Vintage School Desk Makeover

Sometimes you have all the good intentions in the world to start to create masterpieces but then life gets in the way.  Way back when in the summer (remember when it was actually warm?!) I bought this old desk and chair in a charity shop for a few pounds.  It was covered in deep scratches and graffiti at the time and a bizzare rainbow created by years of inkstains.  However, I thought it was charming, so charming that I promptly snatched it up and it sat, unloved in a corner, holding up my TV aerial for months

I still have a stock of gorgeous Annie Sloan paint left from the painting course that I went on a couple of weeks ago so finally last night, I popped the TV on and got to work.  The desk and chair were sanded lightly first and then given a couple of coats of Old White which I adore.  Then the masterplan was put into action.  Using Annie Sloan's Henrietta (pink) and Louis Blue I painted a Union Jack on the lift up lid of the desk.  Now I have to stress that I'm no artist.  I bet I'm the only person ever to drop out of GSCE Art because I just couldn't cope with it.  For this reason I'm sooooo very proud of my wobbly slightly uneven flag.  The desk and chair then had two coats of clear wax and job done.

What do you think?

Hope you are all having a great weekend!

Home/Self Improvement

As the winter sets in =, Its almost like as the heat disappears so do my brain cells.  Is was getting into a lazy place, where I'd get up, go to work, come home, do more work then retreat to the sofa with a duvet, a takeaway and Corrie.  Don't knock it, I like that picture.  However there was just one little thing missing.  Instead of being the girl wrapped up an a duvet, I want to be wrapped up in a handmade blanket, like this lady...

Image:  All free crochet

I'd also like the totally white sofa too but I can dream.  Anyway, I found out that a museum not too far from my house was running a crochet course so I signed myself up straight away.  Its slow going but hopefully myself and my sofa will be draped in a cosy granny square blanket, before Christmas...

Annie Sloan Painting Course

The world has been awash with talk about this marvellous paint.  Paint that doesn't need sanding, priming etc etc.  I'll let you into a secret, I'm lazy and hate sanding things so this paint sounded perfect.  The problem is stockists.  Annie Sloan's shop is in Oxfordshire and I'm all the way up in the frozen north.  I'm too tight to pay for postage but I managed to find a stockist within an hours drive.  When I called the shop they told me about a course that they were running to teach the chalk paint techniques.  I ummed and ahhed for a bit but as they told me that lunch was included I was there!

The course was run by http://www.theofanointeriors.com/ in picturesque Lancashire.  The morning was spent practising paint distressing and application techniques and the afternoon was spent practising the techniques to create our own pieces.  The ladies that ran the course were great, very helpful and sooo enthusiastic about the product.  If you have a spare second I really recommend a browse round their gorgeous shop too.  i could have spent a month's wages in a heartbeat in there and still wanted to get more.

I picked up this chair in a 2nd hand shop for £2.  Bargain of the year.  It's had an application of old white and then the divine Louis Blue,  I applied a coat of clear wax and gently distressed.  I'm pretty impressed with how it has turned out.

Before - In my enthusiasm to get it painted I forgot to take a proper before picture but here is one half way through - the chair was covered in a million layers of orange toned varnish.

Halfway through

Ta daaaaaa!  The finished project - ignore the bushes that are badly in need of a trim!

Easy Like Sunday Morning.

I love Sunday mornings,  I woke up today, the sun was shining and birds singing.  I've had a week off work today and bought a pile of objects with potential.  Not in the mood for some heavy decorationg, my eyes set upon this sweet mini chest of drawers.  They are made from MDF and remind me of something that came from Ikea, however I bought them from my fave charity shop for the grand total of £2.

Some pink loving teenager had been let loose on them with some poster paint and a black marker pen.  I felt a little bad about ruining someone's creativeness but an idea was forming...

I went on an Annie Sloan paint course yesterday (more about that later) but I now have a big stock of delicious chalk paint, wax and a head bursting with creative ideas.  took out the drawers, painted the oustide in Old White - just one coat and waxed when dry.  Then I found a wallpaper sample that I got from Laura Ashley and used PVA glue to apply to the front of the drawers.

Ta Da!!!  I love it,  I think it will become storage for costume jewellery.  Thanks for reading.

Pink Paints and more!

Anyone who knows me IRL knows that I cant resist a bargain.  My favourite word in the English language is sale, or clearance or words to that effect.  Although they are often derided, I still believe that there is no better place to get a bargain than a charity shop.  I've been off work for half term and decided to go for a bit of a rummage, and found loads of amazing things.  I'll blog about them later but I'm mega excited about this - possibly the deal of the century....  I love paint, hence the title of my blog.  Imagine my sheer delight when I found these lurking on the shelf of a charity shop in a little village that I stopped in to find a loo!

Farrow & Ball Bargain!

I bought six (only five are pictured) of fabulous Farrow & Ball paint.  Most are Oil Eggshell in pale colours, I also got a tin of ponting which is a nice cream shade and some undercoat.  Best of all all six tins cost me less than a fiver!  Happy days, I just need to spend the savings on something to paint now!

More about me and my home...

I moved into my current home in August this year.  Its an old school.  Please don't think of a victorian building with high ceilings and wooden floors.  This baby is a 70's built single story building - I do have high ceilings and lots and lots of space to play with, so I'm pleased.

As much as I want to spend a fortune on fancy wallpaper, I've decided against it as I only have a wee short tenancy.  Instead I'm concentrating on painting my rooms pale shades that work well with my current things.

*Waves & Smiles* Hello there

Hello!  I thought I'd start a new blog as I've just moved into a new place and I'm trying to make it beautiful!  I'm a twenty something teacher in Manchester.  I want to create a pretty paradise to come home to.  I expect I'll blog about my shabby chic transformations, love of vintage, good books, home made food, shoes and everything else inbetween.

Bye for now! xx