Shabby Chic Wannabees

Strength and wellness is returning so I could wait no longer and Molly and I headed out to the auctions.

Shop mannequin covered with hymn book pages, then paper napkins. This is on a nice pine stand and is a large child size. These are my favourtie to work on as they do not have all the nasty curves, which are so hard to decoupage!

Some of the vintage images from sheet music.

Back view, now with added large roses. So that's three lots of glue sticking pages, napkins and clippings.

Front view with more large roses. Now I have also done 3 coats of PVA. One coat of craquelure varnish. So that's seven processes. Just top coat of craquelure and waxing to go on the body and waxing then polish on the stand and thistle top. Drying time is slow as its damp and chilly here.

 Star of the show a Victorian credenza, chiffonier or sideboard. This one has been ebonized, which is pine painted or stained to look like ebony. Flash is making it look a lot lighter than it is.

Just look at the fab handles and decorative diamond carving. Swag fluted edges everywhere.

 More fab carving. I'm saying fab a lot here I love this piece!

Barley twist leg side or hall table. Again nice decorative edge on the top which is crying out for a bit of gold leaf highlight.

Stack of chairs, all solid oak with padded drop in seats so I can have some fun with fabrics too.

Dinky bedside cupboard in chunky pine with big fat bun feet.

Spice rack drawers again in pine. Another favourite.

Mirror one original beveled glass mirror with a palin edging.

Mirror two again original beveled glass with pie crust edge moulded frame.

 Third Mirror I think this one is carved, this is a rectangular one. Very, very heavy so must be wood frame again original beveled glass mirror. Tiny bit of repairs needed to each but they will look absolutely fab when painted.

The best chairs, these have sprung seats which have been newly renovated, but the covers are yuck. 

These have it all beautiful carving, inset turning on the back and turned legs.

So lots to be playing with and I am out of paint so waiting on a delivery.

For my lovely friend Cherry more china.

For my lovely friend Linda some rusty loveliness. Can you see the bee? Sadly it did not survive hibernating.

Oh and I forgot I finished the Rose Commode,  I did a mid-week update, here.

Hope everyone is happy, well and making lots of craft and art.

Now over we go to Handmade Monday see you there.

The Girls are Strutting Their Stuffing on Etsy

Today's work was listing my lovely vintage inspired Happy Scrappy Dolls on Etsy.

Group Photo

Aurelia

Indie

Petunia

Rose

Florelle

Bless they were good. All that posing and having your bloomers photographed too!

Last Doll's before Christmas

Had a really rough week with a bad bout of depression, but determined to carry on making my doll's as they brighten my day. Retro Diva's all finished, well just got to sew on their hankies.

Pompii has sneaked into this group picture.

This is Diva 3, not got names for them yet. A lovely 1950's flowered curtain for her dress and spotty legs.

Such big blue eyes and lush pink lips. 

Diva No 1 A little more demure another 1950's curtain scrap for the dress.

My lovely friend Julie gave me a bag of fabric and most of the hair and legs came from that bag.

Diva no 2 onto the 1960's for this dairy and stripe curtain fabric. She's a bit of a square girl especially in the leg department.

Amazing how you can make a lovely flower hair decoration from the dress fabric. A white damask napkin has been used for the face and arms.

Next it's onto surprise dolls for ???

I seem to get on better with machine embroidered faces, rather than sewing by hand. All their legs and arms are sewn and stuffed. Tomorrow I'll sew up the bodies, stuff and then sew on the legs. Also got to make clothes for them as well. Then hair and find some trinkets to finish them off.

No more posts of these until after Christmas.

Happy Christmas to my band of followers and friends.

x Joan

Tissue Paper and Plastic Bag Peg Angels

Well I thought I had finished making Peg Dolls for this year, but exciting news they are going to be showing of at The Ideas Hub Chelmsford on either 14th or 15th December.

 Here they all are hanging on the butchers hooks in the window of my studio. They were hanging over the radiator so the rising heat made them all twirl around. Looked really good too.

This time they are made from plastic supermarket bags and dressmaking tissue paper.

Wings are sheet music cut with those scissors that give a fancy edge. Or left over Christmas ribbon, the one with the wire along the edges. The pegs cost £2.50 per 24 and pennies for the rest of the materials. Where could you buy decorations at such a mini price?

I know you can see whose supermarket bags have been used but the whole idea is to use up what you have to hand, perhaps I should turn them inside out next time?

The left side Angel has sparkly ribbon braid and the Angel on the right has poppy seeds for hair. Those were collected from my allotment this year. The gold and silver string is lurex yarn that was left over from a crochet project - years and years ago!

If you are in Chelmsford come along and make some. You can leave them to decorate the Hub's tree or take one home for your own tree :-)

After a very long walk, with Molly, this morning it was good to relax in a warm studio making these this afternoon.