The Art of Giving

"click on photo for close up detail"

Oh! lovely voices of the sky
Which hymned the Saviour's birth,
Are ye not singing still on high,
Ye that sang, "Peace on earth"
~Felicia Hemans

How did Ann, and her flea market chic GiveAway that I won over at "The Tin Rabbit" know that she was designing a perfect vintage tattered holiday center piece for my home, and see how well it fit right in. I would love to thank Ann for adding her beauty to my home for the holidays. The moment it arrived and I unpacked it, I let it tell me where it wanted to be placed. You will find it on my chest in front of the sitting room sofa, its the first holiday piece that greets you with tattered charm. What I love about it is when people pass through they take beautiful notice, while capturing there creative eye. Please go visit Ann at...
"http://thetinrabbit.blogspot.com" while taking lessons in creativity. We all thank you Ann, we are so looking forward to all your creative beauty in the New Year!!

Ann's Inspiring piece from "The Tin Rabbit" and her lessons in creativity.
http://thetinrabbit.blogspot.com

Altered Cloche Tree... From A Winters Garden

"click on photo to view art detail"

Mise-en-scène (French pronunciation: [mizɑ̃sɛn] "placing on stage") is an expression used to describe the design which essentially means in visually artful ways.
I took a left over tomato cage from a well seasoned garden then turned it upside down and wired the ends together in a whimsical fashion. By adding to the trees form with treasures I have hesitated to throw out it became an artful French and Swedish style cloche like Christmas tree. A peaceful tree plastered and painted with white and pale gray, anything can become inspiration and I left no boundaries between wire and junk allowing this piece to become an objet d'art. By wiring aviary wire to the form and painting it with a mixture of plaster paint I started to add a little of this and that. I was inspired with pieces that no longer had a good purpose for its use, all adding to its vintage artful French flea market cloche style.


This cloche like tree brought to life with broken necklaces painted and plaster with aged added just the right kind of garland to it. Paper birds and wire letter ornaments add to the theme of an European tree as you would imagine it to be, a perfectly peaceful resting place for nature. The crowning glory is the sweet miniture hand made wire crown that my daughter Hannah made for it adding peace, joy and love to our Joyeux Noel.

ARTFUL HOLIDAY from simple beginnings.

Inspiring a, who could imagine a "Tomato Cage" and "Junk Jewels" becoming an artful tree with the glow of soft candel lights casting a silhouette shadow so sweetly.

La pièce d'inspiration, Joyeux Noël

"click on photos for detailed views"
Fragments from our home and yard echo a French cottage style holiday season, with plain rustic creatively designed, and found pieces. While capturing the essence of a Joyeux Noël in French flea market style.

Inspired by rustic European cottages I was drawn to gentle shades and natural forms adding all the charm I could to my interputation of a soulful peaceful holiday. Festive tree branches, junk jewelry, paper ephemera book pages, plaster and paints added a muted glow of calm. A formula that makes for a Joyeux Noël, and will steal special attention from the room.


I have taken tree branches and misted them with gray primer for a gentler appearance. Then poured a plaster mix into a plastic bowl while placing the tree branches wired together into the bowl just right. After the plaster is set and dried you then cut down the plastic bowl to a shorter size covering the container with an old torn, and tattered square of a pillow case. Using a strip of the case while holding all four corners together and tying it around the top gives the appearance of the tree having its root ball covered, and ready for planting. The best part is gathering up old necklaces while dipping them into a mixture of plaster, glue, and paint then hanging them out to dry for the use of aged old garland, with old world charm. I even dip crystals into it giving the glass a frosted aged look, as if they have been un-earthed from years of weathering outdoors with perfect age to them.

I took and cut out paper book pages in the shape of birds adding a perfect touch to this holiday tree. The vignette design under the tree includes a vintage birdcage, making for a simple display of peace and joy.
Inspiring one special holiday design that outshines all the rest.