Upcycles, Homeless Gloves & Gollies . . . . . .

Tuesday Greetings dear friends & readers

We have been lucky enough to have some odd rainy days this January but on the sunny days I have been attempting to complete some more "upcycles" from the mountain of Op Shop junk treasures in my sleepout

The metal shelf & wooden tray above were rescued by me from the Op Shop Bin just prior to christmas

The aluminium kettle (minus its lid) was found by The Mr when he was mowing an overgrown lawn for some friends of ours ... the kettle was lying under a hedge & looks as though it has been a planter at some stage of its life as it already had holes in its base

It was also under a good half inch of caked on dirt & grime

A good scrub & a very light sand ... then 2 coats of Amulet green & it was looking much improved

Once the baby's tears plant is a wee bit more established, it will look wonderful ... these Kettles do not sit for very long in my Cottage ... they soon get snapped up.

Everything that day got the Amulet treatment ... this wooden tray also got 2 coats & then lined with a lovely scrap booking paper

The two short ends were slatted & were a little fiddlier to paint

The little metal what-not shelf also got two coats of Amulet ... I remember my Grandmother having one of these shelves with all sorts of bric-a-brac on it ... she was a great hoarder collector my Grandmother ... I am wondering if perhaps that is where I get my hoarding collecting tendencies from??

An elderly customer gifted me a small bag of crochet doilies late last year.

Most of them were rust marked, torn & beyond repair but some were able to be rescued.

In the bottom of the bag was one lonely crochet glove ... it was quite stained but I was able to get it clean with a gentle soak.

As I was certain no-one would want to buy one glove without its mate, I filled it carefully with dried lavender ... then I gently gathered the top of it in with some perle cotton & stitched across the opening

A vintage pearl button & small crochet flower just completed it ... I really love this single lavender glove & the fragrance is heavenly.

The Doves have returned after a long absence 

I counted 8 here this morning which is great because before they all left ... we were up to 22 !!!!!

I have bought some more Dove Mix from Binn Inn & a certain little 4-legged Miss is back on the rampage again ... 

I snapped these pics just this morning

Click on the pic to enlarge it & YES - that is her - up the tree !!!!

I am sure if Pippi ever learnt to speak English the first words that came out of her mouth would be "it wasn't me ... Blackie did it!!!"

As I walk across the lawn to the Cottage throughout the day I could smell this beautiful fragrance ... I realised last week it was a lily bulb that I had shifted last winter when I took out an entire corner garden.

A customer commented on it yesterday & that it was unusual to have so many buds on the one stem ... she counted 18 in total.

It is obviously thriving in the shadier spot I have shifted it to.

A surprise package arrived late last week from my friend Carolyn in the South Island.

I was not expecting anything as we no longer exchange christmas gifts.

Upon opening the parcel, this little face smiled out at me .  .  .

It appears Carolyn had popped in to the local Recycle Centre at the Rubbish Dump & this fellow was sitting on top of a pile of stuff to be sorted ... she posted him off to me with this little note enclosed

Yes Carolyn ... always room for "one more" !!! It was just priceless & made me smile all day long.

I shall find him his own special chair & his note will stay tucked into his little jacket always.

Hope you find something to make you smile all day long this coming week dear readers,

Thanks so much for stopping by today ... I am off to vacuum out my Cottage as my first group is due tomorrow

 (help !!**!!)

with much love & friendship to you all

Julie, Blackie & Miss ratbag Pippi 

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