Hand Made with Wood

Latest projects out of wood...... in my little downtime over the holidays.  There's nothing I love more (other than my hunky hubbie) than to be stuck in the garden shed, with my solar-powered radio blaring out some old hits.  And a mountain of off-cut wood pieces, my drill, saw, hammer, tape measure and nails!  And a good uninterrupted 3-4 hours stretching ahead of me!

My outdoor relaxation lounger - hand made, all but for the triangular Thai cushion.

The base is made from Ferrero Roche crates attached!  Sweet!  The mattresses started out their lives as nappy changing mats.  The covers once-were-curtains.  Perfect for spending a little reading time under the trees.

I have always wanted to attract wee fairy folk to the garden, so for the fairies, I made a little doorway into this old ponga tree stump.  It's pretend - does not really lead anywhere - but if they want to, they can excavate their own room!

Hinges were once a Red Bull drinking can (fossicked from the road-side), handles from small tree seed cones, door from off-cut pieces of cedar.  Methinks I shall make several more to erect around the garden, and town.

My dahling husband deemed I was worthy of a new car, since I gifted my old trustworthy Toyota Corona to my daughter, after her little Jellybean was relegated to the scrap-heap when a 17yr old boy rear-ended her and wrote it off!  5 months of walking to work in the rain, hail and sleet (doesn't really snow here, so that is a little exaggeration) was making my thunderous thighs slender, but my mood hugely dark and dangerous!  Hence, we now have this fine, sleek 2010 Honda Fit parked up in my carport.  She is sooo sexy, I fell in love with her as soon as the keys were placed in my hands.  Sooo much room, I could swing the cat around in it.  She's been named Jazz (European Honda equivalent). However, I digress.  I'm supposed to be writing about things wooden, which is why I introduced Jazz.  I wanted to make a wooden boot carrier for Jazz to avoid the usual messes and spills associated with car boot packages.

Measuring up the box in the shed.  The bottom is made from packing crate wood, the sides from off-cut cedar shutters.

The rustic wooden box with handles, oiled with coconut oil, fits perfectly in the boot of Jazz.  Now I can transport groceries, gardening supplies etc. and still protect my little Jazzy car boot.  Nothing to fall over and spill.

The case of the curious cat!  I said, Swing the cat, not Carry the cat, Shanti!!  The little fluffy feline finds it difficult to sleep on the curving front bonnet of Jazz, so scoots up and sleeps on the roof!  Am trying to discourage such destructive behaviour, for fear of Jazz being scratched to shreds!!  So far, training is slow and repetitive!  Might need to make a cat box to encourage her to sleep in..... My next project!

Hand Made of Recycled Bits

These Hands........

These hands of mine.  They have worked for nearly 5 decades.  They've known how to heal, how to discipline, to love, to work, to hold, to soothe, to feed, to decorate, to create and to make.  Never still. Always working.  I admire these hands.  They have helped me feel my way through life.  To experience life and to participate.  I love nothing better than to set them on a creative project!  Ah, but to have the leisure to make and create to my heart's desire.......  These last holidays allowed me to have time to do a little creating.....

The life of a retired t-shirt-turned-shopping bag.  Enhanced with a little fabric paint printing.

Orange t-shirt bag with pocket

Big bag capacity.

Cut off sleeves.  Cut a circular opening around neckline.  Sew the bottom together (inside out) Add some printing and a fringe for fun.  Move over Dolce  & Gabbana!  This is funky style shopping at little cost to the environment!  Or bank balance!

Recycled T-shirt Printed Shopping-Bag makes a great hand made gift.

Take one woollen vest shrunk in the wash.....(accidental)

Turn it into a cosy little cushion, create new life from old.

The buttons of the vest make a great opening for the cushion.

Decorative detail on cushion cover, crude hand-stitching for effect.

Take one worn back massager cover and use the remaining bit of woollen vest to create a patch.  there is practically nothing left of the vest!!

Back Massager Back-in-Action.

When hemming a skirt for a friend, we cut off a 10cm strip ...... the strip was re-purposed to create 6 lavender bags.  No mess, no waste.

Lavender bags to scent drawers and cupboards and keep crawly critters away.

Know any musicians?  I tend to keep old credit cards, membership cards etc. and then fashion plectrums or guitar picks out of them.  The edges can be lightly sanded for a smooth tapered edge.  The more plastic we can divert from landfill, the better for our planet!  I Love religious icons, hence the recycled CD crucifix.  Again, plastic waste becomes art.

Oh for more time on my hands.......

Art Made with Love

One month after Christmas, and we have new art lining our walls, reminding us of The Love! of the Season of Giving.  My daughter spent a good few weeks leading up to Christmas, creating these wonderful artworks for her brother, his girlfriend, and her father and me! She found her inspiration online, and set about creating some love to line our walls.  I have always loved to receive hand made gifts, it makes them super-special and personal!

African Sun by Shayni

African Ellie by Shayni

Imagine my surprise, when we were presented with yet another fantastic expression of love, from our son's girlfriend, Rachel.  Buddha reminds me every day when I wake up: "Each morning we are Born Again.  What we do today is what matters most!"  I love to be reminded of how precious each day is!  Life affirming!  

Buddha painting by Rachel

After Christmas, Mike and I went to Rotorua for a night and I was absolutely delighted to spot this bit of Street Love on Fenton Road.  Yarn-bombing is a Love-Graffiti and is usually a group project to brighten up public spaces and can occur on trees, lamp-posts and just about on any public structure!  One day, I want to take up my knitting needles, crochet hook and do a little woolen graffiti in our town.

Yarn-bombed Sign post

Pom-pom Street Lurv

Cat Yoga

Ephemeral Art: Sun in Tree Arbor