Thursday 6 August 2015

Scraps, layers, bits and pieces


A little miscellany on a Thursday...

Firstly, thank you for all your lovely comments on my previous post. It was interesting (and funny) to read your stories of house moves; seems our experience struck a chord with many people. I actually saved the worst photos for the solicitors. Whether we'll get anything back, who knows? If it covers the £126 for the hire of a skip we'll be happy.


I've been working on my art whenever time allows, and going out with Joe finding little flowers, leaves and seed heads to bring home and study is always good fun. 


This morning a lovely old man came out to see what I was photographing at the edge of his garden. I explained, and it turns out his wife was an artist. We went into his house and he showed us her paintings. She painted flowers too. Joe was very interested in the grandfather clock.


We've done evening walks with grandparents and lunchtime ambles with flasks and sandwiches. The weather continues to be overcast and windy with sharp showers. My uniform of late consists of jeans and Nordic-style knitted jumpers. I've also pulled on woolly tights in the mornings - quite a combination when worn with a nightie and cardigan. I probably look a bit 'bewildered', as my mum used to say.


Speaking of my mum, my stepdad found some envelopes with seeds she'd collected. Nigella seeds, dill. They're labelled 2013 so I'll see whether they germinate or not. I have her lemon-scented geranium cuttings she gave me and although they're doing OK they could do with a boost. Any advice would be most welcome.

We're very excited about the new garden. Jay's been up there clearing some of the straggly shrubs and taking a couple of trees down. There's plenty to keep too and it's good to see things surfacing as the layers are peeled back. The same goes for indoors. The builders have already ripped out the fitted wardrobes, kitchen, carpets and flooring and in the evenings we find little pieces of the house's history: the plans for the kitchen extension from 1987, a very grimy framed print of a kitsch but (in my opinion) quite sweet floral display. I took it out of the frame as the glass was broken and gave it a wipe down. Not bad.


I also cleaned up the drawing equipment and gave it a bit of beeswax. And the layers of wallpaper - I'm really enjoying seeing them appear as bits of plaster and cladding are removed. It's all very fragile but I do intend to keep these little scraps and maybe put them in a frame. Last night I glimpsed some really lovely paper but it was way out of reach - for now.


We have a big First coming up this weekend: Joe's staying overnight with his grandparents. It'll be our first night without him in very nearly three years. It's not so much the desperate need for a lie-in as that we want to be up and gardening on Saturday. Trips to the new place with him are quite fraught, what with sharp nails and electricals and dirt everywhere. We can get several hours' hard graft in before we go and collect him.

And several hours' hard graft should definitely justify fish and chips afterwards. And beer too.

P.S. To those who suggested it: the builders changed the locks at the new place so we're feeling a lot happier about that.




16 comments:

  1. I found some wallpaper during our kitchen revamp that requires sun glasses just to tone it down, it's amazingly bright and busy. Please keep the photos coming! So happy for you, you'll soon have it looking great. Sarah

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh well done Sarah, I can feel your excitement with plans afoot.
    Lovely photos and drawings, and make the most of the weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a good idea to keep wallpaper scraps from different times in the house, it will make a great collage on its own, or with some other finds maybe. x

    ReplyDelete
  4. good luck in your new home and all the hard work thats lays ahead~ i can tell you see all the beauty in what will make a lovely home im sure! what a wonderful view from the garden too. lovely drawings...beautiful vintage papers ;)x

    ReplyDelete
  5. Glad you're happily getting stuck in at the new place. The horrors of the vendors will fade into the past soon I hope. It always amazes me how much more you can get done without children under the feet. About twenty times more by my estimate. Lovely drawing as always, you're so very talented. Wishing you a good and productive weekend. No doubt Joe will have an absolute blast. CJ xx

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love old wallpaper layers. I had a lot of fun peeling them back in a house we used to own years ago. There was one layer with lots of silver in it, probably from the 70's. I wish you lots of luck with the renovation process. It's hard work but you'll be so happy in the end, it will be just how you want it to be and you'll be very proud of yourself. Enjoy your Joe-less night; you're going to miss him but it will be easier to work and the reunion will be sweet.

    ReplyDelete
  7. it's a busy but exciting time for you! Glad you're able to make your new house your home. It will be exciting planning a new garden, too.

    ReplyDelete
  8. What fabulous wallpaper scraps which seem to fit beautifully along side your own beautiful drawings.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Exciting times! I love the wallpaper scraps and the floral print. How lovely to have some of the house's history to take forward with you.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Love the wallpaper and the print too, bits from the house would be nice in a frame, and how nice to visit another artist.. we are just decorating the bathroom the kids names are on there under the wall paper it says 2004 ! were has the time gone...Love looking at the photos of what you are doing..
    Amanda xx

    ReplyDelete
  11. Sounds like it's all systems go at the new house, both inside and out, though I'm betting it still feels a bit unreal. Love your finds and hope the sleepover went well (I'm sure all three had a whale of a time).

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'm so happy to have found your blog (through the CC). I think your photos and drawings are wonderful and am constantly amazed at the talent to be found among the young women gracing Blogland. Your Joe seems such a lovely chap too. I am going to enjoy following your progress with the house and am pleased to hear work has started and you're getting to know the garden. Now (August to October) is the best time to sow Nigella for flowering next summer and saved seeds from 2013 I'm sure will be fine. Clear some ground and sow in a distinctive pattern like a cross so you can spot the weeds from the seedlings. Lemon scented geranium is lovely and I'm sure it's not too late to re-pot into fresh compost perhaps with some added grit to add drainage. Top dress the pot with grit too. Scented geraniums look pretty in terracotta pots but only go up one pot size when re-potting. Good luck with the new house.

    ReplyDelete
  13. So exciting!! This part of being a home owner is the best bit - looking at what went before you then deciding how to put your own stamp on it. I'm glad you've had the locks changed. And I think that floral print as actually a bit of a treasure, I love the muted colours. x

    ReplyDelete
  14. I think it's a lovely idea to preserve the scraps of wallpaper - they're part of the house's story and it will be lovely to have them on display somewhere when the work's finished. I hope your mum's seeds do germinate - there is something special about heirloom plants and the memories they help to preserve - I have some iris from my great grandfather. I've been collecting seeds from the garden too - perhaps next year we could try doing a seed swap, may be even as a blog project? Enjoy your drawing and the rest of the summer, Helen x

    ReplyDelete
  15. It's a lovely idea to preserve those wallpaper scraps - I'm sure they'll look great on display when everything's finished. And I do hope your mum's seeds germinate - there's something very special about heirloom plants and the memories they help to preserve - I have some iris from my great grandfather. I've been collecting seeds from the garden too - perhaps next year we should try doing a seed swap, may be even as a blog project?! Enjoy your drawing and the rest of the summer, Helen x

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...