Star's Fault

Really, I Shouldn't Tease.....

I haven't made an altered book in a long time.  The practical side of me argues with the artist girl.  We talk to each other in snarky tones... "This is junk" says the practical Eileen.  "No one will want this when you die, and it will land in the trash." 

The artist girl replies, heart on her sleeve... "No, this is me all over these pages, and my son will cherish them forever.  When I am long gone, these books will reach through time and tell him about his mama's heart and soul."

I let them argue, and continue painting, cutting, gluing and writing, peacefully, passionately.  I can't help it, it's all inside me and must come out. 

I pray you are safe and well today, and that you take time to create art ~ Blessings.

Eileen

The Air Becomes Still Cooler ~

This morning, when I let the kitties out to play, I could smell the snow in the air. 

It's a beautiful day ~ Blessings,

Eileen

 

Star's Winter Flowers ~

The house is feeling much more nest-like these days, a warm cocoon away from the cooler weather.   Since I've been back from my trip I've been doing even more fall/winter decorating, and with Halloween just around the corner, I confess to leaning a bit towards the Gothic with some of my furnishings and finishes. 

I love faded millinery flowers, vintage papers, tattered tulle, sparkly old jewelry, beat up silverplate and threadbare linens that have seen better days.  I love the drama of black accents in my home. 

Because everything has this lovely faded quality, Fall's bright colors inside my nest seem a bit off, too colorful, a touch too loud.  So, as usual, I took matters into my own hands and made something that felt just right to me. 

Star and I made bouquets of rumpled winter flowers, each bouquet has 6 paper blossoms in shades of sepia, old paper, deep brown and rusty black.  Made of scrapbook and vintage papers, gold foil and brown felted centers, rich stampings, vintage floral wire, a bit of silvery moss and tattered tulle, they look perfect in my old silver cream pitcher.

I'll be putting 4 bouquets on Star's Fault Etsy this evening, but I would like to share these lovelies with you dear ladies too, so it's time again for another give away.  Star, of course, will help select a happy winner. 

Just leave a comment on this post, and tell me what your fall decorating looks like, how you get your home ready for the winter season, what do you do to make your space cozy and nest-like? 

Do you bring out wool lap blankets, swap out summer's curtains for warm, lined drapes, or lay soft rugs on cool tile floors? 

Here is the reverse side of each blossom.  As usual, nothing is left unembellished, and even the backs of these lovelies have pretty details. 

Of course, Star "helped," right?  [sigh]  Now you know why our blog is called "Star's Fault."  Things happen when Star is in the art nest.  Her contribution to our art projects is always unpredictable, but completely wonderful.

I have my weekend project all planned out too.  I finished the burlap tablecloth, and will post photos of that, plus I'm doing my winter kitchen "counter-scaping" and hanging handmade curtains in the dining room and kitchen.  Come see!

Eileen

 
 
 

Don't Tell My Husband ~

The last few days have been a whirlwind.  The Dear Husband brought home his moose Sunday night and all the hunting gear, dirty laundry, assorted man camp stuff, and well, things just got really busy from there, and I have only this evening been able to get back to my computer. 

I was, however, very, very... [sigh] VERY bad while he was gone. I felt so guilty that when he pulled into the drive I met him with a big hug, a spotless home, fresh baked bread, supper ready on the table and chocolate chip cookies for dessert, hoping to distract him from the obvious evidence that I had done something that was bound to cause a fuss. 

I had, er, bought, ahem... "firewood"...

I'm so bad.  I have absolutely nothing to say for myself.  I'm sorry.  Honest.  I was totally seduced, suckered in by something so incredibly delicious that my willpower finally, finally, gave way... and it only took about four trips to my favorite antique store for it to evaporate completely. 

I tried to fight it, really I did.  Each time I went in I prayed that someone else had purchased this, thereby protecting me from further temptation.  For two months I stalked this old frame nailed haphazardly to a primitive crate, hoping that each time I saw it my foolish crush would fade a bit. 

I was in love.

Admit it, you love it too. 

For two months I wondered why no one ever bought this lovely assemblage.  With a bit of TLC, it would make such a sweet little shelf.  Well, actually, I had noticed that there was this teensy problem with it, a hurdle that only someone truly in love would be willing to overlook ....

OMG, whatever you do, DON'T TELL MY HUSBAND I PAID $110 FOR THIS!!!

A bit of cleaning, some pale gray paint rubbed on randomly, a scrap of old wallpaper, a few odd balls of string and cord, a little old photo, and now my phone table looks ready for the fall/winter season. 

Oh, this just makes me happy....

... and speaks to my soul in ways no "new" furniture or decoration ever could. 

The best part?  He said it looked "very nice"!

Eileen

The Year She Turned 50 ~

A girl's gotta pause to celebrate those important milestones in her life, you know?

Marriage, birth, a new home, career, faith, and yes... those pesky decades.  I made this box when I turned 50, which was a good thing.  Inside I wrote about how I felt. 

"Turning 50 required a look inward. It meant she should check her inner compass and make sure she was still on track."

"Of course, she wasn't, so she made those small changes, and after buying new furniture and redecorating her life a bit, decided it was all good and went back to the business of growing up."

"She is more soft and fragile than before, but somehow more whole."

I like being 50.  I liked being 40 a whole lot too.  I did not like being 30.  My 20's are mostly a blur.  I found an old picture of myself at 23.  I showed it to my son and told him that mom was a smokin' hottie.  He laughed, and then gave me a big hug. 

I don't mind my wrinkles, those little smile lines around my eyes and mouth, or that I'm a bit more sentimental than before. 

I love how comfortable I am with WHO I am at 50.  Its a powerful, beautiful, amazing decade. 

And so this altered cigar box is to commemorate this transition, this new life stage.

I layered on such pretty images and a few vintage items.  The button that holds the dividers inside is beautiful, very old, perfect.  Aged gold braid around the outside edges. 

[sigh] I just love the sepia images layered next to those with deep, intense, colors.

On Star's Fault Etsy. 

Blessings  ~

Eileen

Star's Victorian Puzzle Blocks ~

I'm totally crushing on these wooden puzzle blocks lately.  If I was a kid in Victorian times, this would be a favorite toy, nooooo doubt.  Okay, I confess, I've been playing with them for the last two days and I can't stop. 

The fun I've had playing with them is closely followed by the fun of actually making them.  I loved making these for my shop.  I've spent the last several days cutting to my heart's content.  Cathartic.  Hypnotic.  Binx, curled up in her tiny cuddle ball, purred next to me the whole time. 

I started out with 9 blank wooden blocks for each set.  Six images all total, including this little chick in her egg boat, and a Victorian garden scene. Hubby peered into the art nest several times to see if I was interested in coming out for food, air, anything to get me away from the glue and scissors. 

No deal.  I wasn't budging until I was done.  Well, I did budge long enough to clean house and get groceries... but otherwise..... art called. 

Oh dear, the cover of an old flower catalog and a pretty robin red breast singing outside his house are just so pretty.  I love the contrast between sepia tones on the left and the rich hues of this old chromolithograph on the right.

One set has these yellow peeps in a basket full of violets, while the other set has this loving couple in a row boat. 

While I was taking pictures, I noticed that the wind had knocked a sprig of this little trailing flower from one of my hanging baskets... it sort of volunteered, so in the photos it went too. 

I did one overlay puzzle for each set, this fat robin for one. 

I used a Victorian rose scrap for the overlay on the other set. For each set I made a base out of cardboard and scrapbook paper, adding a label and tiny bow at the top. 

I took the finished puzzles outside to take pictures in the natural light.  It's been a cloudy, fall-ish day, and the lighting cast these harsh, but interesting shadows on the vintage child's garments that I used as background, laying them down on an old wicker chair on the front porch. 

[sigh] Such a good day ~ Tell me, what did you make this week?  I'd love to hear about your projects ~

Eileen

In My Dreams ~ On Etsy

Have you ever had one of those dreams that is just so real that, even once you're wide awake, the feelings and images stay in your mind and with you for hours later?   It's as though you were actually there, and could still see the sights, hear the sounds, and breathe again the smells of your slumbered adventure.

I frequently have these flying dreams.  I think they're supposed to have special meaning, as though my subconscious self is trying to tell me something, but mostly, they're just beautiful, and I am content to leave it at that. 

After one particularly vivid dream I knew I would have to capture it somehow, and, pen in hand began to write. 

"In my dreams I swiftly fly, to storied places far away.
Past tranquil waters, calm serene, thru shady forests, cool and green.
To flowered meadows scented sweet, and guarded mountains' tall retreat.
As fragile bird I take to flight, and touch the earth in slumbered sight.
And when the tide returns to shore, awaking brings me home once more."

Was this beautiful blue butterfly in the meadow?

Could I write more of what I saw on this tag and hide it in this little pocket?

Surely, this quiet stream was there too?

Or did I fly over the streets of long-ago Paris?

Sweet sheep following their shepherd, safe in his care, their field sheltered by tall mountains. 

Her face is soft, curious, the hint of a sweet smile.  She looks back to make sure nothing is missed.  I love the flowers in her hair. 

A feather is found along the way.

Her feet never touched the ground.

The air was filled with the scent of flowers. 

Past amusement parks by the shore. 

Until she was gliding over the ocean, blue water and sailboats below. 

A pearly sea shell was captured for display. 

Another, this time a tiny spiral. 

Now awake, the memory so vivid, so real. 

But a dream nonetheless. 

Later, in the art nest, I worked to sort out the tangled images in my mind, and so this little book was made.  It is richly embellished from cover to cover and waiting for you on Star's Fault Etsy. 

Star, of course, helped with the photography today, the dappled light under the Korean lilac bushes made her amber eyes glow, her soft fur a beautiful silver blue. 

Blessings ~

Eileen

 

Steampunk Pillow #27 ~

Let me introduce you to the lovely Steampunk Pillow #27. Okay, you're right, this is really different for me.  I don't know what came over me, but it's been brewing in my head for a while.  It's not quite French, ix-nay on the country style, definately not shabby, not quite primitive ...even though I did use a rustic linen on this pillow.

 

It is not precisely Victorian either, or Edwardian, but something a bit tougher, rougher, more fantasy, its stitches a tiny nod to Tim Burton, if you will.

I do love this... this special gift for the dearest Tiffany of Shabby Scraps, "Le Coeur le plus Gentile" ... the Kindest Heart. Finished. Finally.  (For those of you gifted enough to speak French, did I spell it right?)

This was great fun to make.  Such a contrast, an odd combination of things that somehow worked just... perfect.  I went looking for what kind of style I thought this touched on, and discovered a whole world of Steampunk out there - which has been explained to me as Victorian meets Gothic meets Industrial.  Think Wild Wild West with Will Smith ~ mechanical spider and all... but softer. 

So here it is, rich French trim combined with rustic crochet, an elderly piece of Belfast Irish linen, simple stitches in the palest pink for a sweet sentiment, crisp ticking alongside cafe' au lait puckered satin, buttons made of pearly shells, a bit of glitter and tulle, an old rhinestone.  Something I hope Tiffany will want to keep forever. 

I'll be posting the complete tutorial later this week.  We'll do the ruffle sandwich technique again (my favorite), but I'll show you how to layer on the trims and add the satin end pieces, as well as assemble the entire cover so that you can slip the pillow form out, and back in, when it's time to clean it all.  

Steampunk.  Oh my, what can I make next?

Eileen

 

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

 

Modern Millinery ~ (and a give away!)

I was being very destructive this week.  No, really.  There was tearing apart, crushing and shredding involved.  It all sounds so dangerous when you say it that way, except that I was working with flowers and lovely silk petals, which takes the whole "tough girl" tone down about fifteen notches.

Don't you just love flowers?  Me too.  Especially those wonderful vintage millinery blossoms you see on everything lately.  I do, however, struggle a bit with using them on art projects.  Some are so old and lovely, and they seem too precious to waste on an art project that might not have the same lasting quality.  They can also be pricey, and I while I like my art projects to be special and have a vintage quality to them, I also want them to be very affordable.

So  I've been thinking on how to get that same look without the guilt, AND without the cost.  Which brings me to the whole point of this week's project.   

...and the shredding part!

You'll remember that I love neutrals, so please forgive the almost total absence of color in celebration of these lovely creamy whites.  And, since I'll also be using silk flowers that I already have, it's not going to be a pricey project!

I pick up a few silk flowers here and there, especially at the end of seasons when they're on sale at huge reductions.  This batch is all in various shades of ivory, but some have a tinge of peach, pink, yellow, nude, even a bit of green.  "Feel" is important to me too, so they are soft and touchable, not plastic-y at all. 

So I ripped their heads off.  Eek!

Binx came to see what all the fuss was about, anxious to be part of anything that involved shredding.  Cats are experts at this stuff. 

A bit more deconstruction - we took the flowers themselves apart, separating the petals. 

They were so lovely, and it hit me.... hey, those expensive scrapbook single flowers that cost, like $5 for 6 paper flowers, I just "made" about 70 for under $10.... and while that was not my original plan with this project, I did file this idea away for later.

My guess is that other creative crafters have already thought of this, but hey, I was all excited with the flush of discovery that I almost forgot....

...oh yes, I'm making millinery flowers here.

So I mixed all the petals up in a lovely pile of silk.  So pretty. 

These beautiful petals are being reconstructed into "new" vintage looking millinery flowers.  I'm adding beads, pearls, old stamens, silk and velvet leaves, some glitter and paint, a bit of tulle, vintage buttons, lace, and ribbon, oh, so simple, and I think you're going to just love them. 

Just leave a comment on this post, and one of the dear kitties will help select a lucky reader ~ 

I'm going to be a bit absent this week, traveling on business until the 7th.  But in the meantime I'll be working on the finished flowers, posting pictures of them, and the lucky winner's name, next week.  I love taking a small project with me when I travel, and it helps while away the otherwise boring evenings in a hotel room. 

The only problem?  No kitties to "help"!

Eileen

Etsy Garden Books ~

I finished several projects this weekend.  I can't figure out which one I like best. This one with a blue themed cover...

... or this one with an ivory themed cover.  Love the old millinery flowers, tatting scraps, vintage buttons and muslin ribbon closure. 

Each book holds three hand-tied signatures, 6 pages each, for a total of 18 creamy ivory sheets to store your all garden memories.

They are a modest size, approximately 6 x 8 inches tall.  Filled with scrappy goodness, old ephemera, hand-pressed paper, tags, my favorite labels, a bit of string.

Oh, and always, always, a silver clothespin. 

In this photo, and the photos below, the white garden book is on the left, while the blue garden book is on the right.  Both are nearly identical inside, with only a few tiny differences. 

Fly leaf page, with a prayer to "grow."  Old newsprint scrapbook paper behind.

The white book has this sepia label on the next page. 

Both have one half of an 1898 invoice from a wholesale grocery store.  You could buy seeds, nails, eggs or even yard goods in these old stores, and while I am not THAT old, I do remember old stores in rural Alaska that were still like this only a few years ago.   

Say it with me.... "Ooooooo..."  I like this page, shreds of an old garden book line the whitewashed pocket, a red edged label and garden image adorn the front, while 3 extra garden labels and tags are nested inside.  The left page of both are halves of a large garden catalog cover.  I love the honey tones offset by black graphics. 

A folded page from an old garden book offers tips for your summer garden. 

A big journal label and vintage wallpaper, leaving lots of room for your photos. 

Specimen labels offer a place for you to attach a pressed or dried flower or herb. 

More of that incredible tatted lace, and a picot edged layer of scrap paper, background for a pic of the kids playing in the sprinkler? Or perhaps a prize rose?  Magazine clippings of your favorite garden ideas?

A bit of Victorian Scrap and old seam binding.  Pretty colors. 

Birds and Blossoms bird tag, a bit of ribbon, handmade paper with a lovely old gold paisley print.

Vintage fabric, a very French label and a scrap of printed kraft paper. 

Love the old wallpaper.  I'm always thankful when I can find such nice patterns. 

A generous tag, a big bee stamp and a tiny cut out of a rose. 

Do you grow apples?  I do, and last year my baby apple tree made five whole apples!  The blue garden book includes a large journaling tag with pretty daisies. 

You an barely see it, but the white garden book includes another specimen tag with pink seam binding ribbon, while the blue book has one of my favorite sepia images, the back of an old cabinet photo. 

Real seeds in each. The white garden book includes Alaska's state flower, forget-me-nots, a stamped tag and rose, and a reward of merit label.  The blue garden book includes seeds to plant a variety of vintage leaf lettuce and another rose tag.

Pretty in back too, with a Victorian image on the white garden book, a vintage catalog cover print on the blue garden book.  Each book closes with vintage buttons and a generous length of muslin ribbon to tie together no matter how full you stuff its pages. 

So pretty.  On Star's Fault Etsy Wednesday morning. 

Blessings ~

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