An Old Seadog's Sanctuary....

I started this project many many months ago... I planned to make this 'Beach Hut' (or Portaloo as they're affectionately known) from PaperArtsy into a Scrapheap Hut... I gathered together tires from toy cars, I covered the roof in scraps of metal 

I stamped the walls in Sky Fresco Finish and washed with French Roast... (I LOVE how the walls turned out - the hut looks as if its been created from boxes found in a skip or washed up on a beach)

... it was all taking shape & looking good.... and then I was distracted by other things and it has sat on a shelf since then... niggling at me each time I walk past... 

....until today... when it became 'An Old Seadog's Sanctuary'.... I can just imagine a gnarly old fisherman or sailor (cross between Capt Birds Eye and the uncle from Only Fools & Horses) sitting outside on the wood smoking a pipe...

This shabby little retreat was inspired by several things- a display at Birds in the Barn, the Dungeness home of director and artist Derek Jarman and a bag of shells I brought home from Mexico (last April, that was STILL on my desk  waiting to be put away - sometimes it pays not to be of the 'tidy' variety! lol)... all those elements look lovely against the dark background of the hut...

 ... and a phrase from JOFY16 which is available in shops now ( www.birdsinthebarn.co.uk have JOFY16 and mini23 & 24 in stock)

 ... pleased that all the little bits and pieces around the hut are found or rescued - shells from Mexico, the Portaloo was rescued, the gravel is from a flower or candle vase... OK the wood is a bit of a cheat - Artemio sells boxes of 'driftwood': lovely smooth pieces of wave worn wood ... I have some sea-worn glass pieces but I have no idea where (!) when they turn up (probably when I'm looking for something else) I'll add it to the composition.

... but for now I'm happy with it.....

I'll have some more projects to show you this week made with my new stamps and on Saturday I'll be demo'ing them over at The Craft Barn, South Nutfield.

Vintaj over at The Craft Barn

I'm all out of sinc!  Saturday was my day over on the Craft Barn blog (www.thecraftbarnblog.blogspot.co.uk).  I chose to alter a big-ish wooden peg:

Using the Patinas I painted it to look like verdigris - for more photos and for other projects from the design team head on over to the blog.

This week its all about IndigoBu.....

Houses... everywhere...

Little houses - they were all over our house but in September quite a few of them relocated.  Here are two of them: 'made do and mend' on the left (bought by a lady who makes patchwork items -very appropriate!), and blue/grey on the right....

And this house - didn't sell at Village Green - I think because I was sending out 'don't buy it' vibes because it was my 2nd favourite! (& someone had already bought my favourite! lol)(which I'm very grateful for obviously! lol)

Love making these - and I can feel a christmassy one coming on...  ho ho ho  (only 30 days 'til christmas day!!)

Y? Why not?

I made this earlier in the year and can't remember why I haven't blogged it?? and if there was a reason I wasn't posting/blogging it I can't remember what it was now!.... so here it is

I love little boxed panels like these - I have no idea why.. this one is quite small (9.5x7cm. canvas is 12cm) and is very managable (love making small things) - the vintage printers tray that I have sitting waiting to be... well, erm.. I don't quite know whats going to happen to that yet - isn't quite so managable... a proper plan is needed for that! The above came together in about 1-2 hours (probably less)... so you see I'm working up the printers tray -  little steps! started with the above, then there's a similar one with more sections, then I'll alter/fill the 7Gypsies printers tray and then.... then I'll have worked out a design/plan/ theme(?) for the vintage tray! 
(I feel I should point out that I'm not being flaky - the vintage tray is quite big!! its about 3x2ft and I don't want to think how many sections are in there... let just leave it 'a lot' shall we! lol)

(the section box is mounted onto a canvas board, painted with acrylics, the sections have been lined with embossed metal, book text, Hambly acetate, K&Co papers, and sorry but I can't remember where I got the lovely swirly wooden pieces)

Birdhouses....

... seem to be a bit of a 'thing' for me at the moment - I have about 4 (all shapes and sizes) on the hearth waiting to be altered/treated.

These two mini birdhouses have been sitting on the shelf over the fireplace for quite a while - and so I thought I'd post them for you to see... they are part of a themed set I'm working on - there'll be about 8 (hopefully) by the time I'm finished. A sort of street.  They're quite small - about 10/12 cm high and 8cm wide.. nice cute little size.

Each roof has been covered in embossed metal (cuttlebug'd), sanded back to reveal the base metal, and treated with acrylic paints and/or glimmer mists.

So thats 2 down, 6 to go.......

Finished!!

ArtsyCrafts is taking place in Warrington this weekend - its a weekend of all the best bits (so many to choose from!).
I posted my arch to Leandra'n'Lin yesterday - I reeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaally hope it gets there! lol ... safely, in time, not bashed about! fingers crossed.
Here's a detail shot of my version of the Arch, its such a great project they designed - covers a whole range of techniques: metalwork, stamping, sewing (there's even a bit of cuttlebuging in there!)...   Love it!

I'll post bigger shots when the weekend workshops are over...