December 2018 was a surprisingly quiet month for me, I hibernated and saved my energy for the festivities. Marc on the other hand was exceedingly industrious, fixing, making and restoring! For a change I thought I would share with you, some of his brilliant projects.
Project One:
A tin can lamp shade
Whilst on a visit to Exeter, we popped into Bill’s for a quick lunch, and sat next to a shelf of large brightly coloured tomato tins! Naturally I fell in love with them (who wouldn’t ?) and requested to buy one. Our friendly waiter said I could have one to take home and didn’t even ask why! My first thought had been to add this one to my herb garden and plant it up with parsley, then I had another idea…
Beats adding to landfill any day!
Marc smoothed out the dents, fitted a new lid, added a bright red cable and light fittings. This is the end result, I love our new tomato tin lamp shade, it now hangs above our stair well. Well it beats adding to the landfills any day what do you think?
Project Number Two:
A top shelf for my clothes rail.
Do you remember this post with my gorgeous Ziito industrial clothes rail?
When I ordered it I hadn’t realised it also came with a top shelf as well as a bottom shelf. Mine only had a bottom shelf and I had been nagging Marc for ages to make me a top one. I needed some extra space to store my chunky winter knitwear. During the Christmas holidays he finally had time to fulfill my request and added a top shelf.
He made everything, including the brackets, himself. The shelf was made from a piece of scrap wood found on a bonfire!
During the Christmas holidays he finally had time to fulfill my request…
The shelf was made from a piece of scrap wood found on a bonfire!
Project Number Three:
New backlighting for the kitchen shelves:
We used to have the very popular Ikea ‘lack’ shelves in our kitchen. They were previously used in a bedroom and it seemed like such a waste to get rid of them. So although I was not keen on them, Marc resized and reused them in the kitchen. Fast forward 4 years and I was very tired of them. I wanted a more natural theme in the kitchen, having already added lots of plants. Marc sourced some scaffolding shelves and he suggested he make his own brackets too. I wanted to keep the metal edges used on the scaffolding planks, because as you probably know I love Industrial style!
This is what our shelves used to look like, Home and Style magazine featured our home a few years ago and this is one of the pics…PS Marc made the table too!
This is what our shelves used to look like, Home and Style magazine featured our home a few years ago
These are some recent pics and yes you guessed it, the bell ringing notification unit (not sure what it is officially called?) was bought at a reclamation yard and ‘restored’ by Marc.
However, the shelves still needed lighting, so we bought some cheap LED strip lights from Lidl. Marc chopped, spliced and fitted them to the shelves. Taa daah …
Project Number Four: The Big One!
Vintage folding wooden chairs restored
We bought these much loved vintage chairs from a boot fair years ago. After using them in the garden last year, I was very naughty and left them outside. They were in bad shape, almost beyond repair. Marc warned me that they may be irreparable but he would try and fix them…
They were beautiful chairs and you couldn’t buy them today. I think they were from a picnic set and would have been stacked in the car with rugs those woven willow hampers. The fixings are very old and beautifully made. Just look at the amazingly skilled job he did on these chairs…that man performs miracles!
After…
…look at the amazingly beautiful job he did on these chairs…that man can perform miracles!
…not only did he restore and transform them he also found a permanent home for them on the conservatory wall!
Not only did he restore and transform them he also found a permanent home for them on the conservatory wall. I am in love with these vintage chairs all over again, thank you darling. He reads this blog you know!
Project Number Five:
A Number Nine:
We have huge year numbers on display. Every year Marc makes a new number, however this year he came up with the idea of turning the 6 from 2016 upside down, job done!
Which is your favourite project so far?
Project Number Six
This one is all mine, I crocheted a bag over Christmas, the pattern is by Katie Jones my latest crochet designer crush!
I keep Marc very busy, so we have lots more projects on the go to show you soon. All reusing or restoring old things!
Some Bad News:
Over the new year my lazy Daisy Jones Instagram account was hacked and I lost it all! I have started a new account (although I almost felt like giving up on it) and will write about it in more detail soon. But if you were wondering where I had disappeared to This is my New account I would so appreciate a follow ?
Our year of 2018 in Posts:
1 Lately 5 things we got up to in January 2018
2 Lately 5 things we got up to in February 2018
3 Lately 5 things we got up to in March 2018
4 Lately 5 things we got up to in April 2018
5 Lately 5 things we got up to in May 2018
6 Lately 5 things we got up to in June 2018
7 Lately 5 things we got up to in July 2018
8 Lately 5 Things we got up to in August 2018
9 Lately 5 Things we got up to in September 2018
10 Lately 5 things we got up to in October 2018, it was a good month!
11 Lately 5 things we got up to in November 2018
Hi Ashley, Steven gave me your blog address and must say it looks great as do you! You have changed a little since I last saw you – I think about 40 years ago haha! Glad to see you are doing well, love Auntie Christine xox
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Auntie Christine!
How lovely to see you on here! I love that you are following along too,
Yes I have ‘grown’ a little since you last saw me I hope you weren’t too shocked?
Hope all well with you?
bestest love
Ashley
Ps I still love the Dave Clark five band!
Oh I’m so sorry to hear about your instagram account, what a nightmare! I love all your upcycles, especially the lamp and the shelf above the rail.
Author
Hi Claire and thank you, yes it was a bit of a shock! Im starting again and that is hard as you can imagine?
Thank you for your support and for following along…
bestest wishes
Ashley xxx
I hate that we don’t live closer. Oh I could so do with a Marc right now! Tell him I said well done and I have a spare bed! xx
Author
Haaaaa ! Is that the only reason? cheers!
xx