Talk about inspiring....

 

 

One of the questions people most frequently ask me, is where do I get my inspiration for all my projects from?

I can honestly say, that sometimes I don't even know!!

I'll wake up in the night with an idea...sometimes that idea will mature in the back of my mind for a while and other times I will get up the next day, and "just do it"!!

 

But I do always keep an eye out for things that inspire me:

Whether that be on a walk in the woods, out and about in shops or looking through magazines and books!

 

But today I want to share with you all some of my favourite online sources of inspiration:

 

The internet is a wonderful place, and probably my top source of inspiration!! There are so many beautiful and creative people and projects out there!

 

 

Like these Geoballs from the French blog zugalerie ...head over there for the free printable...then all you have to do, is fold them up!!

 

BLOGS 

 

I have recently updated my reading list (You can find it in my sidebar), so that you can check out some of my favourite creative blogs:

There is of course the BIG ones, like Apartment therapy and Design Sponge where I can keep up on design trends and find endless inspiration for my home as well as projects..

Since Christmas I have become more and more drawn to Scandinavian interior design blogs, like My Scandinavian home and Emma's design blog ,that is full of beautiful images of Scandinavian style homes and décor...with professional guides to the latest in design and home ware! I also like designer and stylist Emily Henderson's blog for the same reason, but she also posts some awesome DIY projects that are worth noting!!

But also blogs like Deuce cities henhouse , that are more about the personal journey of creating a home, a bit like mine, and is a perfect example of what I aspire to do with Nostalgiecat!

Stained glass artist Flora Jamieson from Through the round window inspires me with her funny little post about her idyllic coastal life and her gorgeous work in progress shots from her workshop...and I just love her little "doodles"!

I recently started following Persia Lou for all her little and large DIY projects and her fantastic sense of style ...and last but not least I want to mention Ben Uyeda's creative blog Home made modern, that posts "smart and affordable DIY ideas for cool people that like modern furnishings"...Ben is solely responsible for my Concrete obsession!!

 

 

This easy, but gorgeous Tangram bunny art from Persia Lou  would be a great little project for easter!

 

There are loads more blogs that I would love for you all to discover, but I'll leave it at that for time being!!

 

PINTEREST

 

A wonderful place to get inspired, and to find new blogs to follow, is of course Pinterest :

I am assuming you have all discovered this treasure-trove of inspirational images, links and possible projects already, but if you haven't, then you really should check it out!!

You can curate your own inspirational boards, in any category imaginable, from home décor to pets or travel to food, hair and fashion to art....anything: Just check out my board Projects, to see probably the biggest pool of my inspiration!!

 







 The other place in web-world where I get totally inspired by beautiful images is Instagram!

I follow tons of beautiful instagram accounts, but I want to share 6  (I was going to do a top5 , but couldn't quite whittle it down to 5....)of my favourites with you here today:

 

Design love fest

 

 

 LA based Bri Emery, founder of Design love fest, a lifestyleblog, has an eye for design and style, and her instagram gallery is bursting with colourful snapshots from her creative life.

 

Diana Ousdal

 

 

 

 Diana's istagram account is the epitome of Scandinavian style: Beautiful shots of her bright and airy home...She has an eye for details and showcases her little and large DIY projects with a definite personal style. You can also visit her blog here.

 

Jacqui Fink

 

 

 Jacqui Fink is a Sydney based maker of hand knitted luscious textiles from wool, linen and cotton rope. There is a wonderful aesthetic beauty in her instagram shots of the textures of her makes that inspires me..

 

 

Alisa Burke

 

American painter and all round artist, Alisa Burke is inspired by street art and graffiti, and has become her own brand with her distinct style, collaborating with Demdaco to create a range of fashion accessories...Her instagram gallery is chuck-a-block with lovely snaps of her laid back , creative family life and inspiring in-process shots of her work!

I particular love her colourful "doodles".

 

 

 Kim Wallace_ceramics

 

 

 

 Australian based ,Kim Wallace makes gorgeous ,handmade, functional and decorative ceramics for her boutique shop . Her instagram account consists of behind the scenes shots from her workshop, showcasing her beautiful ceramics collections.

 

Charlotte Wangstedt foto

 

 

Charlotte Wangstedt is a Swedish photographer with a keen interest in interior design and Styling.

She shares her beautiful photos of her Scandinavian style home (he has a penchant for the monochrome look) as well as her DIY projects on her instagram account.

 

That is it ...for now!

My inspirations are ever changing and evolving, but rubbernecking with other creative in blog-sphere is truly what keeps those creative juices flowing! 

 

The internet is a maze of inspiration for all kinds of creatives...you just need to know where to look!

I hope these suggestions will help set you off on the right track....because once you start looking around, you will probably find that Inspiration is everywhere!!

 

I've just realised that my 1 year anniversary as a blogger quietly passed me by in the week, I have been so busy with my Concrete collection, and various other commissions...

And last night my mum and Dad came over from Norway to spend a week with us...

So I am going to take a little blogging break next week, and leave you with this reminder of my

COMPETITION:

 

 

I hope you will all feel inspired to come up with some fabulous project suggestions!!

You can tell me about your ideas on my Facebook page...maybe post a picture or a link to something you'd like me to make for you!!

 

I will be back in about a weeks time with a fantastic new project tutorial!!

 

Ta ta for now!!

 

xxx

June 

The day I became an "artist"...

This is the story of how I became an "artist"...

It all started on Valentines day!

Mr had been shopping for a romantic gift for me, in a local art shop, Art at 88..

He had chosen a beautiful fused glass heart....in red!

How sweet, I hear you all say!

The thing is: I CANT STAND THE COLOUR RED!!

After 8 years of marriage , you'd think he knew??

Normally I would've probably smiled sweetly, thanked him and shoved it in a drawer, and reminded my self that it's the thought that counts!

How-ever....having just spent best part of January de-cluttering and purging the house of un-wantables , whilst doing The January cure...I was determined not to start filling it with more stuff I didn't really want....

So here's the bit where you are all going to think that I am a wicked cow:

I took it back to the shop and exchanged it for something not red!!

The lady in the shop was shocked: How could I?? "He spent ages choosing that!"

I felt a twinge of guilt!...But it soon passed as I chatted away to the owner of the shop, Jenni...

I tentatively asked where they got all their marvellous art from, and Jenni told me that people would send them an e-mail with pictures of their makes, and that they would contact them if interested....

Courage failed me at the time, but I took their card and later that evening I sent them an e-mail with loads of pictures of my makes....

So that's how it all started....

...turns out they were interested in my concrete work....

Those of you who are "regulars" here at Nostalgiecat will know by now that Concrete is one of my favourite materials to work with...I just love it! (See my other concrete projects, such as my concrete stool , concrete and gold planters and tealight votives and concrete lampshade )

And I had just recently started experimenting with folding origami shapes to use as moulds to cast up in concrete...so that really suited me fine!

You may even say: It was meant to be!!

 

I'd also been playing around with the idea of making bowls out of concrete, and trying to push the material to its limits with regards to the thickness....and then gold-leafing the insides of the bowl....

I made some samples and took them in to the shop the following week, and met the other half of Art at 88, Malcolm.  He really liked the bowls, and thought that my origami shaped candlesticks had a masculine appeal...Whilst I was there the telephone rang, and Malcolm politely told the person on the other end of the phone that he would call back, as he was currently "with an artist"...AN ARTIST?? ...ME?? I can honestly say: That made my day!! 

So off I went with an order for more stuff to make....practically skipping down the road with excitement!!

Just over 2 weeks , and a garden full of concrete mess, later, I finally brought my finished collection into the shop last Sunday!

Malcolm and Jenni started Art at 88 in 2011 to showcase work by local artists as well as their own art: Malcolm Gorrie is a fused glass artist (I think he probably made my original valentines gift....ahem!!) and Jenni Cator works in pastels.. They've created a thriving art-space selling affordable and original art.

I am very excited to now have my collection of concrete home accessories for sale in their shop!

So this is the new venture I've been hinting at in the last few weeks, and I can now reveal my collection of concrete home accessories, exclusively for sale at Art at 88 in Berkhamstead:

This morning I visited the shop to take some pictures of my stuff in there...

...and was delighted to see my concrete bowls, with gold or copper leaves , along with other local artists work, on display as soon as I walked in!

And my origami concrete candlesticks , although not in such a prominent position in the shop, stood out for being so different from the rest of the shops handmade merchandise...

I hope "the ladies who lunch" of Berkhamstead are ready for my concrete home accessories, and that Malcolm and Jenni has luck in selling my collection!

In the mean time, I will bask in the glory of now being an "artist"!

(Still makes me smile....)

Just goes to show: You never know what life's got in store for you!

(And if you don't ask...you don't get!)

xxx

June

How to: Remove rust from a cast iron fireplace

...remove rust from a cast iron fireplace 

When we first viewed our terraced Victorian cottage just over 2 years ago, one of the things that made us choose the house was the cast iron fireplace in the bedroom...

...however, this was one of the first things I "ruined" after moving in: I cleaned it with a wet(??) rag!!

Stupid, I know!!

Rule number 1 when it comes to cast iron fireplaces: Never EVER clean it with a WET rag!!

IT WILL RUST!!

(In my defence: I had never lived anywhere that had a cast iron fireplace before)

To be honest, at the time, I put it down to one of life's little lessons and soon forgot about it...I mean: Our bedroom had some bigger, and more obvious issues....like the lack of storage!

It wasn't really until the other day, when I had finished painting the walls and was taking pictures of my concrete stool , that it started to nag me!!

So, I asked my mother-in-law what to do....

And today I want to share with you her wisdom!

 My mother in law said what I needed was something called !zeebrite
But a quick google search revealed that Zeebrite had been discontinued, as it contained led...But a new (and led-free) version of black grate polish, called Hotspot serves the same purpose..
So I got some of that!!
I also got some fine wire wool to remove most of the rust with before using the magic stuff...

So armed with wire-wool , willpower and elbow grease I set to work!
I scrubbed off most of the rust..
I put an old towel on the floor first, which was good as there was a lot of black dust...that went everywhere!!
Note: You should be wearing a dust-mask and gloves...or you risk ending up looking like a chimney sweep!! (Not a good look when you are going out with friends that night...let me tell you!! LOL)



So much so that I actually ended up getting the hoover at the ready, sucking up the dust as I went along...

The wire-wool was great at removing the dust on the surfaces, but even after a good scrubbing there was still rust in the details...

 Time to get "hotspotting":

 

I used an old, clean paint brush, and applied the grate polish sparingly...brushing it into the details with circular motions..

This really was a miracle cure for my beautiful, but rusty cast iron fireplace!!



I then used an old tea-towel to polish off any excess...I didn't want Little Miss Moo to get black fingers, should she happen to touch the fireplace! (We can all guess what the result would be: Black fingers and white painted walls = not good!!)



...But actually by buffing off the excess grate polish, the detail got a lovely highlighted sheen to it!



Let me just remind you how rusty and horrible looking the fireplace was before: The picture below is of the exact same spot before the treatment:



I am so pleased I managed to clean up my beautiful cast iron fireplace...
And it only took me about 40 minutes in total!
Maybe using grate polish to remove rust from cast iron is common knowledge, but to me it was a eureka moment...so I had to share!
And I can already think of a few more uses for my tube of Hotspot....



I think I have fallen in love...all over again, with my fireplace!!

My bedroom makeover is moving along nicely: The walls are painted and our new curtains and bedspread is on their way (thanks mum!) The custom made built in wardrobes should be with us soon and this weekend we are getting started on putting up wood panelling on the wall behind our bed...

I am so excited about all the changes we are (finally) making to our house this year!

We have some BIG changes planned in the near future, that I am really itching to tell you all about!

...all in good time!

I hope you find this post useful!

I Wish you all a great weekend!

xxx

June

Concrete stool...DIY

....DIY

So, in my last post I showed you my shopping wish list for our impending bedroom make-over, and top of my list was this concrete stool from Cox&Cox..

But as it was out of my budget I decided to DIY one for using as a bedside table...

 

In today's tutorial, I will show you how!

You will need:

A long piece of 1,5" thick dowel(from any hardware shop)

A bucket

Fast setting Concrete mix (I used Postcrete )

Water

A measuring tape

A pencil

A wood saw

A palm sander

Sandpaper

Masking tape

Paint

Cut the dowel into 3 equally long pieces...

The length depends on how tall you want your stool to be...I cut mine to 18".



Plan the positioning of your dowel "legs" prior to mixing up the concrete:

Place them into your bucket to decide on the positioning of the legs...

...because I used an old empty paint kettle with a low rim, I stuck 3 bits of offcut wood to the sides of the "bucket" with tape to improve the angle of mine..

Take the "legs" out again and poor about 1 inch of tap water into your bucket...

...add the concrete and mix well!

You need to aim for about 3" of concrete mix!

Tap and shake the bucket to knock out any air bubbles and let the mix settle, then place your dowel legs about 1/3 into the concrete...

Leave to set for at least 24 hours...



...preferably 48 hours...
If you have accidentally got any concrete on your wooden legs, use a bit of sandpaper to get rid of any unwanted lumps at this stage..
Then turn the bucket upside down and press the sides of the bucket to release the concrete...jiggle it off.

If your stool is not completely level, like mine , use a spirit level (or a measuring jug.... I couldn't find my spirit level) to determine where you will need to take some off the legs, them mark each leg that will need shortening. Use a palm-sander (or similar) to sand back the longest legs...

Run some sand-paper over the sharp edge of the concrete on the underside of the stool for safety..

I masked off  3" on each leg and painted with white gloss (Not only does this look nice, but it will also protect the wood from staining at the bottom).

That's it!

 

 I love that I could create this so easily for less than £25,-

It is going to look perfect in our "new-look" bedroom, which by the way is finished painted now (Sneaky peek of my new wall colour in the pic above...)

What do you think of my DIY concrete stool?

Doesn't it look easy??

It is!

Or would you have rather spent over £100 for a ready made one?

Have a great week-end folks!

I am hoping to take Mr shopping for new laminate flooring ...

so fingers crossed we find something we can agree on and commit to!

xxx

June

My bedroom wish list...My guide to Shopping for Scandinavian design

...And where to shop for Scandinavian Design!!

On my wish list: Wicker cone chair with curly sheep skin from Cox&Cox

There is no stopping me now!

My decorating marathon is like a run-away freight train...

So with the hallway pretty much done, I am now turning my attention to our bedroom makeover..

We are expecting our new built in wardrobes to be installed very soon, so I am spending this week preparing the room: Making a start on the paint job and planning our wood-panelled wall....and more!

We are going for a Scandinavian look, with shades of grey and white.

Like I said in my previous post, decorating has sparked a "desire to shop" in me...(ME...I NEVER shop....I make?? what's happening??)

I blame it on all those wonderful and inspiring pictures from interior design enthusiasts from Norway on Instagram...That simple Scandinavian style with it's clean white walls and mid century inspired furniture has got my heart beating!!

Scandinavian design is very "now"...Brands like House doctor, Bloomingville, Madame Stoltz, Ferm living and Hay design (to mention a few)all capture the simplicity and functionality of traditional Scandinavian design in a modern way: The look consists of  a neutral palette with shots of colour...Pale wood, concrete and copper...geometric shapes, and textured soft furnishings inspired by nature...

I love this Rug from House Doctor...

Even some of the more accessible, in terms of price, high-street and mail order shops in Scandinavia is bursting with  functional , yet beautiful design for the home...

...Of course you have IKEA- the "mother of cheap and functional design" but I have also recently discovered that H&M's home ware range is bang on trend and reasonably priced, and a great place to get those little accessories that make a house a home... But my favourite Scandinavian shop  for low-cost home ware and accessories has got to be ELLOS, a mail order company that has been around since I was a little girl...

 Unfortunately Ellos is unavailable here in the UK....

I have put together this "Look book" of products from the Scandinavian shops mentioned above that I would like for our new bedroom:

 1 Cotton rug from H&M home
2 Copper candle stick from H&M home
3 Sheer geometric curtains from ELLOS
4 Light chain from ELLOS
5 & 7 Geometric copper wire window lights from ELLOS
6 Grey linen curtains from ELLOS
8 White and grey zig zag bedspread from ELLOS



Fortunately for me, I have a very kind mother that lives in Norway, and has ordered me everything on my wishlist above and is bringing it to the UK later this month...
Lucky me!!
Takk Mamma!


But don't despair if you love Scandinavian design and live in the UK, most of the Design companies mentioned above will have UK stockists (click on the links)
+
I see more and more Scandinavian design influences in home-ware here in the UK as well...
Habitat has a definite Scandinavian feel to most of their design and the online shop Cox&Cox has the Scandinavian trend spot on with their current collection.
Even Sainsburys has got in on the trend with their Nordic folk collection ...

This Concrete topped stool from Cox&Cox is top of my unattainable wish list for our new look bedroom....

But because it is out of my budget, I have decided to DIY one...

So watch this space...tutorial coming soon!

I am really itching to get started on the bedroom now...

Time to dig out the paint and brushes again...

What do you think of my bedroom look-book?

Do you like Scandinavian design in your home?

Have I missed any retailers of Scandi-inspired home ware worth mentioning?

Let me know by leaving a comment below!

xxx

June

Up the stairs: Hallway reveal

So having had a week off my decorating marathon, mostly due to having had a stinking cold, I have finally "finished" decorating our hallway....I showed you my downstairs hallway here, but today I want to show you the upstairs..

BEFORE:

Keeping it crisp and white, I had gotten as far as to the top of the stairs...The previously dirty beige landing was next: A few coats of brilliant white later and it was starting to look better already...

I deliberately chose to do it all white coming up the stairs as I didn't want the struggle of having to cut in a different colour in those hard to reach areas....Practical or lazy - you be the judge!

I ripped off the stained old carpet on the landing, and replaced it with these pretty rugs from H&M.

My macramé wall hanging got a nice spot on the wall....

 ....and I have placed our big mirror on the landing opposite our bedroom ...to reflect the light coming through our bedroom windows...

Now, I will just have to nag Mr until he gets his finger out and hang the mirror properly...

THE STAIRS:

Once I got started on ripping out the old carpet, there was no stopping me...

Off it came on the stairs as well...

It was quite a job, I will not lie, and once I had chucked out all that dirty old carpet and got rid of all those dangerous nails and tacks, it revealed that the wood underneath is in quite poor nick...

My hopes of just painting the stairs were dashed!

Undeterred I dug out my sand paper, and got rid of the most offending lumps and bumps, as well as any dangerous splinters then gave the sides of the stairs a couple of coats of white gloss paint...

.Mr and I decided that a new carpet would be the way to go....

...But being the impatient soul that I am... I came up with another solution:

When faced with the prospect of a new carpet on our stairs, my heart sank...I am not a big fan of carpets, and after some research I realised that my options would be quite limited in terms of design...

Then I spotted these long minty green zig zag runners at Urban outfitters, and thought why not?

Until we get around to getting proper carpets fitted: Why not make a statement?

So I whipped out my measuring tape, and luckily I realised that 2 of these runners would "perfectly" cover the stairs...And even more luckily: I had a discount voucher making the total cost of the two runners £30,- ...Bargain!

I simply stapled the runners to the stairs.

I love the way the minty green brings a fresh burst of colour to our otherwise white and grey hallway.... It looks fun and playful!

 In fact I like it so much that there is no rush for the carpets now....and if they get dirty, I can just whip them off and chuck them in the washing machine, then staple them back on...it only took about 1/2 hour...

I still need to whip out my gloss paint again and touch up some of the unpainted wood...

....and I want to get a new doormat!

(If you like my folk art 3D wall stars, see how I made them here)

I am getting really in to mixing up patterns now, and I love the way the minty green zig zags in my stairs runner juxtaposes the silvery birch wood stencil on the opposite wall downstairs..

Our entrance area is quite small, and the issue of shoe storage has always been a problem...But we had this tall and narrow IKEA bookshelf that no longer fitted in Little Miss Moo's room....We were going to chuck it out, but it turned out to be perfect for shoe storage by the front door...and it hides away nicely behind the curtains...

I am still looking for a new coat rack, although I am not sure I want one, as I quite like how clean and tidy it looks now...But I guess we need somewhere to hang our coats...??

I am loving my new look hallway and stairs, and to think that so far it has only cost me £80 to do....and that is mostly for my new rugs!

Never underestimate the power of improvement!! (Or the determination of a woman...)

And I am now eager to get cracking with our bedroom make over...

I have already started clearing it out....And shopping(?) for it!!

(I never "shop" anymore, but decorating has brought out the urge again...Anybody else get this??)

So over the next couple of weeks, I will be focusing on THE BEDROOM!

(YAY!!)

What do you think of my hallway makeover then?

Would you consider using rugs on your stairs as a quick fix?

I love to hear what you think, so please leave a comment below!

xxx

June