Upcycled Frame Jewellery Display

   Displaying vintage brooches and necklaces in an old picture or mirror frame is a fun and creative way to showcase these beautiful timeless accessories while adding a unique touch to your bedroom or dressing room decor.

Start by sourcing an old frame in a size and style you like. 

Look for frames with intricate designs or interesting textures to add character to your display.

I found a lovely vintage French-style mirror via a second-hand seller on Facebook.

The top detail had been broken, but it was a simple fix to sand the sharp edge and round it off.

I didn't want the mirror for this project, so I removed the back of the frame and took the mirror out.

Tracing the shape onto cardboard for a new backing.

As my bedroom has a silver colour palette, I thoroughly cleaned the detail on the mirror frame and spray-painted it.

I choose a shiny mirror silver paint.

Once dry, I cut a piece of wadding to fit the shape.

Then I covered the wadding with a beautiful grey velvet fabric.

 Hot glue was used to attach the fabric to the cardboard with the wadding in between.

Next, it was a matter of reassembling the wadded fabric into the frame. I used PVA glue to attach to the frame.

Leaving it overnight to dry.

I added a hanging attachment.

Now for the fun part.

Let's add the jewellery.

You can poke the point bar of the brooch into the fabric wadding, or you can pin the brooches on using pearl head sewing pins.

Consider grouping brooches by colour, size, or theme to create a visually appealing arrangement.

Some of my brooches and necklaces are family heirlooms.

Some were sourced from thrift stores.

One brooch was a gift to me when I was 8 years old from an elderly lady my Mama was a caregiver for.

And yes, in case you are wondering, they do get worn!

What I love about the Upcycled Frame Jewellery Display, is at a glance, I can choose the brooch or necklace of the day to compliment my outfit.

You might also like to learn how to make the

Upcycled Antique Frame Mood Board.

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 Visit my 'Saatchi Art & Photography' store 

Original art store HERE

#upcycling #vintagejewellery #oldjewels #upcycledframes #diyideas

Delicious Spicy Pea Soup

We are making a delicious creamy and spicy pea soup today.

It is a speedy meal to prepare.

Perfect for those busy weekdays when you can't be bothered making a time-consuming meal.

My lovely friend Rosemary brought this to share at a recent Mid-Winter Christmas Dinner party.

I immediately wanted the recipe.

And to be honest, I am not a huge fan of peas.

But this is one way I can enjoy them and their amazing nutrients.

This pea hater is now a pea lover!

Spicy Pea Soup

1 kg bag of frozen peas 1 onion 1 heaped Tablespoon Garlic Butter 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock I x 400gm can coconut milk 2 tablespoons of curry paste ( Pataks or Massaman)

Salt to taste Chop onion, and soften in butter until clear.

Add the curry paste and stir until fragrant. Add stock and peas.

Simmer 15-20 mins.

Cool for 10 minutes. Blitz with a stick blender.

Taste and adjust salt.

Add the coconut milk

(if too thick add a little more water).  

Reheat and serve with crusty bread.

Yield: 10 servings

 

Printable recipe HERE.

Green Peas: The Unsung Health Heroes

Green peas, often overlooked in favour of more popular vegetables, pack a powerful nutritional punch that can benefit your health in numerous ways.

Rich in Vitamins and Minerals

Green peas are a great source of vitamin K, essential for blood clotting and bone health. They also contain vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that boosts your immune system, and vitamin A, important for eye health.

High in Fibre

Green peas are a good source of dietary fibre, which can aid in digestion, help regulate blood sugar levels, and promote a feeling of fullness to aid in weight management.

Protein Powerhouse

Surprisingly, green peas are also a good source of plant-based protein, making them an excellent choice for vegetarians and vegans looking to meet their protein needs.

Antioxidant Properties

Green peas contain various antioxidants, such as flavonoids and carotenoids, which help to reduce inflammation.

Easy to Incorporate into Your Diet

Whether you enjoy them fresh, frozen, or canned, green peas are a versatile vegetable that can be added to soups, salads, stir-fries, and more to boost the nutritional content of your meals.

Next time you're planning your meals, remember the humble green pea and all the health benefits it has to offer!

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#soup #souprecipes #easytomakesoups #peasoup

DIY Teddy Bear Clay Craft

 

This super cute airdry clay teddy bear is not too difficult to create for a special ornament to gift, or you can use these 'how to' instructions to make it out of modeling fondant for a cake topper.

But today we are making it using the air dry clay.

On a tabletop or a craft cutting board roll a ball of clay that is about 5cm (2 inches) in size to an oval shape. 

For the legs and arms, make four  3cm (1 1/2 inch) small sausages.

Squash the ends (this is where they attach to the body).

Attach by blending underneath with a flat edge tool and at the back of the bear's body, then create a fur effect using a pointed tool.

Do the same to make two arms.

Attach the legs to the body blending the flat part into the base of the body clay.

Attach the arms in the same way.

Use a pointed tool to rough up the clay to resemble fur.

You can manipulate the bear to sit flat and into the sitting shape you want.

To make the head roll a 2.5cm (1 inch) ball, a smaller one for the nose area, and two smaller ones for the ears.

Squash the balls, and cut out two ear shapes.

(see photograph above)

Position nose plate, and ears on the head, and attach blending clay to meld.

         

Attach the head to the body using a toothpick pushing into the centre of the body to support it.

Blend the clay around the neck area.

And use the pointed tool to create fur to blend the join.

(Take particular attention when melding the neck to the body, as when mine dried the clay shrunk (for lack of melding) and left a gap between the body and head, but reattachment using PVA glue fixed it fine).

The photo above is what your bear should look like.

Make little dots for the eyes and nose. I had black clay for this, but you can use natural and paint them later when it's dry.

Attach using a pointed tool.

Leave to dry.

(It takes about five days).

Once the teddy is completely dry, you can paint it any colour you want.

Touch up the nose and eyes with black paint if necessary.

When the paint is dry, seal the entire bear with a clear sealer.

I used a clearcoat spray sealer on the naturally coloured clay.

I hope all the photographs in this tutorial help you create your own sweet teddy bear.  :)

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#airdyclaycraft #fondantcaketopper #teddybearcraft

 

Upcycled Antique Frame Mood Board

This beautiful old frame found me.

I love how things appear for you when they are meant to be yours!

The first thing I thought about upcycling it into was a mood board for my studio's little quotes and art inspirations.

But first, let's have a chat about this frame.

This is where I might need your help!

Is it Victorian? 19th century? Faux old? 

French? Replica?

I spent many hours researching on Google to no avail.

There were many much more ornately decorated and gold-gilded ones in similar styles.  

But nothing quite the same as this frame is not overly ornate.

It's quite simple.

The style appears to be Rococo as it has asymmetrical shapes and motifs.

In the Rococo design, these are usually shells, flowers and foliage.

As this frame had damage to it, I could see it was gesso (pronounced 'Jesso') on wood.

Gesso in the old days was made by mixing chalk or gypsum, animal glue (usually from rabbit skin) and white pigment.

I believe this frame is very old.

It's age is a mystery.

What do you think?

Please share your thoughts.

In my mind's eye, the painting that once was housed inside the frame, was of elegant aristocrats in gorgeous clothing enjoying a picnic in a romantic scenic place.

I would have loved to see what that may have been.

But alas, I inherited just the worn and shabby chic frame.

It never crossed my mind to repaint it.

Its unique beauty 'as is' is undeniable.

It also looks fabulous against the ply wall and with the green painted wall on the opposite side of the room.

To create the mood board, I recycled heavy cardboard, and cut it to size for the back.

Then cut cork tiles to fit the cardboard.

I used woodworkers PVA glue to attach the cork tiles to the cardboard.

Once the glue was dry, set it in the frame, reusing the original tabs on the back to hold it in place.

After covering the tabs with masking tape, I attached picture mechanisms and wire for hanging.

It's quite a heavy frame!

Then for the fun bit - adding arty images and quotes using pearl-head sewing pins.

Now it hangs in pride of place above my studio work desk, and I adore it!

Feel free to comment on the frame's heritage.

I'm keen to know more about its origin.

:)

If you enjoyed this project, you might like the 

Upcycled Frame Jewellery Display

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#upcycling #oldframediy #diy

 

Spiced Apricot Cake

    Using canned apricot halves in your cake batter can result in an incredibly moist and flavorful dessert or afternoon tea cake, that will have everyone coming back for seconds!

Spiced Apricot cake is just that!

Moist, flavourful and definitely one serving is never enough!

     

Spiced Apricot Cake 

You Will Need:

680 gram (24oz) can or Jar of apricot halves.

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

3/4 cup softened butter

1 cup fine caster sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 large eggs

2 and a 1/2 cups plain flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

Powdered icing sugar is used to sprinkle on top once baked and cooled.

To Make:

Preheat oven to 180 Celsius (350F)

Grease and line with baking parchment paper, a 23cm (9 inch) round cake pan with a removable bottom.

Drain the apricots and put aside ten halves.

Blend the remaining ones to a puree and set aside.

Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla in a cake mixer until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time until creamy.

Add the lemon juice and apricot puree.

Then the sifted dry ingredients and spices.

Place the cake batter into the tin and place the ten apricot halves on top of the batter.

Bake for 50 minutes.

Place a sheet of tin foil over the top of the cake once it is browned and continue cooking until a skewer comes out clean.

Cool in the tin.

Remove from the cake tin, place on a pretty plate and dust with the powdered icing sugar.

Slice the cake and enjoy the deliciously moist and flavorful treat warm with runny or whipped cream!

Or serve cold with a cup of tea or coffee.

It is fabulous served either way!

Printable recipe HERE.

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#apricots #cakes #fruitcakes #homebaked