Latest Creations.

In amongst all the terrible flooding news, I have been busy with butterfly frames and vintage tags.

This one was a special order I received before Christmas, and in amongst all that I had to do I managed to finish it about a week ago:



The customer was very happy when she picked it up this week!

I also made another black and white butterfly frame to sell:



A smaller version of the vintage keys:



Some more vintage tags, but this time out of a book of vintage sheet music from an Antique shop:



...and lucky last, some more tags with a hot air balloon theme and organza ribbon:




More butterflies in the making, and perhaps a few other 'different' things...time permitting. Then I think I might attempt to start the blue tufted ottoman I've been wanting to make for several months....

...Of Droughts And Flooding Rains.

For the past 3 days, I have sat glued to the laptop with the television going for over 14 hours a day. I've kept track of all the horrid events unfolding in SE QLD via the Weatherzone Forums and the Queensland Police Facebook Fan Page. I've had friends evacuate from Caboulture, friends scramble to the airport cutting their holiday short to come back to Melbourne, and I read the distressing news that A-M has lost everything in the floods.

As I write this, the tragic death toll stands at 12 confirmed, with 43 still missing. Brisbane River is expected to reach a peak level of 5.2m at 4am tomorrow morning (13th January). There are expected to be up to 40,000 homes affected by the floods over 50 suburbs in Brisbane, and surpassing the devastation caused by the 1974 floods. The whole situation, to think that so many Australians in the 3rd largest city have lost everything, is incomprehensible.

While the events are still unfolding in QLD, please also spare a thought for those in SW Western Australia who have lost homes due to a deliberately lit bushfire and those in NE NSW also suffering flood damage from the same system which affected QLD.

There has also been record rainfall in parts of VIC, with Jeparit receiving an all time daily record of 161.2mm. There has been flooding in Natimuk, where 12 homes along the tiny towns river, were evacuated. Flash flooding has occurred in Kyneton, part of the Great Ocean Road has been cut due to landslides...and there is much more rain expected in VIC, Western NSW, Eastern SA and TAS over the next 2 days.

Just to add to everything else, Cyclone Vince has made an appearance in the Indian Ocean, and could possibly hit the Pilbara Coast as a Cat 3 Cyclone, and early weather model predictions are hinting at a Coral Sea Cyclone eventually making landfall as a rain depression on the border of QLD and NSW late January.

After 13 years of devastating drought over much of the Country, we now have this.


Please give what ever you can.

Merry Christmas!

Although it's a few days late, I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas! Time disappeared again and I didn't finish all the decorating that I had planned for the house in amongst everything else I had to do in the last 3 weeks! I didn't even get to send out (or write any) Christmas cards, despite buying them LAST YEAR in the Boxing Day sales! Next year I will endeavour to start Christmas in October! I actually didn't anticipate such a busy end to the school year...and that was what completely threw me. Apart from organising school uniforms for the new Prep's (I run the shop by myself), three teachers left at the end of the year, so there was butterfly frame making, parties to organise and a cake to make. There was also a Christmas raffle to help organise and a school Christmas picnic to help set up for.

...then I had to clean and organise the house ready for 18 people on Christmas day!

Thankfully now I am relaxing and catching up on blogging!

I decided to 'wrap' my front doors again this year, as it seemed to go down really well last year. I used the same pieces of ribbon and the same bow as last year, and it does look a little faded, so here is the photo of last year! It didn't look as fresh this year...



My colour theme was red and white, and I wanted to stick to a more vintage and natural feel to my wrapping (I like to do something different every year...). I had 3 different wrapping papers (white, brown craft paper and red with white Christmas words on it), and tied up with either red organza ribbon, jute string or red and white twine. Combined with my vintage inspired gift tags I think it came up OK!







The Christmas tree:





The stair banister creation (which I didn't get time to finish...):



My table decorations:









...and finally, my take on Christmas Bon bons! I refused to spend $50 on something that ends up in the bin, so I took inspiration from Sharnel's Blog and made some gorgeous chocolate candy cane hearts, found here. They were so easy and fun to make...and yummy to eat!! I put them in cellophane bags, tied up with my vintage tags, doubled as name tags, and added a rolled up 'bad' Christmas joke!





A fabulous day, but I'm glad it's over and I can now completely relax!

Happy New Year!!!!

Study Nook Complete.

Although I have already celebrated with a giveaway to coincide with one year since handover and my 200th post, this is officially my 200th post! That's an awful lot of babbling on for the past 3 years!

I can finally say another 'section' of a room is finally completed. I'm sure you remember the tired old looking pine desk in the 'planned' study nook in the family room:



Pretty unattractive, huh? After a trip to IKEA for some floating shelves, a Barometer lamp (although that's already sitting proudly in the photo above), a few accessories, a new Ingolf chair to match the bar chairs in the kitchen, a can of Zinsser BIN Primer, some paint and new handles, and we have something a little more pleasing to look at and work on!



Looks a bit different, doesn't it!



I spent roughly $17 on the primer and $21 on new handles. I used the left over paint from the bookshelf make-over previously and it's completely transformed it. Sure beats spending over $500 for a new desk!



I couldn't resist this gorgeous Union Jack paper weight:



Another bargain! Target were selling these apothecary jars for $20. When I bought mine, it happened to be on sale for $14! Inside I have vintage sheet music I rolled into scrolls and tied with cotton twine. I bought the large book of vintage sheet music for $5 at an Antiques shop! Plenty left for many other uses.



Apart from transforming furniture, I've also been working on some more of my frames (butterflies and keys!), and also my vintage look tags. These ones are made from a sheet of French ephemera wrapping paper:





So quick and easy to do, but I won't make too many more until I know they will sell!

I can't believe it's December this week! I'm looking forward to setting up the tree, dressing the banisters and tying up the front doors!!!

Long time, no post.

As the title suggests, it has been a while...quite a while in fact!

I have been incredibly busy with life in general, not helped by being unable to download photos from my (dying) camera and onto my (in need of attention) PC.

I have been reading and occasionally commenting on all my favourite blogs, though. I have been saddened by the news that A-M from The House That A-M Built is going through a terribly difficult time at the moment. I have never met A-M, but have had the pleasure in buying some things from her through her old Armchair Trader site, and reading her blog updates almost on a daily basis for several years. Drop A-M a line and let her know we are all thinking of her if you haven't done so already.

So, what's been happening in my life? There has been Birthdays, a Ballet Concert, deck cleaning and staining, organising and running the school disco, butterfly frame making, furniture painting and 4 arson attacks on our little school in 4 weeks. The first 2 were minimal (bins and fences), the third was in a disused building (but emergency services arrived very quickly and saved it), and the 4th last Saturday was in the same building which has now been totally destroyed (and demolished as of today).

This low act comes on top of the devastating fire which took out about 40% of our school in 2008. Good news is that I believe there are 2 teenagers in custody regarding the recent incidents. May they rot in Hell...

Finally after completing the decking back in April, we were able to clean it and oil it on the only weekend we had free where it didn't pour with rain!





Not too shabby for a completely DIY project! It just needs some furniture and jazzing up a bit to complete it.

A while ago I posted about this book shelf that was also in need of attention!



The bookshelf itself I've had for about 20 years, and the only thing wrong with it was the colour! Pointless buying another, so I cleaned it, sanded it, used Zinsser BIN primer on it (previously stained and varnished so it needed a stain blocker) and transformed it with white satin acrylic (won't go yellow...). Looks a bit better, doesn't it?



With the inclusion of the CD's and my London Underground picture, it looks 100% better.







This area tended to be the dumping ground for school bags, so I bought a rattan trunk to fit nicely in the space. No more messy school bags lying around!





Sitting in the garage already undercoated is my 25 year old pine desk I was using in the study nook:



With any luck I'll have it finished this week to show you!

Last, but not least, I have been busy making things. I've had several butterfly orders to complete, including this one which is now for sale in a shop:





...and I've been dabbling in some vintage inspired tags:





...and some vintage looking keys:



All good fun!!

Anyone have a spare $27 Million?

We can all dream a little, can't we?

I was looking through Real Estate sites (as I often do!) and came across this little gem in Sagaponack in 'The Hamptons'. So much potential, so much space....and so much cleaning!



Newly built on 7 1/2 acres with a pool house, carriage house and restored 250 year old barn! Also a pool, tennis court and spa. The 'main' house has 8 bedrooms, a theatre, gym with sauna, 11 toilets, a wine 'room' and a lift, all spanning 3 levels!



Just look at it's beautiful huge entrance. Imagine the possibilities here!



Huge living room with marble fire place, built in shelves and beautiful ceilings:





Separate library:



Kitchen, which I would change quite a bit in:



Second staircase and mud room:



Main staircase landing:



Marble master bathroom with fireplace:



The Wine Room:



Full plans, pictures and other info all HERE.

What would I change? The lights and hardware in the kitchen, and possibly the splashback tiles, and have the island bench top match the others. I would probably also like to see some internal french doors, or just transoms to define different rooms where there are no doors. Also noted there are no transoms above the exterior windows and french doors. I would probably also change the mirror lights in the bathrooms and add chandeliers everywhere! Nice to dream a little!

How would you furnish it, and what would you change?

All images here.