a pretty pearl paper pajaki...

hello again dear hearts! 

my ~ 

but it has been a few days since my last posting!!

I hope your summer has been filled with many beautiful days

just full of happy activities 

as mine has been :)

last week, in a few spare moments

I created a pajaki...

Have you ever heard of them?!

Polish paper chandeliers??

well, 

I hadn't until I spied a most lovely one

over at Fete et Fleur's blog

I simply feel head over heels in love with the concept

and was inspired to make one too!

There are many "diy" tutorials on these
traditionally, they were made from straws and pieces of colored scrap paper
but I wished to make mine using pearl white paper

I don't believe that there is any one way to string them

simply gather up a few pretty paper things and have fun!

I used pearl tissue paper and made flower poms

 and paper punched circles out

of a pearl tissue sheet treated with wax paper

so when I sewed them together 

they would resemble illuminated capiz shells!

I looked for plain pearl straws

and would have even settled for plain white ones

 that I would have pearled myself

LOL!!

but,

I used these silver and white paper straws instead, 

incorporating tiny paper rose flowers between each straw section

for even more whimsy!

these pretty paper chandeliers could be used for parties ~

How lovely would a few strung over a food table be with a few twinkle lights?!!

or 

a baby mobile in a nursery?!?

I added a paper swan silhouette cutout

but you could use any shape you adore!

there are so many inspiring things in blog land!

and don't even get me started on pinterest!!

but how awesome is the ripple effect??

When we share the pretties we make for our homes

that bring a smile or a happy thought to our hearts 

that will perhaps in turn,

 inspire someone else's heart too!! 

I wish you all

 many lovely moments

living authentic, joyful days!

sharing this post with:

french country cottage's: feathered nest friday

shabby art boutique's: shabbilicious friday

here's to pretty paper pajaki's!

~ elegant tissue box cover tutorial ~

..."aahhh-choo"...

*bless you*

as you reach for a tissue

in a pretty cardboard box...

NOT!

seriously

~ i ask you ~

WHY

has no one 

started printing pretty cardboard tissue boxes?!

perhaps a neutral french script or a fluer-de-lis design would be nice

( i bet a pair of fairy wings

that THOSE tissue box sales would increase!! )

and i am certain that there are a few out there

that this really won't matter to

but 

if the ugly tissue box quandary has stymied you ~

be stymied no more!!

for here is a tutorial

to make a FULL SIZE tissue box cover

in whatever color/pattern you choose!

cause the holidays are comin'

and details matter!!

shall we begin?!?

  

supply list: 

* a blank wooden tissue box 

 can be found at your craft store

* a can of your favorite color spray paint

mine choice was Krylon's Sterling Silver

* pretty paper napkins

you will need 4 small cocktail napkins for this project

* mod podge matte 

* a small paint/sponge brush

* rhinestone blingage

or other embellishment that you desire

or, none at all!

step one: lightly spray your wooden box.

i have chosen to spray paint my box

 rather than to paint it

because, 

i desired a slightly luminous quality

that would appear from under the paper napkin.

that could only be achieved with the spray paint

and if sprayed lightly, is translucent.

step two: open your paper napkin 

and lay it over your box

 until you are pleased with the design placement.

( don't cut anything yet, you will do that later )

 i have chosen to use a paper napkin

 as opposed to a piece of paper

because it is easier to apply

 and

 it attaches itself in a way that melds with the actual box

 as opposed to laying on top of the box.

and hello!

tissue

as in, a tissue box!!

lol!!

step three: separate the napkin layers,

for you want to see the slight color underneath silly!!

if your napkin was not double ply, simply skip this step!

step four: start on one side,

and brush on a nice, smooth coat of mod podge matte medium

~ smooth coat ~

then lay your tissue layer

 on the mod podge coated side.

very CAREFULLY smooth the tissue layer

almost patting it lightly with the pads of your fingers

to adhere it to the mod podge.

fold excess underneath the box for now.

now, simply flip the box over and repeat the previous steps.

when you get to the box ends,

and BEFORE you coat with it mod podge,

 lay out the placement of your tissue layer

and trim the sides a little larger than what meets to the edge.

this will allow for a clean edge.

don't trim the tops.

you will find that all the paper napkin points will meet at the top

and should line up and touch when folded over.

mod podge the tissue points at the top of the box first

 folding them towards the center "tissue opening"

fold excess underneath to the inside of the box

and attach with the mod podge.

then mod podge the short sides.

when you get to the bottom of your box,

trim the excess tissue paper to about a 1/2 inch all the way around.

mod podge the bottom lip and about 1/2 inch inside

then gently smooth the tissue over.

step five: when all the sides are covered in the tissue paper,

lightly brush the entire box with a coat of the mod podge.

this will give the paper a protective layer.

step six: add your embellishments, if any.

i used two rows of sticky back rhinestones 

around the top of my tissue box

for a little sparkly bling!

add an actual box of tissues

 and voila!!

you will have yourself one lovely tissue box cover

and the next time you reach for that tissue

you'll be thinking

"aahhh~pretty tissues"

as you sneeze!!

lol!!

sharing this post with:

petite michelle louise's: grey dey thursdey

common ground's: be inspired friday

french country cottage's: feathered nest friday

my romantic home's: show and tell friday

here's to pretty little details!

...fairytale sea-pumpkins...

aaahhhhh...

autumn at sea ~

when the days start to turn on the crispy side,

and the sun wanes earlier,

my thoughts wander even more

to the beautiful sea.

the word

~ resplendent ~

comes to mind

and

captures my emotion brilliantly!

as my home continues to be spun into

  an elegant seaside style

with a twist of simplicity of the french-nordic style

i find myself creating pieces that i adore

colors, textures ~ magic!

my latest collection simply being

~ fairytale sea-pumpkins ~

i crave materials that are ethereal to the touch

and appealing to my eye

i delight in a mound of the like,

just waiting to be spun into loveliness!

sumptuous silk velvet,

hand dyed in shades of the ocean side

along with gorgeous dupioni silks

made into the most lovely ribbons you could imagine

so much so,

if i have a choice,

i will only use them in my created pieces...

and oh my!

the exquisite beaded lace!

beauty is,

as beauty does

and don't let anyone ever tell you that the inside doesn't matter!!

'cause in a fairytale pumpkin ~

IT DOES!!

luxury filling with a touch of silk,

a sweet kiss of organic lavender,

tucked within a sachet

lie below the beautiful velvet that you see...

rendering a luxury fabric pumpkin

that will delight one for years to come...

bringing with it, a love of beautiful sea ~

~i surrender~

LOL!!

i have been making these pretty fairytale pumpkins for years
and their shades always surprise me...
the few that i have shown you here
are the grey shades.

sharing this post with:

petitemichellelouise's: grey dey thursdey

common ground's: be inspired friday

french country cottage's: feathered nest friday

my romantic home's: show and tell friday

and next time,

i'll be sharing with you ~

this fabulous leather sea lace bag...

until then,

sea whishes of autumn joy...

...here's to everyday fairytales!

...an enchanted driftwood chandelier

 

hello my sweets!

 

do you ever find yourself seeking something,

that you can't quite put your finger on?

 

you just know that when you see it ~

 

you.  will.  know.

 

well!

this is the story

of just such an item

 ...

and how it came to be :)

 

 

 

 

a few ~ l o n g ~ weeks ago

i set out on a quest

to find a chandelier for my studio table.

 

not just ANY chandelier

 

THE chandelier!

 

an enchanting chandelier that would illuminate my pretties

as i created them...

and delight my heart to turn it on.

 

for my studio IS a magical place...

 

 

 

 

in those weeks of my quest,

i would find something that i thought "might" work,

bring it home ~

 

hold it up

 

and hold my breath!

 

 

yah no!!

 

notta

 

and

 

NO!

 

was usually the response from my lips...

 

i felt like Goldilocks, i tell ya!

 

 

 

 

i had grown weary of looking

 

until one day, while creating at my studio table

a light bulb went on,

so to speak

 

LOL!!

 

and these photo's are the result of that epiphany that day...

 

 

 

 

yep!

as you may have already guessed

i ended up designing,

 what my heart was seeking...

 

which is what i should have done to begin with!!

 

 

 

 

a few lace covered pieces of perfectly greyed driftwood,

a hand gathered white linen shade,

crystal swags that dance when the sun hits them or the light is lit...

all spun into one enchanting chandelier!

 

 

sigh...

 

 

 

 

another sea washed treasure,

to adorn my cottage...

 

 

 

 

this is my studio table...

it is ever so magical when i plug in my fairy lights around the table

and my enchanted driftwood chandelier!

 

most especially as the days start to grow shorter...

 

 

 

 

 

i know it will provide much more than just light

in the coming months ahead,

as i sit beneath it

 and create away...

 

 

 

 

for it will also allow me to be swept away

and dream

if only for a moment or two...

on such things as the beautiful sea

 

 

 

 

and pondering on other fairytale delights,

to share with all of you!!

 

 

 

 

 

like, perhaps this sea silk rhinestone cuff ...

 

 

 

i hope you enjoyed your visit today!

thanks for stopping by...

 

 

sharing this post with:

 

petitemichellelouise's: grey dey thursdey

common ground's: be inspired friday

french country cottage's: feathered nest friday

my romantic home's: show and tell friday

 

 

 

...here's to enchanting lighting!