for next to nothing.

All I had to buy was a tin of aged effect white paint and an old copy of ‘The Voyage of the Dawn Treader’ which I found in a used book store. I still had loads of primer, brushes, glue and rollers left over from other projects so the whole gift has ended up costing very little and I know she’ll love it!

I’ve added more pictures of the finished tables to the gallery. I’ll also be adding a link to my twitter page soon, so keep an eye out for this. I’ve just started another project today which I hope to have completed by next weekend, so pictures will be added soon and I am currently developing a shop on the website Folksy, which should be up and running in the next few days. So there’ll be lots going on over the next few weeks. I will add links to everything as they become available and remember to check out my regular mid-week Happy Wednesday posts for that little middle of the week pick-me-up!

VW Beetle Decal

Continuing with the theme of VW's, today's Happy Wednesday photograph is of a decal that I recently got from Dali Decals.

I saw a picture of it on their website and had to have it for one of my living room walls (which has loads of electrical wires inside it making it extremely difficult to hang a picture).

I love this decal and would highly recommend Dali Decals to anyone wanting a decal. It went up so easily and has become a real talking point when people come round to visit. I believe that they even make custom decals if you ask them!