Star's Fault

Inspired by... and Hooked on Millinery ~

It's possible that I am past merely addicted to vintage millinery flowers.  This may actually qualify as an obsession at this point, but I'm okay with that. 

The photo above is Blossom #1, below is the back.  So sweet with the scrap of tatting and the little nest of linen threads.  The tiny rhinestone button is old, but the gem in the center still sparkles with a rosy light. 

I even made a nice specimen card for each blossom.  A humble bit of old cardboard, some raggy burlap, the prettiest calico, a few scraps of nice paper  - just slip the stem into the kraft tape and you have the perfect backdrop for your flower.  I even added a tiny loop of ribbon at the top for hanging.  

Did I go too far? 

Blossom #2:  I love the vintage yellow button on this one.

 

Blossom #3:  A rich, yellow vintage flower-shaped button at its center.  The stem is wrapped in velvety chenille. 

Blossom #4: a tiny bud with tulle layer, backed on a scalloped slip of old paper from a steno text book. 

Blossom #5.  Oh, this is one of my favorites.  I just love the daisy petals and elderly rose colored button with its tiny rhinestone center.

Blossom #6:  Okay, maybe this one is my favorite... can I have two favorites, or is that cheating?  I love the rich color in the center and the pink tinged petals at the edge of this one.  Old paper shred, nest of linen threads and a velvety stem make the underside as pretty as the top. 

Blossom # 7:  Another lazey daisy, but this time with the most dainty peach button. The varying types of petals makes it all a bit more interesting, but the prettiest part is the pink tatting and pink edged muslin ribbon used to embellish the underside. 

Blossom #8:  A bit of drama with black.  Old tatting trim, linen threads, a scrap of an old dressmaker's pattern, and black satin ribbon embellish this big blossom.  A vintage button with black-edging decorates the center.

Blossom #9: The old button in the center of this looks like carved ebony.  Rumpled black lace and another length of silken ribbon offset the layers of ivory petals. 

I made 20 blossoms all total, giving one away HERE.  Below is #10: PINK tatting, (eek!) how lucky was I to find such a pretty vintage trim?  ... and the velvet leaves... so touchable.  The little old button is celluloid, and kind of looks like it's made of wood, but its not.  A sliver of rosy velvet rick rack was added too. 

These 10 lovelies ... PLUS 8 others in all shapes and sizes, are all happily tucked into their specimen card and ready to be sold in my shop.  I was really happy with this project, so much so that I think I'll be making many more of these little flowers, so yes, I'll admit to the obsession.

But if a girl's gotta have character flaws, this is a good one to have!

Eileen

 

Perfect Posies to Shabby Stems ~

Oh, I am very happy with these dear little flowers, they turned out so sweet and pretty...I am certain I will make more again soon. 

There's been quite a change to these soft petals, from the BEFORE state to the finished results above.  My ten rather ordinary silk flowers from the crafts store were transformed into 20 deliciously shabby blossoms, each one so yummy that it was hard to pick a favorite, but I did, and it will go to the lovely Karen B at Elderberry Street.

So, would you like to see how easy it was to make these?

Okay... let's get the goodies assembled!  You'll remember that I tore apart the silk flowers I'd bought, creating a pile of lovely petals in various shapes, sizes and shades of white/ivory.  We'll add to that some florist's tape, glue, linen (you just knew linen would be in there somewhere, right?) ribbons, old tatting scraps, tulle, lace yard goods, vintage paper scraps, chenille upholstery fabric, old buttons, Adirondack stamping inks, glue, needle and thread, a candle and a chopstick (trust me on this part), and a bit of dark green organdy. 

I sorted and stacked the petals into three piles, small, medium and large, and then just started grabbing petals from each pile and stacking them into an arrangement that made a visually pleasing flower.  I pinned each group of petals together and set it aside.  Most of the preparation work went into shredding linen and making little piles of thread.  Don't ask me why or where this part of the idea came from, but I just liked the deconstructed look of it.  You'll see. 

These little floral stems were my "aha!" moment and when I realized I could use them for the foundation of each of my "new" flowers.  Complete with little stamens and a nice wire, they are the center of each blossom. 

So, I just threaded each petal onto the wire.  You can see how I used different types and shapes of petals, even a shred of lemony lace yard goods became a layer.  I melted the edges of these pieces with the candle... careful and don't burn the fabric or your fingers!  Also, while I didn't do it for this one, on some of the flowers, I used Adirondack inks and a Q-tip to tinge the edges of the petals a soft pink.

 

See?  Here the petals are all stacked together and threaded on to the little wired floral stem.  It's pretty enough just like this, right?  Of course, I wasn't done... I've got to make the back delicious too, and more stuff would make it perfect, so let's flip it over. 

 

A dollop of glue and little nest of linen threads were added, and a tiny bit of the same fabric to hold it all together.  I used glue sparingly on this project, only a drop now and again at the center when I needed to secure the petals in a certain arrangement, mostly so that the flower would look fuller and prevent the petals from nesting together too much and obscuring the different layers. 

A snippet of old tatted lace was threaded on to the wire too, and a strip of mossy organza that I'd melted a bit over the candle.  This adds a touch of green to the blossoms, again, very deconstructed.  For some of the flowers I created later, I used crumpled up strips of vintage paper along with the organza and tatting. 

A velvet leaf is layered on to the stem and the whole covered by dark green florist's tape.  For some of the blossoms I made later I used thin cuts of a mossy green chenille upholstery fabric in place of the florist's tape, glueing as I wrapped the wire at an angle from blossom to the end.  It made the stems a nice touchable velvety texture and the whole effect was a bit more vintage-y. 

Now you know what the chopstick is for, right? 

[sigh] This just makes me happy, and at this moment, the planets are in alignment and all is right with the world.  Do you feel that way when your project goes just... perfect?  The stress dissolves in a puddle at your feet and floats completely away, doesn't it?

Finally the lovely button.  This is a newer button, but with a vintage quality.  Mostly, I used mid-century plastic buttons with little rhinestones.  I learned to sew the buttons on FIRST, not at the end.  Too hard to hold on to it all at the end, you know?  MUCH easier to stitch it to the little wire flower before you add the petals. 

Ahhh... my little silken garden.  I made another dozen more, and will post them in my shop over the next few days.  

I do want to take a minute also, to thank you all for your sweet comments and wishes of "safe travels" last week.  I honestly and humbly treasure each message you leave, you are all so encouraging and kind.  I have found, despite my sometimes crazy travel schedule, that my art and my blog are very important to me, and the opportunity to create or celebrate a beautiful, artful life is very centering and restorative. 

It is good to find others that share this passion and the need to create beautiful things.  How special that we can discover each other, despite the miles that separate and would otherwise keep us from knowing about another kindred soul, out there, creating lovely things too! 

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend, and I wish you joy and peace today, and each day after. 

Eileen

 

Hooked on Glitter Pins ~

I've been thinking a lot about packaging and presentation lately.  But I'm taking baby steps to define my own style for the handcrafted items I'm sending to the kind folks that visit Star's Fault Etsy.  Etsy is a favorite site for finding lovely handmade goods and unique crafting supplies, and the sellers there are experts at making your purchase feel very special.  From their custom mailing label, to how their item is packaged, to a simple thank you note inside, the prize you ordered is presented in delicious style.

Don't ask my why on the glitter pins.  It all began several years ago for a class I was teaching, and I needed something to hold something onto the side of something... I don't remember, but you get my drift.  I think it was Christmas, and there was a lot of glitter in the studio....and these little wooden clothes pins were left over from another project...

... and it sort of became my trademark.  Folks began to ask for them, and demand one for each class.  They were just, well, simple and pretty.  A bit of glitter and gruge, and they fit with the Silvergirl theme. 

Yes, my Beautiful Starry Girl and I are the Silvergirls.  We're both gray headed, and adore all things silver and gray.  Of course, you knew then that any business cards we made would not be a riot of color, but something more understated.  More.... gray? Here's my first attempt....

So here I am staging them to see how they look best for a blog picture.  On a piece of old crocheted lace?  Or maybe good contrast in this vintage silver cup, tarnished so wonderfully? (I totally needed to focus on the cards, not the cup here.)

Or perhaps in this crystal bowl?

 

...or maybe...?

Itty Bitty, please do not eat the...

..Bitty girl, you need to....

Okay sweet girl, just sit right there, and no touching, please?

Bitty, I bet it's been you stealing little things off my desk, right?  Not Star.  Never perfect Star.

Aha, yes, I can tell, it was you all the time.  That's okay.  I don't mnd.  Just let.. me...take...

... the picture, and ...

[sigh] Such a sweet kitty. 

Eileen

Hooked on Garden Tags ~

Through the magic of Typepad, this post will arrive on my blog while I am far, far, away from my home, nestled in the lovely state of Virginia for the week.   Ah, the history.... the antiques.  There is just not enough room in my luggage to bring hardly anything back, so I know I will have to be content with window shopping. 

One can tell from my last several posts that I'm seriously hooked on these pretty labels and tags for my 2009 Garden Journal.  I mean, before I hopped on the plane for an exciting 12+ hour trip, I just wanted to sit at my computer every free hour and make pretty things on PhotoShop.  I love these ivory and clay colored tags with dark blue, sepia or black graphic images, all shapes and sizes, some with a lacy edge.  Be still my heart.....

But in deference to my back, I'm trying to keep my computer time to something resembling sanity.  I have a thing for technology. Obviously.  DH complains...

But I feel like I'm really ready for the riot of growing things this year.  Plus, it keeps me occupied productively until I can actually plant anything.  Seriously, no one dares put a single shrub, tree, hanging basket, veggie or flower start out until Memorial Day.  It's such a rule around here that, if anything does fail to thrive one need only say "I planted just before Memorial Day", and everyone will understand perfectly. 

You will, however, get those looks, and you just KNOW they are thinking to themselves...."she should've waited until after Memorial Day..."  Ack.  Here in Virginia it's a riot of green everywhere.  My last trip it was Cherry Blossom Festival.  This trip, its azaleas and rhododendrons.  So beautiful. 

Our Alaska growing season is short, but incredibly intense.  We have about 22 hours of daylight during the summer months.  I love this.  If only I could bottle up enough sunshine to last the winter months, you know?  When we wake up, which around here is 4:30 am, the sun is streaming into the bedroom.  When we go to bed, somewhere around 9:00 pm, the sun is streaming into the bedroom.  If I were to wake up at midnight, still sunny.  It's only about 2:00 am that it will turn to this lovely twilight, and then 60 minutes later, the sun is on its way back up...!

Last year, our new cherry tree made 12 cherries.  Not quite enough for pie.  And the baby apple tree, only about 5 tiny apples.  Our Mountain Ash made bunches of red berries, food for flocks of Cedar Waxwings that live here all winter.  I had dried herbs, and rose hips, and pressed flowers saved for winter. 

I made 7 more labels and tags, 6 printed, and one delicious scalloped oval, all printed on an archival quality creamy white cover stock.  I am totally infatuated with those scalloped edge trimmers, and so added a lacy edge to one tag.  Best of all, I have this stash of vintage velvet ribbon.  They just don't make velvet ribbon like they used to, and this is wide, rich, in a beautiful raspberry shade.  I cut a 6" chunk to use as an embellishment.  A shot of rich, yummy color.

I can't wait to get started.  I mean, how many journal entries can you make where you say... "waiting for Memorial Day..." before you burst?  Hmmm..... maybe a trip to the greenhouse soon?  I bet it smells heavenly in there, warm dirt, tiny green plants.  Oh yes, I'm there.  Well, metaphorically speaking, 'cuz actually, I'm in Virginia until Saturday.  

Blessings ~

Eileen