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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Happy Easter - Spring Planter Box Centerpiece

I hope you have a blessed Easter Day.  We are lucky to be spending it again with family and realize what a treasure that is.  No completely decked out tablescape this year but I did create a centerpiece that I thought you'd like to see. It's been a while since I've dabbled in floral arranging but am pretty happy with how this turned out.

Easter 2011 Tulip and Hydrangea Planter box centerpiece - Cindy Rippe

The arrangement was inspired by the tablescape that I fell in love with at the International Housewares Show last month featuring Paula Deen's new dinnerware by Meyer. You can see a picture of it on her facebook page.

After finding a bargain on a flat of tulip plants ($4.00 at Lowes) and Hydrangea bushes (Michaels - 60% off) I was good to go!  Spring is my favorite time of year and the "New Life" theme worked out pretty well.

Afternoon Shadows on the centerpiece - Cindy Rippe

Dinner will be served buffet style with disposable dinnerware. We've all been going through some crazy, busy times around here and decided that easy cleanup would be the way to go for a change. (After my concerns about using disposable products I was reminded that they will be recycled)  I found these at Party City.  We'll use my stainless flatware instead of plastic and I chose the hand towels instead of napkins because of the way they are folded and the size is just a bit larger.  We'll alternate napkins and plates to make it easy for guests to pick them up in the buffet line.

Pretty Paisley Napkins and Leaf Green Plates from Party City - Cindy Rippe

Here's a link to last year's tablescape.  Enjoy!

From my house to yours: Happy Easter, Happy Spring, Happy Life!

Greatest man in history, named Jesus, had no servants, yet they called him Master. Had no degree, yet they called him Teacher. Had no medicines, yet they called him Healer. He had no army, yet kings feared Him. He won no military battles, yet he conquered the world. He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him. He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.

Blog Hopping this week with:

Take some time to visit these cute blogs too please.

Easter Egg Tree - Recycle last year's plastic eggs

Here's a fun project that uses the plastic eggs left over after Easter.  The candy's gone, you're tired of picking them up off of the floor and you know you'll want new, shiny and clean ones next year.  Gather up all the pieces and make ornaments for an outdoor Easter Egg Tree!

Larry and Elena's Easter Egg Tree - Cindy Rippe Art in Entertaining

I took this picture of my Brother and Sister In-Law's tree yesterday when we took Isabella by for a visit to "my Uncle Larry".  We always enjoy their Holiday Decorations and beautiful yard.

To make the Easter Egg ornaments for your own tree. You need a needle nosed pliers, wire that's thick enough to stay straight, yet easy to bend by hand and a thick needle or old ice pick and some glue.

Separate the eggs. 
1 - Heat the point of the needle (that you are holding with the pliers) over an open flame for a few seconds and press through the top of the egg to create a hole large enough for the wire to go through.
   - After you test the size, finish making all the holes.
   - Note: If you have a high speed Dremel drill that would work too.

2 - Cut the wire to 12" lengths. (or whatever length you'd like for your type of tree or bushes)

3 - Thread one end of the wire through the hole far enough to easily work on the tip.
   - Use the pliers to twist the end of the wire into a loop large enough to prevent it from slipping back out.     

4 - Bend the other end of the wire into a 2 inch loop and twist it to secure.  (see photo below)

5 - Add a touch of Aleene's Original Tacky Glue to the edge of the egg and snap the bottom piece in to place.  You can mix egg colors or match them as seen in the above photo.

Adjust wire loop as desired to fit tree branch - note that wire comes straight out of the top hole in egg.

The heavier gauge wire helps to prevent the eggs from flipping around and getting caught up in the branches during Spring weather.  The large loops make them easier to hang while you decorate and remove after Easter.

Save the ornaments and keep adding more each year and don't worry if some get separated or broken.  You'll have plenty of spare parts next year for repairs!  This could end up being a family tradition and the kids might not leave them lying around after the candy's gone.  (We'll...we can always hope, right?)

Romantic Homes Show and Tell Friday

I'm also linking to Craft Test Dummies Go Green Link Party,  Today's Cretaive Blog and Creative Bloggers' Party and Hop this week.  Check out all the fun projects!

CRAFT TEST DUMMIES - GO GREEN PARTY

TODAY'S CREATIVE BLOG - GET YOUR CRAFT ON

Have you tried to force Spring Flower Bulbs?

In January we took Isabella to see the Winter Train Exhibit at the Morton Arboretum.  They had some Hyacinth Bulbs in the Clearance rack and I thought "Why Not?  I really need a touch of Spring around the house!"  Well, I don't know whether it was the bulbs or me but here's the result.

Hyacinths in Milk Glass Candy Dishes

©Cindy Rippe

I planted the bulbs in my Vintage Lace Edge Milk Glass Candy Dishes filled with tiny gravel. They didn't grow as full as I expected but it sure smells nice in the kitchen.

I included my Marjolein Bastin Datebook (the one I told you about in last year's post about daffodils) a twig vase with eggs and my painted metal birds.  But the flowers still look really pitiful.

White Flower Farm

This is what I hoped for.

This is what I got.  So sad looking but they smell so sweet!  I'm working on a design with Hyacinths and planned to use these for inspiration and to sketch.  Ooops!  Good thing I have pictures from last year's garden and garden shows. Maybe I can talk Lee into buying me a plant from the nursery.

Perfumes are the feelings of flowers.  Heinrich Heine

It's National Craft Month!

February is over - Yeah!  After a long winter I'm looking forward to Spring and the way it inspires me to get Creative.  I'll be attending several shows over the next few months and will be inspired by Spring Flowers, Pantone Color Trends and New Products for Home, Gourmet Foods and Entertaining.

I have several new projects coming up over the next few months and look forward to sharing them with you.  My focus is on Botanical, Seasonal and Faith based designs. Watch for announcements about my upcoming Web Site, Publications, and Teaching Schedule.

The first thing I want to share is that I've joined a fabulous group of Designers at  365 Days of Crafts.  We'll be sharing our ideas through a project called the Designer Crafts Connection.  It's a monthly Blog Hop with inspiration and trendy creative projects by leading edge Designers in the Creative Industry using a variety of mediums.    

A Year of  Celebrations will launch on March 3rd with reviews of new product and craft Trends and Techniques introduced at the CHA Winter Show last month in Los Angeles.  This event is the Annual Winter Conference and Trade Show for professionals in the Craft Industry.  The participating Designers will give you a peek at what you'll see in your stores this year.  Make sure to check back on Thursday to see what's new this month!

Garfield Park Conservatory Spring Show

©Cindy Rippe

For as the earth brings forth her bud, and as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth ; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. Isaiah 61:11

Antiques & Garden Fair Part One

I recently attended the Antiques and Garden Fair at the Chicago Botanical Garden. It’s an annual event with the proceeds funding the Garden’s conservation science and educational efforts. The event “features more than 100 carefully selected dealers from the United States and Europe, this show is a leading venue for fine garden furnishing, botanical art, and garden-themed accessories.”  Rare antiques, professionally designed garden landscapes, stunning floral arrangements and more.  How could I resist?  It’s actually my 6th year to attend and I look forward to the inspiration every year.  The weather has been beautiful for the last few weeks and the Garden was in full spring glory!

This is just a small sample of the tulips.  There were thousands!

 The daffodils welcomed us at the gate.

 This stunning centerpiece was created by Jody Elting at Designs by Jody.  I have a soft spot for pink roses and most any white flower.  

The Lily of the Valley and Sweet Peas were just charming tucked into drinking glasses.   Oh! That reminds me . . . . I think my Lily of the Valley are ready to pick.  I have the perfect little pitcher to put them in.

Easter Tablescape in Pink & Green

Our elegant Easter Tablescape this year was created on a budget with easy DIY projects. I thought it would be fun to share it, along with the other creative tablescapers, at Between Naps on the Porch for my first Tablescape Thursday.

Sarah originally wanted pink tulips in silver mint julep cups but they were hard to find and out of our price range.  We went with a pink and green theme and used what we had on hand (with a few changes of course!) and got lucky with a last minute clearance sale for the napkins. 

We were able to squeeze 14 at the table using folding chairs along the sides to save space.  I made the runner using $4.00 clearance fabric.  The edges were hemmed with iron on fusible web.  I had planned on making matching napkins but 1/2 price was too hard to resist so I bought them instead!  I'll make the napkins later with the extra fabric.

A $10.00 bunch of pink tulips from the grocery store tucked into Mom's soup tureen.

 

Here's a close up of the painted plates.  The napkins are folded in thirds and draped across the plate to carry the green over the edge of the table.  Sarah made the bird's nest cookies which were perfect to tuck into the salad bowls as a party favor.

                          

The butter dish and salt and pepper shakers gave us our touch of silver.  My white ceramic bowls and garden birds pulled the look together.  I like how the embossed pattern on the bird looks with the paisley print.

Yummy homemade dessert buffet.  The folding three tier server, extra napkins and more of the white ceramic accents.  Sarah made carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, lemon pound cake and chocolate ganache frosted cupcakes.

Spring Daffodils and Bunnies

I moved my miniature daffodil plant into a terrarium style vase with terra cotta bunnies from my garden and moss.  The little vintage planter and my Marjolein Bastin calendar propped on an easel and placed on a vintage yellow dinner napkin.  Voila! I have a tablescape that makes me smile as I walk in the door each day.

I've been using this calendar/datebook on my kitchen counter for 6 years. I love the Nature's Sketchbook artwork by Marjolein Bastin and there's a picture for each week of the year in this book. It's a little worn out and has been splashed many times but I still look forward to changing the page each week (or two if I really like an image).  Do you have a "well loved" decoration for your tablescape or kitchen decor?

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.  ~John Muir