The Rose Experiment ~ Beautiful Things Happen When One Experiments a Little

Beautiful Things HappenWhen One Experiments a Little : )

I love waking up in the early morning hours when the world is still and yet not awake and if one desires company they only need to tap on a switch and connect.  

I made my coffee and then reconnected to the previous night’s reading list on my computer I had book marked before retiring to bed.

I found way too much information on art mediums and techniques, more than I could ever do in one life time but a small, quick paper craft incorporating the recycled coffee filters I had amassed in recent months stirred my desire to create the simple project. 

I began by stacking 4 to 6 coffee filters together and started cutting a spiral into the circles. I realized half way in that I had done this before only I had used wool felt. So I stopped cutting and turned my attention to how the filters were tinted in such gorgeous soft muted colours. I dug around for the food colouring they had used but alas was out of luck and had to find an alternative substitute, which led me to Raspberry jam. Yes, jam.

I know I'm kind of  crazy but I thought why not it’s just a little experiment and no harm, Its not like I was going to eat them although the perfume of raspberry is pretty darn yummy and so very tempting!

I manipulated the filters, added water, salt and some Raspberry jam, scrunched, baked and baked again creating some very interesting textures. 

It is only now I see it for what it is. 

A Rose

Romantic and so Victorian!

I think the Rose Experiment turned out quite lovely, don’t you think? 

A New Hybrid Tea Rose that won't  die, almost eternal and will keep smelling sweet all the year through : ) 

'Raspberries and Dreams'

And the experiment revealed another secret.

As I was shaping the roses , pansies appeared . 

Raspberry Parfait

I don't think I will be working with jam any time soon , that is in art but I will most certainly be making these again and this time with food colouring and maybe paints and inks, the normal art stuff : )

Hope you liked my silly little experiment.

Here are the links to two Rose Tutorials 

Salvaged Whimsy 

 Muddy Boot Dreams

Until Later, 

Annabelle

A Photograph Can Speak a Thousand Silent Words and Maybe Even Keep a Secret and a Mystery

If becoming a little slower in thinking is all I have to worry about with getting old, then I'm okay with that : )

 It wasn't until the morning after I had posted the old photograph on ~ line that I realized just how unique it was, to me that is. I had not seen the photograph more than a couple of time since it's existence. During its course since its development It had exchanged hands and continents and hands again when my parents divorced and it wasn't until a few months ago that it resurfaced and made its way back to its original keeper, me.

There is something charmingly nostalgic about a photograph of a child no matter its origin of generation. Its qualities of purity, innocence and quietude it conveys holds fast its observer and becomes their little treasure for whatever correlation it may have to their life that tugged at their heart. This particular photograph is my little treasure not only because it’s of me when I was a kid but because it dates to an important time in my life. A time that changed my world as I had known it, forever.

I had loved Italy with all my heart, my family, my grandfather and grandmother, my aunts and uncles especially my uncles who imparted their love of motorcycles unto me In their lovable ways they always gave me rides but sometimes there was a fee attached, steal some cigarettes from your mom and you can ride with me and so I did. While my mom would be sleeping after a night shift at the hospital I would sneak into her bedroom and steal her cigarettes, give them to whoever was offering the ride be it uncle Mario, uncle Miche, uncle Titti, uncle Bruno, didn't matter who, I was getting what I wanted, a motorcycle ride by the sea.

It was this picture that was responsible for tempering with my beautiful idyllic life in Italy.
I was asking my dad in America to send for us, little that I knew how different life would be. After all I was just 4 years old and I basically listened to the adults with promises of a long red convertible, fur coat and a house in the country.


When the day had come to leave Italy for good and fly to Canada I cried uncontrollably. I remember it so clearly. I didn't want to go anymore. It wasn't America and there be no more motorcycle rides with my uncles. 
Anyway, that was a very, very long time ago but see how a picture can stir so many memories and speak a thousand silent words and maybe even keep a secret and a mystery.

To this day I have no idea why I was holding a Pigeon but I remember hearing a story that my uncles or one of my uncles liked shooting Pigeons for food; apparantly frying them in a pan was the preferred way of cooking them.
I sure hope I wasn't holding on to the chubby feathery little fella for someones meal.

 Dear Dad,
Hope you like the photograph.
Let us come to America soon.
Bye
Your Anna xxxxxx

 In 1961 a quiet communiqué written on the back of a photograph of a little girl holding a Pigeon in her arms was flown on a silver bird to the other side of the world carrying a message from a daughter in Italy to a father in America. She decided against sending the bird for the long voyage.

Years have passed since then. I met my French Canadian husband because of a motorcycle ride one night, that’s another story, got a Canada Goose jacket instead of a fur coat, bought a bungalow in the country (not far enough) and a Ford 150. The choice was right to make the enormous move and from time to time I do miss my place of birth and the family I left behind but Canada is now my home and will forever be.

Until later Anna

The Fairy Spider's Wardrobe

Guess what Lucy the Fairy Spider got for Christmas this year? 

Yes, her very own Wardrobe!

Lucy the Fairy Spider was so surprised on Christmas Eve to see her dream come true when she carefully unwrapped the beautifully packaged gift and discovered her one special wish for Christmas was standing there right in front of her; her very own Wardrobe!

It was even more beautiful than she had ever imagined. In the candle light of the Christmas tree the intricately designed web lacing that covered the Wardrobe shimmered and glistened like a thousand stars. 

There was no doubt in her mind from carefully examining the woodwork that it was done by a skilled craftsman who had meticulously created the beautiful armoire with love and a lot of their time and she was beyond happiness with the unique and original gift that was made just for her. Lucy thanked her uncle Ambrose for the wonderful surprise gift from the very bottom of her heart. She declared she would treasure it for always and it would become a family heirloom for centuries to come.

 In wonderment of her good fortune she had gone silent and only beamed with diamond eyes upon her splendid Wardrobe; she was sure she too had stepped into the magical land of Narnia!

The doorknob to the Wardrobe was the tiniest crystal flower.It had bamboo swirls and its shape was not in form like one might think but kind of lopsided. Whimsical was how she referred to it. A perfect shape for a Tangle Web Fairy Spider for their cobwebs are known to have quite a colourful collection of immesurable architectural designs.

But it wasn’t until she spied with her little eyes what the enchanted Wardrobe had hanging inside beyond its ornate door. With the loudest sigh she exclaimed, "Ooooh my, a Fairy Spider's Ballerina Dress, Ooh uncle!!! And she gave him the biggest hug.

She quickly took the Fairy Ballerina Dress out of the armoire and closely studied its design. It too, like the Wardrobe was beautifully made and uncanny how it mimicked a Spider’s web, maybe even her own web. It was of the finest organza fabric of a gorgeous soft grey color.

The bodice was made of embroidered fabric of little daisies touched in gilded gold. The flouncy skirt with waves running through its fiber had minute silver stars scattered about the layers and even trailed on the wispy silvery threads that hanged on the skirt and delicate spaghetti straps.

 The Fairy Ballerina Dress was resplendent in its froufrou, ostentatious and fanciful design.The wispy whimsical gown was a perfect fit for Lucy!
All that Lucy needed now was an invitation to a Fairy Spider’s Ballet Ball.

The Fairy Spider's Wardrobe with Ballerina Dress will be available to purchase in my Etsy shop very soon.

Until next time,

Annabelle

Jack Frost and the Faeries

" Deep within the winter forest among the snowdrift wide

You can find a magic place where all the fairies hide" 

~ Author unknown.....

Jack Frost and the Faeries ~ 

         Doesn't this snowman remind you of a very familiar snowy fellow from the movie" Jack Frost"? When I saw him in the shop he was among many others but each one of them had quite a different look to them. For me, he totally brought back Jack Frost!!! This was a gift I made for my dad for Christmas. 

Gifting is dangerous for me because I find I end up getting two of everything : )  But this gift  I most definitely want to replicate for my home so I'll keep my eyes open for another glass terrarium in this very same shape , kind of reminds me of the brown stone home you see in "A Christmas Carol”. Hopefully in time I'll come across one: ) Ooh , and I also forgot to buy some of those battery operated beautiful starry lights, imagine how magical! Need two packs please ; )

"Are those the magic fairy wands glistening on the tree

or only winter icicles that I see?" 

~ author unknown

No, I think they are tiny little dresses belonging to the Faeries that you see

 Twinkling on the starry tree.

Ballerina Daisy Fairy Tutu

Wool felt, vintage fabric daisies, tiniest of star sequins and German silver glitter

Ballerina Rose Fairy Tutu

Wool felt, silk rose, tiniest of star sequins and German silver glitter

Degas Ballerina Fairy Tutu with Crown

Tea dyed cotton lace, coffee filters, vintage bias tape also tea dyed, vintage fabric daisy, cotton thread

A little while back before Christmas, I decided I wanted to try sewing a few tiny Fairy dresses I had seen online. There are many YouTube videos and blogs that give tutorials; just Google miniature fairy dresses and you'll get quite a selection to choose from.

 I made my own design and didn't bother with the templates for the dresses since all of these were done by molding felt and shaping the lace by hand and later stiffing it with glue. I did however use a Barbi doll for a bodice form for the tiny Witch dress. I didn't post it here because the picture didn't turn out, the black is hard to photograph at night. I will post it later , hopefully with a better image.

If you would like to try making your own I have left you links to 2 very good tutorial sites and one beautiful Inspirational site on Etsy

Angela Holt 

~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io1cR5OR2vA

Kellie Reynolds 

~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxMFnZNv1co


Sue Griffiths ~ Messie Jessie on Etsy

The wall is silence, the grass is sleep,

Tall trees of peace their vigil keep,

And the Fairy of Dreams with moth-wings furled

Plays soft on her flute to the drowsy world.

~ Ida Rentoul Outhwaite

Until next time,

Annabelle