Right Now

My Craft Challenge - Make Something To Wear & To Giveaway

 I have been wanting to sew something for myself for a long time now. The last time I sewed something for me was when I was pregnant with Noah, that's over 8 years ago, so it wasn't a surprise when I failed at sewing a straight line! Honestly I wanted to throw the towel in and give up! But I didn't, even though the hem on my arm holes make me stare with a certain discomposure! Promise me you wont blow this image up and study it for all it's magnificent skill work! Promise me! I am happy however, with the choice of fabric and the cute rickrack tie I added... they work fabulously together!

By now some of you should be looking at the top thinking... have I seen this before? Well you've seen the colours before - in this kit, Pink Samples!

7.99  $5.99
Save: 25% off
And if this is your first time seeing the kit, that means you missed out on an incredible 24 hour giveaway held through the Vinnie Pearce Design facebook page. Make sure you are part of this fan page for future giveaways because you'll hear about it there first!

So onto my next Craft Challenge - Make Something To Giveaway, which I kind of already did before with the kit! But it wasn't what I had in mind when I set this challenge up for myself... I was wanting to stay away from designing as much as possible, instead I let myself go with the flow of inspiration that came. It's important to do this as an artist or designer, even if you have to break some of your own rules (like for me, that was not designing a thing to sell for the store) because it's in this zone you can produce some really inspiring and amazing things! Unfortunately I can't say my top is amazing or maybe even inspiring to some! But if I did not finish that top I would not have something to share on this blog post and that inspiration to create a co-ordinated kit would not have come, because it was an after thought. So I think I've made another point, finish what you start even if it's not perfect! And I'm so preaching to myself right now, because I am the queen of neglected projects! So I made this to giveaway, it's going to someone who is actually really generous and thoughtful with their time and money - my mother in-law. I hope she doesn't read this post! They're gift cards, and they were SO fun & satisfying to make!

 CREDITS: Pink Samples Kit. Prima Flower, Amy Tangerine Leaves, other found objects.

I have two more challenges to do, Make Something To Display & Flip, which I am crazy excited about starting.

Thanks for visiting today! I hope I have inspired you to create!

 p.s. I couldn't share what my kids made because it was a disaster! Maybe I'll try again another time.

 

 

Our Bedroom

Hello all. I thought I'd start sharing the inside of the place we are renting right now, starting with my room. It's such a treat having all the wall colours neutral, which was one of the things I really worried about when searching for a rental. I would find it a challenge decorating with maroon, bright blue or kaki coloured walls, let alone living with it everyday - I saw enough of those while searching.

It's been over 5 months now in this place and it feels good. Only issue I have right now is the landlords sheep, they've been let out for winter and for grazing all over the place & around our house. I like the sheep, but it's what they leave behind that makes me feel uncomfortable. The kids can't really play outside now because of this, and I have to go through a maze if I want to walk to the car. Anyway... ewwww, how did I get onto this subject! Hubby will talk to the landlords tonight & hopefully something will be done like fencing.

So my room, here you will hardly see any Teal. I wanted to go for a more natural look, with browns, greys and whites.

A future project I have in mind is to cover the headboard with a nicer fabric, at the moment I am hiding the faded and stained cream board with a white sheet, what else can you do when you have limited funds huh?!

I've filled my DIY jewellery organizer more since the last time you saw it!

Where To Buy Or Make
Duvet cover & fur throw from: Ezibuy; Wooden wall letters from OhDierLiving;
Wall art by Amber Alexander; Wall butterflies printed from a free digital pack at Vinnie Pearce Downloads; Bedside tables (that me and my son put together from a flat pack) from Trademe trader livingez;  Hybrid cushion by me created around 4 years ago; DIY jewellery holder by me; Little brown pot - an op-shop find.

It's nice walking in there and easy to keep clean!

Me Right Now

Finally I get a chance to blog without the frustration of a slow internet and without the guilt of not organizing my house! Two months after the big move, and we still have boxes around us. We have been to the dump around five times in the space of two months, gave away 2-3 car loads of charity bags and boxes, AND WE STILL HAVE BOXES & BAGS AROUND US! This move has turned out to be a huge De-clutter Your Lives episode. I know simplicity is approaching.

I love the new place we live in. We are still in Auckland, but out in the bush/country. It's the atmosphere I dreamt about for my kids to grow up in. We are renting the place at the moment and are very happy! It feels so good to not have a mortgage right now, and we are in no hurry to sign up for one too.

I'm still decorating the inside of the house, so I'll show parts of our outside for now and the inside on a future post.

Almost everyday I am thankful we found this place, dispite no broadband connection and no TV... yup NO TV! Its alright though because we were hardly chained to it before in the old house and its actually really nice, nice not having the temptation to sludge out. O! we have rented a lot of DVD's though heehee!

No broadband connection has been a blessing in disguise too. I pay $50 NZD for two gigs a month! At first I was like... nooooooo we have to move... AGAIN! But I thought about it and found I can make it work with the business as long as I do big uploads and downloads at my sisters or brothers house. With the 2 gig allowance, I have to think about the sites I allow myself to "stumble" upon and use the net for mostly business, I have an exception to facebook and pinterest of course! But it means I can just get to other tasks around my home and this is exactly the way I want it to be. Especially now that I'm homeschooling two children - which I am loving by the way! 

Hey did you see the post about Kushee? It's my new gift store, have a browse when you have a few minutes!

So that's me right now... embracing the simple life, one box at a time!

Our Home Tour

Through a House Photographer's lens...

After six years of calling this place our home, it's almost time to say goodbye. Oh! I am so going to cry when I shut the door to this place for the last time.

Living Room Makeover

Hello everyone! Some of you already know this... but our house has sold! We have been talking, thinking and praying about this for a couple of years now. It went unconditional a few weeks ago and we have till the end of January to find a new place. We have a couple of options but nothing concrete. Anyway I know I said I would share some of my living room projects with you all, but I just can't right now, so please forgive me for this! I will however show you the photos... I think you've waited long enough... heehee - I've waited long enough for it to actually look like this! And now we have to move! Crazy I know, but I'm confident I can re-create the look else where and better.

So here are the before pics - 

and a really terrible view from the other corner, I took a blurry photo then sharpend it like mad - sorry about that, not sure why I settled for that, but you get the idea anyway.

What I love most about this makeover is the gallery wall. I wanted to find away to make that wood-burner less in your face, so I bought or painted frames in black and created a gallery of memories and special collected pieces. I love it so So much!

It will be sad to say goodbye to this space.

Kitchen Makeover + Giveaway!

Thought I'd show you what my kitchen looks like. I don't have many or decent before photos. Only what I have below. We only put a wall up to block off the entrance and left everything as it was when we moved in.

It was in pretty good condition already the kitchen, as you can see -
This picture was taken through the entrance when it used to exist. Checkout the after photo now!
So as you can see, not many changes, except the wall, the stunning teal accent colour and my floors have been freshly mopped... I think!

The details

So here's the giveaway. Guess what item from the pictures above, will be available next year for all the world to purchase designed by me. Write it in the comments section of this post and I will announce the winner, next week Wednesday(nz time) 9pm.

Increase your chance of winning! If you mention this giveaway on your blog, forum or facebook page, you can enter again for an increased chance of winning. Just copy your post link on to your next posted comment! You can enter as many times as you like, just make sure you have a valid link mentioning this giveaway.

Entries close 5.00pm Wednesday 14th Dec 2011. Product will be shipped once the store has launched, which will be some time early next year.

All the best guys!

Two Birds - A Mixed Media Piece By Me

I painted this yesterday!

SUPPLIES USED: Tattered Angles Mists; Acrylics, Inks, Prima Stamps; Texture Medium; Alison's Acquisitions flower; Miscellaneous charm; Thread; Paint roller.

I've been wanting to create something huge and teal saturated to hang over my dining room table for a very long time. Finally I had some spare time yesterday and knew it had to be a paint day - and a paint day it was! I made such a mess in my kitchen, the clean up was PAAINful. I have to say I am totally satisfied with it! I thought I wasn't going to be, because I felt the time pressure big time and I don't work well knowing I have to have everything cleaned up at a certain time - kills my creativity big time! Any way, once the inspiration started rolling in... about half way through the project! I knew this was going to all work out. I always dread going in the right direction then mucking it up, because of too much misting or something... (sigh) oh how I love misting. I really need to order some more bottles in actually!

Anyway here is the how to.
I'll show you the room view on another post!

 

Some Hybrid Scrapbooking + Update on Living Room Makeover

Hello hello! Hope you are all well! I'm so happy its Friday!

I have a date with the swiss ball in an hour and a half, after that its a prawn and avocado wrap... my mouth keeps watering every time I think about it! Anyway I just wanted to share a couple of things before I go batter my body up.

The makeover in my living room is almost complete. I just wanted to share a sneak peek with you all, because there are a few items I want to alter in the room before sharing the view.

For the next month or so I plan to share my projects with step by step instructions. I hope you stick around, I think it will be fun! Items include my magazine box, a huge piece of art to go above the dining table, some small pieces for the wall, a couple of cushions, etc. I'll even include some free prints to download!

Time to show you some hybrid scrapbooking -

CREDITS: DIGI - Peppermint's (One Little Bird) Sweater Weather Kit; My Distress brushes; TRADITIONAL - bird from Prima Marketing; Spoon from (can't remember sorry) Stamps; Inks; Buttons laying around my house; Kraft paper.

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to make time for your self everyone, and have a wonderful weekend!

 

D.I.Y Jewellery Organizer + FREE Print Out

I have been wanting to do this for a while now. Organize my - forever getting tangled necklaces & my disappearing earring's! I have looked and looked for something to display all my pretties, but most of the ones I like have that handmade feel. And I don't like parting with lots of money if I know I can make it myself - you know what I mean? - yah. So finally, I found the perfect solution.

A few days ago I found this piece at the warehouse for $12.50! Had to get it!  ...didn't know what I was going to alter it for, but I knew it was a great buy!

I am so satisfied with the end result, it looks better then how I imagined it would be. I realized while taking the pics I need more earrings - hint hint Justin! Here's what you will need -

Here are a few close ups -

The room view -

And your free printable art -

 
Download VPearce-Jewellery-Organiser-Print

Hope you enjoyed this post!

 

Bathroom MakeOver

Before we bought this house, we rented it first. We fell in love with the Rimu bathroom and the warmth it added to this area of the house, it really didn't need doing up. But for some reason we thought it would be a great idea to join the toilet and bathroom and make the space feel bigger and more modern. Let me tell you it took us Ages... well it took Jus ages to finish. He had to carefully rip the rimu off the wall that was going to get knocked down, so he could use them at the back of the toilet wall, since it was going to join forces with the bathroom wall. I think we made it look more sleek, take a look at the before pics -

So after installing new windows, grouting, painting, my nagging and more painting, and more nagging this is the result -
I know what you're thinking... that mirror! I know isn't it perfect! Justin actually tiled pebbles around the mirror he got free from work! We created a great feature in the bathroom as well as bringing in more light with those tiles. I love how it feels like the outdoors are inside, I mean we are surrounded by lots of trees and all kinds of birds including the Tui I have hanging on the new wall. Titirangi is such a great place to live in, if you are ever going to live in Auckland, then Titirangi is the place to be for peace and inspiration. Here's a couple more pics -

 
Thanks for stopping by and viewing my bathroom makeover!