Author Archives: zefiart

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About zefiart

Blogger, DIY-er, poodle lover, graphic designer, dog groomer, recycler, artist, wonder woman in my spare time.

junk4joy banner

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Things are coming together… I’ve finished my banner for the market stall. What market? If you don’t know then you haven’t been paying attention!
The Shabby Chic Market at St George’s Church Hall, Cromwell Street Battery Point on Saturday 8th December from 10am – 4pm of course!
I thought having a stall with beautiful things is all very well… but a banner with my logo on it would be so much more professional!
After all, it goes with the flyers!

And I’m really into burlap lately.
Wayne’s been great. He’s coming to the market to help out on the day which is wonderful. He’s made me two weathered stick hanging rails for the dangles we make together and he’s all set to man the booth and buy coffee as needed.
I sure hope people like my stuff!
z

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4 chalkboards

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Chalkboards are a good thing. Not only are they all the rage, but they’re fun, practical and pretty to look at.

In preparation for the market I made these four beauties using bits and pieces I had in my workshop. They’re all different styles and sizes of frame, and all have old drawer pulls added to them for chalk holders.

The first one is a distressed antique white and has a black metal drawer pull with just enough chippy paint to make it extra special.

The second is antique white, glazed with burnt umber and has a rusty bronze coloured drawer pull. This one will have string added to tie onto the chalk for those who lose things.

Third is another antique white and glazed frame with a brass pull, again with a hole for string to be attached.

Last is a pale pink frame with a gorgeously patina-ed drawer pull. Before market day I’ll be adding string to chalk for each chalkboard and perhaps a bit of bling… see how I feel about that when I do it! 

I already have 2 chalkboards in our home so I don’t really need any more. (Can you have too many chalkboards?) I have a huge one on the porch to welcome people when they arrive, this one has pegs up top to hold chalk. (My chalkboard art leaves a lot to be desired!)

The other is next to the fridge for the shopping list, also with a peg chalk holder.

z

an old belt and a pink tray

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I don’t know what it is about trays. I don’t really use them, not in the way my grandmother did to serve greek coffee and sweets to visitors. I just love them as decoration, on a table to hold objects or displays of interesting objects.

So when I find an abused and abandoned tray in an op shop I can’t help but rescue it.

Before:

After:

The softest pale pink, some distressing, some glazing to add age, and an old belt for handles.

I love this baby! If it doesn’t sell at the market this weekend I’m keeping it!
z

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DIY Show Off

hearts of wire and lace

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I’ve been having a love affair with hearts lately. And wire. And lace. And burlap for that matter, but more on that later.
Here are some wire hearts I’ve made recently.

One day I found myself feeling a bit bored and there was some wire in my hands. I ended up making a few wire hearts.
So I grabbed some odds and ends and decorated the hearts. I used anything I had on hand: lace ribbon, satin ribbon, tulle, pearl beads, doilies, whatever.
Every one is different of course, cause I use whatever I have and cause I am easily bored of doing the same thing repeatedly.
When I ran out of the wire hearts I went on to the rusty coat hanger hearts I’d made a few months ago (when I’d found some rusty coat hangers in a pile of rubbish in our back paddock).

The rusty coat hanger hearts are much bigger than the wire hearts, but they are just as gorgeous.
The smaller hearts might make fantastic christmas decorations, or just as embellishments for any shabby decor, don’t you think? 
I know I’m sold on them.
I’ll be including these in my market stall next weekend!
Don’t forget to come to the market!
z


the op shop rooster

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Nothing says “country living more” than a rooster.
Chickens, of course. Rabbits. Cows. Sheep… and pigs….
But we’re talking about a rooster, so for the purposes of this post, a rooster is the most country-fying item you can have in your home.
So, what do you think of this little guy?

When I found him in an op shop this is what he looked like:
Ok for some I guess, but definitely not my cup of tea. However the size and shape appealed to me. He just needed some minor surgery and a facelift.
Can you spot the surgery?
Look here:

And now look here:
Did you see it? 
The comb! The way it was before he looked more like a cassowary than a rooster. I had to get out the new Rennovator tool Wayne bought me, put on the appropriate attachment, and alter the shape of the comb.
Much better even if I do say so myself!
He then had to undergo several stages of painting – undercoat, white, pink, then white again. Another of my home-made mixes: ceiling paint with some artist acrylic to tint it to a soft creamy antique white.

A little sanding, a little glaze to bring out the details and give him that old ‘much loved’ look, and voila.
A new rooster!

z
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Beyond The Picket Fence

it started as a square twig wreath

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It all started when I was making wedding decorations for a friend’s wedding. I thought a lovely square wreath, with a sign inside it (their names and wedding date) would be a nice decoration for the church and for them to keep.

But somewhere along the way something just didn’t work. This is what it looked like back then – willow twigs as the main frame, smaller eucalyptus twigs as the decoration, twisted willow twigs with beads wired around them…  wire hearts and jute twine.

I wasn’t happy with it. Even when I added the rusty coat hanger and crystal heart, it lacked something. So I did what any self respecting artist does when something isn’t working – I set it aside.

Then the other day I was inspired. I’d been cutting and painting chalkboards for other projects when I thought a chalkboard would finish this little beauty and make her practical as well as pretty!

I apologise for the photos. The lighting wasn’t the best and the sharpness factor just isn’t up to scratch. However, you get the idea. Lets just say I’ve used a filter to create softness… Yeah, lets say that!
This is what it looks like now, a pretty and unusual chalkboard.

Something you could put on the front door or in the entry to welcome visitors.

Or maybe write messages of love. I don’t think this pretty little thing is the shopping list type of chalkboard. Not that there’s anything wrong with that… I’m just saying.

z

This wreath was sold at the Shabby Market I took part in. It went to a great home… a young lady bought it for her wedding. Ideal! 🙂

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the pink shelves

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Do you remember this little thing? I found it at an op shop crying out for some TLC.

It was painted white (badly) over a blue wash. I liked the idea of white, and I loved the blue (pity they painted over it), but I decided to do something different and painted it pink!

The pink is a colour I mixed up myself using paints I had on hand. It turned out to be the softest, sweetest pale pink. When I distressed it I varied the depth so that you could see both the original wood and the previous paint layers.

I just wish I had space in my kitchen for it! If it doesn’t sell at the market  I’ll find a spot for it!

I’m still busy as ever. Running around finishing projects for the aforementioned market, organising what I’ll need and restraining myself from starting any new projects at this point…

“Just finish what you’ve started Zefi…”

I leave you with this photo of me and my beautiful Romeo, taken at the work garage sale about a month ago. Isn’t he beautiful? Our clients loved him, as did just about everyone who met him.

Better go. Things to do, dogs to groom.

z

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tiny birdcage revolution

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So… what have I been doing in the evening while watching TV?

Well, I’ve been keeping my hands busy!

I started making teeny tiny birdcages out of old bottle tops and wire. Only this time around I’ve sprayed them and added some glitter to make them sparkle.

The teeny birdcages now come in white, black, silver and gold. I think they’d make cute Christmas ornaments.

I’ll be taking a collection of these little cuties to the market with me. Hope people find them as adorable as I do.

z
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Homespun Happenings

the old yellow tray

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I love old trays. I love them as trays and I love them as just about anything else, as my letter holder/photo display of a few months ago will show.
This old tray had been used and abused by the look of it, but with a bit of paint and some elbow grease… it looks just as old and abused! 🙂

The before:

The after:

A better class of abused perhaps. Like an old dowager who’s gone to seed.

I like it better my way!

z

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Homespun Happenings

framed coffee pots

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This cute triple frame is another tip shop find. It was green when I found it so I painted it then sanded it back in areas to expose the original colour and the timber in spots.

Then, using dictionary pages and some graphics from The Graphics Fairy, I created a triptych of coffee pots & kettle which would look brilliant in any country kitchen.

I am loving the dictionary pages! I’ve made more of these little beauties to take to the Shabby Market on December 8th.

See you there!

z

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