little bits and pieces for the shabby country cottage....

As promised, here are some pictures of little accessories and furniture I've been working on
Here are two lovely little chairs, they were plain unfinished wood, which I've painted up and shabby-fied a little, really like them, don't want them too shabby! The one on the left has a wobbly front leg..which as you can see, will need fixing!

 Next the sofa, or bench. This was one of those very basic kids snap and click together wooden flat pack kits. Dead cheap. I changed it, filed down the joins, made the legs taller, embelished with scalloped edging along the front and heart details and added a gingham cushion.

 Here it is again, quite please with it really!

 Next, some teeny tiny scones with butter and jam! Love these!

 Here is a tiny 'home' decor sign, really tiny and sweet, made with alphabetti pasta!

 Here it is again, free-standing, to prove that it can! And could be displayed that way. Going to make more, saying things like 'love',  'live', 'cuisine' etc.

 And finally, a rustic rusted jug! Rather like the rusted effect, might end up 'rusting' a few other things too..

Hope you like!

oh my!

Wow! New followers! WELCOME ALL!
Nearly into double figures, woop!
However, now feel very guilty as has not updated for a while.
Basically, greenleaf buttercup house I built from kit has well and truly done my head in! It's 'nearly' complete, I came to a bit of a standstill and decided I hated it....but am getting back to being friends with it now!
Been making little bits and pieces which I will post pics of soon, so, stay tuned!

Progress on my shabby country cottage....

Well, for what seems like a lifetime, I have been plodding along with building my Greenleaf Buttercup cottage. There are just so many pieces, that all need sanding, and many that need persuading to fit! The end is in sight now though! I have the 4 little side piece of roof to fit and all the little bits and pieces like the gingerbread trim, window boxes, and decorative features. But I'm in no hurry to get all of those bit done yet.
I've started to crack on with the interior! I've used very thin wood veneer to create floorboards for upstairs and downstairs. I made the bed from scratch - it's the wooden one from a few posts ago. It is a little big though...and so I may have to make another a little smaller to fit niver into the room...... The dressing table was some very cheap plain dark wooden furniture purchaed from a charity shop that I have shabby-fied. Same for the dresser downstairs. The sofa and little table are not compelte yet, I just put them in to see apporx sizes etc.
Anyway, here are some pics! Enjoy!

Miniature marvels!

You just have to go over to this blog by patrisan! She makes the most amazing minature shoes I have ever seen!
And she's having a give away! Get over there now!

I've almost finished building my greenleaf buttercup cottage, will post pics soon. Has taken me so long....and sick of making it now, just want it to be made so I can start filling it!

distressed furniture

Well, the bed is complete and painted white now. I didn't want to 'distress' it too much or make it look too shabby, so I hope it just has that old and not quite perfect look, rather than anything else. I've made a quick matress, but this might change, Not going to complete the rest until I have a finished house to put it in!

I also bought a really cheap pine coloured wooden dresser off ebay. It cost 80p, and £2 to post. It had cupboard doors on the bottom but they didn't meet in the middle, so I took them off. I painted and 'distressed' the whole thing and added mesh to the top cupboard doors, and a new shelf to the bottom part. I'm quite pleased with it. This will be a nice addition to the kitchen downstairs in my Buttercup cottage (when it is completed.......)

home-made bed!

I'm appalling at woodwork. I just can't do it! However, I REALLY, and I mean really. wanted to make my own bed for my new little dolls house (which is still really a kit....although a few pieces have been put together! - it's a greenleaf Buttercup kit) I want to make (or do-up and make over!) as much as possible for this house. So.....on the way back from Belfast, we were delayed, so went for coffee in Starbucks, or some other over priced coffee joint, and of course they had those little wooden stirrer sticks, so I pocketed about 50 of them haha! You know what we need.....a few more stirry sticks....
Anyway, then I set about making my bed, no plans, no drawings no nothing, just from my head! All made from stirry sticks, with 5 little strips of balsa wood for the slats.No saws or other wood working tools either! Just massive scissors and glue!
Anyway, here is is in plain naked wood when first complete! I am really pleased with it!
I've painted it white now! Will post an updated pic when I get time.

There is one problem.....it is pretty standard 1/12th scale double bed sized, approx sizes and dimensions checked from DHE catalogue....... but it it a little big! And I do not think will fit in the upstairs of my little butterleaf cottage (not that I'v made it yet....but so far, its not looking good!) when complete. So.....dilemma, start again and make another??!?! Surely not..... or adapt the Buttercup dolls house kit to slight extend the upstairs so that the bed fits....or seems to fit.... this is what I'm considering anyway.
Well.....hope you like?!

shabby bits and bobs!

So, I bought some v cheap crappy furniture from Ebay and have been practising doing it up and making it look 'shabby'! Here's 2 little tables I 'shabby-fied'! I'm quite pleased for a first try!

 I've also been trying to create some little beach hut style ornaments. These are made from mounting  board and hand painted, no plans or templates! And about 2.5cm tall!

 And my final attempt at Blackberry jam! In a 1cm tall glass jar!

ALSO! I won an Ebay auction for a Greenleaf Buttercup dolls house! I now need to find time to build it and then the fun begins!! Going to make my own shabby little cottage!