Colonial Williamsburg Centerpiece for Christmas

Traditionally, my small hometown of Lewes, Delaware has a Holiday House Tour the first Saturday in December.  It is sponsored by the local historical society.  This year, due to Covid 19 concerns, a virtual house tour was held in its place.  The Colonel David Hall Chapter of the Daughters of the America Revolution was invited to decorate their chapter house, the Maull House, which dates back to 1739.  Members use natural greens, pine cones, ivy, and berries which are gathered from the local area.

 We put a handmade wreath on the front door and decorate throughout the house with these elements from nature.  The beautiful fireplace of the home is always a special place to decorate.  This year lots of magnolia leaves, holly and pinecones were on the hearth.  

A Colonial Williamsburg Centerpiece graces the dining table each year.  This year I took up the challenge to create the centerpiece.  We have a wooden form that I used to make the centerpiece.  These forms are readily available on Etsy and commercial websites. The are called "apple trees".

I found some photos of a few Colonial Williamsburg centerpieces on Pinterest and then I made a list of what I needed.  I gathered holly, magnolia and ivy from my yard.  I purchased a pineapple and apples at the grocery store.  I looked for the smallest pineapple that I could locate.  

Magnolia leaves created a nice finishing touch under the base.  It turned out well especially for a first attempt.  The pineapple is an important part of the centerpiece and much care should be taken when selecting one.  In retrospect, I wish I had paid more attention to the bottom of my pineapple in addition to its size.  The pineapple leaned a little to one side and I didn't dare to attempt a correction.

The smell of the centerpiece is wonderful.  I would encourage you to give it a try. I also can enjoy seeing the centerpiece leaning slightly in the virtual house tour which I enjoyed from the safety of my home during this time of Covid. 

Mushrooms and Toadstools as an Inspiration

 The Art Elements inspiration for November is Mushrooms/Toadstools. Initially I thought about bagging this challenge. I hasn't crazy about the theme.  I couldn't think of anything I had that would fit with the theme. I am resistant to buying anything new! I decided to change my negative attitude and dig through my stash of papers and beads.  I located the remainder of a sheet with mushrooms leftover from a prior project.  Yes!  I had made something with mushrooms awhile ago. I decided mushroom themed greeting cards were a possibility.

I decided to go through my stash of paper that I made with a gelli printing plate and see if any of the prints would work with the mushrooms. I used acrylic paints on card stock when I made the prints.

I found some paper that worked with the colors in the mushrooms.  I had some card stock that was a complimentary color.  I stamped "for a very special someone" on the front of both and added a tiny stamped mouse.  One is a thank you card and the other is a birthday card. 

The last mushroom had lots of reds in it so I pulled out this card stock with reds. It is surprising how well everything used works so well together.  It is also an indication of my stashed supplies.

I stamped  "A Very Special Day" on the front of this card and I used the same mouse and added a happy birthday on the inside of the card.  I am glad that I pulled these papers out.  I am very pleased with how all of the colors that I created with acrylic paints worked with the mushrooms.  

I have lots of handmade cards in my BayMoonDesign store. Many are inspired by nature as this set was.   These cards are headed to the Biggs Museum of American Arts in Dover, Delaware where I also sell my cards.

Fall Gift of Thanks Inspired by Nature

 

I love the idea of greeting cards as a gift. If you have someone in your life that likes nice things but is VERY practical? That’s who I buy greeting cards for. Everyone needs cards for different occasions and having a nice set of stationery on hand is a welcome gift. Who really likes buying cards though? No one! That’s why these make such a great gift, especially as a set.

                                                     Thanksgiving Card by BayMoonDesign

Send a handmade and hand stamped card like this one to your mother, father, brother, sister, or friend. It is blank so that you can personalize with expression of appreciation, gratitude, thankfulness. It is cream colored on the inside and blank.  It is perfect for Thanksgiving.

                                                                          Fall Birthday Card by BayMoonDesign

I love the squirrels and fall leaves.  With a log slice and a squirrel sitting on top, this is a perfect nature inspired card for an animal lover. The front of the green card has paper with acorns and leaves and a log slice. It has " for a for someone special" hand stamped on the front. The inside of the card reads "Happy Birthday Day" and there is room for a personalized note.

                                                                         Log Slice Note Card by BayMoonDesign

This handmade log slice note card is perfect to express gratitude or say thanks. It has the word grateful in copper lettering with a log slice and yellow and copper leaves.  "Inside of the card is blank so there is plenty of room to write a special note.

Fall Thank You Card by BayMoonDesign

Express gratitude or say thanks with this handmade blank note card . It has the word thankful in teal lettering with a woodland fall scene of leaves printed on high quality paper. The card is embellished with hand stamped and die cut leaves. Inside of the card is blank.

         Blank Mandala Note Card by BayMoonDesign

This handmade blank thank you card with a mandala is perfect to express gratitude say thanks, or just drop a line. The mandala is stamped with black ink, cut out, and layered on the high quality black card stock paper. The card is embellished with hand stamped inspirational words.

You can purchase 5 of any of BayMoonDesign cards to create a personalized gift to be sent as a gift or as a gift to yourself to have on hand for the fall . These handmade cards will cost just $4 each with the free shipping offer on a purchase over $35. This is a nice savings to you and shows your appreciation of nature and quality.

Fall Light + Fun

Rays of sunlight on the Fall landscape create a very special look this time of year.  As the change in time in the United States approaches on November 1, 2020,  those of us on the East coast can appreciate that there is still light at dinner time or the drive back home after a long day at work.  Even those working at home will soon be missing this after work fun or stress relief that can be had when there is still some daylight.  The changing color of the leaves and sight of pumpkins add lots of cheer as the light decreases this time of year.

                                                Happy Fall Y'all Earrings by BayMoonDesign

These Happy Fall Y'all Earrings combine handmade ceramic pumpkin charms with lamp work in the Fall shades of oranges, greens, browns.  The handmade ceramic charms are by artisan Grubbi and the lamp work beads are by Susan Kennedy.  I love the saying "Happy Fall Y'All"  on the dangles.

The copper ear wires highlight the oranges in the beads. The earrings hang about 2 inches from the top curve in the ear wires.  I think they have an organic and natural look to them and would make a great Halloween treat or Thanksgiving Hostess gift or addition to your accessories. 

                                                         Photo by Jen Theodore on Unsplash

It wouldn't Halloween without some fun scary skulls, skeletons and ghosts.  

                                                         Skull Earrings by BayMoonDesign

These are long skull earrings that are perfect for Halloween and Dia de Muertos. The skull is pale gray with piercing black eyes.  This Goth skull jewelry is hung on sterling silver ear wires, and  include black and orange Czech crystals, and metal spacers. These are light weight earrings.  These light weight earrings are about 2 inches long.  

                                               Halloween Skull Earrings by BayMoonDesign

These same skulls are incorporated into long black and orange skull earrings that are perfect for Halloween.   These are great fun! They are light weight earrings and are hung on gunmetal ear wires. I selected black and orange crystals to add sparkle. The skulls are 12x10mm and are gray with piercing orange eye sockets. 

These dangles are perfect for a Halloween Zoom party.  Did you know that statement earrings are perfect for Zoom.  Who doesn't love to see something fun or eye catching!  Sometimes it is the little things that we do that can add some humanity to those Zoom meeting which are  necessary during this pandemic.

                                               Fall Inspired Birthday Card by BayMoonDesign

This is a fall inspired birthday greeting card for someone special who loves nature.  With a log slice and a squirrel sitting on top, this is a perfect nature inspired card.   It has " for a for someone special" hand stamped on the front.  The inside of the card reads "Happy Birthday" and there is room for a personalized note.

                                                     Photo by David Kovalenko on Unsplash

                                       Log Slice Blank Thank You Card by Bay Moon Design

I used the trending log slice in this note card.  This is a great way to express gratitude or to offer appreciation. It has the word grateful in copper lettering with a log slice and yellow and leaves. "Inside of the card card is blank so there is plenty of room to write a special note.

I hope you will visit my online shop and pick up a few handmade pieces of jewelry and cards for this Fall.

It's a Blue September

                                                              Photo by Paul Gilmore on Unsplash

The theme of the September Art Elements Challenge is BLUE.    Literally you could just use blue paint,  find blue objects or beads, use the ocean or the sky as inspiration.  Perhaps blue as an emotional inspiration is a possibility.  There are so many shades of blue to consider.  Art Elements members are hosting this on their Facebook Group for Art Elements Community.  

                                                  Long Casual Blue Earrings by BayMoonDesign

I decided to make a few pairs of blue earrings.  These are modern blue geometric earrings. The statement earrings have blue ceramics with a light brown that shows. The ceramics are made by Marsha Neal Studio.  Some brass beads, tiny seed beads, and Czech crystals dangle from chains and make the earrings about 3 inches in length.   The chain also creates some movement in these casual, everyday earrings.  

                                                             Teal Blue Ivy Earrings by BayMoonDesign

The next pair are trending teal earrings with turquoise ivy leaves on large sterling silver ear wires.  I added teal crystals which have a hint of purple as do the leaves.  The handmade artisan ivy leaves by Gardanne Beads are enameled on both sides and are 25 x 16mm.   Sterling silver ear wires are used. These are long earrings that are 2 inches from the curve at the top of the ear wire.  Both pairs are available for purchase in my online shop.  

                                                                          Petey age 7 months

I added a photo of my grandson who happens to be sporting a pale blue outfit.  It is only fitting that he be included in the blue blog.  He is the object of much of my time now that I am helping with his care while his parents work from home.  Glad I have Grandpa to help.  Being in your 70's and doing a daycare gig is a challenge physically but a real joy.  

Mandala as a Design Theme

                                                                             

A  monthly theme challenge with the theme of mandala inspired me to make some handmade greeting cards.  I am showcasing them in  Facebook Group for Art Elements Community and they are in my online store for purchase.   Here is a link to the August: Mandala Theme Photo Album if you would like to see what everyone created.

Mandala (which comes from the ancient Indian language Sanskrit and means circle) is basically a circle containing a geometric design built around a single central point which are heavily symbolic in many eastern cultures. We may know them as decorative creations but they have a deep meditative meaning also.

Large Mandala Stamps and ink

I went through my stamp collection and found I had a number of stamps that I could use for this theme.  I started with a large mandala stamp that proved to be a challenge to use.  I have always found it difficult to get a good image with a large stamp.  I found that putting the paper directly on top of the stamp and applying pressure to this paper with my hands worked much better than the traditional applying the image.

Thank You Card by BayMoonDesign

This handmade blank thank you card with a mandala is perfect to express gratitude say thanks, or just drop a line. The mandala is stamped with black ink, cut out, and layered on the high quality black card stock paper. The card is embellished with hand stamped inspirational words. There is also a phrase "Thinking of You with a Grateful Heart added to yellow and orange paper with black ink. A yellow ribbon adds a pop of color.  Inside of the card card is blank so there is plenty of room to write a special note.

Thinking of You Card by BayMoonDesign

I used this same stamp to make a  thinking of you greeting card has a mandala and bright fall colors.  The card is embellished with hand stamped inspirational words. There is also a phrase "Thinking of You with a Grateful Heart" added to yellow and orange paper with black ink. A tangerine ribbon adds a pop of fall color. Inside of the card card is blank so there is plenty of room to write a special note.  The handmade card comes with a high quality white envelope with the mandala sign on flap of envelop.

Valentine Card by BayMoonDesign

This card uses the same Mandala stamp but it is inspired by Valentine's Day and used red as the accent color.  

                                                    Thanks So Much Card by BayMoonDesign

This blank thank you card with fall colors is perfect to express gratitude say appreciation, or just drop a line. The cheerful mandalas and geometric patterns are stamped with yellow, green and orange ink, and layered on the high quality bright tangerine card stock paper. There are the words "thanks so" much added to a tag with green ink. A yellow ribbon adds a pop of fall color.

I enjoyed this challenge.  It gave me an opportunity to make some cards with stamps that I haven't used in a long time.  I love the geometric patterns!  I hope to use these stamps again.  They have proven to be very versatile.  What are your thoughts on these designs?

Art Elements July Challenge-Hollow is the Theme

Tree Photo by K V on Unsplash

The current Art Elements monthly theme is hollow. This monthly theme can encompass things you see, feel, and create revolving around hollow. Objects that create negative space, draws you into the hollow space and your imagination can take over.

Textured Green Earrings by BayMoonDesign

I had some ceramics made by Marsha Neal that came to mind immediately. 
I made these handmade green earrings with a pair of her textured ceramics that have negative space. I stacked three green beads above the round ceramics onto hand forged sterling silver. I love how the blue and greens in the ceramics look with silver. These boho earrings are 2 inches and are light and comfortable to wear. 

Round Blue Textured Earrings by BayMoonDesign

I created another pair of earrings using the same design.  These blue earrings have pair of differently colored ceramics by Marsha Neal. Three shinny blue crystals are stacked above the round ceramics. I love the blue and creams in the ceramics. I hand forged the silver to create the earrings which are 2 inches. 

Iridescent Navy Blue Floral Earrings by BayMoonDesign

This pair of earring makes use of iridescent navy blue flowers. The iridescent navy creates a color that reminds me of a deep pool of water that draws the viewer in.  Once again I used the same design with a couple of crystals added to the ear wires for some sparkle. 

Photo by Laura Pratt on Unsplash

Thank you for reading my blog. I hope it helps bring positive light into your day. I would love to hear your thoughts.

June Theme Challenge-Summer Solstice

Beach Photo by Ethan Robertson on Unsplash

Summer solstice fell on Saturday June 20, 2020 and marked the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere. It is only fitting that the current Art Elements monthly theme is Summer Solstice. It marks the longest day of the year, and it always reminds me that daylight decreases afterwards. I don't like loosing daylight.

There are so many signs and symbols that I associate with midsummer--green man, flowers, bees. beach, and sand are a few of my favorites. The theme is broad and allows for a wide range of ideas and inspirations.

I began the month by thinking of a few occasions that I needed some handmade cards for and used the theme to come up with new designs. When I think of a summer flower, the sunflower is the first floral image that comes to mind. Fields of sunflowers are a special summer delight.

 

Sun Flowers Photo by Aleksandr Eremin

  I used a large and detailed sunflower stamp to make this sunflower and bee note card. This floral greeting card has a large bumble bee on it. The card is blank on the inside. I think that the card makes a great thinking of you card or thank you card.

                                          Sunflower and Bee Note Card by BayMoonDesign

June is a popular wedding month so it follows that it is a big anniversary
month. I celebrated 49 years of marriage this month. I created this
anniversary card for my husband. My husband and I sailed for many years and still enjoy life by the water. There are two sailboats with a bright yellow sun on the front. The sentiment "Happy Anniversary" is stamped on the front in matching blue ink.

Anniversary card by BayMoonDesign

I rarely make just one card at a time. I added a second anniversary card that I made to my online shop. The theme also inspired several pieces of jewelry to my summer collection.

Turtle bracelet by BayMoonDesign

I am all about the beach and nature so my summer collection centers on those themes.  I used a collection of handmade unique ocean beads like a ceramic turtle, a yellow lampwork seashell and sand bead, sand dollar charm, and aqua blue Czech glass beads for this ocean turtle bracelet. 

Salt in the Air, Sand in My Hair Necklace by BayMoonDesign

I love the saying "Salt In the Air Sand In My Hair" so I when I found it as a ceramic focal I new it would make a great pendant on Ball Chain. I added an artisan yellow lampwork bead with sea shells and sand. The natural brass ball chain is 18 inches long and brings out the browns in the jewelry.

Starfish necklace by BayMoonDesign

This ceramic starfish pendant makes a unique casual beach necklace. Perfect for summer! The aqua blue starfish focal by Lisa Boucher is surrounded by one of a kind handmade art beads and a natural brass elongated oval cable chain and clasp.

Green Man Cab by Susan Kennedy

I saved embroidering this green man cab by Susan Kennedy for my last project. It didn't go smoothly and I didn't finish. In fact I am going to take it apart and start all over!

Summer solstice is a perfect inspiration for me and I am happy with all that I got done this month.