Ikea Makeover

A little hello to anyone who may still be popping into Playing in the Attic!

Let's talk storage.  We have major storage issues in our house.  We have kitchen cupboards and that's it!  Over the years we've lived here, we have had to purchase six wardrobes, we've had to convert a CD cabinet into a bathroom cabinet, purchased 4 bookcases and still we have things in boxes ... you getting the idea?  A shopping trip to Ikea was needed to deal with a small storage issue in my artsy/craftsy room.

Drag home two very heavy Ikea boxes, get in touch with our inner flat-pack-maker and off we go.  Now is it just us or do other people make mistakes at Ikea between showroom floor and warehouse aisle?  The cupboard was made up, all looking good, getting excited to be able to create a bit of order, open up the second box, the box that has the doors in it, the solid doors so that the innards of the cupboard can't be seen and what do we have ... glass doors!!  How did that happen?  We photographed the numbers on Girl 1's mobile phone, we went to the right aisle, we saw the cupboard, saw the box for the doors .... whatever!  Not entirely happy with the end result.

Fortunately a little piece of happy inspiration occurred, and under the bed I scurried to my rolled up paper supply.  Yes folks, that's what's under my bed.  And as I've shared this with you, what's under yours?!!!  Here you go, you didn't believe me?  I have Christmas wrapping paper, posters, gift paper for special use, I have Chinese brush paintings (from a course I did years ago) etc. etc., you get the idea.  Excuse the dust!

Found the Ideal Piece of Paper.  This is a piece of wrapping paper purchased at one of my favourite shops in Melbourne.  Il Papiro sits in the heart of Melbourne's laneways, in Degraves Street.  It's a joy simply to walk in the door and take in all the beautiful stationery from Florence.  Take a look, isn't it stunning?!!

So, with brush and jar of Mod Podge at hand, off I went slapping glue happily all over the place and now I love my Ikea cupboard.  Very individual.  Very me.  Very much hiding what's inside.  And just a little bit Italian.

Okay, now where did I put my ...

Ciao Bellas!!  Trudy x

The Book of Questions

Many moons ago I started this project, the Book of Questions, and thought you might like to take a peek at its progress.  I was inspired by the work of Nina Bagley, and had lots of cabinet cards tucked away from years of collecting.  It always saddens me to think these beautiful photographs are no longer with their families, but I do adore them and even if I don't know the names and the stories behind them I will recreate something!

The idea was to find a question to fit each photo, and that has definitely been the fun part, because I love words so much!  On the backs (where the question goes) I've applied scrapbooking paper, and with my trusty calligraphy pen and my rusty calligraphy skills, I've started writing out the questions.

There was a possible alternative here : Can melancholia be a symptom of tight corsets?!  The next cabinet card is from Paisley, Scotland so could very well be an ancestor of mine.  He's dashing enough, might claim him anyway!!

A couple more, just in case you're still with me on this!!  I've put the question on the photo, but it will be done like the others above, handwritten with pen and ink on the opposite side to the photo.

I have twenty of these gorgeous cabinet cards, so you can imagine how thick The Book of Questions will be by the time it's all done.  Binding is going to be a bit tricky, but I have this idea in mind, once I've got over punching the eyelets!

What project are you enjoying most right now?
Trudy

Make a Book Day

I love making books!  It is one of my most favourite things to do. When I spied an upcoming class being advertised in a local flyer, I knew I would have to take this opportunity to learn a new way of binding and jumped in boots and all.  Our teacher had travelled from Melbourne to teach eight book-loving people in a room behind the Meeniyan Art Gallery.

Down went the newspaper and out came the tools of trade.  We got to play with ink and paint and wood blocks and beautiful handmade paper for six hours!  It was So Much Fun.  Here I am with my friend Jo who came along for the fun of it all and is now hooked on printing and stamping.  Looking like serious artistic groovers, I hear you say!!

The print below was made with a shell which had been sawn in half.  Beautiful.  We also used all sorts of different leaves.

This is my book.  Can you guess how this print was made?  It kind of looks skeletal, don't you think?  And the colours worked so beautifully on my draft page that I stitched it into my book.  Isn't it always the way that the print you do on the beautiful handmade paper is not quite as perfect as the one you do as a practice run?!!  Anyway, this print was made with a long piece of lino which had broken egg shells glued to it.  I know, who would have thought?  Then I double stamped it - green and dark brown - and got that not quite lined up effect which I rather liked!

When I brought my book home I decided to use it for inspirational thoughts about travel.  "A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step" by Lao Tzu and "Do not follow where the path may lead.  Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail" by Ralph Waldo Emerson.  Nice thoughts.

Perfectly good fun.  And a book at the end of it all.  I realise I haven't even shown you the binding which is called Coptic Binding, 'nother day.

Do you like making books?  Do you have a favourite paper to use, or a favourite stamp?

Wishing you a Happy Day!
Trudy

Back in the Saddle Again

It often happens that I don't feel like crafting, or don't have the energy, or am overwhelmed by other things I need to do, or any number of other reasons and I really shouldn't fret, but I do feel a bit lost when my hands aren't busy doing something. 

I've been waiting to get all excited again by a particular project or other.  Well, here I am, back in the saddle again!  I decided to ignore all those pesky unfinished projects and embark on something brand, spanking new.  Oh yes I did!!  Just something small to get me started again.  Something fun and colourful.

This is a gorgeous stitching kit by UK designer Nancy Nicholson which I simply Could Not Resist.  I needed to have a  bit of that beautiful design in my life and in our home. 

This afternoon, after starting my day with a piano lesson and then sharing lunch with a dear friend who has a new house that needed exploring, there was a lovely half hour sitting outside in the most glorious warm sun, stitching while I waited for my girls to come home.  This is what I have been missing, the gentle art of stitching, the slowing down of time, the concentration needed to put needle into fabric and pull thread through.

When I'm done stitching I think I'll make this into a cushion, with the bird as the central piece.  I've already been flinging out pieces of fabric to find the perfect one to go with it, but of course I never seem to have just the right thing.  More digging needed.

And I love the fabric panel that came with the kit, detailing each stitch, that can be made into a little book.  What a cute idea.

Hope you find time for a little stitching in the sun.
I'm off to catch up on some favourite blogs!

Trudy

The Parade of the Pincushions

 

People who craft need crafting tools.  No question.  We can't make beautiful handmade items unless we have the tools of the trade and, depending on what the craft is, there may be scissors or cottons, hooks or needles needed in your handy box of tricks.

But here comes a little confession, and I'm sure I'm not the only one, so do tell if you are like me ... I like to collect lots of bits and bobs for my tool box, many more than I actually *need*.  And a perfect example of this is : pincushions.

I definitely need one near my sewing machine, and I need one next to my favourite chair.  I also need one in my portable supplies, and one handy on the bookcase to grab as I go by.  I need one in several different rooms so that I don't have to go searching and besides all that, they're just so compact and cute!

Some have been purchased while holidaying, like the one above from Bali and some have been lovingly made by hand and given from friends [thank you Claire for the gorgeous Daisy pincushion!], and some have been made by yours truly.

While we're here in confessional mode, there is something else I would like to share with you ... I like to co-ordinate the coloured pinheads to the pincushion!  I know.  Quite mad.  Have you ever heard of such a thing?  Oh, you do that too?  No, you think I'm quite crazy?  Okay, I can live with that.

Do you like to collect sewing bits and bobs?  Do you have more than one pincushion?  C'mon, it's time to 'fess up!!

Before I finish up, thank you for all your well wishes on the job-front.  I'm arriving home each night very weary and foot sore from standing up for most of my 9-hour shifts, but if it means I can go to gift fairs and buy lots of gorgeous stock in the way of stationery and books and puzzles and things, then I am very happy indeedy.

Trudy

Handmade Exchange

There has been a little exchange made, of the handmade kind, between two bloggy friends on opposite sides of the world.  One arrived in the sweltering heat of Australia's summer, the other in England's snowy Winter.

Isn't it delightful to stumble across someone's blog in which you have an immediate response?  You read over old posts and eagerly anticipate new ones.  You get a teeny sense of who that person is, you celebrate each other and you have a feeling that if you were to meet you may just be friends.

And that's how it happened that this beautiful, quirky brooch landed in my letterbox all the way from snowy England.

Isn't it adorable?  Do you remember how I said that I needed to make time and the only way I could do that is if I found a little piece of old, faded linen, hand stitch some numbers on it and a couple of wonky hands to show my favourite time of day, add some pretty touches Julie Arkell-style, make it into a watch that I can wear around my wrist so that every time I look at it I will have plenty of time left in my day to do whatever I wish!  Now I can.

And my handmade exchange in return.  A linen and cotton cuff, with buttons, frayed edges and a Chinese girl with red lips, pearl earrings and sharply defined eyebrows.

I love being a part of this gorgeously generous blogging community.  It's nice, isn't it?

Trudy

A Little Gift Idea

Is two a collection?  The beginning of a collection, yes, with the potential to grow into a collection, but two?  Not sure.  I have two yellow rice canisters from the 1950s - 60s.  Especially adore the rounded one at the front, such a lovely shape.  I'm always on the lookout for them, but they are often found in sets, but just occasionally you may find one lonely, little rice canister.

 

But I don't keep rice in them as was originally intended, nor do I keep them in the kitchen.  Is that what you thought?  No, I keep my ribbon stash in them!  R for ribbon.  Which is leading me, very slowly you must be thinking, to my little gift idea for a crafty friend.  This is easy, quick and good for popping in with something else perhaps.  All you need is wooden dolly pegs, ribbon and a pin, voila!!

 

Meet Felicity, Harriet and Margaret, who once they were spruced up wanted a bit of a photo shoot and were not satisfied with the mere backdrop of the rice canister.  "But it's ribbon, you love ribbon, you drape yourself in ribbon!!"  They stood firm, or should I say, lolled around requesting champagne and hors d'oeuvres.

 

 

 

I wouldn't say they were cheap, I can hear the outcry already, but they are definitely fun and worthy of giving away!

 

Cheers, Trudy

Christmas Crafting

My Girl 2 and I had some time together, just she and I, and we decided the time was right to do some Christmas crafting.  We started with our felt supply, then gathered up some ideas and sequins, ribbon, buttons, a little bit of patience and a lot of enthusiam.

 

We chose colours, make paper patterns, cut out and started to sew.  We made decisions between buttons and sequins ... the sequins won, they were far shinier and colourful.

 

 

 

There were plans to give these Christmas ornaments as gifts to teachers, and moments of wanting to keep them.  But more importantly there was determination to do it all herself, and determination to finish at least one.

 

 

Most pleased with the Chrissie Pud, a few more stitches needed on the Tree, and then a Santa Boot to finish the trio.

 

 

I think she did a fabulous job.  This Pud is good enough to eat.  She tells me the stitches represent chocolate in the pudding as she doesn't like nuts or orange peel so it certainly wouldn't be either of those things!  And while I was mainly there to encourage and supervise it got me thinking about crafting a little something myself ... maybe another day.

 

Have you started your Christmas crafting?

What are you making?

 

Trudy