A “little” Valentines Ta-Dah....

My journey with this Valentines mantle 

was like so many of my other creative projects a little flawed. 

Have you ever got these moments....
You have a “little creative idea“.... a very simple nothing fancy idea.
You can see the finished “thing” in front of you. 

So far so good!  

Your mind is working in overdrive.... you play around with your “little idea”, 

just a little.... then a little more ....and a little more. 

Your “little idea” becomes an all “new bigger little idea”. 

You start and half way through the making you look at your “ little idea” 

doubting the choices you have made.  

That happens to me rather too often, only different with this “little idea” is 

that at the very beginning there wasn't even a “little idea”. 

I have never specifically decorated for Valentines day in the past 

and I hadn't planned to this year. 

I just crochet a few hearts just for fun before I noticed, I had made 80 or so hearts. 

What to do with a basket full of little hearts?  

A heart bunting for the mantle piece was my choice.  

Such a pretty splash of colour, cherry-blossom petals come to mind, 

I Love the way it looked.  

That was my beginnings of a “little idea” that has evolved & changed .

I LoOoOoOoVe LoOoOoOoVe really LoOoOoOoVe
the finished mantle.
let me say it again, just in case you didn't quite catch that,
I
LoOoOoOvE
the finished look!!!

I love the shade of blush I ended up with after much mixing around.

The detail of the frame is so pretty 

the curving makes it the perfect vintage L shape.

I applied the gold leaf very sparingly at first, 

applying it perfectly to the carving of the frame  

....less is more and all that.

 I didn't like it, in this case more & shabby is the better finish. 

Adding more gold leaf to the L 

I felt the rest of the letters had to be very simple in their style 

....so less is more after all.

The little mother of perl button makes a lovely finish to Love. 

I adore the red thread, 

it’s always these kinda little things that make my heart jump with joy.  

A mantle like this wouldn't be complete with out a bit of kitsch, 

perfect place for a souvenir Eiffel tower....

It was missing something until I added the heart pins. 

I love them that much they will stay on there beyond Valentines. 

 Of course my little red VW Beetle couldn't be missed out. 

Yes I’m a sucker for whimsy and happy to admit.

Have a super Friday!

XXXX

P.s.I know there is a lot of littles in this little post

Sneak peek....

The Valentines mantle isn't quite finished yet.

As always with my "little ideas",

 they evolve into something a "little bigger", so has this one!
In the meantime....

 a little sneak peek of the making of my Valentines mantle.

An old cut up picture frame, mdf letters, 

a polystyrene heart, glue, paint, fabric and sparkly buttons makes….

I guess you have all figured it out!?  

I spend a lot of time playing around with the paint to get the right shade of blush, 

a little of this.... a little of that.... then a little more of this, 

of course most of paint ending up on my hands, 

 you get the idea.

It never got finished yesterday…. 

The sun put his hat on and came out to play in the afternoon. 

This has been a rather rare thing around here over the last couple of days,

 I just had to drop tools for a little fun in the sun.  

 Hip Hip hurray…. 

this little girl was so delighted….  

it was so lovely but oooooooooh boy it was very cold!
Today my work got in the way of the finishing.  

Don't get me wrong I like where I work and I have lovely colleagues 

that have made me feel very welcome in Berlin, but when I have a project 

I want to get finished everything else is an unwanted distraction, especially work.

Maybe tomorrow between the domestic chores & a museum trip

I will be able to steal a couple of hours to get my "little idea" finished.  

Fingers crossed.

   XXXX   

Weekend treasures....

I indulged in a little retail therapy last Saturday....
it wasn’t planed like that.... it just happened, the best way in my book. 
I always find the best treasures (old & new) when I’m least looking for them.
They find me and it would be so rude not to give them a loving home.
Or so I tell myself & Mr Mc, luckily I have a very understanding husband.

Blush & nude are my colours at the moment, 

they make me ever so happy and calm at the same time. 

Anything in those shades catches my attention.

Like this ever so pretty notebook!
Yes.... yes....  I know....
I don't need yet another notebook....

who can blame me for not being sensible though,

it is sooooo very pretty!

It is the perfect motto for me in 2015!
“Expect Nothing Appreciate Everything”

I will try my best!

Another treasure that found a new home in my house 

this weekend is this pretty cup.

Yes….yes….yes….you don't have to say it....

 I really don't need any more cups either.
 I just knew if I didn't buy it I would have regretted it on Sunday! 

Isn't there a saying about never having enough....

surely that doesn’t just count for shoes and bags!     

During a quiet moment on Sunday I grabbed my new cup 

filled it with coffee & mountains of fluffy milk 

and finished my little heart project!  

The cup made a beautiful companion to
a pretty project on an otherwise grey day!

Heart buntings to decorate my fireplace with! 

 I really have been sucked into the Valentines feel this year. 

I LoVe the mantle so far even though it’s not quite finished yet, 

there is another little idea I am working on. 

Sitting on the couch looking at my fireplace, 

 leaves such a feeling of happiness in me.

The hearts remind me of confetti or spring petals flying threw the air,

 who doesn't feel happy looking at those.

 

A few left over hearts have sparked yet another little creative idea,

  there is also a little something I’d like to make for Mr Mc’s Valentines.

There are a couple of busy days ahead for me. 

I wish you all a beautiful week!!! 

XXXX