Sunday, February 27, 2011

A beautiful new book!


The very talented fabric collage artist Lovey has just completed her first book and I wanted to
post about it and spread the word about this beautiful new publication.
I went over to preview the new book
 and am so delighted about what is included in the book.

Besides having photos of her beautiful art,
 she has included instructions on printing and transferring on fabric...
how to age your fabrics and trims...
and putting the layers together...
and much, much more.

A truly amazing book!


Last year, I won her giveaway for the blogging event OWOH.
This gorgeous piece was then sent to me to live here in my home forever.
Isn't this so lovely???????



I love this image...and every time I walk past her I think of Lovey.

It has been Lovey that has inspired me to try my hand at fabric collage.
I have been loving every minute of it.
It's a wonderful way to use all those beautiful bits of vintage fabric, lace, and bling
that I have been gathering over the past several years.
If you don't already know Lovey,
I would encourage you to go and meet this lovely girl here and
be inspired yourself.

Fabric Photo Memories by Lovey
can be previewed and purchased here.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Everlastings...



You all know how much I love my flowers dried.

I like them dried just as much as like them fresh, and can't ever
toss them when their freshness starts to fade.





Thus...I have them everywhere in my home.

In every single room.

I thought I would share some of them here today.




The flowers below are daffodils




white roses in the studio




 Endless Summer hydrangeas picked a little early for drying well.
But I still love the look.



The Limelight hydrangea before it started turning it's trademark green hue.

In it's early stage it has a lovely pink cast to it. It is difficult to dry in this stage because
hydrangeas dry better if left on the bush awhile.





An Endless Summer blossom hanging in the mudroom.




Ornamental oregano




I often get asked how I dry the flowers I grow, so I thought I would take this
opportunity to explain what works good for me.

I believe that the reason I have good luck drying my garden flowers is
 mainly because I live in a relatively dry climate.
The part of Idaho I live in is 5000 feet above sea level and even though I live in the mountains,
it is still considered high desert.
We get very little rainfall here, and our moisture comes mainly in Winter in the form of snow.
The air is extremely dry here and I have the wrinkles
to prove it!!!

I may have dry brittle hair and skin that could sand wood smooth...
but hey...I can dry pretty flowers!

I rarely hang flowers to dry.
I usually just leave them in their container, in the water, and they dry naturally.

In the next few photos I will show you some of the garden blooms in their dried form first
 and then show you a picture of the same flowers when they were fresh
so you get an idea of how easily they dry here.

 This pot of  hydrangeas now sit in my bathroom.




And this is how they looked when fresh this past Summer sitting on the coffee table.
I'm always surprised to see the many different colors they turn when dry,
 depending on when they are cut.






A bouquet of Bonica roses in the family bath.







The same roses fresh.




Angel Face roses





A little box of mixed garden roses and Annabelle hydrangeas on kitchen table.



The picture below shows them again, but also shows how many bouquets I have all over the
the kitchen and in the mudroom beyond.

I told you I can't throw them out.

Hmmm...this would make an interesting episode for 'Hoarders'.
I haven't seen one yet about women who save every flower they grow.





Same arrangement in living room.

I loved it fresh and I love it dried.





Below is my favorite bouquet of dried roses in the whole house.








I enjoyed this fresh bouquet for days.
 I don't know what it is about this pretty little Bonica rose that makes me love it so much,
 but I do!





All of the arrangements shown in this post were dried sitting in their water.

 When they start the drying process I usually tip the pot and drain the water out,
 because it can have a bad odor about it.
 I find that draining the water out before the flowers are totally dry, keep the flowers intact better.

 All the arrangements are fragile, and I try not to handle them too much.



For Christmas this year I made several different calendars for my children and mother and mother-in-law from the pictures of my favorite 'everlastings'.
What a fun (and time consuming) and expensive)) project to work on for my family.
Next year I hope to find a less expensive program to create them on.
 If any of you may know of one, I would so appreciate any information you could send me. 



For me,
these little bouquets I have shown in this post 
are year-round reminders of the joy I get from tending my garden from year to year.

And I look forward to the 'everlastings' of 2011.




Monday, February 7, 2011

A little sunshine would be nice...


I have been sitting here today going through garden images on my computer.
Seeing what plants need to be divided, moved, or replaced in my beds.
It was just what I needed.

 I have really enjoyed our Winter this year,
it has been beautiful.
Cold, but beautiful.

 
It has been such gloomy weather here lately,
 but today we finally saw the sun.
And it got me dreaming of this...



How great it will be to have these covering the trees again.





And have the tulips popping up all over the place.


Cannot wait for the lilacs!




Of all the Spring blooms in the garden...
I think these are the ones I love the most.


hmmm...
I am sure I've said that about ten or so different flowers before. 




But...
 I am positive it is the lilac I love the best!



Bleeding hearts remind me of my mom.
She loves them, and can grow them much better than I.



Snowball vibernum

Ahhh...love them!




But...
sitting here, looking through all the pictures of my 2010 garden on the computer
today made me wonder...

am I ready for the work to begin again?




Oh Yeah,

I'm ready!!!!





So worth the effort when I see these blooming.




Looking forward to getting my Vitamin D the natural way,
rather than the supplements I've been taking all Winter.
And the constant presence of dirt under my nails, because I don't keep the
gardening gloves as handy as I should.




I am ready for the days in the garden
 lost in thought.
Solving all my problems through hard work.



The colors...the smells...the textures...
all working together to make it's own symphony.


Such beautiful music!




So I say...
let the music begin!





So...

I am pretty sure most of you are as ready as I am to have the sun shine again,
and the grass to start peeking through the snow.




And as beautiful as this Winter has been,

I will welcome the Spring when it decides to break.


But I will not expect it too soon.
(because we have more cold weather ahead)


I will take it when it comes, and live with joy...
 everyday of it.