Market Find: Brass Scales

Wasn't the weather on the weekend just magic? I love the hot, muggy feel in the air before a storm, and it was so much fun watching the clouds roll in across the river. 

I decided to kick the year off with a visit to the Sorell Market on Sunday, and met a lovely lady with a great collection of vintage and antique items for sale. I almost didn't ask how much this lovely piece was, but when she mentioned the rock bottom price of $5!!!! I couldn't say no!

When I asked her where the scales come from, she said they lived in her dad's shed for many years. A lot of the items for sale were from her grandparents and dad's years of hording, and although its hard to let good items go, a person just doesn't have the room and after all you always have your memories! I'm glad she told me the story, I couldn't help but think of my own dad and all his collections, and how my sister and I are still wondering where to keep them all...

I couldn't wait to get the scales home for a polish, and posted a sneaky picture on Instagram to try and make everyone guess what my find was! The guesses were great (vase, hookah, candle holder, door knob, barometer!) but no-one guessed correctly!

And here they are all polished up! I love the little enamel flowers, and I think it looks so much better all shiny.

I can't wait to give them a home in my office revamp!

Transforming a step ladder - complete!

A few weeks ago I showed you my step ladder transformation project. I was a bit stuck on what to use as a bedside table in my teeny tiny guest room, until Pinterest inspired me and a little step ladder destined for landfill came my way - for free!

The stool was a little worse for wear and as the bed in that room is a timber finish, I wanted this little guy to be painted.

I would definitely encourage anyone to try a little project like this, it's so much fun, fairly quick and very rewarding! 

First step was to take the stool apart and give everything a sand. Sanding down creates a rougher surface for the paint to adhere to, and if the timber has been varnished you want to get most of that off. It also gives you a good up close and personal look at what you're working with, and if you are a perfectionist (not me) you can patch up holes with putty.

A good orbital sander definitely helps out with a job like this, but there's still plenty of nooks to get in by hand. The grit of sandpaper you use depends on how hard you want to sand the item back. I don't mind things with dents and holes so I just went over with a finer paper.

Next step is undercoat! If you were after a perfect job (see above, not me), you would need to use a stain blocking undercoat first. This will stop the varnish and colour of the timber coming through the paint at a later date. But word of warning! Your perfection comes at a price and that price is, stain blocker is a hard thing to use! I've tried a couple of different brands, and to apply with brush or roller it's stinky (being oil based), dries so quick you don't have time to smooth your brush strokes and is very annoying to clean off your brushes! This stuff comes in a spray in some brands and I would definitely say its worth a go to save the drama.

So this time I used a normal undercoat (one coat). I've found the trick with undercoat is to get your brush strokes all nice and pretty. It saves on sanding later on and makes for a nicer job, and I think its more important than a perfectly even coverage. But that's just me!

I also decided to paint the hinges and bars from the stool in black, as they had marks a sand wouldn't remove. Sometimes however its nice to leave the trimmings the way they are to leave some age on your piece of furniture. After all, you don't want to take away all it's story!

And here it is, complete and in place!

It's a perfect fit, and the pale grey fits in perfectly. 

I have no idea how other people do such a good job of hiding cords in their photos. Photoshop? Cable ties? Fake lamps?

I'm so happy with my little step ladder come bedside table!

Have you ever rescued a piece of furniture? Tell me about it!

Summer Blessings

Wishing you the very brightest Summer Blessings and Happy New Year! It's such a great time of year, isn't it? Here in Hobart the warm weather has settled in, other than the odd rainy day we are sitting around 25 degrees most days which is perfectly fine by me! The best thing about Summer, I think, are the beautiful warm mornings, before the sun is at full strength and one can walk around the garden in short sleeves and bare feet, not a shiver in sight! It sure is perfect weather for appreciating the beauty of Tasmania. 

For me, it's also a time of summer tradition and celebration - celebrating with friends and family, letting people you care about know with thoughtful gifts, and the new year is a great time for reflection, being grateful, and honouring the sun.

I hope you had time to spend with loved ones, have a break from work, and do some of the stuff you love!

I'd also like to say a thank you for everyone who has taken the time to read my blog. I appreciate your support! :)

Through the Lens...

A long, long, loooong time ago I purchased a DSLR Nikon camera. And I kinda thought that simply by having an expensive camera, my pictures were going to start turning out great (silly, I know!) and of course I was very, very wrong!!

So I started reading my manual, and looking through guides on photography, and although I understood what I was reading about shutter speed and aperture, I just couldn't seem to get my head around how to actually apply them! So like a big silly, I put my camera away and continued relying on my phone and instagram to record my life. 

At the start of every year, I sit down and write out a goal list of what I want to achieve in the next 12 months. It's not a serious list - previous years have included "read more books", "make hollandaise sauce from scratch" and "don't stress out if you don't complete everything on this list". Among other things, "learn to use my DSLR camera" has been a constant item on the list, being transferred year to year and never getting crossed off.

I was looking at my list the other day, and realised, this year I have done everything on my list!

I've visited Mount Field National Park...

Admiring the view from the top of the mountain

...I've read more novels...

I'm a late bloomer when it comes to Terry Pratchett, loving the Disc World stories!

...and I have replaced the garden along the front of my home with plants that I like, and that are edible!

I hated these square (!) bushes and boring ground covers!

This is an old photo. The Bay at the front is going really well and the Thyme just along a bit is huge!

Okay, so I might not have gotten any better at jogging. But I have jogged, so technically I haven't gotten any worse. So that counts, right?!

So, how could I possibly finish the year with that one thing left outstanding?! Well, I couldn't. I so I signed up for a course and learnt a thing or twenty.

Making sure an object is straight before snapping away is a good practice...

The results aren't perfect

But I like to think I know a little of what I'm doing

My Turkish Van cat Luna tolerates the camera for a short moment

And I'm fairly sure that practice will make all the difference!

Do you set yourself goals every year? New Years Resolutions? How do you go with completing them? 

The Market

I know it's already Wednesday but did you have a great weekend?! I hope you had the time to do a little bit of what you love (because that's what weekends are for!). It's been dark and gloomy here in Hobart lately, not summer weather at all, but we can't complain too much because all the rain is keeping things green and I do spare a thought for the many people on tank water who must be sighing with relief to have a decent top up before the hot weather arrives.

This weekend was extra special as it was the last "The Market" for the year. The Market is *the* market for boutique, quality items from local Tasmanian independent makers and designers. Held in The Masonic Temple in Hobart, The Market hand selects each stall holder to ensure the items for sale fit with their philosophy, and a packed hall on Sunday was the best indication that their formula works! And of course why wouldn't it, with so many beautiful items to buy direct from their maker. 

The Market is on 6 times a year, so you'll have to wait a while for the next one, but I can tell you now, the wait is definitely worth it! So much good stuff, every stall holder was unique, well presented and very polished, and the items were just so beautiful! Some sellers were so busy I couldn't even get in to see their range properly. Luckily The Market website is fantastic and even has a Look Book for each market which you can peruse, and then head to the Profiles page to find the artist and their beautiful wares. 

I'd already had a look through and pin pointed the artists I was especially interested in, so my first stop was Sea Soul Studio. I'm not sure if it was the dreamy and quaint porcelain pieces or the story of their creation in a beautiful 1800's cottage studio which made me fall in love - perhaps both - and I just knew a stunning driftwood spoon had to be mine. 

They were even more amazing in real life and I took a (bad) photo while deciding. When I asked Sarah if I could take a photo, she laughed and said "as long as you're not sending it to China to make copies!". Turns out that an overseas manufacturer had contacted her to say they could replicate her product in a factory for a fraction of the price! Can you believe the nerve?! When I said the photos were for a new and not-very-good blog, she asked for a card! I never thought a blog would be interesting enough to warrant a business card but perhaps its worth considering...

Anyway back to the market! Driftwood spoon in hand, I wandered through the other stalls snapping where I could.

Little Twig's display is their namesake

This pic is a little fuzzy but I still had to share their cute sign!

I would have loved to get better snaps of the gorgeous displays but unfortunately there were too many customers! What a nice problem to have :) I bet there are some very lucky people getting some beautiful gifts this Christmas.

Did you spot my terrible photo of this beautiful calendar?! Bon Mot Design - Bec Adamczewski - is the creator behind this lovely piece. Here is a better pic borrowed from the Facebook page - I love the colours, the woodland theme, and the beautiful saying across the top! Notice how all the little animals are in pairs?! It just looked amazing in the frame too.

You can purchase this calendar from the Facebook Page

The calendar isn't on Etsy but Bec's other sweet designs are, you can find them here. I can't stop thinking about the wall calendar, I'm thinking I might have to make some room for it in my office upgrade - which I am still working on, and will update about soon!!

Do you have a favourite market? Or is there somewhere else you head in the Hobart area to buy your local loves?

Transforming a step ladder

For the past couple of years I, with the help of my family, have been renovating my plain little suburban house in Hobart.  It was a "renovator's delight" back in 2011, and has slowly been transformed into a bright and modern home. By current standards, my house is small - only 10 squares, with a single bathroom and three small bedrooms. I love it though, especially now that the major works are done and it's just the trimmings to complete.

The part I have enjoyed the most is decorating and bringing together the interior with furniture and art and items I've collected over the years. I've had to be mindful of the potential resale as this house is also a stepping stone for me, which means a neutral interior - white walls, pale floorboards, grey tiles... perhaps not very inspiring but its a palate which allows me to bring in colour where I want it, and means when its time to sell I don't have any major changes to make with floor coverings and wall colours, and not doing things twice sounds pretty good to me!

Out of the three bedrooms, one is mine (obviously), one is a guest room and one is an office and craft room. The guest bedroom has a double bed, and even by putting the bed hard against two walls, I only have about 35cm for a bedside table - and let me tell you, there are not many options out there for very small bedside tables!

So when I went looking for inspiration I fell in love with these:

Aren't they just the sweetest?! Lucky for me, I just happened to have my eye on the perfect little ladder! I bided my time and when the poor rickety old thing finally gave in and its owner decided it was destined for landfill, I quickly whisked it home for its new life!

Here she is! Obviously in need of some serious TLC, I'm looking forward to transforming this little piece into something new and great!

This poor step will need repairing or replacing.

With old furniture, I can't help but wonder what it's story is. The marks underneath means its probably home made. Was it a school project, proudly bought home by a budding furniture maker? Did an experienced man whip this stool up for his wife to reach the heights of her pantry? Maybe it was a gift, or simply an item made from scraps someone had lying around....

I will never know its story (the previous owner can't remember where she got it from), but I look forward to adding to its useful life, and showing you how it comes out along the way!

Local Creator: Opaque Handcrafted

Pic stolen from Lilla's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/opaquehandcrafted

Nothing quite makes my soul sing like someone delving into a creative adventure, following their heart and dreams and putting their hand to something completely new... and the venture being a great success!

That's why I absolutely have to share Opaque Handcrafted with you. I met Lilla a few years ago, we worked alongside each other for a few months in Launceston. She is one of the funniest and stylish people I know so it didn't surprise me at all to find she's been making the most amazing jewellery!

I'm not sure if I've mentioned it but I am a hands down, tree lover. My folks are tree people - I think I knew how to spot different types of deciduous trees before I could complete my times tables as a kid (I'm still pretty rough on the times tables!) so to see Lilla using beautiful Tasmanian timbers in her work meant I was always going to be a hands down fan.

The timber paired up with the pastels of the resin work beautifully, and when Lilla started using copper, well, I had to make some mine! 

Over the moon when my package arrived, how sweet is her logo?

And here they are, sweet as can be, I absolutely love them.

Pic stolen from Opaque Handcrafted on Instagram - Lilla takes far better pics than me!

Shameless selfie wearing my new bling!

Well done Lilla on putting yourself out there and making such a stunning product - I can't wait to see what new stuff you come up with in the future!

You can find Opaque Handcrafted on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/opaquehandcrafted

*This is not a sponsored post. Although I know Lilla, she never even told me about Opaque Handcrafted, I had to stumble onto it myself on Facebook!*