Lockdown Projects ...........................................

Greetings lovely friends & readers

Lockdown Life continues here at the bottom of the world with our Level 4 Lockdown having been extended until the end of the month.    There is always plenty to do here at Threadbear HQ - though I must admit my energy levels (& enthusiasm) this time round are somewhat diminished.  

 Yesterday I was weeding an area of my garden & could smell the heavenly scent of wild violets - so I picked the sweetest little bunch to enjoy inside 💕

We have a surplus of lemons at the moment - our tree is laden & it's branches bending over.  I swap produce with my neighbour Jenny who gives me free range eggs in exchange for broccoli & worm tea.  Jenny left a dozen eggs in my letter box a couple of days ago so I decided to make a sticky Lemon Slice.

I used * this * recipe here - a recipe from a Cafe, that I had torn out of an old newspaper.  When I make something citrusy I want to really taste the citrus - not just a hint of it.  See the piece missing from the corner .......... I can most certainly attest that This Slice Was DELICIOUS !!!!  😉

Filling some bottles of worm tea for Jenny prompted me to give my worm farm a good clean out. I like to hose down the lids & get rid of any bugs & things every few months. I managed to fill 7 more bottles of worm tea - with spring just around the corner it's time to start liquid feeding plants & potted things again.

I came across a half pot of Resene "Hot Chilli" paint in my cupboard which was timely because my outdoor table & chairs were looking tatty after the winter.

I decided to give them a good scrub & then a coat of paint to freshen them up.

Our weather this week has been more settled & it was quite pleasant painting outside on my deck area.

I am always impressed with how much one good coat can give them a new lease of life.    Now if only the birds will stop using the chairs as perches ..........

I scrubbed out my old kettle, which I painted & stencilled last year & planted a small white paper daisy in this.

Last October on one of my trips to Mum's this drop-leaf tea wagon was waiting for me in her shed.  My sister-in-law had seen it being carted to the road side "free for the taking" & grabbed it for me, along with 2 wooden chairs for herself.

I pulled it out of my sleepout on Thursday, gave it a good wash down & then prepared to paint it with chalk paint in the colour "Pumice".

I started off out on the deck but found it easier to put it on my table upside down & get in all the nooks & crannies.  Yes I had my usual "Supervisor" who rather enjoys watching paint dry !! 😉

Most of it took 3 coats before I was satisfied with my coverage - I had masking taped the castors as I didn't want any paint on these.

I had this gorgeous Iron Orchid Transfer that I planned to cut into & affix to my tea wagon, to take the plain-ness off it.

I had a vision in my mind of flowers cascading across the top & down one of the drop leaves of the table as if someone had thrown a bunch of flowers across it . . . . . . 

I kept having to walk away & then come back to it several times before I was happy with my finish - it was tempting to keep adding more but I tried to restrain myself.

I'm really pleased with how it turned out & just have to give it all a coat of clear wax now to protect it.

I just added a small flower & a leaf to one leg (below)

Last night at the dinner table I was telling The Mr the story of how I came to get the tea wagon - he would have No Idea what I have stashed away in the sleepout nor where I acquired it from.

This morning this little funny appeared in my Inbox - sent from The Mr.  (Yes I must confess I am rather like that at times !!!)

Thank You all So Very Much for your visits here today dear friends,

I hope you are staying safe & well no matter where you may live in the world,

Remember to be kind to yourselves & to each other,

With Much love & friendship to you all,

Julie & the furry ones x0x0x