Friday 27 January 2012

Quickedy Quick

Just a really really quick update to say

COME AND VISIT US purleeease

We are going to be part of a 'Crafty Takeover' at the Coach House, in Astley Park, Chorley next Sunday 5th February 10 am - 4pm

Those of you who have visited in the past - we are changing the format this time with existing stall holders branching out into new products, brand new stall holders, crafts for adults to join in as well as the children (only if you want to of course) and live music of the mild and mellow variety so you still have the opportunity for peaceful purchases.

Hope to see you there.

XxNikxX

Saturday 14 January 2012

An afternoon with Bradley Cooper

REALLY hard to find a good pic,
I think I find actors who are gorgeous but
not photogenic attractive
(Orlando Bloom is another example)
I share the same gene! ;-D
Aha I knew that would get your attention.  Ok so Brad didnt pop round ours for a coffee and a chinwag but I did watch All About Steve have you ever seen that film? It’s fab.  Sandra Bullock is excellent as always and good old Bradley.....yummy.  I love the bit where she accidentally hoicks him from the media scaffolding by his camera cord, laugh out loud funny.  Having said that Thomas Haden Church completely steals the show as the fabulously shallow newsman Hartman Hughes. 

Anyhoo!!!!  I decided I would have an afternoon off on Thursday, as I'd completed littlest Petals room that morning, plus I had to be at work by 8am Friday L and on Wednesday I'd cleaned the house top to bottom.  It has been rather neglected since I started painting the wall, when done I felt positively buoyant (when I say buoyant I am of course playing it down, I was more ‘giddy with happiness’.  I know it is so sad that housework can make me feel that good.)  Also on Thursday morning I was walking Lollipop in the park by 9.30am. 

So with jobs all done and puppy at my feet (feeling very sorry for herself at the mo), I watched Death at a Funeral (which was better than expected) and then All About Steve.

Enough blather about my week. As promised here are the final piccies – I admit I’m feeling rather proud.
  stepping away now


See the birdies - the lovely www.silvermousey.blogspot.com
picked these up from our craft day out and they work fantastically well
on a bit of fishing line
 
 These are the making fairies, tried to keep it simple but still not keen on the yellow dress,
I would do it differently if I had to do it again,
but I'm rather chuffed with the cotton reels on her knee detail.

/\ reminder to self


  I can’t take credit for the face of the tiny fairy on the right 
I was inspired by the gorjuss girl (www.gorjuss.co.uk) and Super Cute Tilly
 www.supercutetilly.blogspot.com hope she doesn't mind
I made some single thinkness bunting a while ago
and thought it may as well be seen so it's now blue tacked! to her wall
(this is the sum total of my skills on a sewing maching)
Think the cot Mr Petal made now needs a bit of a touch up,
looking a bit grubby, very talented tho isnt he? and my lovely big sis
made the tiny patchwork quilt and pillow using some shapes
I cut out for mum when I was little. Does this now count as vintage?
My Mum also knitted the little pink blanket. Totally homemade stuff. x

Better get on with the rag rug now.

XxNikxX

Tuesday 10 January 2012

Nearly there but not quite

chalked a twirly Fairy

Removed a rotten branch

Completed the Castle

Bunted the battlements

Flew the flags
(littlest petal decorated two herself and instructed me on the third)

Finished the Fairy
although littlest petal insists she needs a mouth - K - Not a word!

Calmed the cat
(much better in paler pink)
Ornamented the owl
(it was the only vaguely fitting O word I could think of OK)

Built the birdhouse

A few more twiddles and I think I'm there:-
  • A fairy is to be sat in the tree making ...fairy outfits I think it was.
  • The bird house has a line missing
  • Some fairies are to be having lemonade under the arch.
  • And we need to hang some birds from the ceiling using fishing line.
  • Plus the rotten branch is still showing! grr.
Got to get it finished as we are onto Larger Little Petals room next weekend though nothing so silly for him just simple repainting, in black and silver! Actually looks classy so far - if you can believe it. Just second coats to do and a few shelves.

I promise to take full wall pics for next time.
Chat soon.

XxNikxX

Thursday 5 January 2012

Spring has arrived!

Well ok it has arrived in UFO land

 Little petals are painting in the leaves after school

 The cat, I wanted a Meg and Mog style cat
(although a little less eek as Mog so rightly looks perched on Megs broom)
it was ok up to here, but then I added dark pink stripes
and it will HAVE to be redone, me no likey.
 The owl relocated to a higher branch for safety.
 The castle is coming on,
can't do the door as littlest Petal has reserved the rights.
 I decided not to outline in black as it can make or break a picture and I rather thought break would be the case here, so I went for the same colour as the tree and I'm rather chuffed with my choice.
 After school and we crack on, I have to say she was rather good. 
I love this pic as is shows the scale, I hadnt noticed how the earlier pics don't highlight this.

 Castle is almost there now, just needs some light reflections and detail on the door and flags, plus a few more windows and perhaps a damsel in the tower?

 I want to do a fairy but I struggle with faces and bodies, I have been trawling through some of littlest's library books which have some fantastic sketches/artwork in them.  Fairy Bears are amazing, but not really something I am up to recreating.  I love the butterflies here (on an ancient T-shirt of mine) the swirly theme fits but I only want their wings.
This is my sketchy idea, I can swirly it up once on the wall.

One last thing in case any dog lovers are reading.  No 4. on my list I think - Puppypie has visited the vet and is now on a 21 day course of antibiotics I am several £££ lighter and hoping this will sort her tummy out once and for all - here's to the 15 following years in good health.

Keep reading. xxx

UFO Progress

Thought I would keep an update on my UFO's here to keep me motivated and anyone else who has set UFO's let me know, always interested in what others have planned:

Phew its slow going, I've done another little patch the size of the paler pink since taking this photo.  More this evening.

Below are some terrible pics of the my chalky outlines sorry about the quality 
but this rotten weather means its really dull indoors and I was trying to keep the outline faint. 
Apologies for any eye strain cause (you can click on the picture to make it bigger). 

I'd seen a bird house print wallpaper in a John Lewis catalogue and thought I just must have something like that hanging from my tree.

The dotted swirl was a total fluke, my chalk stuttered but I was rather taken with the effect, go creative little me :-) (Littlest Petal told me at bedtime she doesnt like the dotted bits - well phoey, she's having em!!!!)


Added to the swirly branches some more, got a bit carried away but I'm pretty happy still.
Paints and brushes at the ready
and with Lollipop all worn out after our loooong rainy walk, I plonked her basket at the door (she was happy as upstairs is a no dog zone for the most part) and made the first incision (ok first brush stroke).
Once all the pink bits were done...
the tree was next on my list, the roots were a pretty easy choice as I daren't get to close to Hubby's perfect white glossed woodwork, though there is a lot of chalk dust there, (lets hope it doesn't mark).

Next up the scary part - swirls!

Swirls are easy with chalk or pen, but paint runs out every couple of inches and it can look a bit jagged.  The swirl on the left and right are trying out different brushes - left won, it was much..... swirlier.

Once I had started to swirl there was no stopping me......




eek grass, I really wanted a nice tidy green line as I'm not filling the hills in - it wasnt so tidy!
That bit was promising but then the dog woke up and kept nudging me and tickling my feet!
I plan to disguise the raggedy edge with some magnolia liney bits. 
Very technical aren't I?!

That was yesterday, today I am hoping to finish off, with flowers (below) on the hills, leaves in the trees and turrets on the castle.  The little petals want to help so I shall let them fill in the leaves and littlest wants to do the castle door.
Update coming soon. x

XxNikxX