Been doing a bit of Upcycling!!

Its funny how the winter some how saps your energy and you creative juices. It gets dark early and it just doesn't seem right to get the paint out and start on a project. All I have wanted to do is sit and watch the telly!! At the end of last years Car Boot season, my friend Jane and I popped out and bought some upcyclable bits to play with. Well we are finally starting to convert them. This week I have converted an old bread bin into a storage box!

It was one of those orange pine boxes which I paid £1 for I have painted it and added a panel of paper on the front. I have finished the box with a sparkly knob. I am really pleased with it and it already is storing some of my craft bits!

I also bought a foot stool for £1.00 It was a bit old fashioned and horrible, so I had a bash at that as well. 

I liked the stool shape but it was a typical 70's old lady style!!So I stripped it back and got my paintbrush out again!

Here it is with the cover off and its legs in the air!!

I decided not to buy any fabric, but to use something from my stash. I am rather fond of this rose pattern which has a lovely dark green background (green is my favourite colour!!)

I finished it off with some matching ribbon. I am very happy with the new upcycled stool!

I also like to do a bit of sewing, another hobby that I do but again lack inspiration at times! My friends daughter asked me to make her a laundry bag to hang on the back of her bedroom door. She provided me with the material , which just happened to be in fantastic taste, being the same as my table cloth!!

I started by cutting out a circle.

I then had to neaten the opening with bias binding, I think the last time I used bias binding was when I was at school! I decided to do French seams so that it would be strong and take the weight of any washing.

I then added ties to the top and gave it a press (the iron only come out for craft and the occasional shirt!!)

The finished article!

I got Tom to drop it around to her mum and was very pleased to learn that she had given birth to a baby daughter, two deliveries in one day!!!

This week I have spent three days in London on various meetings, last night I stayed over in a Premier Inn. Its good to be able to join my colleagues with the after meeting chats! Its quite amazing that the hotel is on a very busy main road through London and the sound proofing is so good I didn't hear anything!! 

I have future meeting with this same group of people which culminates in a stay in Glasgow in June. As we come from all over the country they have decided it would be nice to bring along some local food speciality. Some of them have it easy with things such as Welshcakes, Bakewell Tart, Eccles cakes, What does Herts have?? Does anyone have any good ideas?? All suggestions gratefully accepted!

Finally I can hardly believe that these roses that I got for my birthday two weeks ago are still going strong, they have out lasted everything. They are very beautiful!

So thank goodness tomorrow is Friday, its been a long week! Have fun !!