Tea Stains and Daisy Chains: 2015

beauty

Purchased in September

14:09

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annie sloan

DIY Shabby Chic Mini Wooden Drawers

11:46

In my last post I said I was possibly going to try a DIY project with the mini stationary drawers I'm taking to uni. I didn't really think I'd ever get round to it, but as it turns out, I was bored today and fancied getting a bit creative. You'll be pleased to know that it only took a couple of hours, so it's not the kind of project that takes the whole day or weekend or anything. Even better, you can do this with any piece of furniture you want to turn vintage! Here's what you'll need:

1 set of mini wooden drawers (IKEA is probably your best bet)
Chalk paint (I used Annie Sloan's)
Soft clear wax and soft dark wax (again, Annie Sloan's is great)
A couple of paintbrushes of varying sizes
An old cloth or rag of material
Sandpaper
Paper, a pencil and a ruler
Acrylic paint for decoration (I used black)

Step One- The painting

Before you start any painting, you'll want to lay down some newspaper to protect the surface you're working on. You could do it outside if it's sunny, but it's useful to be at a table to get the best stance when you're rubbing down later on! Once you're all sorted with your old shirt and your radio blasting, you need to take the drawers out of the main 'chest' and coat each one with your chalk paint. I only did the front and sides because I didn't see much point in doing the inside or the back, but it's up to you. Don't worry about being particularly neat; if you miss a few spots then that will only add to the vintage effect. Lay the drawers out to dry and then do the same with the actual chest (again, I only did top, sides and the small edging on the front). Leave everything to dry for a while, preferably a good few hours.

Step Two- The waxing

First, take the clear wax on a paint brush or an old cloth and rub it into each of the painted areas of your drawers and chest, almost as though it's a moisturiser. The next bit's a bit scary, but if you want that shabby chic look then it's got to be done! Take the dark wax and paint some onto one of the sides of a drawer. It will look very dark and horrible, but that will all change! Using a dampened rag or cloth, rub in the wax (always going in one direction) so it smudges, making sure you exert quite a lot of pressure. Continue this until you've got your desired effect, also using the sandpaper to help scrub off some of the wax so that the white paint, or even the wood, shows beneath. It looks quite good to have darker bits around the edges, but you can create any sort of look that you want. Once you've done this with each side and each drawer, do it to the main chest, coat everything in the clear wax again and leave to dry.

Step Three- Drawing the Design

Now, if you like the minimalist look, you could just leave your drawers at that, but I decided to add a design on the front to personalise it even more. Obviously, any design would work, but if you're not used to painting then keeping it simple is probably the best idea. If you know the kind of thing you want, head over to Pinterest and have a look around; that's what I did! Instead of cracking straight on with the paint, it's best to measure out the area you want to apply the design to, and then make a paper replica as a sort of template. For mine, I measured the height and width of the chest (from the inside of the border around the edge) and cut my paper to the right size. Then, I measured the height and width of the drawers and transferred all of those measurements on to the paper, which then created the horizontal shelf in the middle as well.

Next, draw your design onto the paper, remembering that you don't want a complicated bit to fall on the edge of one of the drawers, or on the middle shelf. When you're happy with it, transfer the corresponding section onto each of the drawers using a pencil. Press quite lightly in case you make a mistake.

Step Four- Painting the Design

Once you're pleased with your pencil outline, you can begin to apply the paint! I used black acrylic straight from the tube, as any water would just be resisted by the wax coating I applied earlier. I'd recommend taking each drawer out and painting it individually, as it's just easier to work with and I'd use quite a fine paintbrush if your design is detailed. Once you've done one layer of paint and it's dried, you might want to apply another layer to create a cleaner finish. Finally, put all the drawers back into the chest and join up any broken lines (e.g. over the middle shelf).

All that's left to do now is fill your drawers with stationary, make-up, jewellery or anything you fancy!

I hope you enjoyed this DIY tutorial- please let me know in the comments section below!

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fashion

Found on Instagram: SCRT clothing

14:32

Everyone loves a bit of 2am Instagram stalking. Especially when it leads to finding awesome new clothing brands, and subsequently awesome new clothes.

From its small beginnings in London in 2010, SCRT has grown into a creative and forward-thinking streetwear brand, with an ever-evolving online presence. To find out more about the brand (and order some pretty things), visit their website.

After having seen a few posts on Instagram and having a quick browse of their site, I fell in love with one item in particular; the Mountain Long Sleeve T-Shirt in white.

I liked it because it's simple, yet bold and makes a statement without shouting about it. I was especially a fan of the mountain design on the back, as up a mountain is one of my favourite places to be.

Despite having told myself not to spend any more money before uni, I ordered it (with only the slightest hint of guilt).

Caps off to the guys at SCRT, who had my tee delivered two days after I placed my order, as well as continually keeping me up to date with the stages of the transaction. Thankfully, it fitted me perfectly as the website provides a helpful size guide, but if I'd needed to return it, details came in the package along with the receipt.

I'm also really happy with the product itself, which seems to be made to a high standard and the prints aren't made of that annoying stuff that peels off after a few washes. It's really versatile in terms of style and looks great with ripped black skinny jeans and a beanie, as well as paired with denim shorts and tights, or a pinafore. Basically, it looks pretty cool with anything denim, thanks to the fresh white background and the perfectly understated blue print.

Hopefully I'll be making some more purchases from them soon (as long as I can make my student loan stretch), as well as from some of the other UK-based streetwear brands I've recently come across on Instagram. Follow them @scrtco.

Harriet x

Also, as a footnote, I wasn't asked to write this post, or given any discount, so my views are totally my own. I wrote this because I genuinely wanted to share something cool I found.

art

Review: Sketchout Art Classes

19:40

No one at work believed me when I told them I couldn't cover on Saturday because I was doing an art class. Apart from one guy who said 'it sounds like the kind of thing you'd do'. So if you're reading this now, know that I wasn't lying! Or if I was, respect my commitment.

Sketchout is a small London-based company dedicated to providing high quality art workshops to people of all ages and abilities. Set up and run by Rosa Roberts, they pride themselves in offering a selection of one-day art courses held in some of London's cultural hot-spots, such as the V&A, The National Portrait Gallery and The Tate. Rosa is one of several tutors, all of whom are practising artists themselves, and you can visit her website to see her work. The workshop I attended was 'The Fundamentals of Drawing' at the V&A Museum and was suitable for complete beginners, as well as for those with some drawing experience; from GSCE or A Level Art for example. As it happens, the majority of people on my course were total novices, although you wouldn't have known by the end of it.

Before I went, I wasn't really sure what to expect in terms of the workshop, and also of what the other people would be like. I was quite worried that everyone else would be really old, or airy-fairy, or as one lady put it, 'bohemian'. Thankfully, when I turned up at the designated meeting spot in the V&A (all the details were helpfully provided by Sketchout upon booking), everyone seemed pretty normal. I was greeted by Rosa, who was friendly and approachable. Whenever someone entered the gallery clutching a large sketchbook and looking a little lost, she would usher them over and immediately put them at their ease. For some reason, it always surprises me how many people actually like to spend their Saturdays doing something as 'weird' and 'uncool' as an art class, but I think that's just because I still have a 14 year-old's view of what is perceived as cool or not. Or maybe because no one else actually cares about seeming 'cool'.

Once all fourteen of us were assembled, Rosa handed out the drawing stools and took us through the gallery to begin the workshop. After going round the circle getting to know everyone (a bit awkward but actually a very good idea), she gave us a half an hour introduction, in which she essentially taught us the 'Fundamentals of Drawing'. Using her prepared sketchbook of examples and headings, she did it in such a way that was very articulate, easy to follow and useful for both beginners and those with some drawing experience. Even though I did GCSE art at school, I still felt as though I was learning a lot and Rosa's intro definitely enhanced my experience of the workshop as all the skills and techniques were fresh in my mind.

The first exercise after the introduction was a 2 hour drawing session. To start with, this seemed a little overwhelming, but Rosa gave us a selection of four statues to choose from and helped us settle into the right spot in which to have enough room and the best angle. She was then on hand to assist and offer advice whenever we needed it. We'd all just learnt how to measure up a subject using a pencil, so there was a lot of holding up pencils and squinting going on.

Because we were in the V&A, we were only allowed to use dry materials, which was actually great as it meant we could just focus on the drawing rather than faffing around with paints and colours. As we got into our drawing, the time flew by and I found myself really immersed in what I was doing. It was a bit odd being perched on a little stool in the middle of a busy museum trying to draw, but when all the tourists gathered behind and started beckoning for their kids to come and look, it was all rather flattering.

After this session, we went for lunch at a little restaurant down the road from the museum, which was included in the price. It was all organised very well and there was a choice between a chicken dish and a vegetarian quiche. I had the veggie option, which was really tasty and the whole set up gave us a chance to chat to some of the other 'students'. I got talking to a couple of girls, who were both lovely and it was nice to discover that they had been equally worried about what everyone else would be like!

To start off the session after lunch, we did a few 5 minute exercises to loosen up our style a bit and help us to draw more freely. These involved quick one-line sketches, where we couldn't take our pencils off the paper and drawing with our left hands (if we were right-handed). For a perfectionist like myself (and seemingly most of the others), this was really hard as the results were usually terrible, but Rosa was really encouraging and found something positive to say about everyone's efforts!

Lastly, it was time for the final long drawing session. Rosa chose a different selection of sculptures for us to tackle and we set to it again, this time with a little more confidence. As before, Rosa spent the 2 hours going between us and helping us out if we were struggling, which I certainly was as I'd chosen a really hard sculpture! Thankfully, she showed me a technique that helped me represent the face even though it was in complete shadow and made out of a really dark material.

At the end of the day, Rosa asked everyone to show each other their work, which was a really encouraging way to end the session, as people made nice comments and generally made everyone feel good about themselves!

If you think this sound like something you'd like to do, visit Sketchout's website to find out more or follow them on Twitter @sketchoutiscool. My ticket for the class was purchased through the voucher site LivingSocial, which offered a great discount and seemed to be how most other people had done it too, as the courses are quite pricey. It was definitely worth it though, as I had a great day at the V&A, learning new skills and meeting new people.

Harriet x

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It's been a while

15:38

Purchased in September

How to get all your photos the same size

DIY Shabby Chic Mini Wooden Drawers

Organisation Essentials

Found on Instagram: SCRT clothing

Review: Sketchout Art Classes

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