Ornate Splendor: Wall Hanging

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Spring visit from the Ducks

Spring Time!! Warmer weather and sweet sunshine....are we there yet? Are we there yet?

Spring is definitely near when the mallard ducks visit my back yard....

This photo is from 3 years ago....they have come back every spring! The male and female would visit every day...then just the female...Then one day -- DUCKLINGS!!!

Oh my! Oh my! They couldn't get out of the pool! Mama duck kept trying to get them to follow her, but they couldn't jump up high enough! My son and I placed this board for them to climb on to the patio.

It took them a while, but they finally got it!

I've been working on spring assemblages these past few weeks...

I used an image from the graphics fairy. Printed it on fabric using the freezer paper method.

Added lots of laces, pearls, roses, vintage jewelry, found objects, and last - but not least - a little nest of eggs that I made using the beaded fabrics that I also use to make pretty autumn pumpkins.

The ducklings only stay about a day or two. Then mama duck takes them elsewhere. We keep the wooden plank (now warped) just for the ducks...we just pull it out of the garage every spring for them! Right now, mama duck is bringing two males with her to visit our pool every morning. That's new from last year!

Hopefully we'll have ducklings again this year. I so love to watch them for the short time that they are here! Thanks for visiting my little blog-- so happy you are here!

Hugs, Catherine

Sharing with these fun linky parties:

Project Inspired at Extraordinary Day
Amaze Me Mondays at Dwellings

Make it Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House

Inspire Me Monday at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Table it at Rustic and Refined

Feathered Nest Friday at http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Show and Tell Friday http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Simple and Sweet Fridays http://rootedinthyme.blogspot.com/

The inspiration Gallery at The Craftberry Bush

Shabbylicious Friday http://shabbyartboutique.blogspot.com/

The Friday Flea

All Things Thursday Blog Hop at All Things With Purpose, Glamorous Affordable Life, Posed Perfection, and Posed Perfection

Talk of the Town at My Salvaged Treasures

Simply Neutral Tuesday at Apple Apricot

Let's Talk Vintage Party at Bella Rosa Antiques

Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House

Cooking & Crafting with J & J at Julie's Lifestyle

Five Star Frou Frou at A tray of Bliss

The Scoop at Confessions of a Plate Addict

Tuesdays at our Home at Our Home Away From Home

You're Gonna Love It (Tuesday) at Kathe with an E

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper

Share Your Cup Thursday at Jann Olson BlogSpot

Vintage Charm Thursday at Thrifty Rebel Vintage

Share your style Thursday at Common Ground

Share your Creativity (Saturday) at Welcome To It's Overflowing

What's It Wednesday at Ivy and Elephants

Pink Saturday at How Sweet The Sound

Pin me Linky Party at Diana Rambles

What to do weekends at Crafts a la mode

Share it One More Time Sunday at One More Time Events

Snickerdoodle Sunday at Across the Boulevard

Saturday Sparks Linky Party at Pieced Pastimes

Saturday Show Off Party at Rose Garden Malevik

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Mothers' Day Gift

What do you give your mother for Mothers' Day? Is it difficult to find a gift? Make something for her instead. Here's what I made made for my mother-in-law last year. It contains photos of her own mother, who had passed away years ago. The jewelry used in the project also belonged to her mother.

Create a fabric wall hanging. Begin with any piece of fabric. I chose a dresser scarf that already had embroidery and lace at the bottom.

I printed the photos (scanned in from originals) onto fabric. You can either use pre-prepared printable fabric from a craft store or you can use your own fabric. To use your own fabric, just cut your fabric to 8 1/2 x 11, cut a piece of freezer paper the same size. Iron fabric to shiny side of freezer paper. Then feed through printer just as you would regular paper. Then remove freezer paper from the fabric. Now you have printed on fabric! You can sew it onto your background fabric.

The title at the top that reads "All my love, Mother" was copied from a letter that she had saved from her own mother that was written to her. I simply scanned the letter and printed the signature line on fabric. I also added pretty digital swirls on the edges, then sewed lace around the border. The pink jewels on the far edges were earrings that her mother wore. I embellished her mother's hat with a piece of crochet lace and another piece of her mother's jewelry. A few more pieces of lace to decorate the smaller pictures, and more jewelry from her mother.

This wording was from her own mother's school report card from 1928. I simply scanned it, then cropped the "pupil's name" part of the report card and printed it on fabric. Added lace to the edges and embellished it with a brooch that belonged to her mother.

As you might imagine, this was quite a special gift! My mother-in-law had given me a small box of her mother's jewelry and said for me to work it into any of my projects. So, I had to do something special with it, of course....and this is what I came up with! My husband and I had already scanned all the family photos into the computer for his parents' 50th wedding anniversary. We wanted to be able to give all the siblings the photos in digital form.

If you want to do this project for your own mother, you could simply tell her that you'd like to make her something - and would she give you some photos of her own mother to scan and return. Then ask if she has any jewelry or keepsakes from her own mother - that you'd like to work them into the project. Of course, don't tell her what the project will be. There must be some surprise! This lovely surprise brought tears to my mother-in-law's eyes. And it will be a family treasure to be handed down to her own daughter.

A Happy Mothers' Day to all of you!

Linking up with these parties:

Brag Monday at The Graphics Fairy

Make it Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House

Made by you Monday at Skip To My Lou

Feathered Nest Friday at http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Show and Tell Friday http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

It's a Hodgepodge Friday http://itsahodgepodgelife.blogspot.com/

Frugalicious Friday http://decormamma.blogspot.com/

A Crafty Soiree http://www.katiesnestingspot.com/

Vintage Inspiration Friday http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/

Inspiration Friday http://www.atthepicketfence.com/