Just before Christmas!

Oh  babe , it’s cold outside …… it’s time for snuggling up in fur throws and woolen blankets , looking  at the flickering candles in the fireplace and waiting for Christmas magic to surround us  with silvery- gold snowflakes…….

 Oh dear readers, as you can see I’ m a bit carried away by the wintry weather, which finally came to  our country, making us dream of  white Christmas and the warmth of festively decorated homes that smell of baking and love.

Today, I     want to share with you some pictures of my little house with its Christmas ‘costume’ on, the lights , the tree ,

 and the tiny creatures that come out every year at this time, to give colour and cheer to  our house and our hearts.

Those of you who follow my blog know that I always like to make handmade presents and decorations for the different seasons, like wreaths and good luck charms . I made some this year too and I’m happy-happy with the outcome.

I bought these three wooden items, painted them with acrylic colours and added ribbons and thread to hang the golden stars and the 2018 ‘sign’from . I think they look great.

 Two of them have already been gifted to my son’s nursery school teachers , who do a great job and really deserve them.

I also bought some white keys from IKEA and added these wooden tags to them, which I had already painted and decorated with some decoupage and acrylic colours. I added ribbons and they too have been already given to people I love and wanted to present them with a little something.

Finally, I made a little painting on canvas for my little  boy’s room. I used a sweet design on a paper napkin with a deer and some rabbits trying to find shelter in the snowy woods and used decoupage glue on canvas to create this lovely , I think, picture. 

 I also painted the bottom part of the canvas which was not covered by the napkin and a heart - warming winter scene came to life . I had planned  to put it in the little one’s room, but I  couldn’t resist hanging it in the living room, to see it all day(hi ,hi, hi!!!).

When I like something , I can’t part with it . What can I do, that’s  me…

Well, I’ll go now my friends, wishing you they sweetest moments for Christmas and the year to come and hope that you all are well , safe and happy.

One last note before I go. I very recently joined INSTAGRAM, so those of you who want to follow me please  do so , I’ll be pleased to read your comments and virtually meet with you. My instagram account is : creamlinengr  

Love ,

Tina xxx

Microcosms in Winter

Hello my friends!!!

December is already here and ‘I’m dreaming of a White Christmas’ , though this isn’t very likely to happen in my part of the  world.

Today, I will be showing you how I created a ‘microcosm’ for my little boy’s room combining a bit of painting with tiny wooden houses and creatures of the forest .

I have a thing with tiny houses and I can’t resist it  when I come across one. I bought these ones a month ago, with a rough  idea in my mind to create a small neighbourhood with trees, houses and animals in a rural environment.

 I used acrylic paint to give colour to the houses, tiny squirrels and birds and  to create a background with green pine trees and bushes .

 I added a butterfly and birds  flying in a distance and my setting was ready.

I put everything in place using glue and then placed the whole ‘scene’ inside a white , wooden frame. I put some of the tiny creatures at the foreground , sticking them at the inner part  of the frame to give it a 3D dimension and finally I  hung it beside another  similar frame, in the boy’s room. 

I’m quite happy with the outcome and my son seems quite curious about it and points at it all the time when he notices it .

Since I’m talking about ‘made up’ worlds today , I would like to share with you some pictures I took this morning of ‘Santa’s Kingdom’ – a winter wonderland  , as they call it in the advertisements- which we visited with our little one to celebrate the beginning of the holiday season.

 It was quite nice , especially the snowy winter scenes with the polar bears, reindeer, creatures featured in fairy tales and of course Santa, who travelled all the way from Finland to be photographed with the little ones!

I will leave you here with many wishes for a restful and happy December weekend,my friends.

My love, as always,

Tina xxx

Chalk Paint frenzy!!!

This last week I have been transforming furniture and items  of my household using chalk paint.

Everybody seems to be talking about chalk paint recently and it actually had a prominent  position  in the biggest arts and crafts show that took place in Athens, some days ago.

Women seem to be ‘obsessed’ with it !!! I watched a few videos on you tube, and I was amazed to see  how determined these ladies were to paint  various items of their household, even new furniture in excellent condition!

Anyway, I got infected by this virus, too and felt this urge inside me to change two little tables and an armchair which are inherited pieces by my mother and belonged to my grandmother!

I love them and hate them, too. This love-hate relationship had to end and we had to proceed to a new stage in order for me to be happier and the furniture to remain in my house!

 So I took brushes and paints out and the tables were transformed into their much improved selves in two different shades of white (e.g. pergamon white and marble).                                           

After applying three coats of chalk paint , I waxed them and used sandpaper to give them a dated look. The small table went through a stenciling process too. Look, isn’t it just beautiful? I loooove it!!!!! I Love the stencil and the colour, which I made myself using acrylic colours and chalk paint.

 I also painted a metal pot and put it on the biggest table, next to a lamp whose shade I upholstered myself and then made a heart using the same fabric. I love this fabric.

 I didn’t paint the whole armchair but only part of it and sandpapered it, too. It has changed a little and it looks quite good next to my lovely ‘white’ tables.

 As the end of the year approaches, I have started making my good luck charms, as I do every year. I very much like to offer them to my friends and relatives and the one you can see in the photo, has already found a new home!

 For this one I used two small cubes of handmade soap  , ribbons, strings, a tiny star and a bell .

I will now leave you my friends, with my warmest wishes for a relaxed and happy Sunday, and a fruitful week ahead.

My love to all,

Tina xxx