My next project

One of the best things about not having a job to go to is the ability to do all those things that you said or would have said 'Maybe one day if I had the time" to. I have the time. On a side note keeping busy keeps you sane. I have done a few projects around the house in the last year, cleaning and reorganising mostly. But also a couple of bigger projects, no-dig-veggie garden and the redecorating of a chest of draws in our bedroom.

I have found the next project that I would like to tackle, it is essentially an art piece. In our home I have two places on two walls that need something. I have an idea for one, I want to create a display of the photo's that myself and my WH (wonderful husband) have taken. For Christmas last year my WH gave me three of my photos that he had printed out and framed, they are currently displayed next to our TV unit. I am not happy with their placement that think they would make a bigger statement if they were displayed, along with photo's that my husband has taken, on the wall across from our front door. In that location they would also make a great first impression as you walk in our front door. The space that the photo's would leave has been perplexing me for awhile now, I look at it every evening when we sit down to watch TV.

I think that I found it, I was doing one of my favourite things this arvo, which is surfing the ETSY website for videos when I came across a how to on a great art work.

You can view the video here.

The thing I really like is that it is sort of killing two birds with one stone. I have been shredding some pruning that I have been doing in the backyard (when it is not raining), but my shredder doesn't take anything bigger than 40mm round. So I am accumulating a pile of 40mm and above branches. They would be prefect to use to create something like this (and they are free!). I also have almost all the supplies.

Yep, defiantly my new project. Will let you know how I am progressing and the end result!

Downstairs finds

We are fortunate enough that underneath our house we have a huge storage area, we use it has a laundry, movie room, garden shed, workshop and storage space. Though it does get quite messy (very very messy!), so I every so often I go down and go through the boxes that we have stored down there. I find that I am more likely to get rid of stuff the longer it stays downstairs, I am less attached to the stuff. So I am down stairs looking through boxes and I came across a purple box, inside was just an amazing flood of childhood memories.

I was never a badge collector, each on I got for a reason. Whether it was the necessary badges when I was a Girl Guide, or the House badges from primary school. I spread them out and couldn't believe how many there were! Also found a plastic bag with badges that belong to my husband so I added them to my collection.

I have to do something with these badges to display them in our home. The memories that just hit me as I was going through these badges defiantly deserves to be on display. Even my WH (wonderful husband) had a moment when he saw the badges I found that belonged to him.

I think I know where I would like to make a display, it is just the how that is perplexing me. Frames? On a piece of fabric? Or just hung straight on the wall with clear hooks? I will have to do some more thinking.

I have an opening....

Due to the birth of my new baby niece I have had to put back the opening of my Etsy store, can't focus on the store as well as all that comes with a new addition to our family.

But I thought that I would give a little preview of some of the things that I have been working on for the store.

I really like the way that the Journal covers have turned out, particularly like the one with the coordinating flowers, bit more time consuming but love how it turned out. Very tempted to keep it for myself.

My new plan is to start selling end of next week (16th July 2010), so exciting to have an official date!

Finds

While searching for something else down stairs I came across this small cupboard, I have had it for ages but totally forgot that it moved with me when I got married to my WH (wonderful husband), that is about 5 years now. It use to be white with pink flowers all over it, but I got tired of that look (and Barbie didn't really use it much after she went into storage) so I covered it it brown paper.

Side note: I got really obsessed with the look of brown paper, I loved the clean look while not being cold. Also spoke to the environmentalist in me. Still find myself draw to the look of brown paper, but not as much as a few years ago.

Any way when I was spraying the metal baskets I got bored inbetween coats, so got out my tin of undercoat and started to paint over the small cupboard. The brown paper had gotten stains on it, I had never sealed it after I covered it (big mistake). But I don't know where to go from here. I like the kind of oddness of the cupboard and the possiblity of storage for small items, but where? My scrap space? Or for jewerly in our bedroom? Or maybe just a display piece in the lounge? Some many possiblities.......hmmmmm.

I think that this will become a fun little project desciding what to do with this small cupboard, maybe I'll paint it red? I also have this cute teally colour that I love. Stay tunned to see what I descide.

Need your opinion

My sister-in-law wants to have a stall at our local Sunday markets in August and has invited me to make some stuff to sell. So I have been thinking and I came up with a fabric covered notebook using fabric that I already have around the house. This is the plan that cam out of my head (I couldn't be bothered to get my sketch book from my scrapbooking room so grabbed a pen and envelope that I already had sitting next to me on the couch)


And here is the finished notebook, this is very much a work in progress but I am quite happy with how it has turned out. What do you think? I already have two more notebooks of the same size (A5) underway and am thinking of making some smaller as well.


The word 'Notes' is made with acrylic paint and a stencil, love using acrylics as they dry fast and give great coverage. I have other decorations ideas, like fabric flowers and using the collection of stamps that I have. But I do like the simplicity of just the word 'notes' in this lovely bold tealy colour.

It's October

Might be kind of obvious but it's true. We have had a rather big weekend here in our house, well not all of it was in this house but anyway. Friday night was my husbands sisters birthday party so we went to my in-laws (which is where she still lives, with Dog and Highland Cow). One of the trees down the backyard was strung with fairy lights and a couch had been set up, it looked great. Might do that for my husbands birthday this year. The rest of the week was spent looking after our nephew, he stayed over Friday night & was suppose to stay over Saturday night but he was having alot of trouble breathing due to asthma so we called his parents and they took him home late Saturday night so he could have his asthma medication. Poor little boy.

Last month was a interesting month to say the very least......what with me losing my job and really having to look at my life and where God's plan was leading me. I always felt that that particular job wasn't going to be a career, there was no opportunity for advancement or growth of any kind, the position that I had was the position that I was always going to have. Also felt that there was a bit of opposition to my Christianity and my wanting to attend church on Sunday's as much as possible. I am still honestly much happier now than I was this time last month when I was working.

Still not much happening on the finding a job front, had one group interview and one telephone interview but no call backs out of either. But I have been consistently applying for jobs and I have faith that the job that God has for me is right around the corner.

A couple of days ago I decided to take some photos of things around the house that mean something to me

This is something we did at Girls group (girls only bible study), everyone wrote their name on the top of a piece of paper, then the pieces of paper were passed around and everyone wrote something positive & affirming about that person on their piece of paper. I absolutely love mine, I framed it and it sits next to my scrapbooking desk. I look at it when ever I need a lift.

I actually painted this, something that I have always wanted to do. I am the first to admit that I am not a very good painter. But I am still very proud of this effort. I love having artwork around the house that was created by people we know, fills the house with the love and effort that went into each artwork.

This is the first & easiest artwork I made for our house, out of total necessity. Our bedroom has a bad echo so I made this artwork to help absorb noise (and it looks great!). All it is is a square canvas and a piece of fabric, which I stapled onto the canvas and hung in our bedroom. Couldn't be easier.

A wonderful birthday present from my thoughtful husband, this canvas hangs above our bed (helping with the echo issue again). It hangs on an existing hook which is slightly off centre to the bed so I am planning on making three smaller canvas's with our initials and the date of our wedding. Also going to use this project ideas as something to do with the Girls group at church, I had a request for something 'arty'.

This next month is full of promise and opportunity can't wait to see what is to come.