cloud perfection

Every once and a while the sky is magical. It has this painterly feel to it. The light is so perfect, the clouds look as though they have been sculpted and perfected. It makes me feel like I'm in a painting done by a great master. I love moments like that.

The sky is blue.

The nice weather has inspired me. I feel that in the past few weeks of beautiful weather has allowed me to create some beautiful compositions with trees. The branches are so graceful and stand out so strong against the blue sky. The trees are just starting to pop adding a bit of texture and color. Everything is so whimsical.

shell ornaments and their packaging.

I made these ornaments as a thank you. They are from shells I picked up at Cape Cod this summer. 

It was really fun to come up with simple, elegant designs.  I made four the "same", as the same as shells can make something. Then I made each a special ornament. Included in the final package is 2 of my beechnut ornaments as well. As you can see, I have a really great time with wire. I love the shapes and forms you can make. The simple, elegant lines that can be created with both practice and a little bit of luck.

 Now, on to the packaging!

I had a lot of fun with the packaging. I guess I figure If you are going to do it, do it well (and don't be afraid to go overboard!).

When I put together the packages, I wrapped up each ornament in newspaper. I used pages and parts that were highly text intensive, I thought it would have a more interesting look to it. I used a fun stamp of some camels and a blue ink pad on the news paper then folded the ornament in and tied it closed with some jute (something I can never have enough of!) On the ornament that was all the same in each, I put the place and date, since that was the point to begin with!

On Pintrist, I found a way to make boxes out of the plastic gallon milk jugs. I traced it back to Comparte Tus Ecoideas. Yes, it is a spanish blog, but luckily pictures don't need to be translated. So I was able to figure it out just fine. It took me a few times to really get it down, but now I'm a pro.  

Instead of milk jugs, I actually used Lipton Tea plastic gallon jugs. At first, I was skeptical. I wasn't sure it would work the same way the milk jugs worked. They are shaped a little different and the plastic isn't quite the same. But I gave it a try. And they worked! I used a hole punch and put two holes in each layer of the closure so I could tie the box shut.

If you want to try to make these cool boxes for yourself check out the tutorial. I can think of so many cool things to use them for! I think I'm just going to start making them and saving them, after all, Christmas is coming up soon.

reflections.

I don't know about where you are, but here it has been raining non-stop for what seems like weeks. There are tons of puddles as a result of this. And when I see puddles I always get excited, because puddles mean reflections. 

Here are a few reflection pictures I took once the rain stopped for a bit. 

I think the most magical part of puddles is that they really look like they should be portals into a different universe. 

Wouldn't you agree?

beechnuts

On luzia pimpinella's blog I found these wonderful flowers made from beechnuts, beads and wire. They are absolutely beautiful! We have a beech tree right outside our front door and we have thousands of the nuts in the grass, in the road and on the side walk. So I went out and scooped some up!

(no lie, this is what our sidewalk looks like.)

First I had to make some of the flowers. I made them a little different then luzia pimpinella, but I think they still had a nice charm about them.

After I tried my had with the flowers I just had to take the idea and run! And so I did. I made ornaments!

There is nothing like home made ornaments and I feel that these turned out particularly wonderful.

They are fun and easy, so if you've got a beech tree that annoys you when it drops it's nuts, now you have a use for them!