Mixed Media Daffodils - Countdown to Spring -Designer Crafts Connection and National Craft Month

©Cindy Rippe 2012 - Countdown to Spring

In honor of National Craft Month I thought I'd share my Mixed Media Daffodil Study; "Countdown to Spring".  There are so many creative techniques represented here that I thought it would the perfect piece to include on the Designer Crafts Connection blog hop this month.

I started with a streched Artist Canvas.  I then painted the background with thinned DecoArt Americana Acrylics.  Everything else including torn scrapbook papers, a soft green embroidered doily, my graphite sketch, and mixed media on bristol vellum "Daffodils in a Row" has been decoupaged in layers on top of the canvas with DecoArt DecouPage medium.  I even glued the buttons on with it! They would be cute sewn on with embroidery thread too.  I used the same acrylic paints to stamp the numbers across the bottom.

Let's see....painting, drawing, coloring, pen and ink, gluing, paper crafting, stamping, and sewing.  Yes, that's a nice collection of techniques!

I've shared my feelings about Spring and flowers over on my Floral, Family and Faith blog today and I'm partying over at House of Hepworths and Today's Creative Blog too!  


Make sure you click through the Designer Crafts Connection blog hop to see the way that other 365 Days of Crafts Designers are celebrating National Craft Month. I hope we've inspired you to get crafting!

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Mixed Media Zinnias

As part of the 365 Days of Crafts link party this month we were asked to post a project using a technique that we love to do.  If you've read my blog before you know I love flowers, drawing flowers, painting flowers, decorating with flowers and growing flowers.  My favorite creative technique would be called Multimedia.  I use my original drawings and quotes to create art with paint, colored pencil, pen & ink, etc.

Multimedia Zinna on paper copyright Cindy Rippe Art in Entertaining 2011

The words behind the flowers are - "Zinnias: An old fashioned annual that just makes me happy.   I’m sure the memories I have of them in the gardens of family and special friends have something to do with that.  The seeds are easily dried and shared to create a special connection with those you love."  

While I love this orange flower, if I could grow Zinnias in my yard (I don't have enough sun) they would be pink.  That's who I am. 

To continue through the Designers Craft Connection Blog Hop click on the link to the right in the side bar. 

You can also find me at House of Hepworths  and Tatertots and Jello: Weekend Wrap Up this week!

Larkspur or Delphinium? Which do you like?

I'm still enjoying the Flower of the Month - Larkspur.  Thought I'd share a few more photos with you.

There are so many varieties available.  I think of the original, more delicate, Larkspur with the fern-like leaves to be more of a wild flower.  The cultivated variety, known as Delphinium, has a full leaf and more flowers.  It looks great in a cottage style garden and does well as a perennial in some areas.  Mine have only come back for one year and then I have to purchase new plants. 

I like them both and love the cottage look.  Guess it's time to start a new sketch!

Blue thou art, intensely blue; Flower, whence came thy dazzling hue?  James Montgomery

Sketching Larkspur

As I said in my previous post, I decided to sketch some Larkspur.  I look forward to painting it with Acrylics and Colored Pencil on paper. 

Larkspur by Cindy Rippe copyright 2011

I wonder how I can use it in a Tablescape?  If I paint it with Glass Enamels or Fabric Paint I can create dinnerware or linens..........hmmm..... Creativity awaits!

Larkspur - Flower of the Month

Since I love to draw botanicals and birthdays are a reason to entertain, I thought it would be fun to do a series of "Flowers of the Month".  I've been researching the Meaning of Flowers, Birth month Flowers, State Flowers and more for about 10 years.  The Romans were probably the first to include flowers as part of birthday celebrations. The Victorians gathered flowers into Tussy Mussies (a small bouquet) with careful thought as to what each flower meant as they shared the bouquet with friends or enemies. 

Blue Larkspur

The Birthday Flower for July is Larkspur. It's a wildflower and grows in late spring in a variety of colors  I love the Blue, no surprise to those who know me, especially the very pale blue.  It's  also known as delphinium with even more varieties available now.  The name comes from spur of the flower, which reminded some people of the parts of the lark.  The plants have very tall stems with many branches.

The meaning of July's Birth flower is an open heart, levity, lightness and ardent attachment.

There are hidden meanings based on color:

Pink symbolizes fickleness

White is Joyful, happy-go-lucky

Purple - You have such as sweet disposition and first love.

You can find more information about July's Birth Flower at Birthstones.org.  I've taken lots of pictures of Larkspur and Delphinium over the years.  I think I'll start a new sketch!

God has sown his name on the heavens in glittering stars; but on earth he planteth his name by tender flowers.  Jean Paul Richter