A Year of Pretty - December 08, 2014

 .. . .perfect for the creative person. This would also be a great way to use left over yarn. What's also nice is that with a bit of adult super vision when attaching the yarn to the wreath, this is a fun project for kids to create. Imagine their concentration while winding the yarn into smaller balls....

I've given instructions for both a permanent and a temporary wreath. In the permanent version, the balls of yarn are glued together; both to the wreath form and to each other. In the temporary version, the balls of yarn are attached with thin wire. This is in case you may want to use the yarn again for another project and don't want it to be covered in hardened glue.

You can also use a foam wreath for your base and wrap it in yarn. I found that to be a bit time consuming, so I opted for a rustic twig / vine wreath I had on hand. Essentially, when we pruned back the grape vines in the garden, I twisted then into wreaths and let them dry that way. But you can pick one up pretty cheap at your local craft store.

Directions for Yarn Wreath:

Needed:
yarn in four or five complimentary shades
styrofoam balls in various sizes
large eyed needle
desired size wreath form; twig or grapevine
hot glue gun and glue sticks, or 20 gauge wire
wire cutters and eye protection
hanging ornament for center
clear fishing line
scissors

What to Do:

1. Wind various yarns around the different sizes of styrofoam balls, leaving a 12 inch tail. If you are using a smaller wreath, make smaller balls, larger for a larger wreath. Essentially, the size should be in proportion to the overall size of the wreath.

2. Thread the tail end of yarn onto the large eyed needle. Pull the needle through the ball of yarn repeatedly until the tail is secure.

3. Arrange balls of yarn on wreath form in the desired sequence in order to cover the front of the wreath as shown in the photo.

4. Apply hot glue to the back of each yarn ball and press in place along the wreath. Hold until ball feels secure. Repeat with all yarn balls; glue yarn balls together at sides where they touch.

OR

4. Attach each ball of yarn to the wreath with the 20 gauge wire by threading the wire through each ball and then twisting the ends of the wire onto the twig wreath until secure. Wearing eye protection, clip ends of wire with wire cutters. Twist and tuck exposed twisted pieces into the wreath for safety. Thread wire through yarn balls at sides where they touch and repeat twisting to secure, clipping ends as needed.

5. Attach hanging ornament to inside top of wreath with clear fishing line. Trim ends of fishing line with scissors.

Your wreath is now ready to hang or give away as a gift. I have found that round cake trays with domed lids from the grocery store's baking department are great way to store wreaths when not in use and are convenient for gift-giving. Just stick a pretty bow on the top of the dome and you're done.

Happy Christmas Crafting!

A Year of Pretty - February 13, 2014

I'm not a huge fan of Valentine's Day. I never have been. I guess because I'm not a fan of hearts and cupids and red roses. And any day is the perfect day to be romantic and tell someone that you love them, you don't need a special day to do that.

That being said, I do like making cookies or cupcakes and decorating them for Valentine's Day. Who am I kidding; I like doing that for any occasion.

So I thought this centrepiece would be cute on a table if you were hosting a little afternoon tea on Valentine's Day. While not exclusively hearts and cupids, it does have that "love is in the air" feeling about it.

You could put whatever you like in the teacups; cinnamon hearts, chocolates covered with red foil, red heart marshmallows. I think it would be easy enough to make. An candelabra, some old teacups and some super glue. You could paint the candelabra whatever colour you like, but I think it looks nice with the vintage white and the white porcelain from the tea cups.

Either way, enjoy your Valentine's Day tomorrow, whether you are a fan of the day or not.

A Year of Pretty - January 16, 2014

Today's Pretty Post was found while searching for images to print and decoupage onto tins for storage. I thought it was such a nice vintage image of "new beginnings", which is what January often means to a lot of people.

How are you doing with your 2014 resolution? Are you still on track, or has time / energy caught you off guard?

I find my biggest downfall is the "I'll do it tomorrow" trap. As in . . . "I'll sew this tomorrow", or "I can do the laundry in the morning". Morning then becomes afternoon and tomorrow becomes two weeks later.

So I leave little notes for myself on the bathroom mirror. "Take down the recycling", or "cut three dresses by Friday afternoon". The notes annoy me, but I can only remove them once the task is done.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still working on my Great Gatsby Fashion Show Challenge. The designs are coming along, the muslins have been cut, my model has been selected and I have the first fitting next week.

But working for yourself is hard. You have to be more conscious of your time and how wisely you spend it. It is so easy to get distracted by the computer or a text message; and the next thing . . . twenty minutes have gone by.

So here's to staying on course with your new beginnings and taking each day to get closer to your goals.

A Year of Pretty - January 03, 2014

First, I would like to say I would like to say I survived the year end staff party with no ill effects and no embarrassing stories in circulation.

Here is a gorgeous hutch makeover from Design Sponge. I love, love, love the colour palate chosen; the gold highlights accentuate the details on the doors so nicely. It reminds me a bit of a Marie Antoinette colour theme, n'est pas? That french je ne sais quoi? or as one comment states; Alice in Wonderland.  I agree.

And again, I am still with the china teacups and saucers theme. This just shows a pretty place to store them all while still displaying the favourites.

This photo shows only the "after" transformation. To see the "before", along with other wonderful ideas for giving life to old furniture, be sure to check out the Design Sponge website.

I have a dresser with six drawers and a top shelf that I am using as a china hutch. My dad picked it up as a "big garbage day" find. I think it used to have a mirror in the open space between the top shelf and the set of drawers and it broke so that why it was being tossed out. It's white with black scroll knobs and has much the same shape of the hutch pictured here. While I think I will keep mine white, this photo has inspired me to sand it down, clean it and give it a fresh coat of paint; along with some contrasting accents like the gold shown here on the doors and drawers. Take the hardware off, clean it and spray paint it a matte black or with a pewter crackle finish. Maybe add some moldings along the top like those in the picture.

Darn! I think I just added another project to my list.

Today on Etsy - January 26, 2013

I’ve been ordering button sets from mariiam for a couple years now. I like how the buttons are all a little different, but all matchy-matchy. This makes them great for craft projects such as card making, scrap booking, button flowers, pillow accents …..the list could go on and on.

Shown here is an example of the Valentine mix. There are two size options to choose from: small-medium or medium large. I usually choose two sets in the medium large and one in the small medium so that I have a nice mix of sizes in the same colour range.

The Valentine mix would be perfect for making class cards for Valentine’s Day. An idea is to have your child draw some flower petals and then glue the buttons in the centers. Or cut out some simple hearts and glue the buttons on for decoration, and then write “Cute as a Button”.

Trust me…kids+ buttons+glue=magic.*

*As with all craft projects that involve small children with scissors and small objects, supervision is strongly advised to ensure the safety the child. Ingestion of glue, buttons, glitter or other equally appealing craft supplies is/are not recommended. These items are non-digestible and from experience, a child that eats sparkles will in fact poop sparkles. And buttons. And Lego blocks. Just saying.

Pomanders

Pomanders. The smell of spices and citrus.

During the Middle Ages, people didn’t bathe much. But they still wanted to smell nice otherwise it became increasingly difficult when trying to pick up a date for Friday nights.

The word Pomander comes from the French pomme d’ambre or apple of ambergris (nothing says “wow, you smell good like a bit of dull grey or blackish solid, waxy, flammable substance produced in the digestive system of sperm whales). Originally made from gold, silver or ivory, the small filigree balls were filled with fragrant spices and ambergris; which was used as a fixative. The pomanders were then worn either on a long chain around the neck or at the waist.

A modern version of a pomander is made by studding citrus fruit with whole cloves and a mixture of ground spices containing orrisroot instead of the ambergris. Orrisroot will dry out the fleshy inside of the fruit so that it doesn’t rot. What you’re essentially left with is a light, hollow ball.

Now, keep in mind that I do bathe. Quite regularly. So I don’t need to wear one of these around my neck or waist. Instead, I use them for decoration or gifts. When studding the citrus, I leave about a 3/8 inch space all the way around. When the fruit has dried, I then wrap a long ribbon around in the space and then tie it in a double knot with a bow at the top. The long tails I then tie together to form a loop to hang the whole thing in the Christmas tree or from a chandelier in the dining room (the warmth of the lights really bring out the smell of the spices).  You can also cover the whole surface and then display them in a pile in a pretty bowl as a centerpiece with candles.

Pomanders also make a great hostess gift. When placed in closets, the help scare away the moths.

I choose small, round oranges with thin skins, or nicely shaped lemons. Once studded with the cloves and allowed to cure, the scent will usually last for several years. When the spicy scent starts to wane, I dip them is warm water and then roll them in fresh ground spices with a drop or two od cinnamon or clove oil. I then leave the pomander in the spice s for a couple days to dry.

Want to make your own? Here’s how:

6 to 8 assorted thin skinned oranges, lemons and limes (some people say apples, but I haven’t tried these)

½ lb (8 oz or 1 cup)              whole large-headed cloves

¼ cup                                    ground cinnamon

¼ cup                                    ground cloves

¼ cup                                    powdered orrisroot (the pharmacy / health food store should have this)

2 Tbsp                                   ground nutmeg

2 Tbsp                                   ground all spice

I find having a slim nut pick or a large needle handy for piercing the skin very handy. Holding the fruit firmly, insert cloves at ¼ inch intervals; either in rows or at random over the surface. The fruit will shrink as it dries, closing up the spaces between the cloves. Repeat with all fruit.

Combine all the ground and powdered ingredients and mix thoroughly. I place my mixture in a large Christmas cookie tin. Begin to roll the fruit in the spice mixture until completely covered. Leave fruit in mixture, and spoon additional mixture over fruit, covering as much as possible. Leave in open container for 2 days (more or less).

Turn fruit in container and recover with spice mixture. Repeat this process, turning fruit every couple of days until fruit is hard, light and completely dried out. This should take about 2 weeks.

Once the fruit has dried out, remove from spices and shake off the excess. Tie on the ribbon if you plan to hang these, or place in a decorate bowl for on the table.

After the holidays, you can either store them in the remaining spice for next year, hang them in the closet (just be sure they don’t touch your clothes or the coats) or leave them out on display.

PS: If you’ve made these and have suggestions or questions, please drop me a note and I’d be happy to help. And don’t’ forget the voting buttons below to let me know what you think.

Happy Holidays

Sweet & Pretty . . . take 4

Blue Hues

Just a quick post with this beautiful collection I discovered with gradiant blue hues....like waves of the ocean ....perfect for summer.

Design Dot

Just a little shout out to my new friends at Design Dot. Why? because they were so kind as to feature my little shop gingerbugZ on their blog. So, in the belief of good karma, I am returning the favour.

Design Dot is a group of etsy sellers who come together to discuss ideas, creativity and help promote each other. This is a wonderful source of support, especially on those days that my inspiration meter is on E for empty and I need a good kick in the rear.

It is also a great source for gift ideas and putting together a wish list for Santa. In our house, Santa likes detailed lists, especially those with pictures or web links. Less chance for misunderstanding the requested wish . . . .

To see the featured post, and to discover many other abundantly creative and talented designers and artists, be sure to have a little wander over to Design Dot.


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Beautiful Baubles

I love beads, I love baubles. And these beautiful baubles are created by the husband and wife team of Valentin and Patricia Hernandez; also know as Atlantis Glass & Bead.

Working out of their home studio in southern California for close to ten years, these two artists anneal their beads in a digitally controlled kiln. This helps ensure two things: the highest quality in their pieces and the beads' increased strength over glass beads that do not receive this special sauna.

These beads are made from borosilicate glass, which is known for its range of colour spectrum, clarity in colour and consistent strength, which all help to make it an ideal choice to work with when designing jewelry pieces than can be enjoyed for generations. Borosilicate also refracts light more readily than Murano or other “soft glass” mediums . . which translates as “more sparkle from your baubles” . . .

These individually unique pieces are best displayed with as little fuss as possible; a silver wire, an organza ribbon. They don’t need any other sparkle such as crystals or gemstones to help them stand out. And because no two beads are the same, nor repeated, you will truly be owning one-of-a-kind piece of arts with these.

For the purpose of this exercise, I chose a series of examples of their blue-green bead sets but Atlantis Glass & Bead offers a whole range of color options to choose from.

Let the compliments begin . . .

Fabric Finds - part 1

I have a passion for fabric; a crazy obsession really. I have piles and piles of fabric that I’ve bought and have no idea what I will use it for . . .or even if I will ever know what to use it for. Fabrics that I have fallen in love with and just felt a need to have.

In Seville, Spain, I bought six meters of scarf weight silk in a bold blue, yellow and orange pattern in order to copy the dress shown right (though poor girl, the designer neglected to match the pattern on her backside) That was in 2008. Now 2011, the other day I found the fabric . . still wrapped in tissue and then in paper and tied with string. Below that was a 3 meters of eggplant purple beaded lace I oohed and aahhed over in Tomar, Portugal - no idea how I will use it. Embroidered wedding white satin from San Francisco - no wedding in sight. The palest of pink crepe from Paris. The list goes on . . . through four huge Rubbermaid storage bins.

Tomorrow I go back to school to study fabrics and design. In particular design for costuming for stage, ballet and opera. That’s right, I’m going to Tutu School. I am immensely excited, especially since this will give me a viable excuse to buy more fabric.

I really enjoy using different fabrics together, whether it be the same colour be different textures, or the same texture but different colours within the palette. Imagine a full length dress flowing with three complimentary tones of pale blue.

There are several fabric designers that are brilliant at offering coordinating fabrics within a same line, such as Lila Tueller (shown here right and offered by spiceberrycottage)






Or, mix n’ match fabrics in complimentary tones from several different designers as done by fabriccloset (shown here left and several of which I have tagged as My Favourites on Etsy and am seriously enamored with). I may not know yet what I want to make with these fabric combinations, but they do call to me and inspire me to be creative.


It’s a good thing I have a separate room just for sewing and fabric storage.

Perfect Petite Pincushions

I’m sure this has happened to many a sewing phenom who’s had one of those magnetic pin holder contraptions. You know, the yellow oval thing that looks like it could double as a soap dish. Nice for keeping the pins in place . . .not so nice when it drops on the floor late at night and all the pins go scattering across the floor along with the cat who was dozing so nicely under the sewing table. So I have reverted back to a traditional stuffed fabric pincushion.

The uber-common design of a tomato with a funny little strawberry attached was most likely introduced during the Victorian Era. But really . . . a tomato and a strawberry? I mean, the strawberry is kinda cute but the tomato just makes me think of pasta which makes me hungry. According to Tomatoes Are Evil.com, pins were initially stuck in ripe tomatoes all over Europe. The firmness of the skin with the softness of the inner pulp was ideal for keeping the pins in place. When no ripe tomatoes were abound, housewives and seamstresses made red, tomato-looking cushions for their pins. And since tomatoes and strawberries grow well together . . . voila!

Pincushions are typically filled tightly with stuffing so that the pins are held rigidly in place once poked into the fabric. Traditionally, wool roving (un–spun wool) is used in the tomato in order to prevent rust on the pins. The attached strawberry is typically filled with an abrasive such as emery in order to keep the pins clean and sharp.

So in not wanting to stay with the traditional, in my search I came across a couple different takes on the tomatoes-love-strawberries theme. And I must say, these would make pretty additions to any home, sewing phenom or not. I like the idea of the little strawberries in reds, greens and whites by allthingssmall to decorate a holiday tree. Or a trio of little pumpkins by Sea Pinks for a centerpiece at Thanksgiving. And I adore the sunny yellow flowers on denim blue felt by The Daily Pinchusion, while the yummy cupcake design by Smarmy Pants reminds me to smile and find the whimsy when my sewing isn't quite going as planned.

Sharp, clean pins with no rust that don’t fall all over the floor held by beautiful and charming designs . . .? Genius!

warm up with . . . .

Gloves and Mittens. Got cold fingers? Chilly weather turning your hands to chapped leather? Here are a few of beautiful examples to restore warmth with style to your hands and keep the moisture in your skin from drying out.

Shown left is a pair of smokey grey cable knit mittens by FairMaidenDesign. I like the chunky-ness of these mitts; they look so warm and perfect for walking in the snow.

I also like these colorful options from Whitton's Mittens. (pink argyle shown right and blue flowers shown below) Made from recycled wool and cashmere sweaters and lined with felt, they are eco-friendly and very whimsical. The button detailing is a nice added touch as well.

If you are needing to keep your hands warm but still want the flexibility and dexterity of being able to use your fingers, then perhaps these fingerless gloves are what you need. I also find that fingerless gloves tend to be more charming and elegant . . . not to mention I adore big chunky rings and often a full glove does not accommodate for this.

Have a gander at these beautiful Victorian inspired lace-up gloves from Zen and Coffee Designs (shown right). The corset-like detailing on these gives the gloves a hint of sex appeal as well.

Not-so-secret-tip: Apply a bit of rich hand cream to your skin before putting your mittens or gloves on. The warmth from your skin inside the mittens will help the moisturizer work more quickly and help it last longer.

So regardless of whether you choose fun and whimsical full mittens or elegant fingerless gloves, these winter warmth accessories are sure to garner you compliments while keeping you toasty.

Stay warm out there!

I'm Fascinated by.....

A couple years back while I was travelling through Spain, I kept seeing women with these ornate and fanciful decorations in their hair. Not the traditional peinetas or flamenco hair combs worn by a senorita of high society, but something else that the Spanish women were carrying off with elegance and aplomb.

The Spanish tradition at weddings is that the groom’s family arrives and enters the church, while the bride's family waits outside for the bride and her father to arrive and then follow the bride and her papa into the Cathedral as some sort of extravagantly dressed entourage. Personally, I believe it is because the bride's side of the family is often much more ornately dressed and wish to show off their finery. As an observer, this gave me plenty of time to enjoy how beautifully the women were dressed. The dresses, the shoes, the matching handbags . . .at 10:00am! But what really caught my attention were the elaborate decorations in their hair. Feathers, sparkle, sequins, beads, rhinestones, tulle netting . . .all either clipped in or held in place by a slim head band. Back in Canada, I described these to my mom, to which she said "oh, you mean a fascinator!"

I believe Sarah Jessica Parker summed it up best as her character Carrie Bradshaw in Sex in the City - The Movie when she said,

“I put a Bird on my head”
“Is that what it was? I thought it was feathers.”
“No, it was a bird.”
“oh, it was beautiful.”

From that scene on, the explosion of feathered and frilly head gear has been quite remarkable. Sure, women have been adorning their heads for centuries (think Marie Antoinette and her fabulous famous sailing ship hair piece) in attempt to obscure perpetual bad hair days but in the last couple years this ritual has become trend (once again) rather than necessity.

If you’re looking for demure and romantic bridal concoctions, then look no further than myrakim and Amie Noel Designs. Both are gorgeous for afternoon weddings in the garden . . or just afternoons in the garden for that matter. No wedding required.

Golden Bouquet custom order (right)

"Luna" Ivory Chiffon Flower with Pearl Center (left)

Whatever the occasion, you are sure to receive compliments whenever you wear a fascinator in your hair. I have a couple that I wear from time to time. My favourites are actually a couple of bright red poinsettias with feathers and crystals that I wear around Christmas. I receive many compliments each time I do. they add just a little bit of whimsy and make people smile. 

a little birdie told me ....

Today I came across this cute little guy from one of my favourite sellers on Etsy.

And I do maintain this is a "little guy" by his facial expression. A mixture of a little miffed, a little confused, a little bothered. Perhaps he is miffed and bothered because he is confused . . . or perhaps he is confused because he is miffed and bothered.

It reminds me of the young birds in our backyard right now that are learning the ups and downs of spreading their wings while trying to steer clear of the cats.

I've seen the same expression when a squirrel is sitting in the bird feeder and the birds can't get at the seeds.

You can find "Mr. Miffey" and his handmade friends created by Seapinks on Etsy.

Vacation - Day 2, 3, 4 & 5

Well, it seems time has gotten away from me. Here we are on day 5 of my imposed "vacation". No real sewing yet, although I have zip-zagged all my fabrics and visited the local laundromat. They are all clean and ready to go. Note to self - next time take the fabric to the local laundromat late at night when there aren't as many sour-faced old ditties that will scowl at you for taking more than two machines.

I have spent some time with the aforementioned planter boxes on my patio. And my floors and bathrooms are gleaming clean. So I can at least cross those things of my "To-Do" list.

I have discovered a problem in my craft/sewing room. Well, technically not a problem, just something that I thought I had done but it seems I still have some work to do. I found a box of unpainted ceramic houses. Eight of 'em. Plus all the tiny village people. Uncleaned greenware. Great, another project to add to my list of things to get done. Hence - a problem.

The situation is further complicated because Mom already has about a dozen finished houses and no more room with the current display to add more. So poor ol' Dad will have to build on to the village and rig up more lights for the display this Christmas.

But I guess compared to world hunger and the global economic crisis it's not a big deal . . . .

How Can I Not . . . .

. . . be inspired ?

Today is my last day at work (the official-pay-the-bills-office work) before having to take 3 weeks off. You see, my boss is leaving for Italy for 3 weeks and my services will not be required during the time that he is out of the office.

So . . this will give me 3 whole weeks to work on all those creative projects that I have been meaning to do. I have crown molding to paint, tiles to re-grout (yes, I know - how glamorous !) and a patio full of planter boxes that are in need of a little T.L.C.

The break will also give me time to delve into the mountains and mountains of fabric I've recently bought. The local fabric store recently had a "Buy 1 Meter, get 3 Free" sale, and let me tell you . . .I participated. Some fabrics I bought 3 meters, therefore receiving 9 more meters at no charge. . . I am seriously considering taking it all to a laundromat and loading up six or seven machines at once to pre-wash it all, especially with the denim.

So expect a whole collection of new spring / summer clothing for both tykes and princesses within the next month. Until then . . .you can find me in my sewing room.

Puddin'

Pudding 'n Lace . . Welcome !

I make a dessert for my family called Pudding ‘n Lace, which always earns rave reviews. I think it’s the smooth creamy texture of vanilla pudding paired with the crisp and spicy taste of lacey gingersnap tuille cookies . . . each is in itself lovely, but together they form a wonderful combination simply because their contrast in texture and flavours compliment each other. This is what you will find here: the blending of the things I enjoy in a way that complement each other. Many of them I will have created myself. Others are from fellow creators and artists that inspire me or whom I admire. Ideas for all things creative and sources to purchase them (both locally and internationally) for those not so creatively inspired but who still crave pretty things. Pudding ‘n Lace is the amalgamation, the fusion (or perhaps more aptly – the mish mash) of many of the things that I wish to share with you.

I am based in Vancouver, but have had the wonderful opportunity to travel through England, France, Spain, Portugal, Madeira, The Netherlands, Canada and the United States. Upcoming trips include Ireland, Scotland, Cape Breton, New Zealand and Turks & Cacios. During my travels I have seen some wonderful things to inspire me which I have photographed. Some items I have been able to bring back with me. Vintage French silk covered buttons from Paris, intricate lace from Seville, smoked Gouda from . . .well . . .Gouda.

So grab a cup of tea or a glass of wine (naturellement, j'adore les deux), relax, unwind and enjoy.

Puddin’

. . . mmmm, french pastries in Paris