Washi Tape, Washi Tape, I Love Washi Tape!!

Almost edibly sweet!

Running an errand in town took me past the Red Cross shop.  Well of course I did not go past I went in!! I got a lovely Japanese horse tile for HORSE -mad Stella and an old fashioned  white silk ribbon wrapped lucky horse shoe which may be incorporated somehow in her upcoming ' pony party '. I also got an old picture frame for 50c.  Here it is ... thought I would paint it for Stella but when I got home I instead decided I would wrap some of my Washi tape around it.  I have found this stuff well nigh impossible to buy in New Zealand up until recently, in the shops that is, of course. Online shopping is an option but fripperies like these tapes are more likely to catch me on a whim in the flesh than online where postage and card transactions etc leave me time to come to my senses! Anyway this little project took me around 10 minutes and then I put a lovely Mabel Lucie Atwell,  picture in the frame and I was finished.  Crafty happiness for just over 50c!

Doilie, doily, doyley, doiley, d’oyley or d’oilie?

I was wondering since I had so many of the darn things if I was spelling the name doilie correctly and whilst searching for the answer I came across the following snippet on The Dreamstress blog all abut the history of the word doilie! http://thedreamstress.com/2011/06/doilie-doily-doyley-doiley-doyley-or-doilie/.  I often wonder at the lives of the people who put so many hours of painstaking effort into these beautiful little works of art and how different my life is and how I barely have time or the knowledge to make anything let alone something so intricately complicated. This weeks creative pinnacle was to merely glue a doilie onto an old battered stool. A very simple idea but as you can see in the photos it looks interesting and evokes for me just enough pretty but not enough to be cloying.  I always love the juxtaposition between opposing forces, bitter sweet, old and new, love and hate it excites my senses indeed!

Pimp my Suitcase

Not going anywhere!

Not a very lovely thing is it this old battered suitcase?  We moved not very long ago and I ended up collecting a lot of these type of retro cases from op shops cheaply instead of spending money on packing boxes (I spent a lot of time loitering furtively behind shops and befriending delivery men in pursuit of cardboard boxes as well!).   Anyhow I don't need packing cases anymore but as always in my house we do need storage, storage and storage.  Here is what I made for little Stella's room. Pink is the order of the day and so after a liberal slosh of 'Lipstick' pink I cut out some flowers from a Cath Kidston book I had and Bob's your uncle as they say.  A new receptacle for the dolly clothes which up until now have lived on the floor and under the bed and sometimes up the hall.  Also if the dolls want to go on their hols anytime soon their clothes are all packed and ready.  I have been commissioned by my little boy for a more manly version for all his artworks.  I think this idea will be useful in my sewing room for all the odds and sods I collect to make things out of and can never find when the moment arrives!  Here is the result ....cheap but cheerful.........sounds a bit like me! x

Off on new adventures!

Styling Vintage with Dulcie Green!

One of the best days I have enjoyed so far this year was when my wonderful friend Florence came to stay. Not just fun because we always have so much exciting stuff to talk about but also because I got to exercise my styling muscle and Florence got to do what she loves most, take exquisite photos!!! I have so many vintage props at my disposal from years of collecting that it's easy to create whimsical scenes for her to capture on camera, we have had lots of fun photo shoots in the past but this time was special.  This time Dulcie Green my little Ford Transit MK1 and the inspiration for my blog was to be the star of the show!! The theme of course was Vintage!!!! What else? Florence is an accomplished and talented photographer you can see more of her gorgeous work at http://fotographiebyflorence.blogspot.co.nz .

Darling Doilies!

Doilies are something I cannot resist when I am out trawling the op shops which is a pastime I love to indulge in on a very regular basis.   They are often inexpensive and they are always examples of amazing crochet/lace-making skills and I feel that somehow it is my duty to 'save' them from extinction (my excuse!) The thing is not only am I on a mission to save the doilies of this planet but my darling Mummy must have felt the same way because I have inherited stacks and stacks from her as well. So something must be done with the veritable Everest of linen froufrou teetering dangerously in my arty farty shed.  So today my 15 seconds of craft was devoted to turning this plain old op shop cushion............

                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Into this beauty!!! ................. De na!

Of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder and maybe the beholder just sees a plain old cushion with an old crochet doily sewn on it but hey indulge me!!! I always feel satisfied when I have had a little creative outlet in the day and for today this was it!!!

Patriotic Pin Cushion

Sometimes things come into my house and just lie on the kitchen bench waiting to be attended to.  Just such a thing was this little coin purse my lovely friend gave me who knows I love all things 'Cool Britannia'.  After using it a couple of times the zip broke and I knew immediately I wanted to re-purpose it into a little pin cushion.  It has taken me a long time to get to it but once I started it was a task quickly completed by just pulling out the zip, filling the inside with stuffing (not sage and onion!) and sewing round the edges.  Before you could say Jack Robinson I have a plump little cushion for my vintage pin collection to be stabbed into and displayed!

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