DIY French Styled Jewellery Box...

From THIS...

 To THIS!

Using THIS...

THIS...

 And THESE!

 After removing the old wooden knobs,
sanding back the old paint...

 The box and drawers were painted in Annie Sloan 'Duck Egg' Chalk paint.

 Once the paint was dry I measured a piece of this pretty decoupage paper 
and mod podged (glued) it to the top of the box.

Then painted a layer of mod podge over the top of the paper.

The wood was waxed.
And the shiny new knobs screwed on.
Quite a transformation - 
from that unkind green colour to duck egg blue sweetness.

#chalkpaint #upcycle

Spring Flower Basket...

What do you do with a basket from a hamper gift

 when you have baskets literally coming out your ears?

Upcycle it of course!

 I spray painted the basket in a soft grey.

This also gives it a little bit more water repelling protection.

 From Bunnings I bought ready to plant annual pots.

A Pansy, sweet alyssum, and two polyanthus.

 Next I lined the basket with a heavy clear plastic, 

and poked drainage holes in the bottom.

 A good quality potting mix filled it.

And the plants planted.

A whole lot of spring pretty...

 that utilizes a basket that would have probably been lost 
and forgotten in the storage shed.

Actually I Can...

A simple 

But

Powerful little message...

#quote #quotes #inspirational

Baileys Fudge Sauce, Ice Cream & Choc Leaves...

What's your favourite ice cream sauce topping?

Caramel - sweet or salted?

Berry?

Fruit?

White chocolate?

Mine is Bailey's Fudge Sauce!

More for the Adults.

If serving the chocolate sauce to children, simply leave out the Bailey Irish Cream.

It's such an easy one to whip up:

Baileys Fudge Sauce:

In a pot over very low heat, stir until combined and creamy.

20 grams butter

190 grams of Dark Chocolate Melts

1/2 cup of fresh cream.

Just before serving.

Warm the sauce then add 1 tablespoon Baileys Liqueur.

How to Make Chocolate Leaves:

Wash and dry small camelia leaves.

These are a naturally waxy leaf so the chocolate does not stick to them.

Melt chocolate and spread with a knife onto the leaf.

Place onto wax paper and leave to set.

Once set, slowly and carefully peel off the leaf.

You will be left with the leaf shape and vein patterning.

In a parfait glass place two scoops of vanilla ice cream, 
top with Bailey's fudge sauce, and a chocolate leaf.

Then serve...
Molto delizioso!
(very delicious)

Note: An ingredient conversion chart can be found HERE

GRAB A COFFEE AND POP OVER TO MY GIFT STORES AT

FINE ART AMERICA

REDBUBBLE

SAATCHI ART

#chocolateleaves #fudgesauce #icecreamsundae

The New 'AQUA Clock...

You know what it's like when you get a new decor piece...

things have a strange way of totally changing up.

When I replaced my failing 'worst time keeper ever' black and white clock with a new one, that is what happened.

Because the clock was black and white,

 the decor pieces below it were black and white!

And Grandmas old china cabinet held my collected china in yellow,white and green.

Then along came the new AQUA clock...

Nothing like a bit of colour to brighten things up!
(This clock was purchased from 'Whitegold' - Shop2/189 The Strand, Whakatane.  Check out their online store HERE.)

So the pieces on the top and inside of the cabinet

 morphed into white and aqua...

The yellow, white and green china moved into the white french cabinet,

and the aqua that was there moved into Grandma's china cabinet.

Aqua has to be one of my most favourite colours.

I have collected these pieces over many years...

And the watercolour painting of 'my eye', 
just adds a bit of fun to the display.



#aqua #aquacollection

Office Makeover No2....

Way back in early 2015, I did an $18 office makeover.

But time and wear has occurred...

the paint on the desktop has not worn well.

The satin chair fabric needs replacing.

And then the wine accident happened!

One evening I went to my little office with my very large glass of red to sit and check emails, 
and peruse other wonderful blogs when....

You guessed it -

I dropped the glass of red.

I discovered quite a few things in the moments following...

#one should never attempt to catch the dropped glass of wine.

#red wine hurts if you get it in your eye.

#your grey hair turns a pretty (but winery smelling) shade of burgundy.

#the law of gravity does not apply to red wine spillage - as it went up, down and sideways!

#red wine stains wallpaper painted walls.

Now it was definitely time to make over the office again.

This time round the makeover was based on a beautiful photographic print.

(yes - ironic I know that it is red!)

This is what happened next:
The yellow colour way in the office was removed...

#walls were touched up and repainted in Dulux 'Celery' (satin). 

#desktop was repainted in 'Paris Grey' chalk paint.

#the office chair was recovered in gorgeous new fabric.
(You will find the red rose screensaver for your computer HERE.)

#an old bright blue pinboard was painted black.

#'On A Wire' hanging frames were created.

Find out how to make them HERE.

#the old stool was painted with Paris Grey chalk paint and rattan sprayed with acrylic white.

The cushion was covered in the same fabric as the office chair.

Totally refreshed 

- and completely popping with black and hints of red.

My little home office is a joy to work in.

Love, Love, Love!

❤

#officemakeover #diy

Rattan Stool Makeover...

I really enjoy my rattan stool...

But the natural colourway just does not fit my changing decor anymore. 

 So the easiest thing to do was to paint it!

And that is exactly what happened...

First the rattan top was spray painted white.

Peaks of the weave still show the natural colour a little, 

but I kinda like that.

Rustic French Country -

Is there such a thing?  LOL

The wooden frame was painted with Annie Sloan chalk paint

in 'Paris Grey'.

And then I waxed the wood.

The cushion was recovered in the same fabric, 

 that I used to recover the office chair.

This is the second part of my office makeover,

more coming soon...

#makeover #homedecor #furniture #chalkpaint