Ornate Splendor: mixed media

Showing posts with label mixed media. Show all posts

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

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Book Spine Flag USA

So, I was inspired by the book spine Christmas trees that I've seen on Pinterest and in bloggie land. My imagination meandered about with book spines as a creative muse.....how about a flag?

The background is foam board decoupaged with antique book pages from a bible dated in the 1840's!

This bible was filled with family records of baptisms, births, weddings....it was so sad to see it at a flea market with no one to honor its history. I bought it, and have created a few projects from it including this cross.

Cross made with Book Spines Antique Books Bible Quotes Book pages, Gift, Fathers Day, wedding gift, book lover, Inspirational, Vintage

The edges of the cross are decoupaged with pages from the 1840's bible.

But back to the book spine flag.....

I had no idea that white/beige book spines were so difficult to find! I ended up using tan/kaki book spines for some of the white stripes....check out some of the titles on the blue part...."Fathers of the Constitution," ...."American Government,".....quite appropriate! The "stars" are rhinestone buttons -- so fun!!

Then, of course, I had to bling it up a bit! The silver beading between the stripes and around the flag are from a vintage beaded gown....Then I added rhinestones on the sides! Aaahhh! I LOVE IT!!! The rhinestones are from vintage necklaces.....so pretty!

Well.....then what? Crystals and chains and keys, OH MY!! I added three swags of chandelier crystals, chains, and a vintage key at the bottom. How cool is that? Not your every day kind of flag, but it's so very interesting to look at.....(oh, my, I just ended a sentence in a preposition...)

Next post I'll share some patriotic banners I've made with vintage patriotic book covers!

Thanks for visiting this little corner of bloggieland!

Hugs, Catherine

Sharing with these fun linky parties:

Amaze Me Mondays at Dwellings

Make it Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House

Made by you Monday at Skip To My Lou

Inspire Me Monday at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Table it at Rustic and Refined

Anything Blue Friday at The Dedicated House

Friday Linky Party at Funky Junk Interiors

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/

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground

Cottage Style Party at Lavender Garden Cottage

Thrifty Things Friday http://thethriftygroove.blogspot.com/

Fabulously Creative Friday at Jennifer Rizzo

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

The inspiration Gallery at The Craftberry Bush

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

Flaunt It Friday http://chiconashoestringdecorating.blogspot.com/

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

Pearls and Lace Thursday at Faith Grace and Crafts

Inspire me Tuesday at A stroll through life

The Dedicated House for Make it Pretty Monday

Knick of Time Tuesday at Knick of Time Interiors

Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House

Transformed Tuesdays at PJH Designs One of a Kind

Tuesdays at our Home at Our Home Away From Home

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

Tutorials Tips and Tidbits at StoneGable

Blissful Whites Wednesday at Timewashed

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Centerpiece Wednesday at The Style Sisters

Strut your stuff Saturday at Six Sisters

Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper

Share Your Cup Thursday at Jann Olson Blogspot

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

Fabulously Creative Friday at Jennifer Rizzo

Pin me Linky Party at Diana Rambles

What to do weekends at Crafts a la mode

Friday, October 25, 2013

A Glittery Halloween

"Why don't we every have any CREEPY Halloween decorations, Mom?" says my 11 year old daughter. Hmmm...that would be because the creepy decorations made her cry and hide her face for so many years. So now we're in a new phase of life - so a little bit of creepy has made it into our Halloween décor. I had never made a Halloween wreath before, so here's my first one.

Since I love to use vintage beaded dresses in many of my projects, I used a black one for this wreath. Two dresses, actually -- the rhinestone trim came from a separate dress -- I just loved the trim so much, I cut it all off and used it in several projects.

The skull is a paper mache skull from Michael's. Must Add Glitter! Glitter makes everything better! See the little kitty-cat pins/brooches? People give me old & broken jewelry occasionally...they know I'll put it to use somehow. (My family watched me go through a bag of junk jewelry from my sister-in-law last Thanksgiving....they all laughed at how excited I got -- they now call junk jewelry "Catherine Crack"....well, I suppose I am somewhat addicted. But there are worse addictions, oui?) But I digress; the kitty brooches weren't anything I wanted to wear, but they work just great for Halloween. The brooches were gold, but paint and glitter fixed that. Silver and black were the colors I had in mind for this wreath.

The letters (EEK!) I decided to run through my cuttlebug to emboss them and see how I liked it...Not that noticeable. I probably won't do it again.

I also painted the escutcheon (the big silver metal piece on the bow) silver. It was gold too. For the bow I added lots of different silver and black ribbons with a few long feathers.

I made this simple and fun banner with a skull graphic from the GraphicsFairy. You can find her HERE.

Another project this year was a voo-doo inspired altered book wall hanging.

I used bits of moss, lichen, lace, broken jewelry, feathers, leather, and a beaded dress to make this mixed media wall hanging.

We had a metal R.I.P. sign for Halloween, and I started to add jewelry to it, and my daughter said, "Mom!! The ONE creepy thing we have -- and YOU are going to make it PRETTY!" Alas, my daughter thinks this wreath is still too pretty, and definitely not creepy enough.

Well....Here's to a pretty Halloween!

Thanks for visiting,

Catherine

Linking up with these fun parties:

Amaze Me Mondays at Dwellings

Brag Monday at The Graphics Fairy

Make it Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House

Made by you Monday at Skip To My Lou

Tuesdays Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Anything Blue Friday at The Dedicated House

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

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