Toy smeg...

Check out her grin! I knew she'd love a smeg as much as I do, I even got an excited clap.  I've been looking at this wee oven for ages (years), thinking I should give it a revamp, I finally did.  Here's a few action shots, beautifully modelled by Miss Summer.

I had leftover paint from our front door, which was the perfect colour, and a high gloss.  The knobs were painted in Resene Stack (our doorstep colour), the elements a glossy black and the inside I sprayed with a can of chrome coloured spray paint.  New handles were from bunnings.  The smeg letters were from a gold coin shop, in the craft aisle, they're foam stickers and I sprayed them with the same paint I used inside the oven.   

The oven as it was.

My inspiration (via pinterest).  I had actually started giving the oven a new coat of white paint, but was feeling very uninspired by it.  This picture got me thinking about a colour, which led to the idea of going for a pastel smeg stove.

This was a fun little project, which I'm sure will keep Summer very entertained, win/win!

Sarah x

ps.  Belly baskets available here. 

Gaga over garlands...

If you follow me on facebook, you may have noticed I've been going a bit gaga over felt ball garlands... pink ones, black ones, pastel ones, blue hues... They're gradually getting listed in my store and on trademe, and strung all over my house in the meantime.  You may also have seen the one in Edens room, it's staying, but I'd be happy to make another. If you see one you'd like and can't find it, send me a message through facebook or via email and I'll see what I can.

The felt balls are handmade in Nepal and handstrung by me, here in NZ.  Each ball  is 2.5cm, with some larger 3.5 white ones and a few smaller grey ones.  Most felt ball garlands on the market are only up to 2cm, but I've gone for bigger and bolder.

Have a lovely weekend,

Sarah x

Baking with toddlers...

I just had to share this little apron with you, it was such a happy accident.  I found the bodice in my cupboard already made and was just about to cut out some gingham (which also looks super cute) to make the skirt, when I glanced across the room and realised the fabric I'd just been making coats from was absolutely perfect! It really brings out the peach/coral pink of the floral Sanderson print and I had just enough left.  It'll be getting listed here later today, so some lucky little girl will be all set for baking.

Speaking of which, who honestly really enjoys baking with toddlers?  I want to. Some times I do.  More often than not I'm just persevering because I want it to be that wonderful mother/child bonding activity that I envisaged.  Think flour EVERYWHERE, tug of war over whisk, fighting over stool (if little brother is helping), spoon in mouth, fingers in mixture, mixture in hair, hair being pulled (if little brother is helping) and that pretty much sums it up, just add audio for full effect.  But, I will persevere, if not for my idealistic pre-children dreams, but for my hopes of an in-house baker.  My sister and I baked from a young age and in a family of 10, I'm sure it was a help/respite for my Mum.  Fed up with watching a whole slice devoured in one morning tea, Mum resorted to baking cakes in a large roasting pan, great big pans of deliciousness... still devoured in record time, poor Mum.  I'll leave you with a typical  image of a mixing bowl in our house, anyone for a cuppa and pikelets? Yes, that's a fairy costume for the occasion. The whisk is our super cute small size rainbow whisk, perfect for kids.  

I'm  off to buy a specially mixed can of spray for Eden's bedhead, I can't wait to see the end result!  Have a lovely day.

Sarah x

The wonderful world of washi...

I was asked today for some ideas on how to use washi tape. Sticking mainly to gift wrapping with mine, I felt this was not really an overly inspiring answer, so I turned to my good friend pinterest, and boy did they come to the party!  Here is a round up of my absolute favourites, which you can find (for image sources too) on my new board, wonderful washi.

Love these pegs! Perfect for hanging kids artwork.

Washi + twine = gorgeous bunting wrapping!

So many uses for parties

I'm pretty budget with plasters, no princess ones in our house, I go for the plain old bulk packs, so boring I know.  This is a great way to cutesy them up for kids and a pretty cool activity too.

A very "on trend" idea for wall art.

Here's another one, very effective in white.

Love the classic look of black and white, which looks great on brown paper wrapping

and equally classy around tea lights. 

Here's my image which prompted the "inspiration" hunt.  You can see my full range here.  Feel free to comment here or on facebook with any ideas you have for washi tape, I'd love to hear them, thanks.

Sarah x

My creative space... and news

This little beauty was picked up at my local op shop for $8, bargain.  It was 'makes your skin crawl' filthy and took a really good scrub to de-grime it.  I sprayed it white and covered the seat in an oilcloth type fabric from spotlight.  I would have loved to use the hot pink chevron I used for my bedside lamp, but this stool is destined for our bathroom... which is about as dry as an aquatic centre once my toddlers get in the bath, so this will be perfect, no more sitting on the cold floor during their bath.  

On a completely different note.  I'll be starting a new series here at MissMollyCoddle (no spoilers sorry) and first one is due to get posted tonight, so please pop back to check it out, or follow my blog.  You can subscribe via email or follow on bloglovin, the links are over on your right hand side.  There will be a GIVEAWAY too, with plenty more to come, hooray!  Who doesn't love a giveaway?  Last chance to enter Stella's whopper one too , including a pair of my baby shoes of your choice. 

Have a lovely day xx

ps. linking up with show and tell, my creative space, and op shop show off.

Dreaming of hollyhocks and sunshine...

Some lovely hollyhock embroidery on a vintage doily... just waiting to be made into little shoes  

More beautiful hollyhocks from this book, a withdrawn book from my local library, the pictures were too pretty to leave it unwanted.

My hollyhocks in the vege garden, early summer. I fluked it with the pink hollyhocks and sweet peas growing in the same plot, and the white ones in another. 

Apparently I have ALOT of floral in my wardrobe, an observation I cannot dispute.  I love florals in clothing, they make me feel feminine and they also remind me of Spring and Summer, which can't come soon enough I might add! I've got a stash of beautiful vintage embroidered doilies and tablecloths (just waiting to be made into little shoes and aprons) which I've been ironing, while the rain pelts my studio windows. I wonder if the clever women behind them were also dreaming of Spring? I imagine many a favourite hollyhock, or iris, were carefully embroidered through the dreary winter months.

Here's a couple of pairs I've made recently, one with my favourite vintage Sanderson, the other vintage embroidered linen...

I hope it's cosy in your house... if you too don't have any sunshine x

ps. Joining in here.

Little Ladies Coats (and a wee Gent's too)...

Here's a couple of coats I finished this week (above).  I love the green one!  It was great fun to make, searching for the perfect lining fabric, and finding the gorgeous vintage buttons in my ever growing button collection. The pink one is pretty adorable too, I just love the paisley lining, I've had it in my stash for quite a while.  If you don't follow MissMollyCoddle on facebook (you really should), then you probably haven't seen all the coats below too (yes, I've been busy!)...

For more creative spaces, pop over here...

Have a lovely day.

Sarah x

Ben's new bunting...

Poor Ben never got the room makeover that his sister did, one of the cons of being the second born and sharing a room I guess.  He's 15months and until last week was still tucked in under a (albeit beautiful) ballerina quilt, with a dolls coat hanging at the head of his cot and fairy paintings the length of it.  But we've remedied the situation!  My sister made the gorgeous aeroplane and cloud mobile, and I made some bunting for him.  I bought a vintage fabric book from one of my favourite vintage shops, faded fancy, in New Plymouth.  Judging by his squeals and pointing, I'd say he's pretty happy with his new decor.

For more creative spaces this week, pop over here.

Sarah x

A little shoe cupboard (for very little shoes)...

I picked up this super cute wee cupboard last week, for a bargain $2 from my local op shop.  I love it's little curved corners, bakelite handle and lovely wood grain.  I'm guessing it was once a bathroom cabinet, and that it would have had a mirror, where now it is a piece of board.  But it's just perfect for a little shoe display cabinet...

Firstly I gave it a very light sand and used some danish oil on it, it came up beautiful. I decided to do the front in this pretty duck egg floral, a scrapbook paper from spotlight, that way if I want it in my room it'll suit nicely.  It's glued then mod podged.

But the inside is a gorgeously happy children's party print.  Lot's of bunting, sparkles and clouds (just to carry on the theme).  It makes a lovely cheerful surprise and perfectly suits my little shoes.  Very happy indeed!

For more creative spaces, pop over here.

Sarah x

Hooray for rain! Some lovely cloud themes to celebrate...

I spent a lovely rainy Sunday afternoon (our first rain in a very long time) making some appropriately themed items.  A lovely retro cloud cushion(avail here), super soft and cuddly and a cloud themed hot water bottle cover(avail here), for those 'soon to be' cold nights.  I'm really loving cloud themed crafts at the moment.  Below are some of my favourite discoveries.

available here.

tutorial here.

via pinterest.

To see more creative spaces, pop over here.

Sarah x