Such Pretty Things

Target Tuesday: Glass Votive Garland

I found these lovely glass votive holders is the Dollar Spot (just can't stay away!) at Target this week.

They came in several other colors (a dark green and a bright blue), but I liked the clear ones the best. They have a metal hanger and were designed to hold a tea light.  I will absolutely use these as candle holders at some point, but I thought they would also make an adorable "garland of vases".

To do this, I just strung a bunch of the votives together with some wire.  I used eight votives for my garland and I just wrapped the wire (use a heavy duty gage to support the weight of all the glass, water, and flowers) many times around each handle, spacing them at even intervals and leaving extra length at each end for tying purposes.  Then, I just filled each holder with water and a tiny bouquet of these happy little daisies (it's been very hot here the past few days, so I am in a summery mood).

I will ultimately make more of these and hang them along my porch railing, but I temporarily strung them across my front walk so that you could get a better idea of how they look.

If you were having an evening function, I think it would also be very pretty to alternate votive candles and flowers.  And you can obviously use any type of flower - why not just change them out when something new blooms in the garden. These would also be nice running down the aisle at an outdoor wedding.  Or just as a pretty decoration for no reason at all!  

:-)

Jessica

Mother's Day Petit Fours Part I: Sugar Paste Flowers

  

I've been busy. 

For Mother's Day this year, I am going to be making petit fours to give to my Mom and all the other wonderful mommies in my life that I know and love. Given that Mother's day is still a few weeks away, I thought I would divide this post into two parts.  This week, I will be showing you my attempt at making sugar paste flowers - I will be using them to decorate my petit fours and they need some time to dry out.

Sugar paste, also known as gum paste, allows one to make very delicate, realistic looking blooms that you can use to adorn cakes, pastries, etc...  It is a true art form and one that I have VERY little experience with.  But, I have always admired the gorgeous cakes made by designers like Sylvia Weinstock,  Plus, I have always wanted to learn to make them, so I decided to give it a try.

You can purchase pre-made gum paste or a mix (both made by Wilton) at any baking-supply or craft shop. Or, you can make it yourself - it's really easy and much less expensive.  For a great recipe, check out the Sugarcraft site.  You will also need some basic supplies -  different shaped cutters, small rolling pins, foam pads, gel food coloring, etc... Wilton makes a very good kit that includes a terrific full-color instruction manual.

 

Since I am a true novice,I decided to start simply with just some Forget-me-nots and Violets (very in keeping with the Mother's Day theme, don't you think?). There are many more advanced flowers such as Roses and Lilly of the Valley, but I thought I should start with the basics.  My older daughter made these with me (while the younger one practiced with Play Dough!).  I chose to use colors in the purple, periwinkle, and lavender range - with a just tiny bit of yellow thrown in for contrast.

First, you need to tint your gum paste.  This needs to be done very carefully to achieve the best results. So, using a toothpick, just add a little bit of color at a time.  You can always add more, but you can't take it back once it's in there! Once your gum paste is tinted, you need to roll it out.  Then, you just use your cutters like you would if you were using them to make cookies.

Next, the cut-out flower shape needs to be given more dimension - otherwise it would just look like a flat flower, boring.  This is accomplished by placing the shape on a foam block and embossing it with a variety of tools.

After you have allowed your flowers to dry a bit, you can add the detailed floral centers.  For this, you will need to make some Royal Icing and tint it as well.

The techniques obviously vary depending on the flower you are making, but my Forget-me-nots only required a simple dot using a #1 decorating tip.

I must warn you that making these flowers is a very addictive process and, once you start, you may be hooked for good!  As you can see, I found it very hard to stop!

Now, when we get closer to Mother's Day, I will show you the rest of the petit four process. I want to bake them at the last minute - wouldn't want to be giving out any stale petit fours, now would I?   :-)

Have a great weekend!

Jessica

 

Farmer's Market Flowers

We have a wonderful little farmer's market in our town.

The market has some of the most beautiful fresh flowers for sale.  They all come from local growers and the prices are very reasonable prices.  If I am having a Saturday night dinner party, I always get up extra early that day and head over before all the best bouquets are gone.  I don't happen to be having a dinner party this weekend, but I was in a Springy mood yesterday, so I decided to check out what they had.  The market is held in and around a very cute cottage-like building.  Don't you just love the green and white awnings?

I really want that table in the background...

I had to get some of these beautiful Ranunculus.  These were "seconds" if you can believe it...and only $1 a bunch!!!

Hydrangeas are one of my very favorite flowers and these pale lavender ones were just too pretty to resist.

The other great thing about our farmer's market is that it also has an outdoor flea market.

So, if you've had your fill of fresh flowers, you can always get some vintage fabric ones as well!

I love these dainty millinery corsages and was so excited to find TWO!.

And these lovely blossoms must have been made to go around the brim of a hat.

I may have to use these on my Mother's Day gifts this year - which, by the way, husband and daughters (if you're reading this), is only a few weeks away! 

I think some flowers might be nice...

:-)

Target Tuesday: Decoupage Buckets

I am a huge fan of pretty storage containers.  If you walked around my home or studio, you would find that almost everything is stored in some kind of attractive storage bin, jar, can, box, or tub.  So, when I was shopping at Target this past week and found these great galvanized buckets in the Dollar Spot, I just knew that they would be perfect for storing a myriad of supplies...they just needed to be gussied up a bit.

I decided that I would decoupage them with some vintage wallpapers.

This is an easy project and if you want to make some, too - here's what you'll need:

-galvanized bucket (you can also find these in the paint or gardening section at the hardware store)

-pretty papers (wrapping, scrapbook, vintage wallpaper, etc...)

-Mod Podge (or other decoupage medium)

-foam paint brush

-scissors

-trims, ribbons of your choice

If you have never decoupaged before, I really encourage you to try it.  It's very simple and a lot of fun. And the results can be fantastic.  There are many good books out there on the subject, but basically all you need to do is cut out the paper to the size you want, brush some decoupage medium on the bucket, place your paper in place, and then go over the top of the paper again with the decoupage medium. Try to smooth out any wrinkles as you go.  Then, just Let it dry.  For a more durable finish, add additional coats - letting each coat dry in between. You can leave them as is, or embellish them with some pretty trim. I used some seam binding bows and this gorgeous ruffled crepe paper from Birds of a Feather.

Here are my finished buckets:

I am using mine to store some colorful craft supplies...

I love these paper flowers (a previous Target find!) and use them on everything.

 

Happy Tuesday!

:-)

Jessica

Altered Vintage Aprons

Recently, I had the honor of being asked to take part in an altered apron swap hosted by two incredibly talented women - Heather of Pretty Petals and Stephenie of Just a little Bit Pink.  Each participant was asked to create an "altered" vintage apron for a fellow designer.  I had the pleasure of designing one for Miss Heather, herself!  I couldn't have asked for a better person to design for, as she and I share a love of all things pastel, ruffled, and pretty. Here's how it turned out...

  

I started by finding a pretty vintage apron crafted from pale pink dotted Swiss fabric.  It was the tulle ruffle that won me over.

I decided to keep the embellishments rather simple - I didn't want them to detract from the pretty fabrics.  So, just some vintage velvet millinery flowers, leaves, and a few rhinestones.  Here's the pocket...

A few close-ups...

I also added a delicate circle of flowers around the waistband...

Here's a shot of the back - I like how the ruffles come together and cascade down.

Now, I also had the great privilege of having an apron designed for Moi by the wonderfully talented Analise of Sugar*Sugar by leesiebella!  I can't tell you how thrilled I was to receive her beautifully wrapped package in the mail.

 

Just look at the stunning card she me for me...

And here is my gorgeous apron:

Isn't it just beautiful!  I just love the sugary colors!

Such pretty details...

How amazing is it that Analise chose a Swiss dot apron as well!

Thank you so much, Analise!  I LOVE my apron and will treasure it always!!!

This was such a fun project to do - I really encourage everyone to try it sometime!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

:-)

Jessica

Pretty Picnic

My girls have been on Spring Break for almost two full weeks now and I have to say that I am really running out of fun and interesting ways to entertain them. It hasn't helped that the weather has been rainy, cool, and generally, yucky. But, yesterday it was all blue skies, sunshine, and warm air.

So, we decided to head to the park and have a picnic. It's such fun way to spend a sunny afternoon - sitting on a pretty blanket under a flowering tree, enjoying yummy food, and watching one's children run around like maniacs!

We are really BIG on picnics in my family, so we have collected lots of picnic paraphernalia over the years.  I have a number of picnic baskets, but this aqua one is my most favorite.

And this colorful blanket is so cheerful - it just makes me happy to look at it.

  

To make the occasion more "special", we always bring along real plates (I love these melamine ones) and cloth napkins.

  

An impromptu flower arrangement courtesy of my daughters and a plastic egg cup.

  

Given the last-minute nature of our picnic, we didn't have time to make a true gourmet feast, but picnic food needn't be fancy.  It's always nice if some chips are involved.

  

And, of course, dessert.

:-)

Jessica

Vintage Millinery Sash

I am continuing to try to clean out my studio (which is a total disaster these days) and I keep coming across things that I completely forgot that I had.  So sad, really, because this beautiful vintage sash is a good example.

I found it many years ago in one of those huge antique emporiums with all the vendor stalls.  It was originally attached to an old organdy dress that had seen (much) better days.  But, the sash was so pretty, I bought the dress anyway. The sash is made up entirely of millinery flowers and leaves.

I thought the color combination used was especially pretty. I love the mix of pinks, lavenders, and celery greens.

The flowers are all made from velvet and organdy.

The shading on the petals is incredible.

Love the frayed edges.

Aren't the delicate pale green leaves lovely.

I am not sure of the age of this sash, but it probably dates back to the late 1940's.  Just look at how the rhinestones were attached back then.

Yes, this sash is way too beautiful to go back into my messy studio.  I really need to think of something very special to do with it. Perhaps a new organdy dress for Spring...

:-)

Target Tuesday: Pretty Party Hats

For Target Tuesday this week, I thought I would show you how to take a really simple product and turn it into something really special.  I found these basic party hats at Target in the aisle with all the goody bag supplies and paper party products.

They were very inexpensive ($1.49) and came in a package with eight hats. With some pretty scrapbook papers, trims, and some glue you can turn them into completely customized hats.  I like to make these for all my parties and often make them for clients as well.  To begin, open up one of the hats and lay it flat to form your template (you can put it back together later).  Lay your template on top of a piece of scrapbook paper (right-side up) and trace all around it.  Then, carefully cut out the shape. It will look something like this:

Trace and cut out enough for all of the hats that you want to make.  It's fun to use a variety of color-coordinated, patterned papers.  I just LOVE these prints by Heather Bailey!

Next, glue your paper cut-outs to the party hats, trying to match up the seams as neatly as possible.  If it isn't perfect, don't worry - you'll be trimming the edges anyway.  Now, for the fun part... embellishing!  I chose tissue paper garland, paper flowers, and rhinestones, but you can you use anything you want.  I've also had great success with pom-pom fringe (so cute) and millinery flowers are really beautiful when making a hat for someone special. 

When you are done with your decorating, you can replace that yucky elastic band that comes with the hats with some pretty lengths of ribbon - just glue them to the inside of the hat.  That's it!  Really pretty party hats to match any decor!  Go make some now!  :-)

Such Pretty Candy

Just a quick little post today to show you the prettiest Easter candy that I found at Crate and Barrel.

As you know by now, I am crazy for candy - especially pretty candy!  So, there was no way I could resist these wonderful pastel dragees...they were even on sale!  Aren't the colors absolutely beautiful!  And the little square box tied with ribbon is so adorable.

They are a yummy mix of chocolate covered Sunflowers seeds, Pistachios, Almonds, and Peanuts (so definitely not for those with a nut allergy!)

Such a pretty treat to leave out for your guests...

I think I may have to go back and get some more...

:-)

Dressed-up Bunnies

I found some wonderful chocolate bunnies at World Market and decided to dress them up a bit.

They came already dressed in the pretty pastel foils. I just added some tiny vintage velvet millinery flowers.

And a little bow.

Now my bunnies are all dressed up and ready to go!

:-)

Jessica