A Story About Making Old Furniture Lovely Again

We have a new addition to our family.

Actually, we have two but i'll tell you about this one first; our new Welsh dresser.

Way back in February my other half happened to mention that there was a Welsh dresser for sale.  It was being advertised in the little cafe over the road and he'd had a look at it and thought right away how it could be done up and made to look lovely.  As this is something I have long wished to have in my home I went to have a look at it.  Standing in the corner it was very tired, shabby and 80's looking with it's awful dark varnish, but I could see the potential same as he had and immediately got rather excited, envisioning it standing in our little house adorned with all our favourite bits and pieces.

We bought it for £25.00 and got to work sanding back that nasty varnish...

I'm afraid I don't have an actual before shot of it to show you just how dark and awful it really was, but you get the idea...

However this renovation business was not plain sailing.  After choosing and buying the undercoats, primers and paints we got to work making this old bit of furniture look good as new, but we hit a problem:  Staining.  Yes, the lovely milky white shade of paint we had originally chosen turned a rather sickly yellow as the old varnish leached through.

It was left a while as we worked out what to do.  I contacted a furniture restoration specialist who suggested sanding it back and then coating the whole thing in shellac.  It seemed like there was a light at the end of the tunnel but as some of you may know, shellac is not the cheapest product to buy and we had a heck of a surface area to cover.  Back to the drawing board then!!  My Dad had a lightbulb moment and went up to see his old friend John Carrack (brother of the famous Paul) who has run their family paint business in Crookes for years.  John sent him home with a tin of some special sealant and my Dad took over the project of re-sanding, sealing, re-undercoating and the like, whilst I danced off happily to buy pretty coloured door knobs and some new paint!

After months of hard work and nothing happening, it was ready:

It has moved into our little house and looks as if it's been there forever.  Typically I got rather excited and immediately started to adorn it with bits and bobs...(and did I mention that it needs bunting?  I didn't?  Oh it so does!!)

I found the toadstools in John Lewis recently, they're actually tree decorations but for now I'm liking them just sitting companionably together on my new dresser :)

The paint I chose was Porcelain Blue by the Craig & Rose 1829 paint company.  The door and drawer knobs came from a selection at Chatsworth House and a lovely little shop in Holmfirth called The Gift Horse.

Prior to my Welsh dresser moving in, I finally got myself a proper desk to work from.  For absolutely long enough I have been working and painting away at my dining room table and this has been fine up to a point but I was feeling that I'd really like a little chunk of my home where I could do my computer work and smaller pieces of art; a work space I could call my own, that I didn't have to clear off to serve meals etc.  Now as some of you know we live in a very SMALL house, there really isn't space for an individual studio and so I have chosen my favourite corner, by my inspiring bookshelves and back window for my new desk.

I found my desk in an antiques centre in Sheffield, I saw it just over a month ago and I fell instantly in love.  I saw it in my mind as being the perfect desk;  it was big enough for my bits and pieces, but small enough to fit in our room without overpowering it.  It has an unusually long drawer that opens from the side for keeping all my Important Things in.  I also get to leave my painting stuff on it, and I love doing that.

I think it's important that we cultivate a creative space that makes our hearts sing, that bring us joy.  A good place to work from is good for the soul.

It's also a dream to sit here and work, glancing up to see the birds fluttering about and watch the sun orbit our riverside garden.  Although I'm still in my little house, working in the same room, having my own desk here gives me my own little sanctuary to retreat to for work and painting stuff.  I love it.  It's all mine.

So!  Before I go today, I'd just like to thank all of you for your lovely comments about my crochet work ~ you're so kind and I do appreciate the time you spend reading my blog and writing your thoughts.  I also appreciate all of you lovely folks who read and leave quietly, thank you too for stopping by :)

Well, I have a few Christmas Card orders I need to be cracking on with now, so I'm off!  I hope you're all having a smashing week, sending love and mugs of warm gluhwein to you!

Julia x x x

Lazy Days

Did you have a nice Easter?

We decided that we would have a rather lazy time of it following on from the somewhat hectic week before! How nice it was to get up on the weekend and bake a pretty scrumptious 'chocca mocca' Easter cake with the Little One (decorated by her good self too) and then wander outside to plant some new seeds. The sun shone on us and we took a break for snacks and juice on the riverside bench, just the tonic after a good spot of gardening!

On Sunday, we got up slightly later than usual (8am - its a real lie in for us nowadays!) and drifted downstairs to discover the Easter Bunny had been and delivered a bounty of chocolate eggs along with a small fluffy version of himself! Needless to say, our Little One was delighted beyond words and proceeded to eat chocolate for breakfast (ah, just this once - as long as you have your orange juice - you need some vitamin C you know...!).

We enjoyed toasted hot cross buns dripping with rather too much butter and big mugs of coffee and agreed that it was a very pleasant way to begin the day indeed!

Having decided to avoid the coast (for two reasons - pretty chilly temperatures had been forcast, and we couldn't be faffed with the queues) we got a picnic ready, picked up my folks and headed off to Baslow.

A nice brisk walk was in order, and although it was bitterly cold the sun shone regardless.

Our walk eventually took us through the grounds of Chatsworth House, it's very beautiful there and one of our favourite places to visit.

Whilst walking along a splendid thing happened. A little covered trailer which was decorated with streamers and Easter bunting etc, had just dispensed the Easter Bunny from a crowd of cheering children on to the ground. The bunny waved and jumped about as the trailer was driven slowly away and our Little Daughter stood transfixed on the edge of the grass watching in wonderment.

And then a Magical Thing occured.

The Easter Bunny turned around and waved at our Little Daughter who waved back furiously...and then, he beckoned her over...

...under a large old oak tree, the Easter Bunny crouched down and gave our Little Daughter a pink packet of foil wrapped eggs, and a cuddle. It was one of those very special moments that none of us will forget for a long time to come.

Driving home, the landscape away to the Pennines was bright and blue, full of scudding clouds that added to the drama of the scenery. You might just see that the hills in the distance are topped with a dusting of snow, to give some idea how very cold it was this weekend!

And so moving on to other things, our Little Daughter wasn't the only one to receive goodies this weekend...! On Saturday, our dear Postie brought an interesting looking parcel for me which I opened to find this inside:

I was very, very lucky to win a give away recently, held by Vivienne at Green Rabbit Designs.

Vivienne makes the most beautiful bags and corsages from her home in Ireland and her blog is really worth a visit, do please go and see her gorgeous work if you haven't before!

And so I held a wonderful package, wrapped in green tissue and gingham ribbon, complete with a cheery card...

...and what's this inside...?

...a surprise package! I wonder what could be in here? Ah, I needn't wonder for too long - little helping hands are at the ready!

Oh yummy!!! Our favourites!!! :D

...and double yummy!!! Would you look at that delicious hand knitted bag!!! It's the most scrumptious colour and the inside is lined with a beautiful contrasting fabric, the stitching is exquisite too!

Aren't I just so over the moon happy?

Yes I am.

I cannot wait to parade this about. Already it is being filled with Life's Essentials so it is ready for it's first outing. Thank you so very, very much Vivienne! :)

On the art front...yes, it's been a tad quiet on there of late due to one thing or another. However, sketches keep occuring at randomly snatched moments and I have a couple of pieces of work I'm itching to get started on. Due to Other Half's Work Stuff I've not had a lot of time to spend on my painting so I'm sure you will understand that I'm climbing the walls with mild frustration - I do need my fix!! Painting, for me you see, is as necessary as breathing, but a little doodling in the sketch book is better than nothing and keeps things gently ticking over...

Until next time...I send you a jam jar of anenomes and narcissi,

a slice of your favourite cake and much love! Thanks for coming to visit me ~ I'm so glad you did!

Julia x