...oh christmas tree ~ oh christmas tree ~ how lovely are your branches!

...hello, hello dear ones!!

i'm taking a short break from making
my christmas "soul cakes"

to share,  my snow dusted tree this year...

 

as i have lots o' pictures

i won't be saying much

mostly just sharing a few links...

 

i sooo wanted a flocked tree this year

but most of the trees out there were

#1 ~ too big and tooo large

and #2 ~ ahh, $300 is a bit much!

my christmas trees are different

each and every year.

i figure,

we only have so many christmases in our lifetime,

so why make every tree the same year after year??!

 

so, i set out to find some white tree flocking...

i wanted a snow dusted look.

and that is exactly what i got!

here is where i found my tree flocking

~ WHITE TREE FLOCKING ~

don't be intimidated!!

YOU can do this too!

 

i used 1 pound of white bonding flock

and two Martha Stewart glitter jars of iridescent glitter...

LOVE how it turned out!!

now, for the embellishing...

 

a rhinestone pretty from Michelle

at

~ Petite Michelle Louise ~

 

to which i added the most exquisite lace ruffle around...

it has tiny beads and sequins and silver threads

so ethereal

 

and a paper ruffle frill to this one...

(also from petite michelle louise)

 

and this one...

 

 

 ~ sigh ~

 

 

these next few pretties are from Rhonda

of A Little Bit French at

 ~ Paris Gal 56 ~

all three of us kindred hearts

were drawn to this lovely image this year...

 

 

so pretty hanging on the branches....

 

 

doves that carry iridescent bubbles of wishes...

 

 

 

 

vintage blue velvet flower lights.

i was sad they didn't fit in the light strand sockets on this tree

but they are still very blu-eautiful...

HA!!

 

 

i'm blamin' those "drunken sour cherries"

 in the "soul cakes"!!

 

 

tiny glass bells

as one can never

 have too many sets of angel wings

 in this wonderful life:)

 

 

satin covered ones...

there are delicate strands of angel hair on my tree too.

did you know that it is actually spun glass??

i never realized that until this year!!

 

 

and  Mother Mary with baby Jesus...

 

 

the reason for the season in our home

 

and that is my snow dusted christmas tree!

 

 

thanks for dropping by!

i hope you are having lots of merriement in your hearts!

now,

i really must get back to making those cakes:)

sharing this with:

Common Ground's: Vintage Inspiration Friday

French Country Cottage's: Feathered Nest Friday

Romantic Home's: Show and Tell Friday

2805's: Potpourri Friday

The Charm of Home's: Home Sweet Home

 

here's to lovely snow dusted branches!

...an angel for annabelle

...whew!

this morning i thought i was lost

FOREVER!!

 

nooo,

not me personally

per say

(although, to be honest, i am at times...)

but my blog,

and all the contents therein!!

apparently "google"

is now "google plus"

and wants everyone to plus up!!

lol!!

whew...

did this happen to any of you??!!

ok

enough of that!!

~

back to today's post ~

"an angel for annabelle"

sometimes, some things are just

serendipitous...

as in,

they were just meant to be

this dollie

was just that!

i found her in my travels one day

(ie. thrifting)

or should i say,

SHE found me:)

i fell in love with her straight away!

so i brought her home,

and assesed what needed to be done.

well first,

her gauzy gown was in need of a wash

so i carefully removed it,

hand washed it in lavender suds

and hung it up to dry...

then i got to work

giving this dear dollie

a new life:)

first,

i "A.S.ed" her face and hands

(annie sloaned)

oh yes i did!!

and the whole time i was doing it

i kept saying to myself

can i do this??

well,

yes!

i think i can...

in fact,

i'm sure i can!!

(i felt like willy wonka, i tell ya')

then,

i added bits of lace to her gown...

i loved how she was beginning to come alive again!!

and i think she did too:)

for i swear i thought i heard her whisper

"may i have a crown please??"

and you know how i love my crowns!

so i waved my magic wand and

wha-la!

a crown!!

AND

a pair of wings!

AND

a pair of lace ballerina slippers...

you don't have to ask me twice for fairytale sprinkles!!

LOTS O' SPINKLES please!

 i was delighted!!

now here is the serendipity part...

the texture i used on these pictures today,

is Kim Klassen's.

but i betcha' can't guess what she calls it??!

ANNABELLE

get out!! no way!!

yep!

it's true

and that is how i know that she was just meant to be...

an angel for annabelle

(yes, that is my mom!)

sharing this post with:

Faded Charm's: White Wednesday

Ivy and Elephant's: What's it Wednesday

here's to NOT having my blog deleted

and to finding an angel!

..a touch of christmas magic

...hello girlies!

i've been decorating the land of odds with

magic and Christmas cheer!

today, i am sharing my front entrance table with you

i have been busy painting my world with the Annie Sloan chalk paints

one piece at a time!

 you may remember this table before

from my  ~ autumns entrance post ~

it was lovely,

but i had outgrown the buttercream color

and so

i fearlessly painted it!

i have enjoyed every step of it's makeover...

especially,

added the little flourishes

here, i have added a wreath flourish to each side,

using the Martha Stewart stencils that i have used in the past

the drawer in the front...

even a tiny side detail to each side towards the back

the bottom shelf detail

LOVE the look of the waxed paint

it has such a satin sheen to it and feels so nice to the touch!

next,

i've finished working on this project

inspired by the lovely nordic candelabra's

that can be found on the pages of the Jeanne d'Arc magazines

i have never come across one

and thought it to be a wishful fancy

UNTIL...

dear Sandy showed us all how

it was possible to make one of our very own

check out her fabulous tutorial

~ HERE ~

i wanted one that was unique to my eye

so i incorporated things that i love,

using her tutorial as a guideline

i used things like lace, silk, vintage smoke gray crystals,

silver glass glitter, and rhinestones

gotta have the sparkly!!

i placed my finished candelabra atop an "angel cloth" table runner

that i made most especially for my newly painted table

and of course wrapped each of my candles,

ballerina style in silk ribbons.

before i placed my candles into the holders,

i tucked a piece of lace,

then a paper candy liner

(to protect my lace from the melting wax)

and then my candlestick

 lovely!

Sandy made lily paper flowers for hers.

but again,

i wanted something unique to me

so i made my paper flowers ~

"paperwhites"!

LOL!!

nothing says Christmas to me  like paperwhites and white tulips

and my home is filled with them around this time of year

soooo,

what better flower to design for my nordic candelabra??

and you know how much i adore some sparkle

so i glass glittered the centers of my 

paper paperwhites...

and while i had my glitter out,

i added it to my holly berries too!

that's just the kind of thing you can expect to see,

here,

in the land of odds...

to glam up my holly plants,

i first tucked them into a plastic baggie

to allow me to water them and not make a mess.

then i used 3 white coffee filters in a tulip fashion, to cover the ugly green pots.

i then secured a pretty crochet doily around the coffee filters

and tied them off with one of my 

white silk prayer ribbons

i had two fabulous silver cups

that have a crystal embellished stems

that were just the perfect vessels for my

glam-med up holly plants!

ta-da!!!

an elegant angel hangs on the front drawer knob

keeping watch over the tiny white town below...

i really can't say

what possessed me to buy this little white town at the thrift store one day

i imagined someones dear grandmother

 lovingly making it while she anticipated the delight

on one of her grandchildren faces when they saw them!

there is even a little, tiny bell in the schoolhouse! 

i placed my little town on a mirrored tray...

i bedecked my swan too!

she wears a sparkle crown

and carries a lit pine garland...

above the top of my entrance table,

hang 5 gorgeous ostrich plumes

that flutter about so gracefully when you open the front door

that concludes the front entrance tour:)

i hope you have enjoyed another look inside my home

as i fluff it up for Christmas:)

and perhaps were inspired with a few of these pretties!

~

 sharing this post with:

Faded Charm's: White Wedneday

Common Ground's: Vintage Inspiration Friday
French Country Cottage's: Feathered Nest Friday
Romantic Home's: Show and Tell Friday
2805's: Potpourri Friday
The Charm of Home's: Home Sweet Home
Ivy and Elephant's: What's it Wednesday

here's to a lovely entrance!

...angel cloth

...hello enchanted ones!

would you like to see what angel cloth looks like?

did you know that there was such a thing?

i didn't!

and i have worked around fabrics all of my adult life...

i studied textiles in college

and even managed a Jo-Ann Fabrics store, once upon a time.

fabrics have somehow,

 always been a part of my life in some way or another.

every year,

when making out my christmas list,

i try to always create a most special gift

for my dearest, bestest friend

who also just so happens to be my mom,

(absolutely no pressure there!)

a gift,

unique and one of a kind 

a gift,

that is spun from my soul

and that is the best part of who i am....

this year,

my muse has delighted in making what i like to call,

angel cloth!

it has taken me weeks to gather all of my supplies

of the most beautiful fibers you could imagine

from all over the world!

silk, lace, wool fibers, crystals, pearls

the technique i used is known as "nuno felting"

and

i

am

h

o

           o      d

           k  e

          

it is like working with cotton candy...

delicate, ethereal and light

layer upon beautiful layer

it is not a creative project for the faint of heart

but,

a labor of love...

i was so intimidated by the process

that it took me two weeks just to read and re-read

and then read again, all that was involved!

i tentatively took the plunge and gave it all that i had!

and now,

well ~

now,

 i.  am.  transfixed upon it!

it has captured my creative heart

and i feel like the dancing girl in the red shoes...

LOL!!

it is like a nuno felting factory in my studio...

and in the kitchen

and in the hallways...

i can't stop!!

can you blame me?

isn't it just oh-sooooo-lovely??!!

i love the strands of silk fibers running through the wool.

and you know how i simply adore embellishing things full tilt,

so hand sewing tiny sparkling crystals,

glistening rhinestones,

dreamy pearls and iridescent sequins

were not out of the ordinary for this angel cloth!

noooo sir-reee!

my muse has caught me by surprise with this endeavor

and i couldn't be more thrilled!

what you are viewing in this post is a scarf

and a wrist cuff adornment...

i am mesmerized at the softness of them

they are lighter than air...

i wonder if angel's ethereal gowns could be made from cloth such as this?!?!

hhhhmmmmmm....

i still have some silk and wool fiber left,

what do you think i should make next???

perhaps a bowl,

to stash my nuno fibers in?

i would be interested to hear your thoughts...

~

sharing this post with:

Common Ground's: Vintage Inspiration Friday

French Country Cottage's: Feathered Nest Friday

Freckled Laundry's: Air Your Laundry Friday

Romantic Home's: Show and Tell Friday

2805's: Potpourri Friday

here's to spun angel cloth!