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Mar 31, 2011

...beautiful eggs! ~ a Pottery Barn inspired speckled egg tutorial

...hello dear, creative ones!

thank you for visiting the land of odds today!!

where ~


a very special goose resides.
This is her favorite time of year,
as she will lay a few, very special eggs!!

can you guess which kind??
~

I also wished to share my front gate decoration with you :)

I was seeking something different this year for my Easter display.
~ I am always open to beautiful flowers that cross my path,
and one day thrifting,
I found three glorious,
white rose and lily floral decorations.
(the symbolism of these couldn't be more perfect!)
(white rose: purity, spirituality)
(lily: purity, majesty)

I wasn't sure how I was going to use them,
I just knew they were beautiful and they were going home with me!!
When I brought home,
 I laid them on the floor and started playing around with how I could shape them...  
  

 placing them every which way.
I had one of them in my hand
when I happened on their original pretty paper hang tags...
each of these were $25!!
I paid $2.99 for each of them!
I dropped the one in my hand to the floor in disbelief
and when I looked down...
this is the shape they were in!!

NO LIE!!!!!!

I LOVE how it turned out!
~ and now I had my color scheme for Easter too...
white and periwinkle!!
I chose periwinkle because purple represents royalty
and Christ is my King!
(in a few weeks, I will show you my lamb cookies in this color scheme)
curious???


aaahhhhh
love, Love, LOVE it!!
...

and now it's time for my P.B. inspired knock off
~ speckled egg tutorial  ~
((NO silly, not peanut butter ~ Pottery Barn!!)

Now I ask you, who among us doesn't love P.B.'s speckled eggs vase filler??
(if this is you, then this tutorial will be of no interest to you!)
but
I'm sorry,
a. I needed more than 8 eggs for my egg tree decorating and Easter gifts
and
b. theirs were the look I wanted, but not the color I needed
and
c. their price tag was not for me,
 as I'd rather buy a REALLY good chocolate bunny instead!
So
 I set off to duplicate this lovely speckled egg look for less!!
today, I am sharing my method and secret tips with all of you
cause I love ya'
and want to help you save a dollar bill or two for your chocolate bunny savings fund too!
soooooo.....
  

here is a list of supplies you will need for your very own speckled eggs:
* a bag or two of plastic hide-an-eggs
(you know, the ones that open so you can put candy inside?)
(I made 48 eggs)
(you can also buy different sized plastic eggs)
---> my tip: be sure and seek out the ones with a small hole in the top of the egg,
as it will make it soooo much easier to feed your string through! 


* a can o'spray paint
(your choice in color, mine was periwinkle)
* a ball of natural THIN hemp
---> my tip: this is a little stiffer than string and won't twist all around in the wind,
but feel free to use string, ribbon or white hemp)
* a long needle with an eye your hemp string will fit through
(much easier than trying to push it through yourself, trust me on this!!)
* a bottle of walnut stain gel
(I found mine at Ben Franklin's)
it is translucent and will tint your eggs
with a similar effect as tea dyeing
* a sea sponge 
* a "high tech paint spatter brush"
LOL!!
(I found mine in the cleaning supply aisle at Wal-mart)
and
* 2 color choices of acrylic paints for your egg spatters
one light, one dark
my choices were Folk Art's #450 parchment
and #476 asphaltum (beautiful brown!!)


okay sweets!!
Are you ready to begin??
* step 1: open all your plastic eggs and place on a large piece of cardboard (ripped open box) ~ OUTSIDE!
---> my tip: using cardboard allows you to drag the sheet back inside easier because they stick to the box but are easily removed off of the cardboard UNLIKE newspaper.
* step 2: shake your can o' paint and spray your eggs giving them light coats so as to not have any runs.
have you ever seen a run on an egg??
okay,
I may have seen a runny egg...
but still, eeehhhhhwwwww!!  
be patient,
allow each coat to dry,
spray nicely!!
  

after eggs are dry,
* step 3: bring your eggs inside and put down sheets of wax paper.
place your open eggs on wax paper.
---> my tip: using wax paper allows you to peel off your eggs easily, no newspaper tails!!
* step 4: pour a little gel stain into a glass bowl, dampen your sea sponge and pick up a little gel from bowl.
hold your fingers inside the open egg half and begin "sponging" your egg
this created another lovely layer and
it completely changes the tone of the egg!!
any base color you pick will be gorgeous, robin egg blue, shell pink, lemon yellow...


repeat this step for all eggs
~ let dry thoroughly ~


ooohhhhh puuuuurrrrrty sponged eggies!!

---> my tip: the next step is unpredictable and if not careful can be messy!!
proceed with caution...and do in an area that is well protected with cardboard
or better yet ~ outside!!
(the day I did this, it was snowing outside, so, yah-no, that was not an option!!) 
* step 5: pour a little of your two acrylic colors into two seperate small glass bowls
thin out a little with a few drops of water,
take your "high tech spatter brush"
---> my tip: this plastic bristle brush gave better results with different sizes spatters
like on a real egg, than using a toothbrush did


begin running your fingers over the plastic bristles,
AIMING at your eggs!!
---> my tip: the faster you run your fingers, the smaller the speckle,
the slower, the larger the speckle
experiment with close to the egg spatters and stand up and spatter:)
* step 6: repeat process with your other color
---> my tip: dip your brush into both paint bowls and make a third color to speckle with!


just look at all those speckled eggs!!!


allow to dry overnight, as the next step you will "string" them.
* step 7:
 cut a piece of hemp about 6" long for each egg.


feed the two ENDS through the needle head
(trust me!!)


and push down through the hole in the top of your egg
(see why you need the hole??)


the two ends will come through to the inside of the egg,


 while the "loop" will remain on the outside of your egg,
 thus giving you a nicer appearance than two ends knotted together on the outside look.
---> my tip: loop the outside loop end over your pinkie when tying the inside knot, so the loop doesn't pull through


now knot the two ends inside your egg together and pull up on your outside loop,
snap your egg shut and repeat for all remaining eggs...


TA-DAH!!!!!


you could place a dozen of your lovely speckled eggs inside a saved paper egg carrier,
nestled in pretty paper doilies and tuck a few spiritual sentiments inside each egg,
 for an eggs-tra special Easter gift!
here are a few sentiments that I have placed in mine:
Christ is risen!
1 cross 2 die, 3 nails...4given!
Jesus loves you so much, He reached out on the cross
white rose, sacrificed, of the Father's heart
Amazing Grace!
Jesus is the Sonshine
Our sins took Christ to the cross. God's love kept Him there!

along with some really good chocolates or jelly bellies or both! and give to someone special:)

as well as hanging them on your favorite spring tree...
  

which mine just happens to be my new french pussy willow:)


so gracefully beautiful!!


so uniquely my own...


~  this now concludes the speckled egg tutorial!

so what do you think??
Will you try your hand at your very own speckled eggs??


as it is eggs-eptionally gratifying:)
tee, hee
 my bad??!!


next week, I'll be showing you another P.B. inspired knockoff


an eggs-tra special Easter basket!

I'll be sharing this tutorial with:
French Country Cottage's: Feather Your Nest Friday
Stuff and Nonsense's : Friday's Unfolded
the diy club's: 31-days-of-spray-paint

here's to pretty speckled eggs in ANY color we wish!




Mar 24, 2011

...my mossy, moss rock topiary tutorial

...hello my sweets!!

are you in a creative mood??
or
perhaps,
you were looking for something to do this weekend??

well!
look no further!
have I got an inspiring project for you:)


I was strolling through one of my favorite
 lovely little boutiques recently,
 when I spotted a fabulously mossed topiary tree...
yep

this mossy topiary caught my eye!
now ~
 maybe it had something to do with
 ALL the other FABULOUS things around that topiary display,
but it was to late,
I was a goner!!

until
I turned it over to check the price out...

$95

no, not $9.50!!!

now,
as this was certainly not a need...
I decided to put that fabulous mossy moss rock topiary right back where I found it!!
because
I knew I could very easily duplicate it
for around $20!
and now I'm going to show you how I did just that:)

uuhmmmmhhhhmmmmm
here is your supply list:

* 1 green color 13" styro cone (Michael's)
* 1 bag o' floral moss (Wal-mart)
NOT sphagnum moss!
floral moss is bits of pretty green sheet moss:)
* 5 - 11 piece natural accents moss rocks (Wal-mart)
* glue gun and glue sticks
* your choice of decorative urn or container
  

* first, dump all your moss rocks out and look at them.
you will put them on your cone like a puzzle.

* then start by gluing a few on the bottom of your cone
----> notice how I started up about 2"?
this will allow you to fit it into a container like a candle fits into a candle holder
   

* take your time
and fit bits of your moss pieces in between each of your moss rocks...


keep going, adding moss bits then moss rocks
building...building...building
  

ooohhhh!
puuuurrrrty!!
glue on the little sticks and lichen that fall out of your bag too
nature TEXTURE!!!
almost there:)
  
 
TA~DA!!!!
You did it!!!


now, on the bottom
where you left a couple of inches,
  

glue on some moss all the way around the base of your cone
like so.
  

now place in a lovely container of your choice and you are done!
I chose this vintage silver champagne bucket,
it fit perfectly!!
You may adorn it anyway you wish...
  

now, step back
and delight in your new mossy moss rock topiary!!

next week,
I'll show you how to make these:


Pottery Barn knockoff speckled eggs!!

~

until then
I'll be sharing this over at:
 Common Ground's Vintage Inspiration Friday
French Country Cottage's Feather Your Nest Friday


here's to springtime moss pretties ~ that WE can make!!!

Mar 22, 2011

...counting my blessings

...WOW!!
is it time for a White Wednesday post
already???


well,
as you may or may not know,
we had planned on visiting the sea this past weekend...
but alas...
a nasty storm front blew in
and our trip was cancelled:(

yes, dear readers,
the disappointment was heavy ~
as we live in a mountainous range that requires chains to get over the pass
I really didn't wish to take a chance
and go spinning off over the mountain side like Thelma and Louise!!

soooooo
I consoled myself and bought an instant cd instead!

and just what cd may console my sea saddened heart,
you may ask??

my reply would simply be this:


~ and into the studio I went!

as I was enrobed within this melodiousness,
heavily immersed in creating,

a quiet calmness filled the room...

and as you know how much I delight in the details of things, 
I realized that 
so
does
 God!

and there are reasons for the way things work out
reasons we may never, ever know about!


so instead of continuing on in my pity party...

...okay...

after the third chocolate covered strawberry,
a few shavings of parmesan cheese,
a bit of warm, delicious italian bread

...okay, okay!!...
and after a glass of fizziness...
with
 a few pink dragees
and candy pearls floating around in the bottom.
( what??? )
(I was really sad and candy pearls make me happy!!)

I instead,
began counting my blessings...


I started with my son,
because he turned 18 on Monday...
His name is Nathan
and his name means: a gift from God
and he truly is one of my greatest joys!!
next, Julianna...
then Jim...
Mia...
and as I moved down my mental list of blessings


my sea saddened heart became filled
~ with joy! ~
 

so much so,
my blessed heart became soaked in tears...
as if a wave had washed away the cares of the day!
and
THAT
my dear readers,
is
how the beautiful sea
affects me


...humbled...
and
filled with joy...

and God knew that!!!

Oh, what an AWESOME Father!

 ~

sharing this post over at Faded Charm's White Wednesday





here's to counting our blessings!





for your very own pretties featured in this post, please visit:
* lovely pearl heart ex-voto ~ Petite Michelle Louise
* joy dollie ~ Moss Hill Studio
* pink dragees and candy pearls ~ Fancy Flours






Mar 17, 2011

...an anthropologie inspired necklace

...hello sweets!!


do ya feel lucky today??
huh??
wellll, do ya'??!!

(always wanted to say that once in my life!)
((note to self, cross off Clint's saying on bucket list))

well, in honor of St. Patrick's day,
and as that shamrock green is
sooooooooo
 not my color,
my gift to you is ~
 sharing my "anthropologie" inspired stone necklace
mini tutorial instead!!

so grab your pretties and lets begin!!

my inspiration is taken from all the pretties in the anthro jewelry section
a lot of smooth, polished stones are being used.
I really just wanted a pretty little something to wear this weekend to the sea:)
so the colors I chose for this, were muted and stormy sky colors.


 when I spied this at Target, I thought
yes!!
and then, when I turned it over to check out the price,
yes, yes!!!
was my reply, as it had been marked down.
  

loved the smoothness,
and the color was just what I was after.

I took a snippet of neutral lace
and stitched the top of it to gather it a bit,
and then put it through the jump ring and stitched it on,
like so
  

next came the flower.
now, there are many tutorials on the "burned edge" flowers
so if your not sure about these
just google it and you will find all the info you need!

I made a few in different sizes in the sea grey color I was after
 

and stacked them until I was happy with the shape,
then just stitched them together in the center.
  

add a vintage pearl drop earring...
  

and voila!
a pretty little flower for my necklace for the sea:)


"sea" how pretty it looks on?!
(my bad!)


I also made a lovely sea silk tie bracelet
I just couldn't help myself...
 

 one of my most favorite shades...

 

and the best part about this piece is,
  

I can also wear it as a choker necklace too:


I hope you were inspired to try your hand
at making something new and lovely to wear...

I will be sharing this over at Common Ground's
come see what other "luck" you have in finding something inspiring!


here's to the lovely shade of sea grey!

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