Getting there

I spent a lovely Friday evening in front of the fire working on a few pieces for the cottage - or not depending on how much I love them when I've finished them.
These photos will show you what I've been busy with.- the only finished item is the canvas for the bed room wall.
I am still in two minds about the sink unit. It still has to have the waste pipe properly finished. I was rather disappointed in the finish the 'silver' paint gave me - it was supposed to be modelling paint but the coverage is poor and it has a tendency to drip down - anyone who has any suggestions as to what I should be using for this job those suggestions will be gratefully received.
The little wall cabinet in green has turned out so far better than I expected. I think I am going to add embellishment to the top of the unit.

Here they are then.
First the sink. I have lined the drawer with a wallpaper from Jennifer's Printables and made little tiles for the back rail using the same pattern. I chose it because this blank sink comes with a little red checked curtain for the front - which will hide the awful pipe. I still have the curtain to add and the taps.

This is the green wall unit
It also has been made from a blank unit. I have added a Cath Kidston wall paper print off to part of it and also lined the drawers with it. It has funny little hole along the shelf and I used lace as I didn't like the effect those gave. I have painted the knobs the unit came with with pink nail varnish - again not sure this is the best thing to use but it was exactly the colour I wanted.

Both these units have been rubbed to give them a vintage shabby chic look

Finally made this little 'canvas' from a picture cut out of a Next Catalogue - it fits in with my Boathouse Cottage theme and is definitely going in the bedroom there. I used matchsticks to give the effect of the canvas but as they are not he right length I had to join them - therefore it's not perfect.
Longer matchsticks might have been better . I painted along the edge and I am quite happy how it turned out despite all that.

 Meanwhile I have eventually started the bed from the Jane Harrup kit --all those pieces meant I had put it off doing a number of times and here it is in my workbasket with some pieces at last put together.

And work int he cottage goes on - the steps are up for the wallpapering. I think I have decided on this sample I put on the wall yesterday. It is going to be a feature wall so the plain walls will show the artwork off at best advantage.

It's so cold here again today it's just perfect for a little indoor work like wallpapering!

I also have received some lovely little packages in the post which I bought for Boathouse cottage but they have been put away meantime until everything is ready - how exciting!!

That cursed sink - again

Well I am typing this while waiting on the sink drying yet again. I mixed the blue this time and I think ( certainly in lamp light) it may be better.

HOWEVER I put it in the cottage beside the cooker I had won on ebay and found I didn't like them together. I love the cooker and the sink looks so clooty beside it ( the translation of clooty is cumbersome and heavy -  both are mean to be 1:12 - I think it is the style which clashes. ) But I am going to persist with painting the cooker and then take stock again.

I am also painting a lovely little wall shelf unit and busy lining the drawers with a Cath Kidston style paper. If I can figure out how to attach the drawer handles I may have it ready for pictures at the weekend.

Meantime I am agonising over wallpaper for the Cottage - or not at all. I have a couple of bits bluetacked to the wall to help me decide.I am not very good at wallpapering in real life. There's no reason to suppose I will be any better at it in small life.

The cursed sink.

I started to paint this little sink for my boat house last week and had got to the stage in this picture when I decided I wanted it to be blue instead . Do you think I should have left it green - this morning in the light of day the blue is too dark (apologies for the photo quality - not sure blogging on the phone is that great )
I used shoe polish with spirits to get the oiled look to the drainer and am experimenting with Aleene's glaze on the actual belfast sink to try to give it that ceramic appearance .
I think now however I am going to have to repaint to get the blue I want grrr!

Sorry the pictures have come out in the wrong order. The green was actually a little greener which is why I decided to go for blue.Also the Boathouse seems to be taking on a life of it's own and the blue seems to be fitting in better with the direction it wants to go or it will when I get the right blue.

I managed to get paint that will do the waste pipe in B and Q yesterday but haven't tried it yet  as I imagine the brush will need a proper clean after it and I was too lazy to do that last night.

I plan to put a row of tiles along the splashback - still working that one out.

My little house

This is the house I bought from Julie Bennett . It was made from a stable kit (unlike her usual houses that she makes I believe from scratch ) I felt it would be a good starter for me to build a little collection .
It has 2 rooms . I think she called it Boatman Cottage .I love the blue paint on the windows and doors . This picture doesn't do the colour justice.
The doors open and the roof lifts up.I will try to get enough light to show you properly .
It is still in my redesignated playroom which can be slightly gloomy without summer light. My long term plan is to move it into the sunroom but that's a work in progress too .
Fortunately my grandaughter hasn't realised the doors open yet so has left it alone !

yay the potting bench is finished

 

I have to admit to posting pictures on my phone and then writing when I have time on the computer as I cannot find another way to load up pictures quickly - any hints gratefully received.

Well I finished sticking the potting bench together this morning. It is not perfect. Everything had to come apart again yesterday when my daughter noticed I had made a mistake with the legs and I have also stuck the front rail on upside down but by the time I noticed that mistake it was too firmly stuck to risk taking down again. The lower shelves are not perfect but hey ho it is my first construction - I would not say this where my talent lies - time will tell.

I did not attach the tool rail or the vice tool it comes with as I want it to be more of a potting garden bench than a tool bench for a workshop.

All that said I am very pleased with it and would recomend these little kits which are from Jan Harrup and you can see more of her kits  here

I have one more to do but I will fill you in on that at a later date.

In the picture the plants and hose came from ebay with the shed.

The empty pots and spade , hoe and rake came from The Dolls House company here

I bought a few items which I have already shared with you - the postage from this company was really quick and they were very well packed. Currently I have started to paint the kitchen sink which will go in the house I have now confessed about having.

Well I have finished painting the little potting bench I am working on and now am slowly putting it together. I haven't had much time this week so far.
I have had time to flit about the web however (!) and make a few purchases for the shed.

I also have to confess that I purchased a house - yes a doll's house. I know I said I didn't want one but I fell totally in love with one by Julie Bennett and when there was a slight property crash I found my finger clicking Buy It Now.

It currently is sitting in my play room ( was dining room) waiting on some work on its interiors. Here are my purchases . The unpainted items are for the house . I also hope to paint the cute little churn . It reminds me of the ones sitting outside folksy houses on a trip to the Netherlands .

Benchwork

Well got some paint .
Snow held things up a bit  but today it turned dry sunny and freezing cold.
In the end a visit to Next sorted the colour decision and I came out with a matchpot of paint called Dove Feather - isn't that a pretty name ? It looks to me like a cross between grey and mouse .
I have started painting the pieces of the bench .
The first picture shows the unpainted pieces lying on the piece locator .
The next shows I've started the painting the pices with the Dove Feather paint.

The Workbench

Well after going to bed I got out the workbench kit and looked through it. There is a lovely plan page where you can set out the pieces to identify them. I read through the instructions and realised if I was going to paint it I would have to do it before I started. I think I do want it to be a colour as I really intend it to be for potting up plants rather than a work bench for tools as such.

My only problem now is what colour?

I love the grey green colour you get for garden stuff- in fact I have always wanted to paint my real front door that colour as our house has pinky bricks but no one else was ever up for it. However I don't think it would look so good next to the green of plant leaves. So I wil maybe have to discount it for the shed. My real shed is a blue colour that has now faded and in a fit of madness last summer we painted the garden table a deep deep purple - but that is much too dark for my little miniature work bench.

I plan to go to B and Q tomorrow to have a look at the Matchpots of paint and try to choose from that. I think I am leaning towards a blue shade.

It's here!!

Well my shed has arrived .So worth the wait . I must say it's bigger than I imagined - I understand the 1:12 ratio but still had no concept of size .
It's shabby chic white with a grey roof . I've tried to should in photos how the roof lifts off to give access to the inside .
There is also access through the door - maybe for someone slimmer than me!
I am totally thrilled with it and very thankful to the ebay seller , Heather , for the extras she included with it .

Slow progress

My little shed has been slightly neglected as I have been changing some ( real) rooms round. However I found the time very early yesterday morning to order the first little piece I intend putting in it - a little work bench which comes in kit form from Jane Harrop - and it arrived pronto this morning in the post - how good is that?

Busy with Nanny duties on a Friday I opened it in the carpark at the Mums and Tots and have not had a moment since - until now - I'm off after this post to take it out and see what I have to do with it. This may take me a while to figure out.

Mean time I am gong to try to organise loading up a couple of photos of the little items I already have for the shed. This may take a while to figure out too.
I seem also to be having trouble keeping my posts in the right order! Not sure what I'm doing wrong if anything - I'm a very novice blogger.