Tidy up day

Today I decided it was time I got my bum in gear and did some well overdue tidying as I spent a good fifteen minutes looking for my cutting mat the other day before giving up and resorting to a chopping board ... And no that didn't work well if you were wondering!

Now I am not one of those lucky people who has a craft room but I do have a dedicated cupboard and some space in the under the stairs cupboard although I do have to share that with household things like lightbulbs, batteries, candles, ironing boards, clothes horses and when it makes it downstairs the vacuum cleaner! Given I have been increasing the stash bit by bit over the last year I have well and truly taken over and the starting point for today was just a massive mess.

So first things first was everything had to come out!

And so our large family room/dining room became completely swamped with boxes and bits and pieces. Three bin bags later ... Yes bin bags! ... All the rubbish was sifted out, piles were created and the cupboard cleaned (the princess helped with the mopping!). I have yet to sort out the drawers in my moving drawers and the stamps need a good sort out and cleaning session but I am now cream crackered! I have still got a considerable pile of "stuff" on the table to sort ... But some serious rest time required so I thought I would pause to blog with my feet up.

Here is a collage of some photos in the midst of the process and the end results...


Alongside all of the tidying the princess is making a canvas using some of the techniques that Dyan taught me at AFTH using a cheap canvas I found at the back of the cupboard and some of her paints ... I am so proud of what we have achieved especially proud that we also did this all with cheapie kids paint, a doily and some home made stencils and a canvas that cost about a pound. I know it won't last for ever ... But it has afforded some child care entertainment for maya on and off throughout the afternoon and we created something cute for our bathroom. Will need to spray it with fixative and maybe a coat of varnish but that's all that's left to be done.




And one with the proud artist!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad which means I probably haven't proof read the above and there is likely to be rubbish included that I probably should have thought about more! So please accept this post as it is and sorry that I didn't take more care!