New love for a dolly’s highchair

I stumbled accross this vintage Triang highchair on ebay and couldn’t pass it by without putting a bid on it – I won it for just £5 (despite it being an hours’ round trip to collect it!). I really like the colour it was but it was looking a bit dull and tired, plus there was a fair amount of rust on it and our move to Australia requires all rust to be cleaned/covered so I thought it best to try and restore it.

I can’t say it’s been an easy task – I tried some Nitro Mors. Yucky, horrid, and awful to the environment, it didn’t seem to do much apart from leave cloggy mucky lumps behind. Luckily, my very dear friend managed to provide me with a Black & Decker Mouse. Oh it was fab, that and a small amount of elbow grease was all it took to get it in a state ready for spraying. I decided to spray it as there are so many small spindles and areas I just didn’t think that my painting skills would leave a very good outcome.

Anyway, here it is after it’s first coat of pink spray paint:

I’m pleased with the final result, it’s not perfect but it will do for now until it is shipped accross to Australia (we needed to sort out the rust on it before the shippers pack everything up  hence the need for doing it up now) I like the shade of pink that it is so I may keep it that colour for good.

Little antique chair completed!

I’ve been busy over the past (what seems like lots of!) weeks doing up this little chair for’T’ I searched ebay, shops, antique stores etc and then came accross this one on ebay which I won for 5 pounds!!! (I had been bidding on others at 5 times that price so was really pleased when it arrived!

It is thought to be approx 100 years old and possibly and old school or church chair – I love that it has some history behind it and wonder how many children have used it! It took a LONG time to sand it down by hand (I hate that bit!)  was glad to paint it and then used briwax as suggested by my friend – it gives it such a lovely finish and I’m really pleased with it.

‘T’ seems to like it – her first reaction to it was to climb on it and stand on it! So it is in her bedroom for now – until I know she can be left safely with it in the lounge!

The little cushion was made by an old school friend of mine who we recently visited – I hadn’t intended the chair to match it but they are a prefect pair! Thanks so much for the cushion G – we both LOVE it and will treasure it forever!! xx

Remember to head over to ‘1st Unique Gifts’ for another week of ‘Handmade Monday’ xx

The little red rocking horse

I found this cute little rocking horse in a local charity shop, I still have another layer or two of pain to go before I sand it slightly and then add some beeswax to give it a nicer finish, but I’m really pleased with the colour. It was a ‘bright’ pine colour with eyes and a permenant marker smile, not quite sure if I will add anything to it or not yet.

Don’t forget to take a look over at handmade Monday for some fab blog links

The little stool

I have been painting a little stool for T this week, my Mum found it in a local charity shop and I’ve painted it in a nice fresh green to liven it up a bit, I think she’ll love sitting here when she’s a bit older.