the green gal

Junk for Joy!

Do you remember way back in March I told you about a book I was going to be featured in? Well, it's called Junk for Joy! and it's out now! (There's me below!)

It feels like such a long time ago since I talked to Sian about my little business and remade service, about a year in fact! It is such a fab book and I'm not just saying that because I'm in it. Author Sian Berry gives lots of different ideas to revamp tired old items, from big projects that will take a few hours to quick make-its that give you results in less than an hour. The photographs by Sarah Cuttle are beautiful and as well as little ol' me you can also check out Dave and Debbie Powell from the Bracknell Re-Use Project, Hilary Bruffell from Make It and Mend It and Peter Martin from Junkk. Plus there's a very useful Resources section at the back.

Published by Kyle Books Ltd, you can find it on Amazon here.

Making for fun

I have recently realised that I rarely create something for the sheer fun of it. Making and designing for a living has become so all-consuming that I find that all my creative energy is channelled into work. But last weekend things were different!

The hubbie and I decided it was high time we tackled a few of the jobs around the house that have been on the to do list for far too long. There's still lots more to do but at least we checked a couple of things off the list. As well as painting a new piece of art, making three cushions and stretching a gorgeous piece of fabric over a canvas frame to make a picture, we also updated an old mirror. The mirror above was a rather naff-looking pine mirror but a couple of coats of Farrow & Ball duck egg paint later and it's vastly improved.

Have you made anything purely for the joy of creating recently?

We also discovered a treasure trove of a vintage kitchenalia, furniture and bits and bobs in a nearby town and it's taking all my willpower to not run back there every day to see what's new! When we find homes for more of our new finds I'll share some snaps, promise. In the meantime you could always look at yesterday's post which features a beautiful vintage typewriter I picked up on eBay…

The Challenge is over

In February 2010 I set myself the challenge of not buying any new clothes for a year. I allowed myself to buy secondhand clothes from charity or vintage shops, or make my own (that never happened), you can read my original post here. 

So, a year and a few months on, how did I do? Well, since the official end of challenge on 23 February 2011 I have bought a pair of tights. Yep, that's it. And that was only because I felt I should buy something (why I don't know), plus I fancied wearing plum coloured tights. 

A year of not going in clothes shops and recycling catalogues without opening them seems to have retrained my brain to just not think of clothes shopping. I don't buy the usual women's mags so I don't get tempted from that direction either. 

So, what have I been wearing the past year? I won't bore you with numerous snaps of jumpers and tops and dresses, but I thought I'd show you a couple of nice little outfits I found secondhand, just to show I've not been walking round looking like a slob the whole time:

The dress, belt and cardigan all came from charity shops, the leggings are a few years old, the boots were a brilliant find in a Monsoon sale about seven years ago (not sure how many more times they can be resoled), and I bought the vintage necklace at the Bath handmade and vintage fair I had a stall at last Christmas. The dress was too big and needed taking in but this is now one of my favourite outfits to wear.

This is a piccie from last summer. The belt is from a charity shop and my lovely friend, Kirsty, found the dress in her local charity shop and kindly redonated it to me. A little bit of adjustment to fit and it's a perfect summer frock.

And lastly, a little bit of glamour (I know, I'm trying and failing to pull of the Audrey Hepburn look)! I found this 1950s shift dress in my local vintage clothes store, called Shrewd, and it fits so perfectly I just had to have it. The brooch was found in a charity shop, as were the shoes – I had to have them because they're green and they fit but the heels are a bit scarily high for me. I love this outfit, even if I struggle to walk in the heels!

Thanks for your support and encouragement over the past year, it definitely helped to know that the wider world knew about the challenge I set myself and would hold me to account over it! If you're thinking of doing something similar I say go for it! If, like me, you're not a big new fashion buff you probably won't find it too hard. 

The challenge has really raised my interest in vintage clothing and, knowing I've given a second life to some really lovely clothes that also only cost me a fraction of their original cost, and that I've saved them from possibly being landfilled, has made me smile a lot over the past year. I'm sure I will end up buying the odd item of new clothing but my attitude towards clothes shopping has definitely changed for good.

Ready for my close-up

Yesterday was not an average day at the green gables. I spent the morning tidying and beautifying my garden studio and the afternoon being photographed in it. 

A few months ago I was contacted by Sian Berry, writer and green campaigner, as she was interested in featuring me as a case study in her new book, Junk for Joy. After I got over the shock I agreed, of course. We had a lovely chat all about the creations I make, in particular those made from recycled materials, such as my Remade service where I take treasured pieces of clothing and remake them into new pieces to use or display or give as gifts.

find it here

Junk for Joy is a follow-up to Mend It!, all about helping you to fix an item rather than automatically binning it. Junk for Joy focuses on recycling old into new and I think there are three other people featured as case studies as well as me.

So then I come to yesterday. Sarah Cuttle, the photographer who worked on Mend It!, and her assistant, Issy, arrived to take photos of me (only a few of those, thank goodness) and lots of my handmade products. They were quite taken with my shirt cushions and wildflower paper bunting. 

It is universally agreed that a quite nasty shirt can make a quite lovely cushion cover

They were so lovely and friendly and made me feel at ease in front of the camera, no mean feat I can tell you! It was fascinating to watch them at work on the still life shots, I hope I've picked up a trick or two to improve my own photography skills.

I think until yesterday I didn't really believe it's happening – that I am really going to be featured in a book! For my career to date I've been the writer behind the scenes so to be the subject, all be it a small one among many, feels quite different and v exciting!

Junk for Joy is published by Kyle & Cathie in September and I'm really looking forward to getting loads of ideas and tips from Sian as well as reading about the other featured folk. I'll be sure to tell you all about it as soon as I get my hands on a copy.

Cake stands are not just for cake

I've been looking for a way to display/store the jewellery I regularly wear and this weekend I happened across the exact thing…

Yes I know it's a cake stand, but I can't eat cake all the time, can I? But I can display my favourite necklaces, pendants, bracelets, brooches, rings and earrings on a pretty thrifted cake stand. I've no idea if it's vintage, but it looks pretty! And it was a bargain from one of my local charity shops.

And in case you're interested to seeing it in its natural habitat in my bedroom, it lives on top of a chest of drawers, surrounded by a wedding photo, perfume and a pretty glass bottle given to me as a present years ago:

Do you give household objects a new use? I'd love to know, and see pics if you have them!

In other news, on Thursday you can find me at daisygreenmagazine.co.uk with a little tutorial on making a map picture present. It's the first of six monthly articles I'm writing for the brilliantly stylish eco magazine so do check it out if you get a mo. 

It's Darling Handmade and Vintage Fair

I'm taking the green gables on the road one last time before Christmas and this time we're off to Bath! I will be selling my handmade lovelies at the It's Darling! Vintage and Handmade Fair at the Guildhall in Bath BA2 4AW on Saturday 11 December from 9.30am till 5pm.

 

The Fair is on all day, plus Sunday too, although I can't be there that day, and there are 40 exhibitors selling beautiful handmade and vintage pieces. I challenge you to come along and not be able to buy at least one Christmas present!

To find out more, and to read about each of the talented artisans you can find at the Fair, take a look at the It's Darling! blog here. You can also join the Facebook page here and follow on Twitter here to keep up to date with developments. 

As well as my paper heart bunting, framed prints, bags, cards and decorations I've also made a couple of new products especially for the Fair so come along, say hi and check them out!

Best foot forward

I'm not a shoe person but when I found these in one of my local charity shops, I squealed inside.

They're green – tick, they're a little Mary Jane-esque – tick, they're secondhand – tick, and they were the bargain price of £6 – tick!

I'm having to learn to walk in such high heels as I'm more of a flats girl, but my, aren't they pretty?

Rain is not a butterfly's friend

I've been thinking about butterflies the last couple of days because it's been raining so much. The delicate winged creatures can't fly in the rain so I wonder what they do to pass the time. Do they gather together to shelter and discuss favourite flowers they've recently visited? Who knows but it inspired me to have a look around etsy for butterfly-inspired beauties. There are so many to choose from but this caught my eye.

find it here

How pretty is this pendant? I love how the butterfly is slightly twisted, so unusual. It's Victorian brass and you can find more of Fairies n Berries handmade jewellery at their etsy shop.

What a week already

It may only be halfway through the week but I've having a pretty good one already. I became a year older on Tuesday, that's not the interesting part, the interesting part is that hubbie and I spent the day in Lewes, Sussex.

I've fancied visiting Lewes for a while as I had heard that it has a quirky bohemian vibe with lots of interesting shops to browse around. The rumours were right! Following recommendations from some lovely people on twitter we visited The Needlemakers – the home of several independent artisans and sellers. One particular shop, Revive All, is an absolute treasure trove of all things vintage and ancient. Every inch of floor, wall and breathing space is taken up with vintage clothes, books, maps, jewellery, ration books, just everything old you can think of. Marvellous.

 
The Needlemakers

And then we just kept coming across antique shop after antique shop. And they were proper junky, bits and bobs types of antique shops rather than the ones where you need to take out a mortage to buy a serious-looking cut glass bowl.Restraint was exercised and I walked away with only a pure wool blanket, made in Northern Ireland and bearing a sewn-in name tape declaring it was once the property of a P. Cummings…

A lovely day was had by me and my patient hubbie and I can heartily recommend Lewes for a wonderful day out. (By the way, have you spotted my flourishing salad leaves in the background? Ignore the unhappy rain-starved lawn.)

So then on Wednesday life got even more interesting.

I attended my first auction. And I bid on the one lot I wanted. And I won it! Or whatever is the appropriate term for successfully bidding on a lot. I did go a smidgen over my planned limit but I still nabbed a bargain. Here are a few of the bundles of matching silver cutlery, there are more than 60 pieces in the set.
These won't be put in a cupboard to save for best, this is now our everyday cutlery (I don't believe in keeping things for best, shouldn't every day be the best?). Although there is one bundle of small oddly-shaped spoons whose use baffles me.

Following this success I decided to make my first envelope cushion cover! (Of course, how else does one follow a trip to the auction house?) I've made other styles of cushion cover but not envelope. I had an urge to make a linen cushion so I did, with a couple of strips of ribbon sewn on too. What do you think?

And then to top it all off, I got the news that the green gables product pages are live on notonthehighstreet.com! So, as well as my shop on etsy, for those who'd rather spend in sterling than dollars, you can also find my handmade pieces for sale here too.

So, all in all, a pretty good week. And the rest of it is promising to be just as good with our wedding anniversary on Friday (yep, birthday and wedding anniversary within three days of each other, not the best planning) and a few friends are coming over on Saturday for a little garden party, keep your fingers and toes crossed for good weather.

How's your week shaping up?

PS (I know I'm not writing you a letter but this is still a post script) There's a dinky little interview with me here on Popular Crafts' website, if you fancy reading it…

Giving an old rocker new life

You know when you have a bright idea it seems quite simple but then when it comes to making the idea a reality it's something quite different? Well, that's the simplified version of my story of the painted rocking chair.

A few months ago I spotted this rocking chair outside a junk shop in my town. As it was going for the bargain price of £30 (I actually haggled the owner down from £35 and was quite proud of myself for that fiver) I snapped it up thinking that it just needed a lick of white paint to become beautiful.

Today, I decided to paint it. The chair had been sat around the garden looking forlorn and as we're having a little garden party next weekend I decided now was the time to spruce it up and make it decent. Obviously I knew that painting white on top of black would take more than one coat. But did I think it would take four coats? And did I think it would take me five hours? No, I did not!

Luckily it was a v warm day so the coats dried super quick. If I had to sit around watching the paint dry I'd still be at it now! Even the shadows in the photos show how much the sun had moved during my painting time.

I admit I am quite pleased with the result now it's finished. I know I'll gain more pleasure from it knowing I did the hard work rather than buying it new. And, of course, I'd always rather have something secondhand (I've saved myself a few quid too).

For the moment I plan to sit in it each morning, surveying my little garden and drinking my morning tea… providing it doesn't rain of course.

Have you transformed a sad piece of furniture into something much prettier? I'd love to see if you have…