Creative Collective July Project in My Creative Space

 

Just made it in time...the last day of the July Project is here!

This months objective was to finish something you'd started and put aside. Perfect timing, as I had a little project that had been sitting on my study floor for a few months that I really needed to do something about.

I started it without realizing what I was going to do with it! That happens sometimes, doesn't it.

The project started from this...

A set of bookend drawers, that seemed a decent size at the start, but then...when I put them together, I wasn't sure what I could use them for, as they were quite small!

A little brainstorming...result...they have become my ribbon drawers.

I took some craft paper (scrap booking paper is best as it is a heavier GSM), my PVA glue, trusty craft knife, metal ruler, cutting mat...and I ended up with this.

A little embellishment on the side...

There was about a half a dozen or so pieces of ribbon I bought by the metre, and they were a bit messy just rolled up. Took up a lot of space in the drawers too.

I had some thick cardboard in my stash...it always amazes me what I have lying around.

Voila!...ribbon cards similar to embroidery thread cards. They worked a treat!

All the draws are full now. Hmmm...don't know what I'm going to do when I buy more ribbons.

To see another set of draws similar to this, check out the IKEA drawers on my DIY page HERE. The link will take you straight to the tutorial.

This post is also part of 'Our Creative Spaces' over at Kootoyoo every Thursday. (I'm usually late because I'm never really in my creative space on a Thursday)

A little colour in her life...

A friend of mine (and co-worker) got married this May, back in Queensland. I haven't seen her for years, but we keep in touch through work email. So it was a lovely surprise for me to receive an email asking to help her and her new husband with a project of theirs.

They are building a new house! I so envy them, in some respects. Definitely not for the headaches of building, but for the opportunity to have a blank canvas.

Some colours for the palette had already been chosen with the help of a Dulux consultant, and she was asking me if I had anyway of 'projecting' them into a visual for hubby. You see, he was having a bit of trouble 'seeing' what it would look like, and they needed to make a decision on the roof colour.

I was so happy to help as it meant I could dig out all my colour samples and rendering materials from when I studied Colour Styling. These have been put aside for a little while until my banking career starts to wind down or I take a career break, maybe!

Below is what we came up with from the chosen palette. The home is in an area with surrounding bush of green/blue grey hues, depending on the time of day and weather. So what they had selected should fit in to their bushland setting. AND hubby has always wanted a blue house!

The palettes look very very similar with a few subtle differences, but the body of the house is the same colour - Loveday from Dulux.

Version 1 above: House - Loveday, Roof – Shale Grey, Guttering and Fascia – Deep Ocean, Gables and Batons – Dark Door, Eaves,  Balustrade and Railings – Half Lexicon, Doors and Window Frames – Cedar (not represented here)

Version 2 above: House - Loveday, Roof – Dune, Guttering and Fascia – Ironstone, Gables and Balustrade – Ironstone, Railings and Veranda Posts - Dune, Eaves – Half Lexicon, Doors and Window Frames – Cedar (tried to represent the front door in Cedar here for them)

Dulux and Colorbond colours have been used.

I'm now just waiting to hear what they chose.

A thought for you...

Always in your heart...

Sorry, I've deleted this one. The image was beautiful and said everything that words cannot about having my 2 sons in my life. The website the quote was from, changed the link and the quote is no longer the same. 

So I have removed it.

This is for my boys...

{and for Jane and her Dad}

image and quote found HERE

A day at the beach...

Unfortunately for Sydney-siders, this week has been pretty wet, wet, wet. In fact, I heard it was the wettest July in 50 years (??), so a trip to the beach wasn't on the cards this week for most of us. 

I've been playing around with my typography ideas again and have come up with this 'bus scroll', listing some beaches in the Forster-Tuncurry area, where the holiday house is.

It is such a beautiful stretch of the eastern seaboard of New South Wales.

This one is destined to be screen printed, maybe on plywood, and hung in the hallway downstairs.

If it comes out as I hope it will, you'll be able to find them on my 'Made it' store, along with my new 'Are we there yet, Mum' eye charts and 'Sweet Child of Mine' posters for boys and girls.

More creative spaces over here!

A thought for you...

Just because!

I love this quick TED Talk from Derek Sivers....

Remember...The first follower is what transforms a lone nut into a Leader!

More photos of the baby bags...

Thought you might like to see some of the treatments - inside and out - of the matching Nappy bags I made for Mum-to-be (and Baby Grove of course!!)

 

 

 

 

Under construction...

We are building a boardwalk under the house, so we have access all the way around. The house is built on a slope, so it can be a bit difficult for older relatives to get around and down to the back yard.

It's taking time because we only do something on it every couple of weekends. It's coming along though...Now the joists and framework will go down (like the steps in the bottom photos), then the decking boards will finish it off. It connects up to the deck at the clothes line.

When we have this done, we have plans for platforms and decking to come off the other side of the laundry deck. These will attach to some more steps down to the back yard.

 

 

 

 

Latest for the Mum and Dad-to-be...

It's all starting to become all to real. My grandson arrives in October, only 3 months away!!

The baby shower invitations have been sent out, but unfortunately I can't make it. It's happening in Parkes NSW where Mum-to-be comes from. Her family is in Sydney this weekend, so it looks like we are going to catch up then.

The little bit of time I've had available recently has been taken up with some sewing for the baby and some mending for my eldest son's girlfriend. (I really do need to do something for myself one of these days).

I bought this pattern in Toowoomba when I was at the Chocolate Cottage (Highfields, Toowoomba QLD). See here for the post about where I got it from, The Quilter's Angel.

Here's the latest, but I'm afraid the names Lilly and Lilac don't really suit (names given to them by the pattern maker). I like Billy to replace Lilly, having a bit of trouble with a matching name for the little one. I'm favouring boys names.

Any ideas??? Leave a comment and let me know if you have any suggestions.

 

A thought for you...

"It's so difficult to find time besides the tennis."

Steffi Graff

Salvador Dali

...and the cycling. Tennis is nearly over and the Tour de France started last night.

I've been finding it hard to have the time to do all the projects I want to do and now the cycling is on!!! What am I to do?

I haven't been very good lately with managing time at home, but I did find time recently to do some things for me, including having high tea at The Wentworth Sydney last Saturday afternoon...yum!!!

Because I've been traveling for work over a few weekends lately, AND running out of time in general, I've changed my Saturday Thoughts to Weekend Thoughts...

The challenge is out there now to manage that time a bit better, with the latest Creative Collective project, 'Time to Finish July'. Got a few things still sitting in the cupboard, July is the month to get them finished. Check out what the girls are up to over here.