Peekiboo!

Our house-martins now have a little window on the world. My husband took this photo earlier this evening! Aren't they adorable. This is their second brood of the season.

The long haul... or hall

We moved into this house about 7 years ago and in our immediate enthusiasm began ripping out the awful wallpaper and carpets and starting to fix things up, then there were a few hiccups along the way ...I had a baby, and then we built a log cabin in the garden for my parents to sleep in when they visited among other things... and many of the jobs that were started have been waiting a long, long time to be finished. In some rooms we have had no carpet for a number of years, and we have just kind of gotten used to it. Now we are planning, Lord willing, to put the house on the market and move to something easier to maintain, therefore, I have to get those decorating jobs done now. My list is long, but I am slowly plodding through it. My current task is to get the hall ceiling fixed up.

It is a long, long hallway. The ceiling had some swirly patterned artex on it - (not one of my favourite things I have to say.) It also had some patched up holes where we removed a tiny shower room at one end. I wasn't going to try to fix up the swirls to match it in. It would have been simpler to call in a plasterer (more expensive, but simpler) but as there is a small amount of bounce in the floor on which the walls are resting, this means that there is also a small amount of movement in the ceiling so it necessitates a finish with a certain amount of flex to it...unlike plaster...am I boring you? ...sorry!

Anyhoo, this is as much for my own record as it is for boring you with... this is the before...

...then there is the mid stage... I apply a grey gloop to cover over the swirls, but this does not leave a perfectly smooth finish like plaster. Also it is a very slow process as I apply it with a credit card, because the applicator that you are supposed to use ends up with me being covered in more grey gloop than the ceiling. I have used this stuff before for my kitchen ceiling about 5 years ago, and forgot just how much I hated the job. It's the kind of job that brings me to tears! OK, so it actually did make me cry - pathetic I know!

Then this is the almost finished stage, I have now applied a sort of gritty textured finish to cover over the grey gloop. I need to give it a coat of white emulsion paint now to hide the grey properly.

So I have three separate stages going on right now, and I am just over halfway with the grey gloop. I only have a couple of hours in the mornings to do my decorating while my little girl is at nursery, so that is why progress is slow. Thankyou if you have read this far! I shall keep you posted on the progress of my long haul with the hall. Have a wonderful day!

morning bath

These charming little birds - mostly Blue-Tits - were having a joyful time in our bird bath. It was wonderful to watch! Naomi, (my older daughter) managed to sneak by and take some pictures so I could share with you.

quick pressie idea...

The other day I got a phonecall inviting my little girl to a birthday party at very short notice. As I don't drive and have no shops nearby, I had to come up with a present in a short space of time. I rummaged around in my craft stash and made up some little packets with ribbons and sequins and beads. I also added some stickers I had made. The cupcake stickers are made with a xylon sticker maker from prints of my coloured pencil illustrations.

I then made three little matchboxes from my matchbox template which I made a little bigger than usual and then stuck the three boxes together to make a little chest of drawers.

It just fitted some post it notes in the top drawer. Phew...present solved! (I added one of my handmade necklaces to the gift too.)

And this morning, I have wasted at least an hour looking for a piece of leather that I know is stashed somewhere in this rather overstocked house. I have already removed the old fabric from this chair (bought for £1 at my local auction) and bought the upholstery tacs and was ready to get on with this project. The project has now come to a standstill while I have a sortout and clearout in my utility room. I wonder if I'll even find it! Grrr! Yet another project I have started and not finished!

Happy New Year

I came across this photo in one of my folders today,(wish it was a better quality photo), and it seemed appropriate to post it with greetings for the New Year -the Jewish New Year of course. We celebrated Rosh Hashana last week, and are looking forward to celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles in a short while.

This was a picture I made a few years ago for a friend who was leaving to go back to the States from the UK. It shows the seven species, and in the centre has the Aaronic blessing from the book of Numbers in the Bible. It is my prayer for you this new year...

The Aaronic Blessing (Numbers 6:24–26, NIV)

The Lord bless you

and keep you;

the Lord make His face shine upon you

and be gracious to you;

the Lord turn His face toward you

and give you peace.