Painted Tiles

These tiles around the old fireplace were originally many shades of beige and brown. Hmmm... Not really my cup of tea!

As part of the gradual Mexican make over creeping through the house,I decided to paint them. The geometric design seemed to suit a Mexican feel - they just needed some COLOUR with a capital C O L O U R- and if any colours deserve to be in capitals, it's HOT PINK and ORANGE. 

Sorry! There isn't a before picture but this is early in the process!

When I explored the idea of painting tiles it suddenly became a bit complicated and expensive! That's because I went the the hardware store. The hardware store suggested special tile cleaner ($$ca-ching!$), tile primer($$ca-ching!$)and special tile paint ($$ca-ching!$). But as this wasn't a wet area or going to get much wear and tear, I decided  just, simply, to paint it!!!

I cleaned it well and primed it with some acrylic house paint. I painted the first lot of tiles using a cheap mis-tint I had out the back. It's an orange oil based gloss I have been using on the picture rails. Being oil based and thin it was a pain to paint with. Not recommended!

But I even liked the tiles at this stage... 

Next I actually had to open my wallet (and watch the moths fly out!) and buy a test pot of HOT PINK which was more than enough to complete it. 

But the best trick was the grout pen! Found at the hardware store, the pen is easy to use and finishes off the tiles well. The white grout lines are just drawn on!

Next were the floor hearth tiles. A little tricky because the surface is uneven but it looks neat enough (hooray for no more gaps!) and lastly a frame edging (cut to size by our good friend)made from left over architraves from earlier wall rearranging. I painted it with two coats of acrylic gloss and stuck it on with liquid nails.

Add some all important donkeys and voila! All in all, a cheap Mexican make over and a major improvement on the brown tiles and rough edged gaping hole that was there.

Oh and just a note about the fish tank. My partner has had this fish for years and looks after him well. He has thought long and hard about the clean fish bowl idea and has come to the conclusion that a fish would prefer a bit of privacy and somewhere to hide. More like a pond. The water on the inside is clean! No fish OR donkey were harmed in this renovation.

Out of the mouths of babes

"Painting makes you happy" - so Baby Joe told me. He always seems to be sensitive to what makes me happy and what makes me "cross". He's often asks, "Are you just pretending to be cross?" He never asks me if I'm pretending to be happy. 

He's a very perceptive almost 3 year old.

I didn't know it, but he's right! Painting does make me happy. I didn't know it, because I don't do it very often. I love to paint rooms - I love playing with colour. But I don't often paint a picture. This is the second oil painting I have done in my life. Which is a bit silly - because painting makes me happy. And we should do what makes us happy.

The painting is on a small wooden cupboard door from the sideboard in the hallway, and will go back there when it is dry. We love Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Mexican Virgin Mary, at our house.

 Speaking of Mexican - I'm off to make quesadillas for dinner now.

Happy St. Valentine's Day

Here are some hearts and roses from around our house.

And my favourite love poem....

The Good-Morrow

By John Donne 1572–1631 John Donne

I wonder, by my troth, what thou and I

Did, till we loved? Were we not weaned till then?

But sucked on country pleasures, childishly?

Or snorted we in the Seven Sleepers’ den?

’Twas so; but this, all pleasures fancies be.

If ever any beauty I did see,

Which I desired, and got, ’twas but a dream of thee.

And now good-morrow to our waking souls,

Which watch not one another out of fear;

For love, all love of other sights controls,

And makes one little room an everywhere.

Let sea-discoverers to new worlds have gone,

Let maps to other, worlds on worlds have shown,

Let us possess one world, each hath one, and is one.

My face in thine eye, thine in mine appears,

And true plain hearts do in the faces rest;

Where can we find two better hemispheres,

Without sharp north, without declining west?

Whatever dies, was not mixed equally;

If our two loves be one, or, thou and I

Love so alike, that none do slacken, none can die.

For more love poetry go to ABC Radio National
 where famous Australians have nominated their favourite love poems...

a rattle of skulls

What's the collective noun for sugar skulls? A fright of skulls? A grave of skulls? A haunting of skulls?

Today I've been making a bunch of recycled felt sugar skulls for some Halloween decorative fun. Still need to stitch some embellishments and finish these off.... 

Textile Artist Nick Cave (and a Mini Mexican Makeover)

My eyes are popping out of my head and my jaw is dropping to the floor! My friend sent me a link to the work of Chicago based artist Nick Cave and it is truly spectacular. The use of textures - some knitted and crocheted - and the amazing button work really blows my mind. Not to mention the COLOURS!!!!!
It is truly spectacular. 

The body is made from crocheted doilies and pot holders...I think I want pants like this! And below is a bear upholstered in jumpers!!!

            Buttons! All BUTTONS!!!

Yes I know!Exclamation mark overload!!!!!!!!!

Meanwhile...back on the ranch...I gave the lamp a mini-mexican-makeover using Mexican oil cloth. Rathdowne Fabrics  has a fantastic selection of printed oil cloth at the moment. Great for place mats, tablecloths, homemade lunch boxes and bags.




For the lamp shade I simply got the shade, laid it on the wrong side of the fabric and rolled it along, tracing the shape with a pen. Because this fabric doesn't fray I just cut it out, sewed on the fringing to the bottom edge and  then one seam along the side to join it. Then I just slipped it over the shade. The light comes through beautifully too!

posted by Julianne Sister outlaw