Pallet Loads of Talent!

 

You have all seen my creative endeavours.... I love to create beautiful things, for me it is like soul food! Be it knitting, sewing, crochet(my favourite) baking, cooking, jamming... you name it, I enjoy it!  I love watching a project come together, form and become a functional item in my home, or become a gift for someone special....

 

My sister and I are kindred spirits in this aspect, she too enjoys the creative side but unlike me she is more creative, in that she simply can look at something and create it, me, well, I need a starting point...Something I can look at and then change it to suit me, make it easier.... then it is all system go....

 

 I am getting to the point...

 

I have been trawling pintrest for months now, pinning all manner of pallet furniture! I have begged LSO to make me a table and benches for our back garden, but I am all met with a raised eye brow and am told  and I quote ' I don't want old junk littering our back garden' has he never heard of up cycling? So when Cin announced to me that she felt like doing some wood work, I was on it like white on rice!!! And she is a BLOOMING GENIUS!!!!



  

I showed her all the pallet pins and asked if she could possibly conjure up some pallet furniture for me, namely a table and benches for my back garden and a potting table. And while LSO was away the proverbial mouse would make pallet furniture!! Cin was very un phased  about it all - "Of course I can make that"  and I think I even heard a pfffftt as I walked away!

Pallet were sort and bought ( very cheaply I might add R150.00 for 5 large pallets) She pulled them apart and like magic, she began to make furniture!

I honestly thought there would be plans drawn up, lots of head scratching, but I was very very wrong. Now I kid you not when I say, she picked up a piece of wood pallet, looked at it , picked up the next piece and started to drill, screw and occasionally hammer.... it was like watching someone do a jigsaw puzzle...  

 

And within a few hours, there was a table. The wood was inlaid into a frame, not simply on top as I had requested! This was the only time  I saw her sweat a little.... as you can see in the picture below, 1 piece just didn't want to fit.

So she simply planed it, and bob's-your-uncle it slotted it like it was meant to be there! I must tell you that I watched her in awe, I have never seen wood work being done like this! And at the risk of sounding all waxy and lyricy, it was like watching an artist, pick up, look, no that piece was not going to work., put it down , look for another piece in huge pile of planks, pick it up - mmm yes that one will do, put it in, it works... pick up the next piece... it was really amazing to watch....

 

She wasn't quiet happy with the legs, said they looked a bit thin, so she added another piece, then  asked if I wanted a planter in the middle of the table? I didn't want to mess with the master piece(which is how I saw it) Cin whipped out the saw and cut a hole in the middle of my gorgeous table, made a box, inserted it and was done! Once again I must say I was in awe!!!Seriously in AWE! 

I will not bore you with every plank, nail and screw that was drilled, hammer or screwed in, but over the next 3 weeks I had a beautiful garden table and two benches......

Little Madame had a  tiny bench, for her fairy garden! Her two friends helped her paint it, amidst much giggles, laughter and  more paint on the girl  than the bench....

A sweet lemonade stand! that was used at our first market day, and she made a lot of money selling fresh lemonade that her by-now-you-must-admit-talented Aunt has taught her to make(an American thing!)

And finally but most definitely my favourite of all the pallet furniture.... A potting bench! Made with pallets, some old shutters that I was going to up cycle and some very old bits and pieces I had found when we first moved into our home! It is Gorgeous!!

Even LSO has said that he loves all the pallet furniture! I am trying soooo hard  not to be too smug! It really suits our very eclectic home so much!

I was sitting here wondering how to finish this post and I got to thinking about my siblings! Now not to blow our collective trumpets...  There are 4 of us, and with the exception of my younger brother(the creative gene by past him, he does however have other skills),we  are all creative, all talented and all LOVE working with our hands. My older brother Jon, is a very talented, he  makes the most beautiful  Ballroom and Latin dancing costumes and the most sublime wedding dresses! He can also draw and paint beautifully! His art graces the walls of all of our homes! Me - I am a bit of a jack of all trades  - but you  know that already,   Bringing up the rear of this creative bunch is my little sister, CIN! The gentlest, kindest soul I know( Yes, I know I am her sister so I  am a bit bias) She is RiDiCuLoUsLy talented, she can draw, paint, cook, bake, do amazing wood work as you can see, and you need to see the beautiful jewellery she is now creating with old cutlery!

 

Am I proud as punch of my brother and sister? You bet your life I am - I mean honestly who wouldn't be - We ROCK!xxx

 

Sunshine and Sandcastles!

Our little fishing village is the BEST! We have finally changed a season, and as you all know, I was complaining only a few weeks ago about the unbearable heat!! It was very VeRy VERY HOT!!! It's finally Autumn, but not for us beautifully coloured leaves gently falling to herald this change or cold breezes bringing snow!  For us, here in the little fishing village it means a small minuscule change....It is a few degrees cooler and the humidity has disappeared! That's It!

 

It's school term break here too, so today we headed to the beach, in our costumes, with hats on, armed with sunblock and ice water in our bags, to build sand castles and soak up the sun!

 

The sand was warm.....

The sky was blue .....

The waves crashed.......

 
The fish were biting......
 

 
The ships were patiently waiting to dock....
 

 

The rock pools were calm.....

 
The shells were treasures........
 

 
The sea creatures awesome......

 
The pier was breath taking.....
 

 

The children played, the moms caught up, we all relaxed! We were warm and happy and this is exactly why I  LOVE the fishing village! It is autumn, we should all be starting to break out the winter woollies, but we all continue to pop down to the beach through out the seasons! We will  play in the warm Indian ocean, soak up the sun and build sandcastles, we certainly are blessed! xxx 

  

 

Busy Happy Weeks....



 

I find the weeks racing by ..... fast, furious, hectic but oh such very Happy Joyous weeks!

A few random pictures to tell the tale....

 

 

* Delicious Dinner

* Beautiful unexpected places

* People I LOVE most in the whole Wide World!

* Pancakes for Shrove Tuesday for Little Madames class at school

 * First  School Gala

 

* Little Madame was third - Yay!

 

* New crochet project!

* Cake from a special friend

*Icing course done with my cousin - Was so much fun!

* A recycled mirror bought for me, by my darling LSO

* Little Bunnies in anticipation of Easter

* Beautiful vibrant roses

* My little Rhythmic Gymnastics Star - 1st place

 * A new Sylvanian Toy - Just because!

So even though the last 3 weeks have been very fast paced , I still have to stop, take a breath and smile because I am so very blessed .....xxx

Mollie Makes...Made!

As you all know, I love, LOVE ( - there that's better -shouty capitals) magazines, in particular, Mollie Makes! I have mentioned before how much I adore these magazines.... so I certainly will not bore you with that all over again, in fact this post is about making all the sweet free gifts that come with the magazine!   

 

 

LSO will tell you that I drive completely mad when we go to the UK, I am into W.H.Smith as soon as my little feet clear customs.... I buy Mollie Makes and Simply Crochet, just so that I can have the free makes that come with these 2 magazines. Next, I check the dates to see whether I will be able to purchase the next issue before I leave - I am like a woman possessed and what's more I am not shy to tell you , I have been known to be grossly over weight and have to take magazines out of my suit case on the return flight home ! As I said I drive LSO completely MAD!!!

 

So here is the problem, I never seem to get round to making up the bits and bobs on the magazine so I end up with a pile of magazines that just don't stack! No matter how I try, I cannot pile them properly! So in keeping with my new years resolution of finishing the projects I start..... YES I am trying and so far so good! I decided to get stuck in and make all my Mollie Makes freebies from 2 years back! 

   

 

 

I got them all out, photocopied all the patterns that were needed for the sewing projects, cut them out, pinned them all, read the instructions and got going..... I tackled my favourite first, CROCHET of course.....  

 

 

A very easy bow brooch, it took 20 minutes and Little Madame asked me to put it onto a hair clip for her as soon as she saw the finished item!

A pretty flower brooch came next! Mmmmm I know it doesn't look like the one in the magazine, but it is pretty enough for me! I think I was too busy watching Grey's Anatomy, so too much concentration was on Mac dreamy and not enough was on Mac brooch - priorities Ashley!

 

A pretty coaster for my cappuccino's worked out beautifully!

Then came some embroidery!   Now me and embroidery are not so good together, but I had to try....

The little buttons are very sweet, and I tried I really did, I really ReAlLy, REALLY wanted to get this right, I was envisioning a pretty little blouse for Little Madame with sweet little home made buttons...

 

But as you can see, it was not to be my tiny embroidery was big and didn't fit onto the tiny little button  and I hate to admit it but I gave up after the second button....

 

The sewing project were all very easy, and quick and I managed to plough through them in an afternoon! The some of the kits are supposed to be hand sewn but I have this KILLER new machine.... so decided to machine sew everything.... some worked really well, other could have been neater....

The Mollie Makes sausage dog is my favourite thing, she is so sweet, and looks perfect on my bookshelf... 

 

 

A luggage tag, a  coin purse, a cell cover, fish handbag charm, a travel card wallet and a blue bird charm, which was immediately put onto my handbag! 

  

 

 Sweet and easy sleeping fox brooches to add to my collection..... And I was done!

  

I was feeling quiet chuffed with myself..... all done in three days and I had really enjoyed a few quick small projects. The next day I was in out local newsagent, what did I see on the shelf - that's right you guessed a new Mollie Makes and then LSO arrived home from a trip to Scotland, and proudly produced 2 BRAND SPANKING new Mollie Makes from his suitcase( the DARLING man) I was back to square one....  a lovely pile of Mollie Makes and 3 gorgeous new mini project to complete.... Today, I think not! Maybe I will just wait till I have a whole pile again ......xxx 

Hot and Cold....

 

I find myself wanting to complain but know that many of you will be upset in the extreme because you will not like what I want to complain about - So at the risk of annoying you all...... it is HOT, cooking, frying, oven HOT! EXTREMELY, VERY HOT down here in the fishing village, we are talking 40 degrees of hotness! Bad grammar, I know, but I am trying very hard to express the heat .....  So anything to try and fool the mind into thinking it is cool!

 

And that brings me to my ramblings for today.... We were in our local bookstore a few days ago(trying to escape the heat) when I saw the cutest little give away on a knitting magazine... A teeny little polar bear and its mama! Little Madame and I oooo'ed and aaah'ed over it but the price was ridiculous! The magazine is imported and  dear! I cannot for the life of me understand why they are so very dear here,(they are also months old....) but in the end we decided to purchase it anyway....We simply could not resist the sweet little bear!

 

Chilly little Bear

So the pattern was really very easy and really very quick, I managed to knit it all up in about 30 minutes...

The body nearly done. The whole little body  is knitted in one piece....

The head and body  both finished and busy being sewed up.....

Stuffing the tiny little thing up....

The nearly finished bear.... can you see how small it is on Little Madame's hands!

Tail and ears the ears were 3 cast on stitches and then cast off - my kinda EASY!

Waiting for his little scarf....

All done! Eyes and nose on....

Now just to show you how really small and cute it is, we put it next to little
Lego girl.... It is TINY,  a perfect pet for the little Lego peeps

 It really is a very cute and sweet little project, Little Madame has also discovered that it fits perfectly with the Sylvanian peeps so this teeny tiny little bear has lots of homes and friends to be with.... Has he help to cool things down.... Maybe, because as I sit here typing away I can feel a cool breeze on my skin, the sky is heavy and dark with clouds and a fine drizzle is cooling everything down, here's hoping!  xxx