the green gal

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…

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.

£5 to spend at the green gables

I've been playing over at Daisy Green's house again and this time I have two treats for you! First of all there is my latest make and do – this time I show you how to turn an old pair of jeans into a purse and a bag. Find the tutorial here.

And secondly there is a special offer for Daisy Green readers – I'm giving you £5 to spend on anything at thegreenables.co.uk until the end of February! You don't have to spend a minimum amount and the discount applies to everything. You just need the code to get your £5 off and you can find it here.

 

One man's trash is an upcycler's treasure

It's been a while since I indulged in a little upcycling but when the lovely ladies at daisy green magazine challenged me it wasn't long before an idea popped into my head.

As you know I'm not one for chucking things (or even putting them in the recycling bin) if I think there's a chance one day they could come in handy. This applies to a lot of stuff in my life (just ask my tolerant hubbie), including short scraps of ribbon, you know, like the itty bits you have left over after wrapping a gift.

So, if you'd like to see how I turned ribbon bits into something pretty, head on over to daisy green magazine and take a look.

And if there's anything you've been hanging onto but aren't sure how to make it useful, let me know and I'll see if I can help…

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…