Tuesday, March 1

oh how i love thee, modge podge...

last week when my plans to 'continue pennings' fell apart due to snow days, my creative cogs got antsy, this antsy-ness led to me quite frankly not being very nice to know.
as i sat upon the couch in pyjamas, crochet by my side and my clan under foot (not exactly under my foot but just 'there') i picked up my lovely copy of MILK decor, which the mail man had delivered a few days before. i cannot tell you how delighted i was to have it finally in my mitts. the lovely Jenny from LittleBig had sent it out the beginning of january and obviously my little magazine had travelled the seven seas to get to my doorstep 6 weeks later.

oh but such gladness was mine to know my little copy of MILK was so brave and determined to make it stateside to mossy shed's mailbox. issue 4 is jammy packed with peachy interiors, yes it is about children but quite honestly i could not find a thing it in that would not appeal to an adult. any magazine which has a fabby donna wilson cushion on the cover is going to be my sort of a read. well upon perusal, with antsy cogs accompanying my perusing moment, i stumbled across these stools. immediately i rustled around the kitchen drawer, found my detective cap and went 'a hunting' for clues and then as is often the way with me i discover the very thing that caused my heart to pitter patter has been around for quite sometime and others have known this for said 'quite sometime'.

back on my couch, antsy cogs still nagging and now my heart in stool lusting mode like never before, a thought appeared. the sort of lovely thought one has from time to time, yes i would put it as a 'ah ha thoughty' thought!


eight years ago we bought two ikea stools, the lovely bentwood ones which alas they no longer produce. at the time of purchase i had plans for them but my plans got no further then stenciling a damask pattern on one of them, promptly leaving them out in the rain and ruining the wood. the little damask number was beyond help, but the other one was okay for life as a painting stool, on close inspection his wood was all cracked but he was a sturdy little number and so for the past years he lives in the garage waiting for the moments i require his broad shoulders to stand upon so my paint brush can reach the ceiling areas.

once i thought of Ben in the garage (he originally was called Benjamin by ikea) and my wallpaper collection, i was inspired! and so i went about feeding my antsy creative hunger merrily, whilst my clan continued to be underfoot, cutting and stitching pieces of wallpaper.

now here is what i found to be true for me and Ben. first off i have always used wallpaper paste and had no trouble whatsoever with it sticking and as that is all i had to hand then i used it. i also discovered it was easier to cut the rough size out, stitch with the help of Miss Ethel and then glue the piece. upon placing it on the stool carefully i smoothed it out and then went around the edges with a Stanley knife, most cautiously, to get a really spiffy neat edge.




after much stitching, patching and piecing, i stood back to admire Ben and his new coat of patchwork. my antsy cogs were riding high, i was in love for sure. the next day i came downstairs to greet Ben and admire his coat of many wallpapers, but alas Ben and his coat had not faired so well, areas were peeling off and quite frankly i wished to weep at my new loves condition.
"do not panic" i said to myself wisely, "keep a calm head and think Tif"
i repasted the pieces and held them down, willing them to adhere to Ben, but alas again they would not behave.

but do not fear nor weep for Ben and his little jacket of patched paper for there is a happy ending... yes indeed, MODGE PODGE is my new best friend, i had heard about its clever ways but never taken a chance, partly cause the bottle appeared so little for the cost involved. how wrong i was, silly silly me! i want to shout it from the shed's roof top "i love modge podge" indeed i am thinking of getting a t-shirt printed with the very words, but that would be silly cause i don't wear t-shirts so instead i may get a bumper sticker for the car.




can i tell you why i love modge podge with all my little antsy creative heart strings, because once it had glued down Ben's paper coat, not only did it stay there, but when i put 4 layers of it's gluey goodness over the paper and stitching, suddenly Ben had a coat of what can only be described as an oilcloth looking loveliness.



every time i pass by Ben i have to touch him, to check his smooth good looks, so far i have allowed no member of the clan to go near him for he is so peachy i wish to keep him all to myself.
as i tippity type this large long ramble he sits beside me, looking peachy perfect...

and yesterday, why yesterday he suggested how grand it would be to perhaps relive the good old days, so i climbed upon his broad shoulders this time not for a spot of painting but for a spot of bench mondaying...


and who was i to disagree

she is wishing to modge podge the whole of mossy shed and is looking for her next willing victim within her four walls ~ Tif
footynote: okay so typical moi, apparently upon closer inspection of my little wonder pot of glue on the kitchen windowsill tonight, it is called Mod Podge. i have no idea why i cannot ever quite use the right word for something. i believe i inherited this trait from my lovely granny... still i think i like modge podge better so perhaps i will stick with it. ha! stick with it, nice one Tif :)

58 comments:

Donna -Little Tiny Stitches said...

I think Ben looks rather cute myself :0)

I bought my first pot of Modge Podge from the charity shop...(95p and brand new) just last Thursday and am still searching for my willing 'victim' :0)

Have a good week Tif. x

Color Collective said...

this is soooo awesome!! i love it!!

Carol said...

I'm in love, in love with Ben and in all his patchwork modge podged wallpaper loveliness.
Oh to find my own lonely Ben at a car boot sale but fear perhaps I myself will be flatpacked in the stampede.
Carol xx

Unknown said...

Wow, that looks amazing, well done. What a great eye you have, it works really well.

fee @ chipper nelly said...

ah, for the love of Modge Podge! When the only stockist I can (easily) find in the UK sells out I get it shipped from the USA, such a fan am I!
Have tried sustitutes but nothing beats it. Even found a product 'requiring' the glitter version recently...oh joy!
LOVE Ben...fee x

Rose said...

Ben is Fantastic! I have never purchased a bottle of Modge Podge before for the very same reason. That little bottle just couldn't be worth what they're asking. Perhaps I should rethink it. The nest time I am in need of decoupage or collage, I shall get a bottle.

vesna said...

very lovely!!

Selfsewn said...

Oh Dottie Angel how I love thee!!

isa k. said...

Love him!!

Becky said...

What a cute idea! They turned out lovely.

Unknown said...

What an amazing transformation! I really, really love the end result!

Dagmar said...

Every time I read your blog..you make me smile and fill my heart with joy...you are so creative and the way you write is the way I think inside my head. How utterly refreshing you are!
Keep up your lovely inspiration blog!
Ox
Dagmar

Claire said...

Hey Tif, Ben is is looking very nice with his coat of many wallpaper pieces.
Shall have to keep modge podge in mind the next time I find myself in a sticking situation..........

What a shame you couldn't have double the fun with Bens mate.

Claire :}

Cameron said...

I have Mod Podge in every finish available! Love it!!

Your "Ben"ch turned out wonderfully...but, of course, you have a knack for bringing the potential out of anything :D

Shabby Vintage Junk said...

Oh Tif I LOVE your makeover....I too ADORE modge podge & WONDER how I ever got by without it....!

I hope you & Ben have a SUPER week....!

Cheers,
Tamarah :o)

Anonymous said...

You should check out http://www.modpodgerocksblog.com/
Also, I just saw that in Flea Market Garden magazine that Modge Podge makes a version for outdoors. Love your stool and all your crafty doings. You are a creative inspiration!

Cuckoo said...

Oh!!! I've a big case of the wantsies now, that stool is delicious. And modge podge...well, that may have solved a bit of a project stumbling block for me.

Thank you for your lovely comment over at my place, it was such a thrill to find it, I swear the match sticks fell from my eyes. I'm swimming in the baby blues right now but that made my day x x x

AT said...

Oh my word, what is happening with that blanket in that photo up there? Love, love, LOVE it! I simply insist upon seeing a full photo of it when it is finished! I must admit, you have been something of a crochet inspiration to me. Right now I have eyes on my (much too large, if I'm honest)cozy crocheted afghan, made with most lovely colours borrowed from your palette! One of my first finished products, of which I am most proud :) Though I must admit, the bobbles are beyond me. When I tried them a while back in an effort to create a tea cozy from a pattern, I was absolute crap at them, so good on you for sticking to them till you got them down! All the best!

Rachel at Stitched in Color said...

Don't tell my husband - I love Ben! Actually, as soon as I saw the stool I thought to myself, self, you love mod podge. And I do. So glad you made the acquaintance. Thank-you for the ever so cheerful ramble. It helps me on the heels of my Good, very bad day.

Sharon Stanley said...

oh tif! modge podge is my friend too...and I LOVE BEN....mostly because he is divine and looks so fantastic...but also because he shares my oldest's name....i think you have found a whole new medium!

Natasha said...

Brilliant! And the stitching detail perfects it. Now if I could get my hands on some wallpaper bits needing a new home!

maepress said...

If you do decide to make a bumper sticker that says "I <3 modge podge" please be sure to sell them in your shop, as I will purchase one and proudly proclaim it myself. I wonder how may of us have these modge podge moments, I can remember mine back in my collage obsessed days. The discovery was nothing short of life-altering!

And Ben is so lovely - what a fabulous transformation!

Kerri said...

That's amazing!

Anonymous said...

Great idea for flea market and yard sale finds that are less than perfect!! Thanks for posting!

From the Dotte said...

I am always drooling over your lovely crocheted goodies. Will they ever appear in your etsy store?

Anonymous said...

This is just lovely. You have such great ideas.

Katie Bee said...

I LOVE modpodge. You get a lot out of the little bottle. May I also recommend occasionally using a spray-on acrylic sealer? It can be a bit cheaper and works as an extra protecting layer once everything is laying flat.

Teresa Kasner said...

All I can say is... you're so cute. :-) So fun to think of something and "just do it". Hugs from "down under" -- Oregon.. :-)

Patricia said...

I love the story of Ben and how:

you didn't throw him out originally
he was there when you needed him
you rescued him
you made him look just fabulous
you are enjoying him

It sort of goes against the modern day theory of get rid of things that haven't been used for a while.

If someone is a creative soul, they will see a use for something again, albeit in a different way :)

dottie angel said...

oh my lovelies! Ben and i are positively beaming with your kindness... alas my modge podge bottle is quite empty and i already have found my next willing victim so it would appear i may have to take out shares in mod podge :)
and yes i did see upon the shelf when i was in my craft store, a glow in the dark version! not sure that is quite my cup of tea but it certainly made me smile to think Ben could be glowing away happily in the dark when the shed is sleeping if i was so daring...

as for my crocheted blanket ms mildred, well this is the beginnings of my 'simply sampler' blanket of which i will show as time goes by... it is just a hodge podge of different stitches and yarns but i would be happy to tell how i went about it. delighted to hear you are inspired to crochet and do give the bobbles another try, but this time without having to do a shape like a tea cosy shape, just do a rectangle until you have mastered them...

and finally
ryanne, indeed i have sold some of my crocheted wares in my little shop, garlands and a small blanket, but alas i have not for some time... perhaps its time again :)

♥ maaria said...

Sorry Tif, I cannot say anything to this.. *absolutely breathless admiring and seeing hearts all over*

Unknown said...

oooh, he turned out fab!

in other news, i learned a new word today and instantly thought of you because of vocabulary words and because you are so very granny chic. the word is antimacassar.

Andi said...

Fabulous1!!

Sally said...

I've always thought it was Modge Podge too!! Fantastic stuff, Ben looks beautiful!!

Ahipara Girl said...

Ben is indeed a splended sight to behold! I love him. And you are a genius Tiff! Gosh, no wonder I can't get enough dottie angel goodness. it never ends. i've now developed a hoarders appetite for vintage sheets. i've always had doileys and wallpaper, and loved to crochet, knit and stitch somewhat haphazardly. Finding you is like finding a soul sister. Bless you Tiff. Ur a dose of good medicine for my thrifty soul. x

Francesca said...

i mean you've really gone and bloody excelled yourself this time. absolutely gorgeous. i think you should put them into production immediately! x

sue said...

I think I just fell in love with Ben! He looks so fine in his new coat!

gkey said...

dear Potta-Modda,

Bens new duds are the cats-meow!
You took care of the dul-drums quite nicely. Creativity is the best at doing that for me as well.

love,
MARCH-ing on with little projects
in
NE

The Pinkhouseladies said...

It is lovely! Very nice to see your blog, we love it :)!

Holly Do. said...

Love it, need to find myself on of those stools. Could be cute with a coat of paint on the underneath side too!!
I always write "Modge" Podge too...they really should change the name:)

silly old suitcase said...

Mod podge is great!! (but i never heard of glowing in the dark-mod
podge, that's funny)
You have made a beautiful Ben, and
your crocheted blanket is
a-do-ra-ble!

christina said...

oh, my. what a wonderful transformation!

http://6petals.blogspot.com

Kristen said...

Oh, lovely lovely! Ben looks very wonderful indeed. I am also a devotee of Mod/ge Podge and would be all aboard your t-shirt idea if I were a t-shirt wearing sort, which I also am not. Now I'm looking around my own little shed for something innocent which I can podge. Great job!

blue corduroy said...

i think ikea would be pleased at how far ben has come since being out on his own!

p.s. love your sunny yellow dress.

dottie angel said...

thank you so very kindly for your 'ben' loving...
indeed i pondered a coat of paint on his under bits but decided not, however i do agree it would look most splendid :)

i have my next modge podge victim and she is quite the granny chic lovely!

fee @ chipper nelly said...

hey again,
abandoned yesterdays (long) list and covered Grandma's old stool instead! Have linked back to this lovely post...hope you like flossie!

http://chippernelly.blogspot.com/2011/03/grandmas-old-stool-gets-extreme.html

Thanks for sharing,
fee x

Talia said...

Tiff, this is simply stunning!! I haven't used any modge podge before (but heard of it lots of times). I think I'll have to use some now that I know you can do lovely things like this with it!!

Carla said...

Squeee, I'm so glad you've discovered Mod Podge... It's definitely one of my favourite things :D (although I'm thinking I prefer your name for it...) x

katysclutter said...

Love Ben! I always hear about Modge Podge and It's all round fantastic-ness, is there a UK equivalent? If so what would you liken it too!

Thank you!

sabrina said...

It looks like most of us call it "Modge Podge". For the life of me, even after KNOWING its MOD, I cannot say "Mod Podge". It just doesn't sound right.

My fiancé is actually the bigger fan of the product. He uses it to add layers when he's painting (pictures, not walls). I like to use it while doing decoupage, but the smell gets me dizzy. Even in a well-ventilated area.

Ben is beautiful. I wish IKEA would bring him back!

The Muse of The Day said...

FOREVER I have been calling it "Modge" Podge - I had to go into the studio to check the bottle - there it was ... "Mod", clear as day. Carolina

dottie angel said...

fee! flossie is quite the peach indeed, thank you for showing her to me :)

thank you all my lovelies, Ben is positively beaming in my studio corner with your kindness!

dottie angel said...

katysclutter, i do not know of an similar product for the uk, perhaps take a look on their website and then see if they note stockists etc. might be worth a try :)

renee said...

Great job! I have a bottle of Mod Podge just sitting on my bookshelf waiting to be used. Ben is quite an inspiration! That blanket looks gorgeous too, I can't wait to see the whole thing!

Katie said...

Love, love, love this project idea. I look forward to getting crafty!!

Katie said...

This could seriously be one of my favorite posts, ever!

Teresa aka Tess said...

Great job on the stool. Your post was fun to read!

Jess said...

Tif,
Just wanted to say that while I'm thinking Ben is a little cutie, I'm lovin' the blanket and am adding it to my que of things to make.
I agree that you are always a source of crochet inspiration to me. I've just found you about a month ago and have 3 or 4 of your blankets on my mind constantly.

Great job!