Showing posts with label mosaic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mosaic. Show all posts

Saturday, 10 July 2010

Goings on at Boho HQ...

This week has just whizzed by, and here at Boho HQ I have been very busy - I wish I could also say productive, but the two don't necessarily go hand in hand, well not here at any rate.  Being a stay at home crafter, wife to one, and general slave to Oscar, Bella and Jasmine (our dog and two cats - we are yet to be blessed with anything with less than four feet) I have a very varied life - but one that is generally very happy and fulfilling.  It also means that while Hubby is away at the coal-face (metaphorically speaking) my days and evenings are pretty much my own to plan as I wish - barring petulant pet demands and housework etc.

I do love my life - and here is what I have been getting up to this week...


SATURDAY - deep joy, the postie has delivered my new shoes!! I have been searching high and low for some pumps to go trekking around Barcelona next month; they had to be comfortable, lightweight, not too sweat inducing, able to go with just about anything, and a wee bit trendy (this trip will be for my 40th birthday, so maintaining street-cred is essential to combat any feelings of slipping into middle-age).  My other problem is that I have relatively large feet, size 7, but narrow too - so getting a good fit isn't always easy.  Anyway, here they are, my perfect city sight seeing pumps - Waterlily by Skechers. THE most comfortable shoes I have EVER worn!!



SUNDAY - Hubby is at work and I need to amuse myself.  Housework chores were completed yesterday, so today is pretty much mine to do what I like with - apart from feeding aforementioned crew, and the washing machine, at periodic intervals.  I finally manage to finish my first mosaic item that will be going up for sale soon, very soon, just as soon as I have finished her sister.  This one is a decorative mirror with wide mosaic surround, geometric design in shades of blue, sand and grey - her sister is similar, but with blue and yellow glass beads...



MONDAY & TUESDAY - Hubby not working - yippee!! We usually plan something together for these two days, and this week was no exception - if perhaps not quite as pleasurable as some weeks.  We spent two days putting up our new (secondhand) shed.... erm, I mean, workshop!  Well, workshop is a little bit grand for it - but it will kitted out to become my little world away from the house, where I can indulge my crafting to my hearts content.  No more drips of wax in the kitchen, no more plaster dust over everything(!) and enough space to swing a small kitten (Bella beware!).  The windows still need to finish being repaired, and the stable door that my H kindly cut for me needs finishing too, but we are nearly there...
(apologies for weird angle, not trying to be arty, there is just not much space at that end of the garden)





WEDNESDAY saw me finally finish the wedding candle decoration order - 60 vintage tea cup candles poured and packed, ready to be delivered next week - this is one of my favourites, so much so that out of the six I managed to get my hands on, only 4 are making it to the wedding.  The other two will reside here at chez Boho until someone buys them from my Etsy store...   (now for shameless plug...)



THURSDAY - the weather is hotting up again, although I am told tomorrow will be even hotter.  I'm seriously wilting, and just so not in the mood to get busy, despite having a very long to-do list.  The animals are suffering too - I mean, would you like to be wrapped up in a big fur coat in the middle of summer?  Here is Jaz sprawled in the shady courtyard, trying to heat dump onto the nice cool concrete....
 

and here she is looking far more ladylike, if just a tad grumpy:


During his evening constitutional across the fields Oscar decided to perk himself up by rolling in the doggy equivalent of Chanel No 5 - that's fox pee to you and me - and so had to suffer the indignity of a bath before bedtime. (Much to the H's annoyance - Oscar hates it, and H ends up wetter than the dog!)



And now, having shown pics of the other two, I better just pop a quick one on of Bella - she's a rescue cat, so I don't want her to feel left out (abandonment issues!):




FRIDAY - too hot to do anything outdoorsy today, but must crack on with that ever lengthening list.  I did however, have a lovely conversation with Kirsten from UK Handmade (see links below) about getting on board with the group, and how I can get more involved in the future.  I don't want to divulge too much here - I am after all only a newbie - but these are very exciting times, and UKHM (as I affectionately abbreviate it to) is really going places!  Check them out, follow their blog, read the online magazine... I think the eighties expression for it was "be there, or be square" !!



And here we are again, back at Saturday...

Friday, 2 July 2010

Folksy Friday - Could YOU be a Material Girl (or Guy) ??

This week I have made a slight departure from the norm with my Folksy Friday theme - I have decided to feature some of the fantastic items you can buy under the "Materials" listings.

As a relative newcomer myself to the crafting scene (or shall we say, late starter?) I am still excited every time I see a new craft or technique - and I itch to have a go.  With this in mind I thought I would put together this selection, to hopefully inspire some new crafters, or existing crafters to try new things - and also because I am aware that most of us compile our list from the beautiful finished items for sale - and I don't want the materials seller to get forgotten!  Your items are just as lovely too!!

(As usual - click on the item name under each picture to see more details, pricing, and to be taken directly to that sellers Folksy shop.)












































































Saturday, 15 May 2010

Car Booty....


Sorry BBC, for stealing your programme title, but it really is a good one, and very, very true.

A morning at the car boot sale will indulge your shopping addiction, pander to your love of bargains (who doesn’t love a bargain!), exercises your inner haggler, and soothes your recycling whimsy... Hmmm, satisfaction on all levels!
To begin with you have the anticipation of arriving and seeing firstly, how many stalls have pitched up, and then secondly, how many fellow punters are going to join you for a rummage. Then the real fun begins... I always have a fair idea of what I want, in general terms, but it is always nice to find a few surprises too. For example, on my latest jaunt I was after vintage crockery, picture frames and anything else I could salvage, restore or up-cycle... but by keeping an open mind I also came across a fabulous box of antique looking glass mineral bottles (not sure whether to restore and sell, or keep for myself!) and a wonderful 1930’s Household Encyclopedia – full of all sorts or fantastic information, and in itself a great slice of recent social history.
My tip is not to stop and linger at every stall – you will be there forever, and you will probably find many “useful” things at bargain prices that will just add to the general clutter that you probably already have at home. Instead you need to perfect the art of “skimming” – that is, walking very slowly a small distance from each pitch, casting your eyes over all the goods on display – and if you are focussed on the kind of things you are looking for, they will jump out at you, and you won’t be distracted by all the other, er, rubbish....

Once you spy something of interest then you can approach closer – pause, spend a second or two sizing up the item before handling it, and mentally deciding how much you want to pay. Ask what they want for it – if it is below your secret valuation, then I say go for it – and if it is more than you want to pay you can counter with a lower offer – but don’t insult the vendor! Not every item for sale will be an absolute bargain, and be prepared to walk away without it – if you’re loathe to do this, then your initial thought on what to pay might have either been too optimistic, or else just way off.
Settle quickly, and move on to your next target – and always have a stock of empty carrier bags with you – it would be a shame to miss out on something just because you can’t juggle all your purchases back to the car! You will be amazed by just how much you can come away with for not very much at all – remember, most people are selling their stuff there just because they want rid of it and hope to make a few pennies rather than simply sending it to the tip.
To give you some kind of an idea, at my last sale I spent an almighty £10.10 and managed to get my hands on:

7 antique glass bottles
2 wooden framed mirrors
An original 1930’s Household Encyclopedia
An autobiographical novel in a series that I am collecting
A small wooden display case
240 glass beads I can use for a mosaic



Not bad, eh???

Where are you going this weekend??