Tuesday 29 April 2008

free amy butler patterns!

Aren't these the best? Must. Have. Some.

How have I not seen this before? I'm always on her site, but go straight to the inspiration section so must have missed the link to the freebie patterns. I found it this morning while working on the Real Living website. Next month's issue (out Monday) has a GORGEOUS feature on Amy's house. It's so beautiful. And I was wondering if we could stretch the friendship further with her to include a free pattern on the website. But it seems she's just that generous and has a whole heap of them on her own site, so a link is definitely in order. And of course, I'm also generous and have to share this news with you (just in case there was someone else out there who hadn't discovered this yet!) They're good too. Check them out here - scroll down to the last link on the homepage. I might put my new-found sewing skills to the test again with the cushions. When I find the time. So maybe in 2012! Enjoy...
Bx

Colourful, chunky, cool DIY jewellery!

Ooh flowers that last!

For the kids or cat lovers

Beautifully classic shape with Amy's unique twist

Monday 28 April 2008

this long weekend I...

Found this two-toned wallpaper pic on my web travels - cute, huh? From Decorno

1. Chose our carpet colour and style (we went for a plusher carpet in a similar tone to what I'd chosen before - a really light milk choc/latte/yummy food name colour) and organised a proper measure and quote. Should take roughly a week to get put in - yay! Just in time for chilly nights...
2. Had a family excursion to Bunnings which Zak thought was heaven - screws! wood! tools! lights! - and tried to adopt a different family. We picked up some decorative wood corners for the pergola (not sure of proper name and not something I'd have thought of really, but Steve was adamant it'd look great. He was right though, it'll all turn out nice. Plus, I have to let him have some input, right? Kidding)
3. Waited approximately two years in the Spotlight cue just to exchange a staple gun that never worked.
4. Painted the front door white (it was dark brown). You can now actually tell we have a front door! Actually, Steve did this.
5. Put a cupboard handle on the front door. Yes, a cupboard handle. We just needed a fake handle as the actual deadlock does all the work, and couldn't find anything in the proper section, so went with cupboard door handles. As you do. We also got a couple for the French doors to our bedroom. Steve really did this, too.
6. Painted the edges of the architraves on the exterior of the house with a tiny artist's brush. Not so much fun.
7. Continued painting the exterior of the house. Oh wait, that was Steve again. I was doing point 6 and stopping Zak from painting over our efforts with his own paint (a bucket of water!).
8. Actually got to go for a walk in the sun and feed the ducks.
9. Started recovering my chair and sanding back the wood to stain (again).
10. Finished an article for Real Living and realised I have only another week before the next website upload and issue goes on sale. Time flies even faster when you think of it in terms of issues and onsale dates...
11. Started cleaning out my bedroom so we can finish painting the walls and the carpet guys can actually get in there to lay the carpet.
12. Slept just a little bit.
13. Was very excited to see my gumdrop pillow on Decor8! And thrilled people were actually impressed with my efforts!
14. Took NO pictures of anything we did to show you. Sorry! Will hopefully get the chair done and dusted this week. Until then, enjoy this cute two-toned wallpaper idea (above) I found via Decorno. I may or may not be slightly obsessed with wallpaper at the moment. I don't think there's a rehab for it though. Yet.
Bx

Thursday 24 April 2008

purple power

Julianne Moore turns decorator in the latest issue of Domino

I know I should get over it, but I've really been umming and ahhing over the end result of my bedroom wall colour. It turned out a lot more purple than I'd planned. But with no time, energy or real need to change it, it stayed. I have, however, warmed up to it a lot more these past few weeks and these images on my web travels have made me love it even more. Purple seems to be quite a popular "neutral" in the interior decorating world I've discovered. So now, of course, I'm thrilled with it (gosh I'm a sheep!) and if the room ever turned out anything close to the room actress Julianne Moore designed for her stylist in the latest issue of Domino (above), I'd be happy. I love the warm wood tones and cosy textures. Here are a few more purple pics I heart.

So-pretty room from German stylist Irina Graewe

Another perfect colour combo from Irina

Pretty purple powder room from NY interior design firm Pierce Allen

You can check out more of the latest issue of Domino online here with their magazine sampler. Looks like a nice issue - oh how I wish it was summer here...

Wednesday 23 April 2008

got a decorating dilemma?

Give a dressing table love by displaying more than just jewellery or perfumes.

Am here to help. Well, sort of. I'm compiling a list of common decorating problems/questions/dilemmas to ask a few experts for next month's website content and I thought I'd see if you had anything you'd like to ask? Things like "how can I make my living room a kids zone as well without it looking like the set of Playschool?" or "how do I combine my two loves: antiques and slick modern pieces" or "what's the best way to display all my holiday snaps or collectibles". If you had the opportunity to ask an interior designer or stylist something - for free - what'd it be? Let me know in the comments section or email me at bgraham@acpmagazines.com.au and then look out for the answers starting Monday, May 5 on the Real Living website.
And just to be clear - these pics are not demonstrating the dilemmas, but some solutions. Aren't they pretty? I found them on photo agency site: Taverne Agency. Check it out for a whole heap of awesome homes.

Ottomans or old beds can be put to good use in a spare room or even the living room - dress them up in pretty linens, dazzling cushions and pop a screen behind them to make them room features

A nice, stylish way to say "kids live here too" in a foyer or living space



A pop of colour on the walls of a courtyard gives traditional-style furniture a funky feel. All pics from Taverne Agency

Monday 21 April 2008

gumdrop pillow finished! (and amazingly still together. so proud)

My version of Amy Butler's Gumdrop pillow

Another project has been crossed off my to-do list - hurrah! I finally finished the Amy Butler gumdrop pillow for Zak's room. I say finally cause it's been sitting on the dining room table in two pieces for three weeks while I got myself together enough to visit Spotlight for the filling. And while I couldn't do a "slipstitch" to save my life - so you can't see the thread/seam - and ended up with one icky seam, I'm just a little proud of my efforts. I'm no sewer so the fact it's endured Zak's enthusiastic bellyflops and my (temporary!) rather large self for two whole days without bursting open makes me think there's hope it'll last at least a week!

Zak's new reading zone. I tried to get him to sit there and read for the photo, but he was much more interested in the construction zone...

I've popped it in Zak's room as our reading corner cause I'll be moving the rocking chair on to the nursery soon and we need somewhere cosy to sit for morning, lunchtime, afternoon, evening, bedtime stories (he loves books).
While at Spotlight I picked up some new fabric for my chair which I will attempt to start recovering this week. Sometimes I bore even myself though - I ended up with a light beige velvet cause I figured that way it could move to any room and look OK.
And in other decorating news... the carpet sample went back with no love. It's too scratchy, so we're going with a plusher option in a similar colour. We have six and a half weeks left to get the guttering fitted, carpet installed, wardrobes bought and put together (good old Ikea - beat our builder's quote by $1500!!), walls and ceiling painted in the bedroom/nursery and the lighting changed. And that's providing this fidgety baby doesn't decide to come early. EEK! Wish us luck, I think we'll need it...
x
PS: Thanks again to Holly at Decor8 for the pattern!

Friday 18 April 2008

to warm your insides

Yu-um

All that talk of lattes and cream in the carpet post made me head to the fridge and heat up a huge slice of sticky date pudding Zak and I made yesterday (well I made, Zak just ate the dates and licked the bowl). I'm sure you really don't care about my afternoon tea indulgences, and I wouldn't normally post recipes, but I just have to share this one with you because it's hands down the bestest sticky date pudding ever. And is somehow even better when you make it yourself.
At work, we have access to the Women's Weekly test kitchen so if it's someone's birthday, you can order a cake (like mars bar cheesecake or pavlova or choc mud cake) and have the professionals whip it up for you. It's rather awesome. So one year I ordered the sticky date pudding - I'm a May birthday so something warm was essential! - and then tracked down the recipe and made it again myself that weekend. Cause as anyone who knows me will attest, I'm a rather great cake eater.
So, here it is: Warm date pudding with butterscotch sauce. Make it tonight and eat it warm on the couch with a dollop of cream or ice cream or both, a movie and listen to the rain rather than heading out in it. And don't feel bad that there is not one ingredient in it that could be regarded as remotely healthy. If I'm happy to eat it knowing my baby is pretty much fully grown and is only going to store anything fatty I eat from now on, therefore causing a bigger baby, then you should be!!
Have a good weekend
x

am I completely crazy...

If this photo was a true indication of the colours, I'd go far left, but in reality, it's quite yellow. My fave is the Aged Driftwood (second from right).

...wanting a light carpet in my house with small children? We're just about to pull up our ancient cream carpet that is not only painted in places (we didn't bother being careful when we knew it was coming up!) but was laid over even older, grosser carpet and which shows through some cut-outs where the old wall was in our bedroom (we ripped it out to take it back to its original size). Now I always thought I'd go a medium brown similar to the colour of my couch - I hear a dirt colour is best as it doesn't show up the, well, dirt! But I'm worried it will date or I'd get sick of it or have to put a sign up warning people there is a LOT of dark brown in this house... So I was thinking something lighter. Like cream. Or latte. Or mocha. Damn, all the carpet-colour talk is making me hungry...

But carpets seem to have come a long way from the time it was last laid in this house which was probably about 20 years ago. There is such a thing as solution dyed nylon which one place I visited today claims is so good, even bleach will wash out of it. And they guarantee that for 15 years. That's a pretty big call. So if bleach is cleanable, I'm guessing mashed crayons and playdoh are also likely wash out. Eventually!

I braved the rain and Zak's hate of shopping to visit a few carpet places today. I thought it'd all come down to the feel of the carpet, but it turned out I was much more fussy about colour! There were not many I really liked - too yellow, too dark, too grey, too flecky. In the end I grabbed a sample pack of Godrey Hirst Campaspe with a view to get the colour second from the right (it's called Aged Driftwood), but now I'm worried about two things: is the colour I really love too light for relatively high-traffic areas (it'll be in Zak's room as well as our room and the hallway) and is it not soft and plushy enough? I thought the really soft plushy stuff that feels awesome underfoot is what I'd choose, but it shows up every footprint and vacuum mark and isn't quite as hardy. My points to talk me into going with this particular choice - colour and texture - are this:

- If the house had had new carpet when we bought it, we couldn't have chosen it anyway!
- I won't be rolling around on the floor all day and so the feel of it won't really matter. It's not like it's in the living room.
- Anything is better than what we have now.
- I can create the soft feel with lambskin rugs near my bed where my feet first land anyway.
- Zak's room will have the zebra-print rug in it anyway and only the edges of his room will be exposed to his baby messes.
- It's not going to cost me an arm and leg to install.

Um, are these silly reasons to buy a carpet? I don't know. I'll be studying the carpet guide that will be in our next issue, but also was curious for your thoughts. Has anyone bought the thicker textured stuff before and then regretted it cause it wasn't so soft? Any other advice? What do you think about the colour I chose?
x

Thursday 17 April 2008

Target hits the spot

Metallic vases from $29.95. Starlight european pillowcases, $34.99 each.

Sorry I've been AWOL - life is busy busy at the moment! At work the other day I actually received mail (sadly, this is news because I don't receive anything in this new role - as deputy ed I had too much, now not enough!) Anyway, it was Target's new Winter line - Berry Fresh and Metallic Sheen - and I thought I'd share a few of their newest products with you... Apparently, plums and purples are big this year, so my slightly accidental purple feature room is spot on!

How cute are these cannisters? I've been looking for something like this for ages for all my baking essentials... Love the little spoons. I might have to break my self-imposed shopping ban for these! Canisters from $8.99 each, cake stand $29.99.

The dinnerware is pretty, but as usual I'm coveting the thing that's not for sale: the dining chairs! Orchid servingware from $6.99, faux leather placemats $10.99 (set of 2), Haven glasses in green and purple $4.99 each.

The range should be in stores soon if it's not already.

Some good news (well, for me, anyway!). Ohdeedoh saw Pud's nursery and want to feature it in a nursery tour. Very exciting! Now I just have to get the other side of the room looking relatively decent. I still need new carpet, to paint one and a half walls, new wardrobes... As well as a really good clean up - you can barely see the floor with all the clothes, bags, books, shoes dumped there! So look out for that in a few weeks!
PS: Pud is our nickname for the baby. Like pudding. It'd all because when we first fell pregnant with Zak, he was the size of a piece of rice. This led to rice paddy, so Zak was Paddy. Now this baby copped rice pudding and so is Pud. Just in case you're wondering where the heck that came from!

Monday 14 April 2008

Pud's nursery (almost done)

The nursery end of our room - getting there. Ignore the unpainted ceiling and the painted carpet!

Finally, the nursery end of our master bedroom is looking much more like a like a place a baby might sleep rather than a dumping ground for baby-related equipment! So here's what we've done so far.
My fave piece is the chest of drawers/changing table. I was inspired by this wallpaper-collage door and a dresser I saw in a textile designer's daughter's room a few weeks back. So I stole the dresser from Zak's room, painted the frame white and used up my wallpaper samples on the front of the drawers in a little collage. I was going to buy glass knobs for the front but ended up quite liking the grey handles that came with it originally!

The changing pad sits on top and all the nappies (for both babies!), wipes and baby-bottom bits are in the top drawer

I'd always used the drawers as the change table - I personally think it's a waste of money to buy an actual change table as no matter how useful it'll be for storage after, it still looks like a change table! For art above the change table I framed my Etsy buy in a cheapie black frame I painted over and my fave wallpaper sample. I also spraypainted a little wooden butterfly but will probably change and add to this later when the I find the right pieces...

Left picture is Night, Night by Studio Mela

I'd planned to do a black branch with black and white fabric and paper leaves on the side of the wardrobe with the Bambi silhouette sitting underneath, but then actually saw the two pieces of furniture together and realised they were pretty much the same size! So it's just Bambi now - made of sticky-backed black felt. I printed out a Bambi picture from the Net and cut around it. The butterfly is from a book page - isn't that a huge trend at the moment? I'm so with it... haha

The faux fur rug/blankie/throw is from Minimink. It's sooo soft


Bambi's close-up

And finally on the wardrobe is my baby bump and a mix of baby things and grown-up stuff. As it's a combined room, I didn't want it to scream "nursery" as soon as you walk in, so I didn't go overboard with the baby stuff. I love pictureless frames so turned my childhood gilded mirror into an empty white frame. The picture in the box frame is actually the business card from Studio Mela that came with my prints (it's cute, why waste it?!), the shoes were Zak's first in-utero gift that he only wore once, being a summer baby, and they're socks in the lolly jar (much healthier that way!).


Nothing too babyish

Baby socks and shoes are always so cute

Sooo, still to come is new carpet, a painted ceiling and I have to finish my chair. I still haven't decided what to cover it in - but have gone back to being boring and am thinking it'll probably just be a nice-feeling neutral with really dark wood arms and legs. And then there is the other half of the room that is just a nightmare - wardrobes still to come, a lick of paint, new light fitting (I have a Tord Boontjie Garland Light in silver waiting patiently to be hung up)... it's neverending! But at least the baby has a place to sleep in case it comes early. And shall we hope for its sake it's a girl? The room turned out a little girlier than I planned... Ooops.
Thoughts and suggestions most welcome as usual. x

PS: Apologies for bad quality of pics. Not sure why. It's a new camera so think I might need to actually read instructions...

Thursday 10 April 2008

oh baby

Zakky snoozing at the shoot. It's tough work being a baby model. Pic by Elsa Dillon

At the risk of alienating anyone not caring about babies (sorry!) and making this post way too much about me... I was flicking through some of my old mags and rediscovered an article I wrote in Real Living last year about bringing home baby. So I re-read it and I can't believe how much I'd forgotten already!!! The complete unknown, trying to get anything done (like have a shower!) when your baby just isn't interesting in sleeping, the leaky boobs and soreness, the knots that accumulate in your hair because you haven't combed it for days.... And I'm going to be doing it with an incredibly curious 19-month-old. How the heck am I going to manage bedtimes and mealtimes for two babies, let alone myself? Should be a fun ride! So in case you're expecting yourself or planning on to one day and didn't see it the first time around, here's an honest account about my first few months of being a parent. I don't have all the answers, but it might help someone out there - even if it's just a little bit.





Real Living June 2007

Some more tips: Baby shopping guide and Things money can't buy

On the subject of babies, my former boss (I used to work at Cosmo - just a little different to real living!), Mia Freedman, is also pregnant again -with her third child - and is blogging about the joys and dramas of pregnancy and motherhood on every mum's essential destination - Essential Baby. She's funny and real and her columns are definitely worth a look, as is her daily blog MamaMia.

And one more thing: I'm so over my dust-sheeted bedroom/nursery, I'm busting my butt this weekend to get the nursery part decent enough for a mini reveal. Come back Monday for a few pics if you're interested!

Have a fab weekend
x

a little incentive...

Inexpensive and effective newspaper display

To entice some responses to the post below, I'm going to give the best idea (as chosen by the lady doing the window) a free copy of the June issue of Real Living, out early May. If anyone has ever posted a magazine by Australian Post (especially overseas!), you'll know this is a generous offer. Just kidding - but postage does seem expensive for what it is! So far, it's all Danielle's, who posted some great pics and ideas on her blog, including this pic, above.
Looking forward to some comments. Or, if you'd rather, email me at bgraham@acpmagazines.com.au. Or vote (above right) for the technical stuff!

Wednesday 9 April 2008

community project: store window display

Love & Clutter store window display (via Birdy & Me) - some great so-simple ideas here.

Hey guys
A reader emailed me yesterday asking for some advice on decorating a store window for spring/summer (no, she's not working that far in advance, she's from Texas!). Now I'm no expert, but I agreed to give her some budget-friendly suggestions on what she could do to attract attention of passers-by and get them into the store. The shop is a resale shop (so for us Aussies, a second-hand/op shop) selling donated clothes, homewares, books, shoes and a few toys, and it sponsors a local pregnancy crisis centre, so sales are essential for not only the success of the store, but the women it supports.
Sooo, I thought I'd let you help. Ok, ask you to help!
What kinds of things in a store window would you stop and have a look at?
And what would get you to venture inside?
Would you care that the items in the window are not for sale?
Does the display need to relate to the store's contents?
Do you know of any inexpensive crafty things she could make like paper flowers or Martha Stewart's tissue-paper pom poms?
Usually, just a nice-looking display with a mix of things for sale in the store and a clever idea or unique feature I could imagine doing in my home would do it for me. Like the ones I've posted here...

An Anthropologie window display (who else!?). Something similar in painted cardboard or plywood letters spelling out "spring" could be cute?

This is the window of Per Square Metre Gallery (via Birdy & Me). I love the idea of painting part of the display onto the window - or even just a few flowers or swirls...

A cluster of themed items is always pretty: any colour would look good... (From Janne Peters)

Eye-catching indeed! This is a travel theme, but a huge range of magazine pages would work well in vibrant spring colours... (from Inside Photo)

Remember, it's not Anthropologie, so you don't have to bust your brain to come up with an award-winning display, just simple but effective, wallet-friendly, real ideas!
Love to hear your thoughts, ideas and suggestions: it'll all be greatly appreciated.
x

Monday 7 April 2008

real shopping on sale

I might be AWOL for a few days while I complete some very overdue articles (oops!), but had to let you know Real Shopping is having a bit of a sale. If I had some spare dosh I'd be spending up big, but I have to save my pennies at the moment for my upcoming work hiatus (how I wish fully-paid maternity leave was paid for by some fairy godparent government type!), so it's up to you guys to do the spending for me.
There's 50% off selected Oobi Baby, 25% off Nika+Mink jewellery and cool homewares label Gin & Tonic. And of course there is still free shipping on all, so you'll save even more!
Here are a few faves...


Edward Acrylic Frame, now $26.25, Gin & Tonic - would look perfect with nothing in it on a coloured or wallpapered wall.


Charles Melamine Dinner Plate Printed, now $41.25 for four, Gin & Tonic - a stylish entertaining option minus the possibility of breakage to replace those cheap and nasty plastic plates.

Turquoise Summer Earrings, now $52, Nika + Mink - love the colour and the clustered beads, I'd consider risking torn earlobes by fascinated, groping baby to wear these!

English School Shorts, now $20, Oobi Baby - Zak would look so cute in these preppy but cool shorts with cute button detail.

And don't forget to check out the real living website this month for a few easy projects, recipes, tips and tricks. And if you haven't got your May issue yet, click here for a virtual flick-through of selected pages.
Back soon.
x

Friday 4 April 2008

4 little things...

Sneak peek: The May issue of Real Living is on sale Monday. Just think, if you subscribed, you'd probably have it in your hands by now (well, you should anyway!)

1. I have a LOT of work to do. I seem to say this a lot.... But I swear the weeks go quicker than they used to and before I know it, it's the website upload day, which means the days before it are C-R-A-Z-Y busy. The upside of this is of course that the next issue of Real Living is going onsale - Monday is the day so make sure you check it out for living room buys, adding a hit of colour to monochrome, making your house make money, and clever ways to store your tech bits and pieces that seem to take over your house. To name just a few of the features.

2. I was delighted to discover this morning that I'd won a little award! How sweet. Thanks to Courtney at Nesting Instincts for including me in her 10 bloggers of excellence! I'll have to pass on my own little awards one day soon, but until then, if you love before and afters, check out Courtney's site - she makes a living sprucing up people's homes with some clever planning, a lot of love and just a little $$$. I've often thought of doing something similar myself one day...

3. I'm in the process of making a little wall art for the new nursery. We don't know the sex of the baby so it has to be relatively gender neutral. Quick question: do you think deers and butterflies are unisex enough? They'll be black and white if that helps (can't give too much away!). Vote for me top right (although it's entirely possible I'll ignore the result this time as I might not feel inspired to redo what I've done. We'll see...)

4. Have a FANTABULOUS weekend. I'm sure you deserve it.
x

Thursday 3 April 2008

window stencilling: a novice's how-to guide

Pretty but a little bit painful

We-ll, I've stencilled my window. And what a joyful experience it was too. First of all, let me apologise to anyone who ever read one of my articles where I flippantly mentioned the words "simple" and "stencil" in the same sentence. OK so it's not brain surgery, but it wasn't as easy as I thought it was going to be. Secondly, I love the effect, but it's also not quite as private as I thought it was going to be so I either have to just live with it as is, or do it again, this time over some plain but rather opaque window film. I'm thinking I can put up with it for a little while longer UNLESS i apply the window film to the outside of the window?!?! Could I be so lucky as to think that would work??? If anyone has ever done this, please let me know if it just peels away in the weather or works wonders. And thirdly, I realise the window is filthy dirty from the outside and has paint on its edges from the exterior architraves, but it's so high off the ground, I'll need hubby to clean it for me on the ladder.

How it looked before. It's certainly an improvement!!

So, in case you've got the urge to do something similar yourself or want to stencil a wall, door, floor - anything - take these tips into consideration.

1. You should probably follow the instructions... Seems rather obvious, doesn't it? Well I didn't. I just assumed a few bits of stickytape, paint and a paintbrush would do the trick. To be fair, I didn't get any instructions as I was lucky enough to discover we had the pattern at work, so I borrowed it. But still, I'm at my computer all day and the Stencil Gallery website and help was only a click away...

2. It's not a simple matter of stickytaping the stencil to a wall and painting breezily over the top. Oh no. Paint bleeds underneath so you need to make removable spray adhesive your friend. Lightly spray on the back of the stencil, wait a minute or so to dry, then apply to the window/wall, smoothing over all edges and especially around the cut-outs so they're firmly stuck to the wall and the paint won't smudge under the edge. You can get this wonder product from craft stores and hardwares. And I only had to apply the glue twice.

3. Don't let the paint dry while the stencil is still attached to the wall. Remove the stencil straightaway and let it dry alone. Otherwise, paint that dries on the edges of the cut-outs will peel away your efforts as well, leaving it looking patchy.

4. Make sure you use the appropriate paint. I figured gloss paint would work best because I have a lot of experience in removing it from glass before (we're not the tidiest painters nor have we had great experience with painter's tape) so figured it'd be the best thing for easy removability. But it doesn't bloody dry quick enough. And you need a quick-drying paint because if you're repeating the pattern, you need to re-stick the stencil over what you've just done. Gloss paint also takes a lot of elbow grease to remove if you don't follow my first tip and get lovely bleeding marks. Acrylic paint works best on the window - it dries in seemingly seconds and still scrapes away easily enough if you need to remove it.

5. You need to constantly clean the stencil. The paint dries so quickly it starts to cake on the cut-outs and if there are really narrow sections, like there are on the Mokko pattern, the sides can join together with the paint, meaning your stencil won't actually be a stencil in that part anymore. A wet rag and my fingernail were put to good use after every second stencil. It's a little time consuming and also means the adhesive on the back of the stencil is also picking up paint shavings etc as you work. So clean both sides as best you can with a damp cloth.

6. Your best friend - the spray adhesive - soon becomes your enemy when, once you're done, you realise that all the in-between clear glass has a sticky coating of glue. I tried a cotton bud with a tiny bit of turps to clean it up, but then discovered a little saliva on a finger is an even easier, prettier smelling and quicker way to do it. And do it accurately too.

7. One coat of paint might not be enough on a window, but be wary that acrylic paint acts like an eraser the second time around (sometimes), rubbing out what you've already painted or leaving lumps and lines.

Anyway, it's done and I like it! Just had to share a few tips I learnt along the way. Once you've got the hang of it, it IS simple, but it's just getting to that stage that's a bit of a pain!
So what do you think?
x

Wednesday 2 April 2008

For the love of Etsy...

Doe Eyes by Birdy & Me

...will someone pls put a block on my computer? I've only bought a couple of things from this incredibly addictive site, but spend way too much time browsing it, checking out other recommendations and making up a huge wishlist of things I want. I won't list them all, but I will share this girl's works because it's my current fave. And because she's an Aussie! I don't get a lot of art, but I think anyone who can illustrate people and make them actually look like people is incredibly gifted and I think these are some of the prettiest I've seen. The artist's name is Kelly Smith, her business is Birdy & Me and I'm considering asking her to price me a pretty header for my blog, but I worry my content wouldn't do it justice! haha
Anyway, here is a little eye candy for you.


I love you, my deer

Silver Buttons Buttons Buttons



Sascha

Aren't they beautiful? I love this mixed media thing taking over the art world. Some of them are so clever. Make sure you check out her work at her website, buy from Etsy (of course!) and peek inside her world on her blog.
In other exciting news, I hope to post my window-stencil genius tomorrow. Well maybe not genius - it was third time lucky today to get something on the window that resembled the pattern, but more on that later...
Guten nacht x