Paint Furniture! It will save your life.... sort of.....

 Take one (at a time) nasty Old Chair.

This was handmade, in Cheshire, many moons ago as a custom order for my Great Aunt. The workmanship was sublime. Yet it had seen it's day....

My dad and i have this disagreement all the time "look at that beautiful wood" he says "why paint it?"

 And he is right.... but there is no joy left in this object

"dad - there is no Joy left in it. It is minging"

"what are you talking about Kirsty" says dad "i don't understand"

 Anyway.... it got "Fished" Big Time.

The seat came off with just 3 screws but the fabric took an age to rip free as we took out all the old pins and staples (my Sister in the picture, lending a hand)

I ended up padding the seat with a big piece of foam before re-stretching it with fabric and stapling it very tight.

 I cannot recommend spray paints enough. These are Montana Golds - what a joy to use and i have used them on Wicker baskets, wood, metal... everything.

 I won't lie to you.... stripping off all that dark varnish on the wood, was a bitch. It took time to get in all those crevices and curves. I did it with Nitromors twice and then sanded it. Then gave it a light coat of Primer.  The spray paint went on in several stages, till i was happy it was covered. Finally i sprayed it with a gloss varnish.

 Sorry the photo is not great but i am not a DIY show here am i?

the colour is alot darker and more purple than this shows. This looks pink but it is a kind of rich Bramble Jam colour. The fabric is just what i thought went well with the other fabrics round the home.

Everyone approves!

Now do you see what i mean Dad? There is a great deal to be joyful about in this chair now?

"Whatever makes you happy dear" says Dad.

...Paint furniture... it'll change your life!

Things making me happy on a Saturday Morning....

Things that are making me happy on a quiet Saturday morning....

*new* blue spotty pumps. They won't stay this clean for long. Thank the lord for a bit of Cath Kidston frivolity. The sun is shining, i might not need my Welly Boots today?

Fresh Bed Linen in random combinations. Pure cotton sheets and a salvaged over-sized Quilt.

I love to 'dress my bed' like some people might dress their living room.

A fun photo... who is that?....

it's me and my big brother at my Grandads wedding, or maybe my Aunt's?

(How many people can say they were at their Grandads wedding?)

Friendship.

Knowing that i am loved and that somebody somewhere has a thought for me and will sometimes think "i wonder how Kirsty is today" xxx

Tea. Of course. Always Tea.

A cuppa served in Car Booty 50p cup and saucer whilst sewing Christmas stock and looking forward to what might happen in my life today.

Hey - just a quickie!

I love colour. I love to surround myself by it. Colour makes me feel happy and positive and alive.

I don't do 'matching sets' and i don't do 'dull'

I am not funny or quirky or 'like being different'... do what makes you happy people!

This stool is a typical example of what i love to do in my home.

The stool was found at the back of a Thrift Shop. (I forgot to get a photo of it before i sprayed the wood part Hot Pink) It was a wooden stand with a yellow top. I liked the yellow top actually but i have a need for pattern and a great stash of fabrics.

I lightly sanded off the legs and frame before spraying the whole thing with a Gloss Spray Paint. I didn't bother using Primer on it first at the paint looked like it would adhere well without it - and i do love to cut corners (impatience)

The Top has fantastic little bars that easily allowed you to remove it from the base.

So then, i found a square of Cath Kidston fabric in the boldest design and stretched it over the top. I borrowed my dads staple gun to keep it all in place and really pulled it tight to get a good stretch and fit.

With the fabric added it was now a really tight fit into the painted frame so i used a soft mallet to whack it back into position and then turn the bars underneath to keep it in place.

Stool = £8.00

                                       Spray Paint = £1.00 - (from a large 400ml can costing £6.00)

                                 Fabric = £2.00 - (from a £12.00 per metre piece)

               Staples = £2.00 (at a guess?)

The photo doesn't do this justice but i was really chuffed with how it turned out.

Colour + Craft + Thrift = Love my Life xxx

Holly Decoration "How to - Go do"

I had no intention of making anything for myself today - as often happens, this decoration developed in my hands whilst doing something else... I have been making some Christmas Bunting for my kitchen using the Cath Kidston Holly fabric (below) and there were inevitable 'off cuts' that were too good to get thrown away.
So, the CraftyFish "How to - Go do" Holly decoration:
Firstly, i sketched a holly leaf on a piece of card.
Then i cut it out - and traced around that template onto a second piece of card. I carefully cut around the second template to make a smaller fit. This second template will become the fabric template and the first template is the bigger size, to be used for the felt.

I cut the bigger template on 2 pieces of green felt together. And then i did this again.

The smaller template i cut on ONE cath Kidstin fabric and ONE red spot. So you have the basics for the 2 holly leaves.

Applique the fabric to ONE side of the felt holly leaves, leaving the back of each leaf - blank (or double side them both if you want it double sided?)

Sew all round the edges, following the shape. Leave a gap at the top and STUFF them too!.... then sew them closed.

Then i sewed the two leaves together at the top with a gold ribbon sandwiched between the 2 leaves. Then i added the 3 FELT BALLS as holly berries, one at a time, sewing them securely into the top of the holly leaves.

To keep the 2 leaves from falling away from each other, i used green thread to travel down the back spine of a leaf - not all the way, just to that first spiky tip. This will keep them sitting nicely.

And it is ready to hang! This one is actually quite big. I am making a few of them to hang in-between the bunting to make a bigger 'swag' and look like fat sprigs of holly hanging.

I am pretty happy with how they look!

Please, feel free to use my "How to" and try your own. I need to clarify however (for those who are new to the online crafty stuff) This design belongs to "PaperFish", a Ltd. company. Nobody has my permission to use this pattern to make and sell commercially.

Good ain't it? xxxx

From Japan....!

I have so much to tell you all about...
Beauties i have been buying, Muchness i have been making, Sweetness to sell...
and THESE fabrics have finally arrived from Kokka in Japan - yippee! Joy because, i have many projects in mind for these!
I love this fabric with it's apples and mushrooms and polka dots (some of it might become a top)

Matroyshka's baby! and i have a whole BOLT of it x x x fresh and funky coloured cotton.

This will be so great when i make it into bunting as it compliments my collection of Cath Kidston fabrics. It has lots of spots and stripes and florals in it so also grrrreat for chopping into teeny tiny projects like hairclips and stuff...

This is just so good it hurts! A thick double weave cotton with a linen quality to it that i adore. the colour is a deep and juicy moss green with 'tea' coloured spots... eeekK

And because i am willing to share.... i am selling a few metres and half metres of each design over on Folksy.... BUY ME HERE but they are limited because i am also quite selfish and want lots for my own projects.

More new-ness and blogging to come soon x