Summer Outdoor Fun... Continued!

Okay, so I never said there would be a continuation of my previous blog post but it has been so amazing out at the front of our wee cottage since we knocked down the old vestibule/porch. We kept putting it off for so long thinking about what to replace it with when BAM... It hit us! (Well, hubby really though he claims it was my idea.) WHY REPLACE IT AT ALL?

Mind = blown. 

Moving on! We have basically now got a vintage-styled cottage garden at the front and are still reaping the benefits of having spent so much time on the back garden... Literally the best of both worlds! :) happy! 

Soooo, it hit me earlier that the back is the result of hard work and money, with a few exceptions on both counts. The front, however, is recycled, upcycled, thrifted, handmade JOY! And it's the most peaceful place ever to sit, too.

This blogpost will focus more in the individual decorative elements we made rather than the whole effect. We're still working on that! :) 

Here are some bottles I had collected. I love the Buddha ones as they were green (brand: lucky beer) but I really wanted them matt or shiny so the detail stood out. Cue a trip to halfords and the purchase of purple and oyster champagne spray paint. (We already had the silver.)

Next up was an old footstool I had in the spare room and we hadn't used for a while. It's got the perfect cushion cover to stencil or paint onto as it's a really thick and usefully neutral material. I used bright red fabric paint (just had a tiny jar, didn't need much!) and pritt-sticked the matryoshka stencils I bought in hobbycraft. The pritt stick is ok on fabric but you'll need to go slow and dab the paint while holding it a bit taut, rather than crazy brushing. 

Excuse the finger on the middle photo! :) 

Also, but massively not lastly, hubby made a table in a morning. Seriously, literally from 9.30 am until it was finished at 1! He had spare wood in the garage (insert own double entendre here...) and set about it. Needless to say his new table saw played a part in the construction. Happy hubby! :)

Oh Baby!

Squee! Yesterday, my lovely husband and I went to see two friends who have just had a beautiful bouncing baby boy. He's three weeks old now and is just perfect in every way! After all the cuddles and fuss, we gave them their gifts including the little mittens I wrote about in the first blogpost of CCC.

What I hadn't shared yet was the bib I handmade for them too, inspired by an idea in Polly Treffry's Freehand Embroidery book. I decided to go nautical so used a red and white background before I appliqued a blue and white boat complete with little flag. They absolutely loved it and it actually matched the wee outfit he had on that day! Yay!

Another thing we did was take lunch. My friend had told me months ago that in her ante-natal class they said if you have visitors then use them! Ask folk to bring in messages if they are coming in the first few weeks/months. It was no surprise, then, when she asked us to take some lunch round for the visit. Happy to help! We made tomato, carrot and basil soup and big, thick door-step sandwiches with homemade egg mayo. We also made a big batch of tuna pasta mayo and left it with then for evening snacking. I was just so happy to be able to help them and they were glad to have minimal fuss guests so it was a big win for both!

Happy crafting, peeps!