Friday 17 April 2009

The Print Room!

Hello there!
Hope you had a nice Easter Holiday, we had a lovely time with friends who came to stay, we did all the 'visitor/tourist-y' things like visit a Castle and whatnot.
Thought I would give you a glimpse of one of my favorite plants - not that its very bright and showy, but it does so remind me of Home! It grew with gay abandon in the garden of my childhood home.
'Twas my constant companion', as I played, and created my 'make believe' worlds of fairies and little people in a wonderful lush garden with a little brook tinkling through it.
Plants are so very much more than just 'plants' - if you know what I mean? Do they have the same memories, ties or whatever to you? Can you not pass a rose without thinking of your Grandad?
Shall I get on to the more 'real' heavy duty stuff - enough of the 'air fairy' stuff!
This is what we have been mostly doing - heavy duty crafty stuff!
Using a lot of this!!



It all started when Hubby P came home with a van full of these!





These are Printers trays for those who didn't recognise them. They hold all the lead type for a printing press (Letter press). Sadly our friend has had to close his print shop due to ill health, they (Hubby P went to help) had cleared all the equipment, sadly no one wanted a lot of the old letterpress stuff, so a lot of it went to the scrap yard. The trays had been thrown in the skip! Of course Hubby P 'lept into action' - well that's not entirely true - rheumatics and a dodgy back put paid to the 'leaping' bit! Let us say he fished them out, and proudly brought his trophy home!
Very nice - but what to do with them all? We slept on it!

To go back a couple of weekends Hubby P (the back was good, sun warming the rheumatics) had re roofed the little summer house he had built in 2000. It had sprung a leak so needed a new roof and general 'fix up'. His idea after a sleep, was to fix the print trays to the ceiling of the summer house to give a 'different' - honeycomb effect. I quite liked this idea - and so it started!



As you can see it is quite 'different' - but what a job trying to hold them up (me using a broom handle Hubby P and screwing them in place!
I had the idea of papering the panels between the spurs/framework of the summer house with a mix of Vintage print - old magazines, sheet music , old comics, old children's etc.



I wanted it to be 'The Print Room' - a random mix of yesteryear printed materials, and of course the ceiling one huge print tray!


In summer we often use the summerhouse as an extra bedroom (it is much sought after - so quiet at the top of the garden - bit like a retreat) so we put the bed up, and my Grandmothers rocking chair lives in there too. Altogether very cosy!

Just the outside to finish now - Yesterday I painted the door and window - bright Yellow - very yellow - it was an old tin of gloss I found in the shed - 'this'l do', I thought!
Still nice and bright and cheerful, clean and fresh looking.


Just needs the wood work staining now and a new step, and a general tidy up around the front - I am getting there, but what a big job its been!



Just a photo out of the window - we haven't a huge garden, but I feel blessed to have a little space to indulge my love of plants.


Other news!
We went to the Household & Collectables Auction - much excitement, but a little disappointed. It was a poor sale, not a lot that caught my eye. I got this little 'swizzy' chair - how retro does it look! A bargain at a £1. Ideal for sitting at the computer!





And a pretty water colour painting (by a R A Cook - if that means anything to anyone) -I just thought it looked pretty, and again a bargain for£1!



Not a lot of sewing/crafty stuff been done - it seems I have spent my last couple of weeks shut up in the shed!
Although I am in the process of making a couple of hot water bottle covers - I know Summer is on its way, and it seems a bit 'unseasonal' - but I am trying to work my way through my fabric stash - I had a piece of a vintage Candlewick bedspread, and thought covers would be a good use of it.



I backed/lined them with a piece of flanelette sheeting to make them nice and thick and cosy, I think they look ok, nice had inviting!



Just leave you with a pic of some pretty flowers.
Ta ta for now - be good! xxx