Holiday Arts and Crafts Show

These are some images from a recent holiday arts and crafts show I participated in. It has been going for over 25 years on Bainbridge Island, WA and is called Christmas in the Country. Over 9 venues open up with an average of 13 artisans in each site. I feature vintage inspired ornaments and this year I introduced my line of reconstructed and up-cycled tops and the "collage-style" necklaces. A future post will show examples of each of those lines.

One of the amazing things that happened was to be able to use a large sized oil painting I had serendipitously found about 2 years ago. It has been sitting in the garage and made its debut for the show. It wonderfully camouflaged a bulletin board that could not be removed. So it leaned against the wall on top of the table and blended perfectly into the display.

The color scheme was dusty pink, black, and ivory. I find fabrics and curtin panels at flea markets and lavishly layer them on table tops. Cupcake towers and faux trees (including my cherished tinsel tree) were appropriate props and display pieces. I also used large vintage frames with chicken wire glued inside to hang ornaments on along with white-washed pedestals created with trimmed metal flashing and stair rail posts.

Vintage inspired snowpeople, vintage glass glittered trees, sparkly snowflakes, dazzling acorns, jazzy- edged butterflies on clips, delicate and intricate paper shows fit for Cinderella, nested birds amongst matte glass ornaments, and wreaths made with flowers cut from French dictionary pages were just a few of the ornaments and holiday decorations that were featured.

Decorative Wooden Clothes Hangers

Oh the joyful simplicity of pretty little things. These decorative wooden clothes hangers give me a thrill every time I see them. What a simple, yet elegant, way to hang special tops. Little things can truly make big differences.

The wooden hangers were stained and then lightly sanded. With rubber letter stamps, selected French sayings were added....accuracy wasn't necessarily the rule. I chose some phrases that caught my eye: femme fatale, tete-a-tete, mon tresor, bon vivant, c'est bon, and c'est la vie to name a few. Then beautiful sumptuous French moire wired ribbon single loop bows were added to the hanger. The ribbons are the real deal from France and I so appreciate their packaging by being protected with a paper backing. And of course, flowers had to be added. Vintage millinery flowers were the perfect touch. The photo doesn't show the last thing to be added which were pearls glued to the ends to keep the straps from slipping off the wooden clothes hanger.

These decorative wooden clothes hangers were made specifically to display the up-cycled, reconstructed garments I make. A future posting will show some examples of the clothes.

Hand-Crafted Holiday Ornaments

I am in high production gear in my studio getting ready for a local art show (Christmas in the Country) on Bainbridge Island, WA the first weekend of December. Along with necklaces, fabric flowers, up-cycled clothing, I will be featuring tree ornaments. Here is a small sampling of some of the ornaments.

The hearts and fairy ornaments were altered because they seemed to need some embellishment.

The darling red glass heart ornaments were charming just as they are, but not much escapes being glittered this time of the year. Using a squeeze bottle of liquid red glitter, I added a few drops on each heart. The secret to success when using this product is to not touch it and to let thoroughly dry.

The fairy ornaments were found unadorned from a chain store in the Christmas section. And while cute as is, they cried out for being gussied-up. I added a paper crown with drops of glitter, a small foam ball (like the kind in bean-bag chairs), a gathered doily skirt, and a belt of vintage tinsel.

The green wreaths were made from some unidentified green garland found at a wholesale floral supplier. It looked like small plastic garland was sprayed with tiny green foam balls. When I saw it I knew it would make a great wreath. I circled two lengths together and then wound another length around the two holding everything together. The wreaths measure about 5" in diameter and several would look delightful hanging in a kitchen window or clustered in a corner hanging with red ribbon in different lengths. I added a small stem of faux red berries and a red satin bow.
Smaller versions could be used as package toppers then hung on the tree as ornaments. ornament.

I have a tendency to look at things and wonder "what else can be done with this?" In a previous post, I mentioned using the hook caps from broken glass ornaments as a crown. It's just a matter of looking at things from another viewpoint. The ornaments shown in this post are examples of what one can do with simply working with what is already there by adding simple embellishments, like a doily for a skirt. And the beauty is, it doesn't require much product or time.

Just look and ask yourself the question, "What else?"

Glittered Acorn Project

I am preparing for an upcoming art fair that happens the first weekend of December on Bainbridge Island, WA. One of the lines I showcase are tree ornaments which usually have a touch or two of sparkle and bling (OK, maybe more than a touch). These acorns did not escape the glitter bottle and will be placed in some sumptuous glittered twiggy nests. They could also be used to scatter on a holiday table, glued onto place cards, or hung in a tree as an ornament.

I have always loved acorns and since oak trees are hard to find in the Puget Sound area, my aunt from Boston gathered some for me. During shipment, many of the caps had separated from the nut so I used that to my advantage and easily glittered just the caps. The tops and bottoms had to be painstakingly matched but having them separated made the gluing and glittering easier.

I painted the acorn caps with diluted glue, as using it from the bottle would be too thick. Then I dipped them stem end down into a small paper cup with enough glitter to bury the cap into. The caps were swirled around, insuring an even coat then set out to dry. I always let the glue dry a good 24 hours. And while that is more than enough time I want to make sure the glue is DRY before handling. It is worth the wait as I have impatiently rushed previous projects and the glitter gets smudged. If the acorns were to be sold as a tree ornament, I would have glued on a loop of thread before glittering.

Once thoroughly dry, the caps were glued onto the bottoms and ta-dah! Glittered acorns. I used three different glass glitters: silver, gold, and copper. I believe the silver ones look the best, but the copper color certainly makes it look more like an acorn.

I decided to glitter just the cap and not the whole nut. Seeing the organic, natural nut adds a
bit of authenticity. If it was all glittered, it may as well been plastic.

Papier Mache Birds Tutorial

Here is my recent project for an upcoming art fair that I am participating in. I made over 22 papier mache birds and what an undertaking it was. Using the assembly-line method certainly helped but I was glad to see that last one completed. This is one of those projects that "looks" simple and "I can do that." And yes, while simple and yes, while anyone can do it, the TIME factor kicked in big-time and that was the key. But we do what we love, don't we?

I used a bag of dry papier-mache and added just enough water to make the mixture thick and non-runny. The bird body was constructed with an egg-shaped styrofoam ball and a small ball for the head. They were put together with a small section of toothpick. I used a long bamboo skewer and a sheet of styrofoam to hold them while they dried. When they were dry (about 2 days), I painted 1/3 a muted blue, 1/3 gray, and 1/3 were covered randomly with bits of tissue paper and napkins. Diluted white craft glue (2pts glue, 1pt water) was used to paint the papers to the bird. Overlapping is fine.

While they dried, I started the wings. I used 2 layers of text weight paper (cover weight would work too) and added on top, a fringe of paper from a French dictionary . Then I sprayed them all with a bit of Glimmer Mist, which is a product I found at Michael's. It gives an aged-look along with a bit of sparkle. Their tail feathers were cut from a section of a doily.

Their crowns are small pompoms placed into the cap from a glass ball ornament. I have been religiously saving them from broken glass ball ornaments. Before I began to assemble the pieces onto the bodies, I painted the beaks and added a dot for the eyes. Their personality popped-out the second their "eyes were on."

While the glue dried, I started their nests which were made from the silver candle clips made for Christmas trees. A little bit of crinkled paper was added on top for a nest. The final step was to nestle the bird into the nest with a bit of hot glue.

Each one has their own personality and will happily watch over upcoming holiday festivities in someone's tree. Have fun with this project.

Autumn in the Pacific Northwest

Autumn is my favorite time in the Pacific northwest. There are enough deciduous trees to bring forth amazing brilliant colors. In my design work and fabric choices, I seek out the rich, saturated jewel-tone colors: deep crimson, regal purple, warm amber golds, and a light touch of sage green. The trees and shrubs seem to sing their own "Hallelujah" chorus before settling in for a peaceful winter sleep. The pumpkins and assorted squashes are scenes from our island pumpkin patch. Hundreds of pumpkins sit in the fields saying "pick me, pick me." It reminds me of the words from a poem by Richard Brautigan: "I saw hundreds of pumpkins bump in with the tide.It must be Halloween in the sea."

The Halloween tablescape was a spontaneous, use-what-you-have creation. I am an avid collector of props. Even if there is not an immediate use for the items, they find their way into my shopping cart. There they sit in a storage, waiting for that marvelous time when they make their magical appearance. I wanted a bit of the macabre so a ghost pumpkin was chosen from the local pumpkin patch. From my collection of crows, I placed a couple on the top to watch over the festivities. To bridge the space from pumpkin to urn, gray Spanish moss was tucked in. Leaves collected from walks were scattered about, along with "Grinch" green unidentified stuff glued onto styrofoam balls I had found sometime ago.Gargoyle and Dracula statues, along with rubber rats, from the dollar store added that wondrous feeling of eerieness. I used a black and white scroll pattern tablecloth with yards and yards of cheesecloth yardage for the overlay. The pillar candles on heavy candlesticks added the finishing touch.

Dried Hydrangea Wreath

This is how I create dried hydrangea wreaths. It is far easier and quicker to poke the dried stems (cut at an angle) into styrofoam than to wire each stem onto a wire form. I use a 16" styrofoam wreath form and use a generous amount of dried blooms. It usually takes about thirty blooms and finishes to 24". I will cover the front face first, then the inside curve, and finish with the outside edge. It is incredibly light-weight and I have even used a push pin to keep it on the wall.
But to ensure that it stays on the wall, a longer nail is better.

The wreath will last a couple of years or so. To maintain color, it is best to hang it out of direct sunlight. But by the time it is faded, it pretty much is dusty and home to of a couple of cobwebs. Once I decided to extend the faded wreath by spraying it gold one year, and the next year it became silver. It was "revitalized" and made a great decoration for our holiday home.

One great use for wreaths is to turn them into tabletop decorations. Take the wreath off the wall and place flat on table. Fill center with pillar candles or a punch bowl. Voila! Instant glam!

Wreath Making with Clamp Machine

This is the easiest way to make wreaths that is almost guaranteed to bring successful results. In fact, I have helped children make one and much to everyone's delight, the wreath looks beautiful.

A clamp machine is installed in the surface of a sturdy table or counter. Stepping on a pedal under the table moves the "jaws" which squeeze a U-shaped prong to grip and tighten the cluster of foliage that the wreath will be made of.

Photos show a rectangular shaped wreath form and the leaves used are bay laurel. This wreath which measures 21"x16" was completed in about 15 minutes. The stems were assembled fresh and then dried in place. Circles in all sizes are the most common wreath form, but there are also snowflake, swag, advent candle, trees, and of course, rectangles to choose from.

This is one of the main methods used in making commercial and florist-designed wreaths customarily seen during the holidays with evergreen boughs. I have two machines and make wreaths for all occasions as well as providing wreath-making workshops to the public. All the greens, wreath forms, cones/pods, and ribbons are provided. Shipping boxes are also available to send a personal gift to family and friends.

The next post will show how to make dried hydrangea wreaths.

Here are More Places in My Garden

The photos of the white curtins along with the mosquito netting are from the white and romantic part of the garden. The curtins hang from a copper gazebo my late husband made for our wedding and the mosquito netting gracefully embraces the granite bench. There are glass fixtures made into hanging lanterns along with a chandelier that is hung outside as well.
During summer garden parties, over 150 candles are lit which make the garden glow at dusk.

The china cups are on copper stakes. I had them filled with flowers to add punches of color.

My garden emphasizes foliage color (instead of being heavily laden with flowers) and texture. Several beds look the same in January as they do in June, as being evergreen, they continue to glorify the landscape. I also use repetition in the garden to keep it from looking "too spotted."
I call that the"paint brush scatter" method....too many individual plants making for a busy and unfocused area.

The gravel path has metal brown stepping stones which mirror the brown of the nearby carex.