THE BIG MEND WITH SCRAPIANA

On the April the 24th, the Peachey sisters and I attended Scrapiana’s Big Mend event at Crockadoodledo, Larkhall.

The Big Mend is a monthly event that ‘aims to get Bath… mending its ways.’ As we entered the cosy Crockodoodledo shop, the Peachey sisters (Lisa and Natalie) and I were greeted with drinks and nibbles – I embarrassingly scoffed down more than my share; I was terribly hungry in my defence.

Once we all got acquainted we sat down to show Scrapiana, Mistress of Mending, what we had been meaning to repair days, months and sometimes even years ago. This event was just what we needed to make some time to finish these tasks.

I took a jacket that I had ripped that morning – just in the nick of time I thought. Scrapiana is actually fostering it until the next event. It got torn on the back, right down the middle as I was swinging my arms to make extra room for my shoulders. I was having a thin day, or so I thought.

Everyone in the room had a very interesting story behind the garment they brought in. And their ‘life stories’ were just as intriguing.

The Big Mend had a wonderful atmosphere and the Peacheys and I are definitely returning next month for another mending session.

If you’re from Bath or beyond and have something to repair that you just can’t make time for, join the Big Mend – I promise not to eat all the nibbles.

Keep up to date! Find out where and when the next Big Mend is by following Scrapiana on Twitter.

Happy mending!

Yours truly,

Nina

I bought the Mend It Better book that features Scrapiana’s (Eirlys) apron mend

3 Comments

by Nina Camacho on April 30, 2012 • Permalink

Posted in DIY, PEACHY CRAFT NIGHT, WORKSHOP

Tagged BATH, CRAFT, LARKHALL, MEND, SEWING, THE BIG MEND, WORKSHOP

Posted by Nina Camacho on April 30, 2012

http://sohouseproud.com/2012/04/30/the-big-mend-with-scrapiana/

SALVAGE A WICKER BASKET TODAY

Sometimes all it takes is a little imagination.

With wicker baskets on the cusp of becoming unfashionable, I thought I’d find a way to make them seem less dated in the home – sometimes even I have the urge to get rid of something just because it’s not my ‘taste’ anymore.

These baskets aren’t complete yet. I plan on masking patterns onto them and spray painting it a different colour.

I have a real obsession with geometric shapes so don’t be surprised if they’re not elaborate decorative designs. I toyed with the idea of painting the inside of the basket a red but I think that would be nearly impossible to achieve with this particular weave.

If I can give any advice: always spray paint outside and use some of your paper in the recycling bin to lie on your work surface.

There are tons of things I could do to make sure these baskets avoid the bin and that’s exactly what I’ll do.

Happy hoarding!

Yours truly,

Nina

2 Comments

by Nina Camacho on April 22, 2012 • Permalink

Posted in DECOR, DIY, SHP UPCYCLE, UPCYCLE

Tagged PATTERNS, SPRAY PAINT, UPCYCLING, WICKER, WICKER BASKET

Posted by Nina Camacho on April 22, 2012

http://sohouseproud.com/2012/04/22/salvage-a-wicker-basket-today/

DIY DRY ERASE BOARD: UPCYCLING AN OLD WINDOW

This week I’ve finished the kitchen’s dry erase board by repurposing an old window. I bought the window at a car boot sale a few months ago (£1 for two). It’s a simple DIY project and I’m really pleased with the result.

What you will need:

Window

Fabric/Wallpaper

Sandpaper

Wood paint

Masking tape

Hammer and nails

String or hooks with which to hang the board

Method:

1) I started by removing all the hinges and then gave the window a good wash with soapy water.

2) When it dried, I masked the edges where the window and window frame meet to avoid painting on the glass.

3) I then gave it a good lick of paint and waited until it was dry before giving it a second coat.

Depending on what paint you use, you might have to give it more than just two coats. Paint the frame using a good quality brush, it really makes all the difference. I used a flat paintbrush that I bought from Wilko and wood paint by Crown.

4) Once it was dry, I gave the glass a good clean using window cleaner and then polished them as well.

5) I then ironed the fabric.

6) Measure how much fabric you will need to cover the back of the window.

7) Place the fabric, face down, onto the back of the window and nail the fabric to the wooden frame. Leave about 2-3cm gaps between each nail.

8) I used some string and two upholstery tacks to I hang my dry erase board. You might find something else works better though.

All you need now are some dry erase pens and a shopping list.

Happy upcycling!

Yours truly,

Nina

2 Comments

by Nina Camacho on April 18, 2012 • Permalink

Posted in DECOR, DIY, KITCHEN, SHP UPCYCLE, TUTORIALS, UPCYCLE

Tagged DRY ERASE BOARD, UPCYCLE, UPCYCLING A WINDOW, WONDOW FRAME

Posted by Nina Camacho on April 18, 2012

http://sohouseproud.com/2012/04/18/diy-dry-erase-board-upcycling-an-old-window/

GENESIS TRUST FEEDBACK

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by Nina Camacho on April 18, 2012 • Permalink

Posted in DIY, GENESIS TRUST, SHP UPCYCLE, UPCYCLE, WORKSHOP

Tagged CHARITY, GENESIS TRUST, UPCYCLING, WORKSHOPS

Posted by Nina Camacho on April 18, 2012

http://sohouseproud.com/2012/04/18/genesis-trust-feedback/

GENESIS TRUST WORKSHOP DAY 3

Hi there,

Today was my last workshop at Genesis Trust, and to tell you all about it I’ve made a short video.

As I’ve said many, many times… I’ve had so much fun. But I won’t say anything else as the video does that for me.

Yours truly,

Nina

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by Nina Camacho on April 17, 2012 • Permalink

Posted in CHARITY, GENESIS TRUST, SHP UPCYCLE, UPCYCLE, WORKSHOP

Tagged CUSHIONS, CUSHIONS OUT OF JUMPERS, GENESIS TRUST, HOST, JUMPERS, UPCYCLING, WORKSHOP

Posted by Nina Camacho on April 17, 2012

http://sohouseproud.com/2012/04/17/genesis-trust-workshop-day-3/

CRAFT AND DESIGN MAGAZINES ON ISSUU

Magazines can be rather expensive. That doesn’t mean I don’t buy them anymore, I just don’t do it as often as I used to. Nowadays, I find myself on Issuu paging through the excellent content that people have published on there for free.

Issuu is an online service that publishes your documents with beautiful page turning results. There are some stunning examples of what you can achieve and it is definitely worth a browse for anyone in search of something different to read, inspiration or even if you just want to be a little nosey.

Most of the publications in the Hobby and Home category are catalogues, but I find that they can be just as exciting as interior design magazines.

I’d like to share with you today, three publications that have stirred my passion for all things homespun. If you’d like to view the whole magazine, click on the screenshot.

If you don’t know where to start, get going by looking through the Issuu publications that I’ve pinned on my e-magazine Pinterest board. There you will find all my favourite zines so far.

I hope you find what you’re looking for.

Happy hunting!

Yours truly,

Nina

Covet Garden Issue 21

Adore Home April/May Issue

Poppy Talk February 2011 Issue

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by Nina Camacho on April 17, 2012 • Permalink

Posted in DECOR, DIY

Tagged DIY, HANDMADE, HOMEMADE, INTERIOR DESIGN, ISSUU, MAGAZINES, PUBLICATION, SELFPUBLISH

Posted by Nina Camacho on April 17, 2012

http://sohouseproud.com/2012/04/17/craft-and-design-magazines-on-issuu/

MAKING NOTEBOOKS: REUSING PAPER

A few days ago I posted an Instagram image on my Twitter feed showing off my new notebooks. My new, upcycled notebooks. Throughout my third year at university I’ve saved all my scrap paper with the idea to make a notebook from them. Of course now I realise that it would be pointless to make the notebook after the academic year, as I’m less likely to make use of it. So I’ve made them just in time for the last term.

I saved paper with draft sketches, scribbles, draft articles, printing errors and pieces of card too.

Here’s a tutorial on how to make quick notebooks.

What you will need:

Paper (I used 6 sheets for each notebook)

Sewing machine

Cotton

Method:

1) Fold the paper in half along the width. If some of your sheets of paper are larger than A4, fold the edges so that it makes an A4 sheet. This can help to give your notebooks a different dimension.

2) Lay six A4 sheets on top of each other, making sure that the halfway folds line up.

3) Sew along this halfway line using a plain straight stitch.

It’s that quick and easy!

You could sew a ribbon bookmark to your notebook by placing one end of the ribbon at the top of your notebook ,between the first and second page (the first page being the cover of your notebook).

This is such an easy way to reuse paper and I wish I’d thought of doing this when I started uni. Making a 6-paged notebook, which works out to be 12 A5 pages, means that I can in theory use one notebook every week. You might decide to make a thicker book in which case you’ll have to perfect bind several 6-paged notebooks together.

Here’s a great YouTube tutorial on how to perfect bind a book

Happy reusing!

Yours truly,

Nina

2 Comments

by Nina Camacho on April 13, 2012 • Permalink

Posted in DIY, GIFTS, SHP UPCYCLE, TUTORIALS, UPCYCLE

Tagged BOOK, BOOKBINDING, PAPER, RECYCLE, REUSING PAPER, SEWING, UPCYCLE

Posted by Nina Camacho on April 13, 2012

http://sohouseproud.com/2012/04/13/making-notebooks-reusing-paper/

INTERVIEW KATE PRUITT: DESIGN*SPONGE SENIOR EDITOR

This week I had the pleasure of interviewing, Kate Pruitt, DIY Senior Editor at Design*Sponge.

Kate is a Fine Art and Art History gradate who is now more commonly know as a DIY extraordinaire. She has worked for or contributed to publications such as New York Magazine, Country Living, ReadyMade and of course, Design*Sponge. She’s also worked as a display coordinator for Anthropolgie. If you’ve not heard of it, avoid visiting this site unless you’re prepared to want everything they sell. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

As someone who’s always on the look out for a bargain, Kate is truly an inspirational individual in the industry of interior design.

I asked her a few questions about DIY and tried to find out a bit more about what inspires her. So, without further adieu, I give you Kate Pruitt.

Kate Pruitt

So House Proud!: You’ve contributed to and continue to furnish the internet with amazing content. Do you think that the ‘digital age’ is a help or hindrance to the world of arts and crafts?

Kate Pruitt: I think the digital age has allowed for an explosion of creativity. Anyone can easily share their own work online and communicate with other creative people around the world. Also, materials and techniques are so readily available online that you can teach yourself how to do almost anything. On the other hand, I think with so much saturation online, it can be difficult to find your own voice and not feel overwhelmed by all of the inspiring images available to you.

It also concerns me that the internet reduces everything to a 2D image. Photography is wonderful, but it’s also incredibly deceiving; as we live more of our lives online, we run the risk of taking images as fact. I don’t want everything I make to be experienced only in a photograph. This is part of the reason we’re producing print media, and hosting events and classes at the Design*Sponge office in Brooklyn. We really want to provide inspiration and value to our readers in tangible and intangible ways.

Design*Sponge Magazine

SHP: Your career sounds like a very creative (and busy) one, what are you working on at the moment?

Kate: We’re always working on a bunch of things, and every day is different—which I love. We have another edition of the D*S Newspaper coming up soon, and I’m working on developing some more DIY projects and DIY related material for the site.

SHP: Do you find that the weather limits your choice in DIY projects? And if so, how do you get around it?

Kate: Not really. If I have a project that requires outdoor shooting but the weather is bad, I will save it for a sunnier day. I always have a list of ongoing project ideas that I can choose from.

SHP: You must receive hundreds upon hundreds of DIY submissions for Design*Sponge. Could you select a favourite entry?

Kate: Too hard to choose! I don’t have a favourite, honestly, but my favourite type of DIY projects are ones that use something commonplace in an unexpected way, like hangers, recycled cardboard boxes, etc.

SHP: In September 2009 you shared a photo of a tea cup that would become an addition to your collection. At the time the collection was “not too crazy yet”. How much bigger has the it grown?

Kate: The collection expanded to about about 30 cups, but I stopped collecting them a couple years back, mainly due to space issues. If I come across a really beautiful one, though, I would certainly pick it up!

Teacup Collection

SHP: If you had to choose just 3 craft/DIY/design projects you had to do for the rest of your life, what would they be?

Kate: I would make lighting projects, small pieces of furniture (stools, chairs, tables), and nonfunctional display objects like wall decor or tabletop items. These are the categories that allow for the most experimentation and strangeness I think, and that appeals to me.

—

I look forward to reading the Design*Sponge magazine and after that I am all inspired to make a list of projects to complete during the winter months.

Yours truly,

Nina

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by Nina Camacho on April 11, 2012 • Permalink

Posted in DIY, FEATURED UPCYCLERS, SHP UPCYCLE

Tagged DESIGN SPONGE, DIY, INTERVIEW, KATE PRUITT

Posted by Nina Camacho on April 11, 2012

http://sohouseproud.com/2012/04/11/interview-with-designsponges-kate-pruitt/

GENESIS WORKSHOP DAY 2

Well hello again –

Another Genesis Trust workshop done, I am going to be so sad when it’s all over.

I’d just like to take the chance to thank every single person who has ever commented on my blog. I really appreciate your feedback and welcome any thoughts you have about my posts. It’s so lovely to receive a ‘Like’ or a ‘Follow’ or a ‘Comment’, so thank you very much!

Last week five people came to the workshop and today four new faces joined the upcycling fun. Although there were only five attendees at each workshop, it’s definitely just the right amount of people to manage. If there are any more than that I think I would struggle to get round every one.

I must say everyone seems to get on smashingly with the sewing machine. I try not to get too technical about it all. Just thread and sew, that’s all anyone really needs to learn to complete basic tasks.

I love how everyone comes to enjoy the workshop. There’s plenty of conversations to join, cups of tea to be had, people laughing at mistakes they’ve made – or I’ve made should I say? It’s so much fun and I can’t think of a better way to spend my afternoon.

Denise pops in every now-and-then to see how we’re doing and always comments on the atmosphere saying, “It’s a hub of activity in here, ladies.”

Watching people express their creative flair in each cushion is exciting and today many left with their first project tucked proudly under their arm.

Next week is the last workshop. I don’t like to think about it too much because my heart sinks every time I do. I know it’s going to be the best workshop of them all.

To find out more about my relationship with Genesis Trust read this.

Happy upcycling!

Yours truly,

Nina