Saturday, December 31, 2011

Anticipation...New Years Eve

Kicking 2011 to the Curb! Catching the 539 (my address) to the New Year! Will be fun to see what this New Year has in store for My Family and all My Friends! Exciting! Wayne and I are starting our 30th year together, so Bring It On! 2012, God when I was a kid, who even thought of the year 2000, much less 2012! Were'nt we all supposed to be flying around on personal JetPacks?? Well.. I know that all of us can choose our Destiny, and I am Choosing Happiness, Good Health, and Prosperity in this New Year.
So as the Hour of Midnight is toasted, I am saying Cheers To You! Happy New Year!

Window to the Future...

The Reindeer looks like he is turning his back on 2011! He is looking toword the East, the Rising Sun, the New Morn.  Hopes, Dreams, Excitement,New Friends, Family and all the new possibilities that are ahead for this New Year.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Fireplace Pillow

I made these pillows about 4 years ago to share with my girlfriends. I purchased the preprinted linen burlap at Joann's Fabrics. I think there were enough of the pattern sections to make 6 pillows. I decided to enhance the printed fabric with trims, sequins, red bells and a pretty cool fringe. Kinda making it my own, well it worked, cuz all loved them!

Monday, December 12, 2011

2011 Christmas Mantel....More is More!

My Christmas Mantel is well known to all my Friends, it is alive in red lights, ornaments, gold accents, glittery beads, red mercury glass candle holders, gold deers (my Moms) and fresh greenery! Gold grapes, gold mesh ribbons finish off my show stopper!

2011 Christmas Tree...The Mother of all Trees!







My Christmas tree is really the story of my life told in Ornaments! Every Ornament I have ever purchased or been given since the age of 22, is there! This is the most fun for me, hanging each and reliving all the special moments from my life. Right down to the garland and the Angel on top. (both purchased at 22 years of age)

2011 My Omage to Frontgate





I was asked to do another presentation on Christmas Decor, and to come up with two arrangements to be raffeled off. While searching for inspiration I came across Frontgate! Wow what a site! I saw a beautiful arrangement done in green ribbons, hurricane light and an ornament. I thought wow I can do this, so I purchased wide red ribbon and to use as the accent, red brocade ribbon and a kickass red and gold ornament. I think it turned out spot on! The second arrangement is much less formal, using a wooden container, a heavy metal Reindeer, moss ribbon with a thin plaid ribbon as it's accent. A great gnarly poinsettia in bright glittery red, and a red and gold sparkly ornament. Whatta ya think,  cool huh!

2011 Christmas Decor in Our Bedroom

Serene setting, Sage Greens, Whites and Gold.

2011 Christmas Decor for my EntryWay.

All in gold and white, especially love my  white Angel Music Box, she was my Moms. I love the lamp, it had one of those dated long shades, and when I took it off this was what I found, I left it just as is, added a tassel and to me it's just perfect!

2011 Christmas Decor on My Dining Room Window Ledge

I found this very thick garland at an antique shop , and I just had to have it! It's loaded with fruit and pinecones. I use old ornaments from the 50's all in white, gold, silver with flocked Reindeers. Sparkling snowflakes scattered to catch the light of the two candles.

2011 Christmas Decorating for My Kitchen



I have a Terra Cotta painted kitchen, so I decorate using all copper colored ribbons and sparkly ornaments! Any Jello Molds are from My Mom, and I have incorporated them into my Decor. I especially love my Paper Mache Della Robbia Santa,  styalized SunFlowers, glittery copper pinecones, copper pearls, ornaments and Ribbons.

Yule Logs for Fall and Christmas



I was asked to do a decorating presentation on Fall and Christmas Decor, I was trying to think of something different that had not been seen. While looking through a magazine I came across a picture of a Yule Log Cake, hmmm I thought I could make the arrangement on a "Real Log"! So lucky the neighbors had just cut down an Old Oak tree, Free Logs! I came up with these designs, and they were a hit!

Teddy Bears

Grandaughter Kingsley wanted clothes for her bears, and after going to Build a Bear, I decided that I could make something cute and easy for her little hands to take on and off, and save money too! I came up with this little design, a gathered skirt on elastic, with or without little straps. I added a cute headband  by just gathered a tube of matching material on soft elastic and added a crochet rosette, and the best part was that Kingsley was sooo happy! Miss B is in Yellow, given to her by My Daughter when she was born. Kingsley is 14 years old now, but when she stays the night, she always tucks in Miss B too!

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Christmas Ribbon Tree



I started out trying to find something to go with the other decorations at the end of my kitchen counters. I had seen the ribbon trees in the store, but was sure I could make my own. So I did! I started with a small foam cone, I cut the first bottom row of ribbons about 9 inches long, it took about 6 of them, and I just used straight pins. Folding the wire ribbon in half, I pinned the ends all around the bottom, making the base of the tree. The next row I shortened the ribbon to about 7 inches, and made sure I staggered the ribbons, pinning up about 2 inches from the bottom row. Next row was about 5 inch long cuts of ribbon, using the staggering method I continued up to the top of the cone, it only took 3 strips of ribbon to finish, I put a pleat in the middle to get it to fit the small top. I added a ribbbon bow for the topper. A very quick and fun project, that can  be adapted to any decor depenting on the ribbon you choose. Since my colors in the kitchen are terra cotta I tend to stick with the copper tones, and that is what I used in this project, alternating two types of copper ribbon.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Fall Mantel 2011

Don't you just love the color of all the Fall decorations! Again my motto "More Is More"! Using a brass Ibis, Antique Metal Picture Frame, Copper wire leaf garland, Large paper mache Gold Leaves, and of course great fall leaves, topping off with Pumpkin Candles.
The Moss Angel was my Moms, she never leaves the Mantel, always in the design no matter what season.
 
Don't you just love the Sculpture "Man on Bike" I found him at Goodwill! He is quite a large
Metal Piece.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Mermaid "Mona", Fabricated and Designed by Rena

 
This was such a fun project! Using a board about 3 feet long and about 15 inches wide, I painted it a soft blue. Using coke cans I cut them into about 9 inch strips, curled them and spray painted Lavender. Used these strips for the hair, I crushed my shells to make my own coquina, glued on for the upper body and face, placed larger shells in all the right places. Came up with the design for the tail using whole shells, glass squares for sparkle. Her name is Mona. I love Her.

Boudoir Pillows, Designs by Rena

Aren't these the cutest pillows! I love them, I made so many of these for friends. I saw a picture in Southern Living Christmas Book, I enlarged the pattern a bit to make pillows a good size, about 12 inches across. Some of the pillows I made (no pics) I used black tuffs of feathers in the centers, they were so awesome. Well, my friends loved them!







Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Mosaics Designed and Fabricated by Rena

 
After seeing a craft show years ago of a lady gluing some broken plates to the top of a clay pot, I was hooked! I went to the Library and checked out every book I could find on Garden Art Mosaics and was off and running. I started by going to Goodwill for plates (to break) and the Dollar Store for glass globs, and Ace Hardware for PreMixed Grout. I started with putting river rocks around the top of pots, then putting together a mosaic pattern on Stepping stones, then Tables, and now I have actually done a Mosaic on my front entrance outside wall about, 8 feet tall by about 3 feet wide! I'm Brave!