Inspiration abounds this week. Every time I sat down for a little browsing, I saw posts that made me want to get up and create or decorate! By the way, this is my third (or fourth?) post with this same title. I've done plenty of posts before with inspiration, but I've decided I need to make it a regular feature. "Regular" does not mean it will occur on the same day of each week. I'm retired. Don't box me in! :-) "Regular" means that I'll add to a post for a while and when it looks long enough, that's when I'll post it. I like that plan!
Caution - I jump from one topic to another. It's sort of like my browsing method. :-)
Miss Mustard Seed is so talented. She shared her mantles (one is actually a piano) and one of her decor elements were letters made with German Glitter Glass. She included a link to a tutorial for making the letters and where to get all the stuff, so I had to check that out. At the end of the video, she shows a lot of ideas for how to use them. You really need to see it!
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch was in my neck of the woods a few weeks ago. She visited The Southern Living Idea House and took loads of photos. She plans to share them in a series of posts starting with this one. I visited this summer and did six posts on it. The last post is here and that post included links to the other five. It's really fun to look at how the house was decorated for summer and compare it to the changes they made for the holidays. I remember one of the SL ladies telling me that the plan was to decorate using all real greenery. It looks like they did a great job. This JOY sign is a preserved boxwood decoration. Susan says it lasts a long time.
Naturally, I had to look up preserved boxwood. The first thing I found was from Get Your Martha On. She had a good post on making preserved boxwood topiaries. The post was funny, too - she scalped her poor boxwood bush trying to get enough greenery. I imagine the letters could be make in a similar fashion. The was no special "preserving" in the steps. It's just fresh boxwood stuck into foam.
Further searching awarded me with this good article on making preserved boxwood wreath monograms. It included these tips for caring for the boxwood:
Care for your boxwood wreath by spritzing it with water. You may also take it down once a week and soak it in a 1/2-inch of water. A jelly roll pan is a good "bathtub" for your wreath. Wait until the water has been completely absorbed before returning your wreath to its hanging place.
Hmmm. I don't think I'd want to soak the letters and then put it up against my wall. I have visions of the word JOY being forever outlined on the wall in a lovely shade of ... mold and mildew!
That would be solved by using the method I found on Living with Lindsay. She used artifical. She made a series of B's to put on her dining room chairs. She had to trim and trim to make the letter show. Her letters were small and B is a particularly hard letter to work with. Any letter with a hole would be tough to do in a small size. Still, it turned out cute.
I was drawn to this tablescape from Good Life of Design because I am planning a tablescape using silver candleholders and Christmas balls. I must say mine will not be as artsy as hers. I don't have a fabulous mirror like this one. On her post, there's a photo showing it in detail so you can better appreciate how the sparkly jewels look like snowflakes. I also don't have anything like those wonderful swirly striped balls. I also enjoyed reading how she edited her design and ultimately chose which items to use.
Oh My!!! Look at these beautiful ceilings. Lori at My Heart With Pleasure Fills, did these with the help of her husband. They're planning to do more in January. I wish they'd come to my house and work on a few of our ceilings. This is something that has been on my "One of These Days" list for ages. I sure do like that up high window, too.
Caution - I jump from one topic to another. It's sort of like my browsing method. :-)
Miss Mustard Seed is so talented. She shared her mantles (one is actually a piano) and one of her decor elements were letters made with German Glitter Glass. She included a link to a tutorial for making the letters and where to get all the stuff, so I had to check that out. At the end of the video, she shows a lot of ideas for how to use them. You really need to see it!
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch was in my neck of the woods a few weeks ago. She visited The Southern Living Idea House and took loads of photos. She plans to share them in a series of posts starting with this one. I visited this summer and did six posts on it. The last post is here and that post included links to the other five. It's really fun to look at how the house was decorated for summer and compare it to the changes they made for the holidays. I remember one of the SL ladies telling me that the plan was to decorate using all real greenery. It looks like they did a great job. This JOY sign is a preserved boxwood decoration. Susan says it lasts a long time.
Naturally, I had to look up preserved boxwood. The first thing I found was from Get Your Martha On. She had a good post on making preserved boxwood topiaries. The post was funny, too - she scalped her poor boxwood bush trying to get enough greenery. I imagine the letters could be make in a similar fashion. The was no special "preserving" in the steps. It's just fresh boxwood stuck into foam.
Further searching awarded me with this good article on making preserved boxwood wreath monograms. It included these tips for caring for the boxwood:
Care for your boxwood wreath by spritzing it with water. You may also take it down once a week and soak it in a 1/2-inch of water. A jelly roll pan is a good "bathtub" for your wreath. Wait until the water has been completely absorbed before returning your wreath to its hanging place.
Hmmm. I don't think I'd want to soak the letters and then put it up against my wall. I have visions of the word JOY being forever outlined on the wall in a lovely shade of ... mold and mildew!
That would be solved by using the method I found on Living with Lindsay. She used artifical. She made a series of B's to put on her dining room chairs. She had to trim and trim to make the letter show. Her letters were small and B is a particularly hard letter to work with. Any letter with a hole would be tough to do in a small size. Still, it turned out cute.
The B in the bottom left corner is her Ballard's inspiration letter made from spruce.
A few days later I spotted this striking vignette.
