More Shed Chic

In honour of us getting our new shed, I decided to create some decoration for it. I had an ornamental bird box that has seen better days. The paint that had been used originally I don't think was for external use because it was all flaking and peeling off. The roof wood was warping and cracking. I don't think shops should be allowed to sell things aimed at the garden unless the materials they use are weatherproof. Or they should state it's for interior use only. Anyway, I also had some vintage plates with chips in the rims, so I decided to try my hand at Pique Assiette. Basically, it's mosaic made up of broken china, or ceramic. I sanded back the paint on the bird box, cut up a couple of the plates and added the mosaic to the front of the box. I then painted the rest of the wood with weatherproof paint.

I painted the roof blue to match a shade in the tiles and then I artificially aged the roof by overpainting it with some green wood preservative. I'm quite pleased with the end result. For a first attempt. To be honest, I've always thought things made with the Pique Assette technique were a bit, well, twee. But I think my bird box has a touch of vintage style about it.

The shed isn't here yet. It's due next week. I will get a picture of it in all it's glory as a before and after blog. It might even get me started on the Moroccan Courtyard I've been threatening to create because the shed will be one of the boundaries of that area.

I've just gone and found my original plan for the garden from April 2011. The shed is going exactly where I planned it. The pond is in. The new lawn and bee border are made. It's coming together.

Shed Chic



Mosaic Heart Slate Flower Pot Garden Hanging Decoration


This week we had to buy a shed due to our old garden storage finally giving up the ghost. I spent hours trying to find one in the size that would fit the space (very small), within budget (very small), and that looked like it wouldn't blow away in a light breeze. Not easy, but I have finally found a tool store that is perfect. I am really looking forward to sprucing it up, when it arrives, with a lick of paint and maybe some decoration. (If the quality of the shed is good, and the delivery service is good too I'll recommend the shed and the place I bought it from. Actually if it's all rubbish I'll warn you off them, so you'll hear from me either way on this.)

Unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to sit in it and survey my garden (there's just enough room for a set of shelves and a garden rake). But, it got me thinking about how I would dress up a full-sized summerhouse / garden room shed.

Every week I pick a selection of items from one of the craft sites that I am on as a themed collection called a Folksy Friday. As this week's Folksy Friday is my pick for a complete shed makeover, I thought it might be interesting to anyone reading this blog too. Quite a large selection too because there was too much to choose from. Click on the link to see the collection on my Pinterest board and see what you think -

*** Folksy Handmade - Shed Chic ***

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Nearly Spring. Meanwhile, Bridlington.

It's been a bit fresh up this way over the last couple of months. Nothing really to report on the garden. I've had a nicely timed visit to Homebase a couple of weeks ago. It must have been just after they had a delivery of garden containers, which they decided to kick into place, or something. I managed to get a massive 48cm glazed pot (with a hairline crack in it, but I'm going to seal it, and if it breaks, I'll stick it back together and use a plastic pot inside it) reduced from £30 to £7.50. And a lovely terracotta strawberry pot with 6 planting cups (one of which has been half broken off, but I can always put that to the back) reduced from £15 to a fiver. Pleased with them. Pics when they are in the garden. I've got them indoors at the mo until I can seal them so they are reasonably frostproof. Not sure what I'll put in the large container yet. I might transfer my apple tree into it. Or I might get a different tree to go into it to add to my container tree collection. I need some more height in the garden. If nothing else to tempt the birds back in. I'm not sure what's happened out there but the sparrows and starlings are avoiding my bird feeder like the plague. I can see them in a garden with fat balls out a few doors down. And everywhere you walk round here there are sparrows in the hedges and starlings in the trees. Just not in our garden. The only birds we occassionally get in are a couple of wood pigeons.

Bridlington South Beach.



Anyway, due to it being too snowy/wet/windy to do anything in the garden, I'll give you a quick look at Bridlington in the snow. I love Bridlington. It's just like I remember seaside resorts being when I was a kid. With a touch of modern about it too. I'll do a proper 'Walking East Yorkshire' review of Brid in the spring/summer when I can get lots of spring/summery shots. But in the meantime here's a few pics of Brid in February. It actually wasn't too cold, even though there's still some lying snow on the beach. We sat outside at a cafe for a brew and didn't die of exposure. It was quite pleasant.



The promonade kids' paddling pool. It could be Spain.



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Down on the promenade on the South beach there's some lovely beach huts with dark wood fronts to them, and the kid's paddling pool with it's terracotta walls really add a Mediterranean feel to the area. I know that sounds a ridiculous thing to say about Bridlington, but honestly if you time it right the sun beats down on that Prom and the way it's been designed down there is really great. I love it. You can see the glass balcony that overhangs from the road on the paddling pool pic too. A lot of the design along the top is done like a ship with masts and white railings and decking. I will take proper pics of it all in my spring/summer blog post.



North Beach with it's shingle and pebbles looking round to Flamborough Head cliffs



If you like beaches you'll love Bridlington. The South Beach is just miles and miles of gently sloping golden sand. And the North Beach is miles and miles of sand with shingle and pebbles which I love to pick through to find interesting things. Usually sea glass. I'm collecting it up to make a mosaic from. In the centre of the two beaches is the harbour, which I will again get pictures of for the spring/summer update. You can get boat trips from there on a pirate ship, or one boat will take you up to Flamborough and Bempton Cliff bird colonies. There's a fun fair. Slots. Crazy Golf. Pitch and Putt. The Bridlington Spa a historic venue which has lots of summer shows on. A land train that runs from town to the end of the North Beach where Sewerby Hall and it's gardens and mini zoo are. What more could you want out of a seaside resort??!!