Recovering a Fancy Computer Chair

Ryans computer chair hasn't been standing up to the wear & tear its put through. As a heavy PC gamer, & as someone who watches TV on his computer the computer chair spends most evenings being sat on at somepoint. It also has to endure having cats sitting on the top of its back, clawing away. Then theres the kids spinning around on it, Kai enjoys curling up & falling asleep on it, as do the cats etc etc etc. As you can tell, its a well used chair, & with all the use the fake leather has been peeling off. It was looking shabby, and as its one of the main things you see when you walk through the front door I was concerned how it reflected on the rest of the house. Luckily my Mom had given me a roll of thick denim material ... which goes perfectly with the blue denim curtain at the front door, and I'm sure will wear a lot better than the original covers.

I covered the chair in 3 stages ... the back, the seat & then the arms. I carefully took each piece apart & used the old material as my pattern pieces. I frequently turned the air blue, let alone the seat as it was complex at times, and I managed to get through 15 sewing machine needles :-O

I added a bit more padding to the arms as the foam had flattened too much, I also added a couple more, shorter, internal pockets at the sides so we wouldnt have to reach right down to the bottom of the pockets (not far off the floor) to get anything out, very annoying when its a slim item.

Rocking My World Friday

Its the half term hols, yay! which means I have actually had a few lie ins, always a plus ..... even managed to sleep until 9:00 the one day :-O

 

So what else has been rocking my world this week? A few of you asked what new craft I was taking up, well here it is....

My Mom gave me her knitting machine, I totally suck at knitting with needles so thought this would be a good alternative.

so far I have learnt to do a zigzag hem & a plain hem

...how to do different types of stitches

& patterns with a different colour added. Next lesson is to make a wooly hat & a scarf, hopefully I will build up to making gorgeous long cardi's, & knitted jumper dresses.

While we are on the subject of knitting my MIL has made myself, Kai & Zack gorgeous wooly hats for this winter.

Kai's is the same as mine (as above), & Zacks is a beany style hat.

She also made me a fabulous corset...

Made to my figure, fully boned with metal bones (they keep their shape longer) in absolutely GORGEOUS Alexander Henry material, I want to get some in blue at some point to make a summer dress. Click on it to enlarge & see why I think this material is so great.

 I am really happy that we have a new 99p store in my area. I love poundland & this place is bigger AND a whole penny cheaper!!! I even managed to pick up a 30cm x 40cm canvas there which I turned into this...



 A lil idea I picked up off Pinterest.com.

What else is rocking my world?
Merlin & Misfits

My tigger hot water bottle

Halloween crafts (watch this space)

Olbas oil tissues

So what great things have happened to you this week, even if its a bad week, dig deep & it might make you feel a bit better, jin us over at Celtic House.

Carding Mill Scrapbook page

A double page spread about our visit to Carding Mill. I started off by planning the layout of the photos & deciding as the main colours in the photos were grey (the rocks) & green (the plants) I'd reflect these in the page. I found I didnt have any green sheets that went together though :-( so stamped swirls onto a white sheet in a matching green to the dotty sheet :-)
I made the outer border by cutting around the outside flowers of a sheet.

Ruth sent me in a fab pack full of black & grey die cuts which worked perfectly on this layout.
I finished off my adding "natures playground" as the title

I have to admit, I'm not sure if the grey & green theme worked, it comes across as rather cold to me when it was actually a lovely warm day ... though the water was very cold :-)

1st Christmas scrabook page

The latest challenge at Sarahs Cards Ltd is too get inspiration from their pinterest board & create something. Well after seeing THIS picture I knew what I wanted to do. I had seen a layout on 2peasinabucket via pinterest that I wanted to use the layout of so came up with this.....

 

Halloween Horrors Scrapbook page.

This months challeneg over at Creative Craft World was to use their scrap map & when their October Scrap kit landed on my door mat I knoew exactly what I wanted to do ....

When cut out the clock centres were perfect for putting photos behind, it also helped them merge slightly with the page so the main photo stood out more... & I can use the bits I've cut out on another project in the future. I inked around some of the edges in brown to age them a little.

All the papers, letter stickers & the journalling circle came from the CCW october kit so made it much easier to match things up, it is easily the best scrap kit they've done so far.

Rocking MY World Friday

Its suddenly got cold here this week, so cold that I was sitting in my house yesterday, fully dressed,  with the addition of 2 pairs of socks on (1 of which was a thermal pair), my dressing gowm, & my hat!(hat was quickly taken off before answering the door to postie) & I could still feel the cold. So the heating HAD to be turned on, not for long, but enough to warm the house through. This might sound a bit of a moan but I can assure you it isnt, why? because this cold weather means I can get my loooooong jumpers out, I can get my ironfist fuggs out & (now the heatings on) I can sit all cosily on dark evenings. I LOVE this time of year, the excited build up of both Halloween & Christmas, the dark evenings, & crisp cold sunny mornings.

My lads did my proud on tuesday - I had to got to A&E with a family member who, while passed out, thought it would be the done thing to wash her hair in the ceramic dog bowl but managed to cut her head open on it instead, doh!!! The men in the ambulance were lovely, & the majority of hospital staff we saw were fab. It was a long day, tiring day but when I returned home not only had the shopping that was delivered put away but also almost the entire house had been tidied & cleaned, including the washing up .... I may have to go to A&E more often! Erm, hopefully not.

I am also glad that said family member didnt have more serious injuries than it was - a blood clot (aka big lump) removed so the cut (about 4" wide, yes I did measure it ;-) could be sewn together & glued at the edges was more than enough thank you very much.

Today is the last day of school before the half term hols, hooray! I am soooo looking forward to a slow morning without having to tell Kai to hurray up or he'll be late, or getting cross with him because he'd rather stay in bed/play than get into his uniform, I am soooooo looking forward to trying a new craft out over the hols especially without having to clock watch.

Now I'm off to Celtic House to add my list to the other rockers & rockettes (nearly put rickettes then, eep!), hows about you join in with us.

Jingle Bell Frame

As we have entered the last quaterof the year I like to start preparing for Christmas, including handmade decorations.

This is my latest decoration, a 3d box frame, but it started off as.....

...a fairly plain frame from poundland.

I removed the back & the front leaving the insert. To this I attached a cardboard frame I'd covered in blue paper to create a night time scene. & then a back piece covered in the same paper. The back piece also works as a stand when the frames put back together.

From here I could add the rest of the scene. I stuck peel off a peel off Santa scene onto card, coloured it in & layered them up. on the outer card I added peel off letters to spell "jingle bells". I finished off by putting sleigh bells loose into the frame before attaching the glass & putting it all back together.

This can now stand on my mantelpiece when I put my Christmas decorations up.

Rocking MY World Friday

Is it Friday already? Where on earth has the time gone this week, in the blink of an eye its the weekend ... oooo, my first positive on the list :-)

Next I have to say hoorah for being organised! We have bought all of Kai's presents for Christmas and know exactly what we're getting Zack as well as everyone else we have to buy for. We have also planned what pots of money its coming out of as well. We have found a few bargains this week, but I cant really comment on them incase the eldest decides to have a nosey here ;-x It is wonderful that we now have a Toys-r-us within walking distance though.  We've always had very little choice in toys in our area, limited to places such as Asda, Argos & a small entertainer, even Woolies went :-( But within the past year we've had a Smyths & recently a Toys-R-Us open up on the retail park meaning I can compare prices online & then go actually look at the toys to see if they're suitable, what size they are etc, maybe even use a voucher or two!!!!

While out bargain hunting with my Mom today she treated me to this......

...isnt it fab!!! Unfortunately the bats mixed in with the glitter had all landed before I could get a clear photo :-( Its also has a wind up music box with the key below, which plays Ding Dong the Witch is dead. It shall be taking pride of place in the centre of my display cabinet with my lil OOAK witch. She has also pre-ordered/bought me Inheritence, the final of the Eragon books that I've been waiting & waiting to read to finish the supposed trilogy that turned into a quadrology.

I am also very happy that I had no kiddies at home today & ... **goes to touch the wooden bedside table** ...we have finally cleared the house of the tummy bug. As anyone who read last weeks post knows Kai & I had got it, well on Tuesday Zack was sent home from school after being sick as well **holds head in hands** I was emotionally & Physically exhausted, especially after the palava we had to get through to get him home (We havent a car, school didnt want to put him in taxi or a bus, I was on way to get Kai from school, Ry was at work & was in charge of not only his store but all the stores in the district, we didnt want to expose family members who hadnt got the bug to the bug as it is horrendous etc etc etc). We did get him home though thanks to a lovely taxi driver who wasnt particularly well herself. After a few rants about it all my Father in law, sister in law & friend have all said not to be so silly, next time I'm to ring them, they'll pick him up, & not get so stressed out that they/their kids may catch it ... so its fab to know I have them to lean on at such times. np, I was ranting how stressed I was at the school, not about them not being able to pick him up.

So whats brightened your life just that lil bit more this week? Hows about joining in & linking up over at Celtic House with us :-)

Sandpit Scrapbook Page

I am really enjoying using Scrap Maps at the moment, my latest one is from the Scrapology Blog

I love these foam stickers by Dovecraft

& these yellow letters, arent they beautiful! Beach Bum Alpha by Fancy Pants. Definately a make I'll be buying again.

Rocking MY World Friday

Lifes been a bit busy lately, which I usually enjoy, so you get two weeks of positives this week as I havent been around :-)

First of all the comments I've been receiving lately on my blog have really rocked me world, they have been so supportive and raise my confidence .... than you all.

The way my lil family pull together when I'm ill - yet again the dreaded tummy bug is lurking in my house, 2nd time since school started, & I'm pretty crook with it. Kai's looked after me most of the day, tucking me in with ALL his blankets (he has a few) while I rest on the sofa. Zack has just popped upto the shops to get me some apples as they have that crisp clean taste that I need at the moment, he's also tried to keep Kai quiet when he came in to find me sound asleep.
& finally Ryan for doing Kai a lunch box so I wouldnt have to go near food while he was at work, for rubbing my back & grabbing warm flannels for me, & checking up on me even though its a jam packed day at work.

I have won 2 prizes this week, a metal borax tin that I already have plans how to alter, and a signed imbetweeners yearbook.

I was taken for my feet to be nibbled by fishes (belated birthday present), its a funny feeling but the fish seem to enjoy it & it left my feet feeling wonderful. Then it was off to the cinema for Rys brithday treat ... mmm, popcorn, coke & sci-fi, who could ask for more!

With the lovely warm weather we've had we had the chance to go to the beach. It was Kai's first time & he loved it. We splashed in the sea, made sandcastles & buried Zack. We had fish & chips on the beach, and collected sea shells. I'm sure you'll be seeing a scrapbook page on it very soon.

I have the crafting bug back and have even been making cards! I think my confidence in card making takes a beating when I look at all the other beautiful cards out there that people make, I just need to get it into my head that that isnt my style, my style is simple & without the "chintz".

So what have been your highlights of the week, how about sharing them with us, popping over to Celtic House to link up so we can come visit :-)

Creative Craft World Card Challenge - Halloween

After a lovely sunny week we are starting to get that autumnal feel again, the sun is out yet theres a cold crispness to the air, reminding me that we're coming up to one of my favourite times of the year, Halloween!

I love all the gothicy, cliche stock the shops get in, its like the one time of the year the world finally comes round to my way of thinking.

Certain shops have this kind of stock all year though, such as Panda bear designs & Stitchy.
I was asked to Guest Design for the latest Creative Craft World Blog card challenge theme - Halloween, & was sent some gorgeous digis to work with.

The backgrounds are from Panda Bear Designs, arent they beautiful! I printed the bat sheet straight onto the card, I love bats! I then printed it out again, aong with the orange witch sheet & cut to size. I layered them up to add a 3d effect.

On top of these I used this gorgeous witch image by Stitchy. I printed her off twice, using the 2nd image to colour in & layer up. She's got some lovely little details on her such as the spider below her eye & skull hair tyes (I have some very similar myself).

I finished off by adding a bat sticker into the moon & a spider hanging from some wire from her foot just to give it a bit more texture.

You can enter from today until the 14th at 10pm GMT. The sponsor is ....

& the prize for the winner is 3 digi images of their choice, how about popping along HERE to see what the choice is. 

Why not also pop along to Creative Craft World blog to get a little more inspiration from the design team.