Ok, it took me more than a week to finish but that's just because life is becoming quite busy with all the creativity going on in my head, my art studio: my garage or my lounge room when it is too cold! and my kitchen. Here is the finished product, after many coats of PVA glue, homemade chalk paste, timber oil, primer, paint and varnish and after many hours of sanding and drying...
It fits exactly on top of my Ikea shoe rack.
All this black makes me want something a bit brighter.
My next piece of furniture will be a tall and narrow Barocco style dressing table with drawers that will stand right in front of that blue tent you can see.
Enjoy the weekend!

Yeah! I have been wanting to start on this piece of furniture for ages!
71 wide x 35 deep x 70 high, this shelf will be used to put toys, bags, hats, amongst other things.
I am not planning to have drawers, but this could change!
These pictures show the first steps of cardboard furniture making:
- Cutting the front middle and back shapes
- Adding structural elements to the middle shape to strengthen the piece of furniture
- Gluing the front and back to the structural elements and now it starts to look like what I want.
Next week I'll add the dressing panels on the top, bottom and sides and the lid and I might even have time to paint it!
Enjoy the end of the week!

Hehe! Fairly productive Friday so far! The dressing panels are on. Only the lid is missing and it should be done by the end of the day.
Wait till next week for the finishing touches: A whole lot of covering, protecting, sanding, filling, drying, sanding, filling, drying, sanding, painting, drying, painting, drying, varnishing, drying, varnishing, drying, varnishing, drying,......
Finishing touches really are what takes the longest.

Hi everyone,
I have been working on a project with talented and inspiring artist Rachele Wildmare. Mare is creating her fantasy garden, slowly bringing it to life. It will become the set of her future show.
I am lucky to play a small part in this creative process. The screen you see behind the seat will be made of recycled cardboard boxes and will be fully collapsible so that it can be transported. A lot of fun has already been had on this project and I can’t wait to start drawing, cutting, gluing, painting!
Rachele is an amazing violinist and entertainer. I recommend her website www.rachelewildmare.com and if you have any need for entertainment, her other current performances are www.wildmareviolin.com - Electric Violin for Events  and www.stringsonfire.com.au - Violin & Circus Duo for Events.
I'll keep you all posted as we develop the idea of the screen further. Enjoy the rest of the week!

Who does not like the great Before and After shots!
So I thought I'd start with my entrance space: Essentially a mess of beach bags, creche bags, handbags, million other bags and jackets and hats...
The main problem apart from the mess is the lack of coherence between the bits of furniture: Ikea black shoe and hat racks with grandmother's white bedside table and timber colour coat hanger the previous owner left behind...

The plan is:
- tidy up!
- paint coat hanger.
- Create practical furniture to match the space available.
    A small shelf at high levels for some of the unused bags
    A wide shelf to sit on top of the shoe rack (kids shoes and beach bags)
    A tall boy to replace granma's bedside table (swimmers, kids hats, sunnies)
- Have Fun making all of this!

This one will be a Before/After but with steps in between. I'll Add photos as things get made...

This step is to show you the black and blue shelf in situ...Everything else already looks better too... Humm, ok I am cheating a bit as the kids are in daycare and their mess is half gone with them, but it is only early days!

I have put some of the mess in temporary boxes until I make the shelves.
I fixed my black and blue shelf to the wall and filled it up with a lot of the bags.
I also painted the coat hanger!

Next I will start on the shoe rack rectangular shelf.
I also need to frame my husbands awesome embossed metal artwork he made when he was a kid...

I always make my cardboard furniture in miniature with cereal boxes first to make sure I am not forgetting anything and to see where the structure needs to be strengthened.
This is a photo montage to show you what it will look like at the entrance.
It will get painted of course.
I am not great with Paintshop so I can't wait to get started and show you the real things! Enjoy the weekend!

The rectangular entrance shelf is well under way. The lid is missing as it is drying in the garage and I started on some customized storage boxes that are just the right size for my top shelf.
Should have something more presentable soon!
Have a good Friday avo!

One more furniture to go and I'll be finished!
The lid of the rectangular entrance shelf has been fitted.
The cardboard has been sealed, sanded, and painted.
Also my two top boxes are now painted and ready for a couple of coats of varnish.
Hummmm, I think all this black needs a big of bling don't you? This gives me an idea for the finish of the next piece of furniture... Let go crazy!

This is it! Job done! Well almost... I have to add the drawer's knobs and this space will be fully cardboard-revamped!
I just could not wait to put a photo of the silver-moka colour drawers on the website. I loooove that paint.

This quick post to start the week early and show you the kids pirate set in situ. Bright colours that go well with the bright blue bed.

Before I hang it on the wall, here is a small barocco style shelf with drawers.

Thank you Nathalie for your 2 great boxes. They were small and only single layer cardboard but because they were made of good quality cardboard and in great condition I thought it was worth trying something different and I am quite happy with the sturdy result.
For this one I used a different technique consisting in first sticking together many layers of cardboard before cutting to shape with a stanley knife or a jigsaw where possible to save time.

A bit of paint and here we are! I'll varnish it, put it on the wall and send the pics.

After a chaotic 2 weeks, here it is!
Had you guessed what it was going to be?
This little pirate bedside table/shelf has taken 3 big removalists cardboard boxes, a fair bit of PVA glue, 300ml of paint and 20 hours of hard (but fun...!) work.
I'll have to show you some pictures in-situ with the seat, bottle, clock and books.
I'll have a bit more to show you this weekend if I finish it: I started a modern/barocco style wall shelf that is nearly finished.
Enjoy your Friday night, I know I will!

Hi everyone! Due to a small injury to my little finger I have not done much this week. However you can now see the drawers in place.
Now, if everything goes well next week and if I don't have an other fight with a tin of tuna I'll be finishing this baby by end of next week, Well... maybe not the painting... Wait and see! Have a good weekend.

The shape is well on its way! I have used the same "Bleuzen technics" here again with 2 removalists double walled cardboard boxes.
The top and the two bottom holes will be drawers and the middle hole will be a shelf for books. There will be a round hole at the top for a water bottle and a flat part for a small clock. See you next week for more... Enjoy the weekend!

Thanks to the long weekend I finished painting the kid's seat I was working on! Let me know what you think. I am quite happy with the flashy colours. 3 coats of water based varnish and this one is ready for use and abuse...
Next on the list, a kid's bedside shelf... wait till next week for more about it!