I made the tough decision to wind down my blogging over at my other site She’s Crafty for a few months to allow me to concentrate on this site and working on the house, along with trying to sort out a couple health niggles. The lack of the pressure that comes from juggling too many things has helped me up my creative output and stopped me from being as ‘all ideas and no action’ as I usually am.

That’s not to say I’m not still full of good ideas, the most recent of which was suggesting the name Clyde for the Glasgow Craft Mafia mascot. The name won their competition and I subsequently won a goodie bag of mafia makes. One of my favourites was a delightful little feltidermy from mafia member Madness of Many.
I cannot wait to put it up in the house! It also made me daydream about a bigger piece for our grand hallway or maybe something like this stag head by Doe-c-Doe. So inspiring/crafty!

I want something to help me make decisions. I have a hard time making decisions and, apart from spiralling costs, the decision element has been the most stressful part of the renovation for me.

I’m a pessimist, so always assume the worst will happen should I make the wrong choice, and I’m also a perfectionist, so have to have everything looking the best it possibly can. Both of these traits are making things more than a little tricky right now.

The main problem is that this renovation/house purchase wasn’t planned months ahead. This isn’t some ‘Grand Design’ where we’ve known exactly what we want and where we want it for years through planning permissions and work with architects. The other issue is that we have to get everything done as quickly as possible as we are still living in our flat!

So, given all of this, I’m sure you can understand the increased frequency of sleepless nights and snappy phonecalls of ‘I don’t know! Do they have to know right now?!’.

From positions of lights and sockets to types and sizes of windows. There’s just too many decisions for my poor little head to handle at the moment.

What’s that little 8 ball? “Try again later”? I wish, my friend, I wish!

It’s what every home needs and many homes lack – storage. Moving from a 2 bedroom flat to a 3 bed house with 2 reception rooms should give us more storage but, in reflection, I’m not entirely sure it will!

Gone are the big hall cupboard and 3 huge fitted wardrobes, to instead have to find suitable freestanding storage. The antique pieces we’ve looked at have the right feel but it seems they weren’t quite the ‘you can have never have too many coats/shoes/bags’ types all those years ago.There’s also the question the lovely Nicole Balch from Pink Loves Brown posed the other week re where on earth do you put hundreds of CDs? (not to mention the accompanying books and records!).

It seems it’s time to get clever and I think the wonderful website at The Holding Company may be just the place to start.

Ever since the first viewing my favourite room has been the studio/bedroom that I wrote about at the weekend. It’s one room that we’ve decided to decorate in a bolder more modern style. With this in mind, I have been looking into more minimalist pieces and have fallen for this wonderful digital clock byVadim Kibardin

The digital clock features only figures and no case and each figure has a self-contained power supply and independent control so it can be fixed to any surface. The really clever bit is a light sensor switches the clock to an invert mode (the figures are white in the dark time of day and black at daytime).

Unfortunately, the clock is currently just a prototype while they seek a manufacturer – here’s hoping they secure one!

Status of project: searching for manufacturer.

Now that I have my heart pretty much set on this pretty 50s inspired wallpaper for the ’studio’ (It’s currently a very long narrow bathroom which husband is determined to use as a recording studio), I have been looking into storage for the room.

Due to the fact it’s so narrow and one of the few rooms int the house with standard ceiling height, slimline and functional are the keywords for the search. Ebay has cast up this rather fabulous sideboard but it’s possibly a bit too ‘out there’ (as well as pricey).

So, at least I’m a little closer to knowing what I want (50s sideboard), I just now have to find something within budget.

The above sideboard is currently available on Ebay with a Buy Now price of £225. Item no #270420036772

How adorable is this little house? More importantly, how much would this humble home be the answer to our problems right now!

With mortgage woes and mounting renovations costs, not to mention the possibility of having to move in with the in-laws for a while, this house would be perfect planted in the back garden. Sure, there would be issues with showering and I’m sure the novelty and cuteness would ware off in about 2.9 seconds but it sure does look pretty.

The tiny house belongs to a couple who are looking for somewhere to plant their petite property in Seattle.

Read more about the plans and adventures for the mini mobile cottage at: http://mobilecottage.blogspot.com/

I promise wanting a vintage sewing machine only has a tiny amount to do with me hankering for the past and has a huge amount to do with The Fear.

For someone so ‘crafty’ and into making things you would be forgiven for thinking I’m practically chained to my sewing machine but, no, it scares me. I have a lovely high-tech Pfaff machine that sits gathering dust as every time I have to sew something I opt for the very time consuming hand sewn approach.

‘The Fear’ comes from a combination of two things. The first is my absolute inability to control the machine using a foot pedal. I can only seem to go far too fast or far too slow and never just right. And as for adopting the ‘practise makes perfect’ approach, it’s been years!

The second reason for my dread of machine sewing is that once when alone in a room with my mother’s machine it suddenly started going by itself and then started smoking, at which point I fled from the room to get my mum. *shudder*

My love for sewing started with my gran’s Singer treadle machine, which I was allowed to use on our weekly visits, and it’s something like that I would love in the new house. Plus they look so lovely!!

Sometimes when it comes to the summer sales it’s very much a case of ‘you snooze, you lose’ and this was very much the case when I eventually got round to checking out the sale bargains at Gudrun Sjoden today.

I really wanted this reversible blanket in lime green (also available in dark red, lavander and black) in a large size but unfortunately that size has sold out. It features a pretty jacquard-weave pattern with birds and flowers contrasting with stripes and a geometric design. The weft is in 100% wool and the warp is cotton.

For other bargain homewares, check out their online sale here.

Upcycling, recycling, or whatever you want to call it, is big news these days and I think it would be difficult to find anything quite as great as the creatures created by the talented Ann Smith.

Ann creates robotic-like creatures from broken electronic and machine parts.  Birds, dinosaurs, deer and bugs have all been brought together in staggering detail, hitting the perfect balance between pretty and masculine (perhaps a nice Father’s Day gift?).

I’m finding it very hard to pick a favourite on Ann’s portfolio site at Burrow Burrow and was most excited to discover she also has an Etsy store (which I will be drooling over in the coming months).

Ann’s Etsy store: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5896161

Ann’s portfolio site: http://www.burrowburrow.com

Wanted Wednesday – oh how I love thee! As our renovation budget has evaporated and we are becoming practised penny-pinchers, Wednesday’s are my chance to indulge in some imaginary retail therapy.

Money is no object on Wanted Wednesday! So, I’d like one, hell, make that two, sets of these Alphabet Drawers from Kent & London.

Based on vintage printing blocks and made from solid oak, the drawers measure h 800mm x w 1200mm x d 300mm.

As they are made to order there is a 3-6 week lead time but I’d be willing to wait. Pity they cost a scary £2,700!

Find out more here:  http://www.kentandlondon.co.uk/chestofdrawers/product_03/product_info.php