A new floor!

Spring must be in the air or something as we seem to have taken spring cleaning to the next level and had new floors laid! Next up are new carpets and we've found a carpenter to build us new wardrobes (more on that in a later post).

We've lived in our house for about 7 years now and apart from a few major purchases when we first moved in, we've been pretty frugal and either made do with what we inherited in the house or I've decorated or re-purposed along the way.  This is partly from a lack of money but mostly because if something is still in good condition (might not be exactly what I want) it seems such a waste to rip it out or throw away.

A good example is our kitchen cabinets.  They were dark wood and really made the kitchen look very heavy and dark.  But, hey, they were good quality!  There was no way I was going to get rid of them, so I painstakingly rubbed them down and repainted using 2 coats of undercoat and 3 of eggshell. I then changed the hardware and we then replaced the kitchen worktops.  7 years on they still look good and my paint finish has lasted the test of time.

These are the 'Before'...

This is part way through the painting...

These are them now - so much better :)

I love my blackboard door - best thing I ever did painting that with blackboard paint.  So useful!

Anyway, this post isn't really about the kitchen cabinets, it's about the floor!  The main point being that the floor downstairs was an okay floor.  It wasn't unpleasant in any way, it just wasn't the floor we'd have chosen.  And it bugged me that the wood went one way down the hall and then when it hit the living room, it went the other way!  But we lived with it and pretended we liked it....and then suddenly woke up a few weeks ago and decided it had to go!

These are the before...

These are now....

We can't believe the difference.  The colour is soooo much better and having the planks lie all the same direction seems to make the space look bigger.

Full of love for our floor now :) XOXO

Love is in the air...

So, I decided to have a go at creating some Valentine themed downloads for my Etsy shop. There is some beautiful imagery out there and most of what I've used is from my favourite site The Graphics Fairy.

I started with some circles, that could either be used as cake toppers or for scrap-booking, labels, cards....wherever your imagination takes you!

I had great fun playing around with these, particularly using the pencil tool on PSE to draw around the hearts.

Next I started on some hearts...

....but couldn't leave it there and decided to create two different Valentine card designs, along with a matching envelope.  I always think there is something special about giving a card in a handmade envelope.  It just feels as though you've put more love into the giving of your card.

In fact I got so excited about envelopes that I just had to have a go at this cute little button envelope. Maybe too tiny for a card (although you could hand make one the perfect size) but you could pop a little message in there or small gift.  This one measures 8 x 11.5 cm finished size.

I just adored the image of these two doves.  Here's how I put it together:

First cut out the envelope template and the two button pieces. 

Then fold in all four edges.  You'll find that they will naturally fold in the right place but if you want to be really accurate then you could score some lines first with a bone folder or the tip of a small crochet hook.

Stick the two long edges together first.  I used double sided tape, but I was a bit clumsy where I put it!  If you look closely you can see the edge of the tape sticking out.  Then fold up the smaller bottom edge and stick.  Voila!  You have a lovely small envelope.

Next sew the buttons on.  I used a needle and sewing thread, but if you had some brads handy then they might be better.  I also found that the buttons were getting a bit crumpled as I was sewing.  Next time I would stick them onto some card first or another sheet of paper and then cut out.  I just think it would give them some extra stability.

Finally take some more thread (I used a slightly thicker one) and make a loop around the top button and tie with a knot.  Then use the length of thread to wind around the bottom button several times (as seen) to create a closure.  Can you see my very messy tape in this picture?

So there you have it, a very cute button envelope!

All resources can be downloaded from my Etsy site Alegreya.  Happy Valentine's day X