Back Soon!

Apologies for the interruption of posts here. I'm not sure where this year has gone and can't believe we're already half way through July!

I'm currently in the midst of having a major change in the room I use to sew in so it's all been a bit of an upheaval. We've got rid of a couple of desks and replaced them with a small dining table and bookshelves. Not that we entertain a lot but when we do, it's nice to actually have a table to sit at. Our previous house was bigger so although we still have that table, it's too big really for this room. So, Ikea to the rescue and we're sorted!

Condensing two desks, two sets of drawers, a cupboard and various other shelves and drawers into one space has been a bit of a job and I've had to be ruthless with some craft supplies. It has been a good opportunity to see exactly what I have though, and get rid of some things which I know I'm not really going to use. My beautician's Mum runs a childcare service so I always have a good home for paper, etc  and the other craft supplies went to the charity shop. I'm hoping that, although everything is now hidden in cupboards and stored in tins rather than being out on display, because I now have stuff that I really think I'll use, I will actually find it easier to get on and scrap. That's the plan anyway! I've certainly been getting some inspiration from the Glitter Girl videos at Two Peas As most scrappers will know by now, Two Peas in a Bucket are closing their doors this week and it's unclear as to what is going to happen to the videos posted by the Garden Girls. In the event that the rights aren't returned to those who created them for use on their own sites, I am madly trying to watch the Glitter Girl ones which I'd got terribly behind on. I also bought and used Video Downloader Ultimate to grab the videos from Shimelle's Hitchhiker's Guide to Scrapbooking Class. I also downloaded the National Scrapbooking Day classes she did when she made up kits from her own stash as I find these really useful to watch. I'm not a natural with techy stuff but this programme is really simple to use so I recommend it if you have some classes you want to keep before Two Peas shuts its doors for the final time on the 24th July.

We were left with two cupboards in our new dining room/library which had matched the two desks. The 'Billy' bookcases that now line most of one wall are off white, and I had some of the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White left from a previous project. The beauty of this paint is that you don't have to sand the furniture down prior to painting. I did clean it off with a bit of white spirit which I left to dry and evaporate off. This colour is a really good match to the Billy bookcases. I'll be in and out of both the cupboards, and one will have the printer on so they need to be able to stand up to use.

The last time I painted using this paint, I did follow through with wax, as they say but I didn't find it good enough. Gradually things would leave marks and finger marks were obvious. As I have also painted our phone table to tidy it up after some heavy handed movers in various countries left their marks on it, I need something tougher. So this time I bought some clear, non yellowing, matt varnish and have given everything a coat of that. It was a bit of an experiment as I'd not used a varnish before with it. I've given everything one coat now and it seems just fine and I think will be a much better option for me at least.

I'm really happy to have my books all together again and when I did a bit of sewing the other night whilst hubby watched the World Cup final, I felt much more inspired sitting in there. Seeing my books makes me happy and more creative, and even though the sewing was just a frustrating repair (to a brand new Jane Norman dress!), I am hoping for lots of creative juices when I get the room finished properly. One of my first projects is the Simplicity Jiffy Dress  that came with Issue 61 of Sew magazine, in this fabulous cotton print:

So, a couple more coats of varnish today and we should be there. It's a warm one so it shouldn't take too long to dry. Thanks so much for your patience and with a bit of luck I will have some creative creations to share with you very soon!

Happy Crafting!

Love, Maxi