An Upcycled (or ruined !!) Lampshade

Good Wednesday Morning to you all dear friends & readers 💚

Early last month - when I should have been working on Orders but was distracting myself - I decided I was 
tired of my coffee table display & thought it was perhaps about time I put my Easter things away (!!!) 😕

I found this lampshade on top of a wardrobe in my sleepout - it had been a $5 purchase from Hospice sometime 
last year
As you can see it was in excellent condition but the fixture inside where it could be fitted to a lamp stand, was missing.
I decided to pull all the covering off it including the wrapping around the sides of the frame 
 I had a "sort-of-an-idea-floating-in-my-head" that I wanted to rust it

I soaked it in a mixture of vinegar & salt - as I only had a shallow plastic bath I had to rotate it over several days 
but finally I could see the rusting process beginning
 I left the top & bottom of the frame with the wrapping on as I planned to re-wrap this with new fabric

Once I felt it had rusted enough I rinsed it well with cold water (you need to do this in order to halt the rusting process) then left it by the fire with Miss Pippi to supervise while it dried.

This is how it looked once I had wrapped the top & bottom of the frame in a dull brown fabric - I wanted a rustic primitive look - you see I planned to use the frame as a sort of "rustic cloche" on my coffee table

Here it is all set up on a vintage crochet doiley with my fairy lights wrapped around it 

I used a small stack of vintage prayer books & some other rustic looking objects as a display under my "cloche"

The hessian table runner just seemed to compliment the display perfectly

Down one end I displayed the soy candles I had made in some gorgeous crystal jugs gifted to me by 
my dear friend Sue 
I am really thrilled with my new/old display - however when I showed The Mr my finished cloche, his only 
comment was "I think you have ruined a perfectly good lampshade !!" 😉

Speaking of rustic things - I have been working outside on the very occasional days we have had fine weather - these are few & far between!

This rusty old tin hatbox was out in the woodshed so I lined it with a black polythene bag & then planted it with 
some succulents that were ready to be transplanted out

I am hoping they will multiply & spill over the edges

Whilst weeding an area of garden I noticed some pots tucked under a shrub & upon pulling them out, I see 
they were my hyacinth bulbs from last spring - just beginning to flower.
The scent from the white one is beautiful 💚

Last weekend before the wild weather came again I picked a large vase of daffodils & two jars of white Daphne
 to enjoy inside instead of watching it all get bashed around in the garden.

My friend Denise posted this little Verse on Instagram - I just loved it & asked her if I could share it on my blog 
 I hope you can read it okay - it is titled  "Seenager"

Thanks again for your visits & your lovely comments today dear friends,
It is nasty weather here again today & Miss Pippi is tucked up on the couch by the fire sound asleep

You can forgive her anything when you see her like this!
(including the mouse she bought in at 5.30 am this morning!!!)
Have a wonderful day dear friends,
Much love & friendship to you all 💗
Julie & the furry ones x0x0x

Three Large Angels Made Using Vintage Linens

Greetings dear friends & readers
Gosh - Thursday already! Another week is flying by!

Jillian came to visit me in late May - she bought with her a large basket filled with her late Mum's vintage linens 
& doilies - she asked me if I would make them up into 3 Angels for her & her two sisters  

We sat together & I went through the basket & selected anything that I thought might be suitable - these are 
my selection above.


Finally - about 10 days ago I found some time to begin Jillian's Order.
Firstly I had to dye my calico for the Angel's bodies

I prefer using Parisian Essence to traditional tea dying as I like the mottled effect it gives plus I find 
you can control the colour alot more this way

Once the calico was dried & ironed I began tracing out the dolls - I wanted to make a decent sized Angel to do justice to the doilies so I chose Charlotte Angel by Rosalie Quinlan Designs as she measures a generous 72 cms tall. 
As you can see above, I had some assistance with laying out the body pattern.

In fact, this assistance continued right throughout the making of these dolls !!

It is always nerve wracking cutting into other peoples treasured vintage linens - but Miss Pippi was there to 
"talk me through" cutting into the beautiful vintage lace tablecloth that I needed to use for a doll's dress

Last weekend during our dreadful stormy weather I stayed indoors & quilted around the Angels wings 
as well as painting their shoes & drying them by the fire
Yes - I should have done the shoes first, but I was undecided about colours until I had them dressed

The White Angel was the first one finished - I had suggested to Jillian that I make a white one, a cream one & then one with a mixture of both colours
(Incidently all the linens & doilies I used for the Angels had to be soaked & washed first as many had slightly yellowed & some had age spots on them)

I pieced two smaller doilies together to make her bodice - I really loved the doiley I used for her pinny (below left)

Her dress was a simple white table runner - but the doiley I used for her wings was one of my favorite's with 
gorgeous fuchsia flowers embroidered on it

Next up was Miss Pink - named because I used a selection of doilies that matched & made up a 
pretty dressing table set.
Miss Pink's dress was made from the vintage crochet tablecloth that Pippi was helping me cut into earlier

Her pinny & bodice were part of the set & then I pieced two smaller doilies together to create her wings.
I cut down a small size crochet doiley to use for her collar & added a simple pearl strand

Her shoes were painted a delicate pink called Pale Rose & then I took the smallest doiley of the set & 
stitched it into her hands

The last Angel I have called Miss Burgundy - due to her burgundy/russet coloured hair. 
The hair I have used on all 3 Angels is hand dyed mohair yarn that I buy online.

Once again Miss Russet has the most gorgeous doilies for her bodice & her wings were another doiley pair 
pieced together.
I lightly stiffened all 3 Angels wings to prevent them from falling forward.

All the Angels have bloomers made from vintage crochet linens 

I did not stitch anything into Miss Burgundy's hands as I remembered that Jillian had a box of her Mum's vintage handkerchiefs - we had talked previously about stitching these into the doll's hands 

   💕All 3 ladies in their finery, reclining on my spare bed  - ready to fly away home to Jillian's 💗

On Monday I had a baking day - these are few & far between nowadays as they are often followed by Eating Days!!

Firstly I made a Feijoa & Coconut Cake using some feijoa pulp I found in my freezer.
While this was in the Oven I made Rice Bubble Crisp - a recipe I used to make frequently when my boys were young.
Lastly I made a Bacon & Egg Pie for our dinner this week - I serve this with either veggies or salads to give 
us some variety.

And then last night I sat with my own vintage linens on the floor to work out which ones I wanted to use 
in an upcoming project 
 As you can see friends  ......  I had assistance yet again !!! 😸


My good friend Julie has started a blog.  Julie creates beautiful children's clothing for sale under the label Bo and Co - we always ensure we are neighbors at the yearly craft fairs we attend.
In this world of Instagram I still really enjoy blogging & reading blogs so I am So pleased Julie has started one 
 Here is the link to her delightful blog ...    Hello Bo and Co
Please do pop over & say Hello & let her know she is not just talking to herself 😉

Thanks as always dear friends, for your visits to my blog,
As the week is nearly over I hope the coming weekend is wonderful for you all,
Take care of yourselves & of each other,
With much love & friendship,
Julie & the furry ones x0x0x0

Craft Group Meetings, Veggie Gardens & Cat Scratching Poles (!!!)

Greetings dear friends & readers & Welcome to August !!

Sometimes in the midst of winter, I find it's the simple little things that can bring the greatest pleasure

Like nipping out between the showers today to pick a bunch of daphne for my kitchen bench 💗

Yesterday was our monthly Craft Group Meeting & it was my turn to be the hostess

The ladies were keen to learn candle making.

I found a big old cathedral candle in the back of my cupboard - one of those that seems to burn half way through & then give up completely.

I chopped it up on the brick path using my axe (!!) & then we melted it down in two old saucepans.

The ladies had all bought along op shopped containers of various shapes & sizes, & I showed them how to 

"wick them" before pouring our candles

We scented the melted wax with beautifully smelling Orange & Clove Oils.

While we waited for them to set we had a delicious lunch.

You know - I have said this before But ...... if we get nothing else right, we sure know how to do the food part of it 😉

The finished candles ...... I wanted to pour another thin layer of melted wax over the top to fill in the small dents 

but the ladies decided they quite liked the "character" this gave their candles.

All in all - a wonderful way to spend a chilly wet winter's day!

Sid has discovered his love of drawing with felt pens.

Luckily I always keep a large stock of blank paper in the house for just such activities ... he loves me to 

sit beside him & draw

You can see my version of a dinosaur in this picture - Sid has "coloured it in" & then informs me the big black blob beside it is "Granny being eaten by the dinosaur" (!!) Thanks Sid!

When I returned from Mum's 90th birthday back in April, I decided to replant my veggie garden as our autumn days still seemed so mild.

I had purchased some veggie punnets while at Mum's & planted a couple of each into her raised garden so I had 

left over broccoli, silverbeet, cabbages & red beet to plant into my two gardens.

I have been surprised how well the plants have grown through our cold winter months & have recently begun picking a variety of veggies for our evening meal

This huge head of broccoli (one of my favorite veggies) is sitting on my kitchen bench to be cooked 

with our dinner tonight.

It is honestly quite pathetic how The Mr & I treat our furry friends here at Threadbear HQ 😺

Miss Pippi has repeatedly scratched & worked away at the edge of our (2 year old) carpet until she has worn it to 

a thread.

Last week in desperation I drove to the Vets & purchased this scratching pole below - I have always thought these were hideous things to have in your room but needs must

This is the photo I took of it in the Vets carpark & sent to The Mr via my phone to see what he thought.

I am pleased to report that Her Royal Highness has begun to use it .... I must admit The Mr & I take it in turns to "spend time" with her dragging her favourite cord over it & encouraging her to jolly well Use the thing !!

Yep - just like I said ......  we are pathetic 😉 !!

I was gifted this lovely frame by my friend Jane, for my birthday back in June.

I knew exactly what I wanted to put in it ... a photo of each of my grandsons.

I had these photos of Alec & Sid enlarged to 5 x 7  & am so delighted with them in my frame.

Well dear friends - it is time once again to fill the wood basket,

Thanks So Much for your visits here today - I hope the week is treating you kindly,

With much love & friendship to you all,

Julie & the furry ones x0x0x