On top of me head!

I want to say an uber big SORRY to my two followers for not updating in a while. As I'm sure you read back in March that my Mother passed away, it was a terrible heart-breaking time for the family (and still is) and everyone that knew her. My Mother and I were, at the time, attending a night course to get our FETAC 5 cert as Care Assistants. After my Mother passed I found it quite difficult to continue with my study and unfortunately missed the submission date for my work. Since then I've started another module of the care assistant course and I am finally on a roll with my work, so that has been taking up a huge lump of my time. When I'm not studying or at the gym, I am usually working on a community allotment in the local countryside. I love it, it's so good to get the hands into the soil. The Irish weather has been unkind again this year, so our beds are still empty. While we've been waiting to the seeds to sprout, (cat+seed tray=disaster) we've been busy (between showers, hailstones and thunder storms!!) building a No Dig bed. It was our first time this year trying this out. I promise to do a small blog explaining what this is and how easy it is to do! I do have a lot of blogs to post up but I just haven't had the time to sort out the photos and words. Here is an idea of what will be coming soon;

• More crafts with tins
• Layman's danishes
• Recycling 
• An Cuige allotments
• My own allotment
• Knitted tea cosy
• Interiors
• and..fashion.. yes I know, I'm in my wellies and mucky clothes most of the time!

Tinlights

If there's one thing I love more than cake, it's hoarding. (Himself thinks I'm a hobo in training!) I have bags and bags of tins and glass jars and I have GREAT intentions of doing some crafty things to them! (Thanks to Pinterest!)

Here is a little tutorial I came across; (I don't know what website because I didn't bookmark it, wish I could credit the author :-/ )


Needed:
 1 Hammer (or heavy shoe)
 1 Nail (Not the stick-on ones, one of those masonry ones the boys use!)
 Some cord or an old shoe lace. (Optional)
 1 Tea-light candle


-Take an empty tin (or can) and give it a good scrubbing and peel off all of the labels.(Instead of scrubbing, simply pop it in the dishwasher)
-If you can't get the glue off use a bit of nail varnish remover, I find that helps for most sticky bits.
- When it's all clean, fill the tin with water and pop it in the freezer overnight. (WTF?)
* This is so when you try to hammer your pattern onto the tin, it won't crush or put the tin out of shape.

- If you want, with a Sharpie, you can draw your desired pattern onto the tin. (Please excuse my wonky heart! Hehe)

- Take your hammer and whack the nail so it punctures the tin, continue to finish your pattern.

I know my nails are dirty, it's called manual labour ;-)

- When finished, allow your ice to dissolve and drain in the sink, then pop in your tea-light. Easy peasy and fab, right?

If you want to use these tins as hanging tea-lights simply puncture a hole either side at the top of the tin and thread some rope through.

Up-cycling

My name is Caroline and I'm a hoarder.

I noticed a trend lately in upcycling, I think it's thanks to Pinterest. As I have an interest in hoarding (It's an interest not a compulsion, right?) I've decided to start painting the old timey/vintage bits and pieces I've picked up over the years. As much as I appreciate the contemporary look interiors, it's not me.. my home was built in the 1860's, it's a very small terrace house, quite pokey. I think up-cycling suits the old-fashioned feel of the house. Recently I went to a vintage furniture painting class, it's a method of using a specialised chalk paint (named so because of the finish) and while I thoroughly enjoyed the class, the paint itself was quite expensive. (Annie Slone chalk paint) After alot of searching on the webs, I finally found a great recipe for homemade chalk paint, it's so simple and you can use left over paint from other projects. The Annie Slone wax is a reasonable price so you could still used the dark wax over this paint to give it the shabby chic look!

Chalk paint recipe;

1/2 cup of Plaster of Paris (cup = American baking cup measure)
1/2 cup of luke warm water
1 1/2 cups of paint


Method;
Use an old tin or plastic container that you are willing to throw away. Mix the warm water and plaster of paris, stirring out all of the lumps. Pour that mixture into the 1 1/2 cups of paint and mix super well. Wait until the mixture has cooled before painting your item.