Eggstra! Eggstra! read all about it:

Easter has been and gone but I've still got a few pictures that I would like to share!

I have been very busy working on my Ziggy Sawdust creations and things are starting to take shape... a few more days of hard work and they will be ready to make their camera debut!

But in the meantime, here's a little insight into my fun, family easter weekend:

Every year my family get together in Edinburgh to roll eggs, catch up and eat some good food. I have plenty of childhood memories of my sister and I sitting at the kitchen table with our paint sets, decorating every egg that my mum could find in the fridge! As we got older, this routine started to fall by the wayside and there was a few sad years where we ended up rolling undecorated boiled eggs... but this year I took matters into my own hands! I dug out some bright nail varnishes, glitter and made use of my treasured Japanese Washi Tapes to bring back family egg decorating with a vengeance!!

When I went to get started, I found that one of the eggs had been decorated by the hen that laid it! Sadly, as I only had 6 eggs to play with, I had to pull the feather off to give it a more glamourous make-over... but here's how it turned out! :

Then I got cracking with the Washi Tapes:

... and then used a nail art pen to make this one look like it was from a little speckled hen

 

Cluck! Cluck!

And here's how they all looked together:

The religious tradition of rolling eggs down a hill has become slightly skewed in my family, and instead eggs get thrown down the hill and directed at those who choose not to participate! 

(All in the name of fun of course- there have been no A&E visits... yet!) 

Here's an action shot:

Can you spot the flying egg?!

We normally throw eggs up and down until they smash but the Washi Tape seemed to make my eggs invincible!

With half my eggs still intact, I guess I won the game... yippee!

Funky Furniture Finds! BEFORE photos

The past few months have been filled with planning, inspiration gathering and a few trial-and-error tests... but finally I'm feeling ready to create some Ziggy Sawdust specials!

I rummaged and raked in my favourite Junk Yard and came across a few pieces that I just could not leave behind. I'm so happy with my purchases!

Upside-down on top of a pile of furniture I spotted this:

A 1970's ottoman/chest with a white fluffy top and brass tipped legs! How very glam! The fur is in fabulous condition and once it's been cleaned up, it should be as good as new! I have a good few ideas for this one and can't wait to get started on the revamp (... I've got a feeling it's going to be an emotional goodbye when the time comes to let it go to a new home!!)

Next to catch my beady eye was this very retro 70's, teak cabinet... can you spot the red perspex hanging tray inside?... Amazing!

Above the hanging tray there is a little drawer that had a selection of little christmas decorations in it- along with a hand-made christmas tree shaped name badge for someone called Jeanette... I love thinking about who used to own the things I find and it's nice to come across some clues hidden in drawers! I think I'll call this cabinet 'Jeanette' once it's all spruced up to keep some of it's history alive...

And last but not least, I picked up a set of vintage nesting tables:

I know they might not be the most unusual of finds, but they have some very pretty engraving on them and beautiful shapely legs! And, once I'm finished with them, they'll have an identity all of their own...

Redesigning these furniture finds will involve: sanding, stripping, drilling, filling, painting and waxing; using pinks, greens, yellows, creams and (to be bold) a touch of GOLD!




Drop back in a few weeks for the grand reveal of the AFTER pics!

Pintrest!

After a lovely christmas holiday, I have got back into the swing of researching ideas by creating a Pintrest account. 


It is so easy to use and it's a great tool for keeping track of all your online discoveries! If you haven't already got one, I highly recommend creating an account but be warned... it's addictive! I've only been a member for a few hours and I already have 4 pin boards and 42 pins! 

my Pintrests :)

Come and have a look at what's got me thinking here.

Getting into the Christmas spirit...

Here's a bit of cheesy (but brilliant!) Ziggy-themed festive cheer!






Oh, I am so happy it's Christmas time again!!

Initial idea

Needing christmas gift inspiration? What about trying out Spearmint Baby's idea and make a button monogram for someone special?

image found here.

A full tutorial can be found here but you could tailor the design and the buttons that you use to suit the person that you make it for... Lovely stuff!

Memo Boards

After posting the door-come-blackboard idea yesterday, I got thinking about memo boards. There are so many ways to DIY and they really can become ever changing works of art!


I love this idea of turning an old metal tray into a magnetic memo board from Sparkle Power as a guest blogger on Sherry Turley's Oh So Lovely blog. A lick of paint, some patterned paper and a plate stand turns a rather non-descript platter into a lovely feature! Here is the how-to.

image found here.

Now for a more minimal approach... Funkytime has used an window frame minus the glass. By attatching string and using pegs to display photographs, Funkytime's Sibylle shows us just how simple it is to create something new for your home. I'm keen to try this but I think I'll be going a bit bolder with colour!

image found here.

And back to yellow, we have a painted antique frame from Ashely Ann at Under the Sycamore with chicken-wire inserted to give more space to attach your photographs and notes. Ashley Ann has also made her own customised clips using the illustrations on memory cards. This adds to the fun feeling of the memo board and ensures it will never look bare! She gives a full how-to here.

image found here.

It actually seems as though Ashley Ann has making memo boards out of chicken wire down to a tee! I have just come across this image of her bedroom:

image found here

Yet another headboard inspired post from me but I could not resist! Headboard, memo board, wall art all rolled into one. It is a bold idea but an amazing one at that! Find more images and the how-to here. 

Ashley Ann has put the chicken wire over the whole wall but I would be inclined to keep it to just the headboard... but maybe thats just me chickening out! 

(Sorry, that was a terrible pun... must be time for my bed!)

Door to Door

There is a place in Glasgow called Glasgow Architectural Salvage which is an Aladdin's cave of rescued furniture and fixings. When I went along I was in awe of the rows of old wooden doors which were stacked up against the wall. I told myself I'd come back for some one day, but I wasn't sure what I would do with them...

Then I found proof that doors can be incredibly multi-talented! 

A door can be a blackboard!

Here, Mandy Lynne has transformed a shabby door into a blackboard for her children's home-school room. This idea could also work well in a kitchen as a memo board... or in a cafe... or anywhere for that matter!

image found here.

Or a door could be a headboard!

A few posts ago I showed ideas for making a bench from a headboard and now we are almost going full circle and looking at how doors can be headboards! I like the idea of having a home full of furniture with a topsy-turvy function!

image found here.

This idea came from Martha Stewart and the how-to can be found here.

ehow have a great set of step-by-step instructions for another door to headboard project here, if you feel you need a more in depth guide.


Or how about a door as a garden table?
It's difficult to see from this picture but this garden table is made by Re-Nest from an old door and two saw horses for support.
... Maybe I could sprinkle a little sawdust and transform this idea into a Ziggy creation!

image found here.

Or could a door become a swing?!

This swing isn't actually made from a door but I think it would be quite amazing if it was! Indoor or outdoors it would make a fabulous feature. The how-to for this swing was found at Vtwonen, but it would be fun to mix it up a little!

image found here.

Well, with all this food for thought I think I can justify another trip to Glasgow Architectural Salvage to get my mitts on a few dusty old doors!