LIFE AT THE COTTAGE

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Time Travel Thursday #90 & Talented Time Travelers #89


"We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories.
Some take us forward, they're called dreams."
~Jeremy Irons~


Welcome to the 90th Time Travel Thursday linky party at The Brambleberry Cottage!

Are you ready to share your fondest memories, grandest dreams,
and most creative projects? Great!

But you know that we simply must pay tribute to
some of our talented time travelers from last week first.

Spring has sprung all over Blogland. 
And it's so much fun to wander through the blogosphere and see
how much color has burst onto the scene.

Just take a look below to see what I mean!   ; )


When I saw Angelina's incredible sewing room
@ Ruby Jean, my jaw practically hit the floor!

This is, by far, one of the prettiest work spaces I've ever seen.


Eilis @ My Heart Lives Here has happily joined the
spring "color" parade.

The cute little bunny—sweetly tucked into an apothecary
 filled with brightly-hued jelly beans—is but
one of her lovely spring vignettes.


We're all familiar with the versatility of burlap.

Gina @ Random Thoughts tapped into that versatility to
create this charming spring wreath. 

AND...
she was kind enough to share her how-tos.


One of the reasons daffodils are my favorite spring flower
is that they infuse their surroundings with such sunny brilliance.

When Laura @ Elegant Nest added them to her mantelscape,
 their vibrant pop of color brought the whole vignette to life.


If you want a fun way to add a
splash of cheery color to your sewing or crafting space,
 just follow the lead of Mary @ Mary's Meanderings.

With a few simple supplies, you can bring your pretty notions front
and center, where they can be enjoyed every day.


Now, how will you color our world this week?   ; )


IF YOU LINK TO THE PARTY, PLEASE BE SURE TO
LINK BACK TO THE BRAMBLEBERRY COTTAGE ON YOUR BLOG.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Time Travel Thursday #89 & Talented Time Travelers #88


"We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories.
Some take us forward, they're called dreams."
~Jeremy Irons~


Welcome to the 89th Time Travel Thursday linky party at The Brambleberry Cottage!

Are you ready to share your fondest memories, grandest dreams,
and most creative projects? Great!

First, let's see what kind of creativity was linked
to last week's party by our talented time travelers.


Do you like vintage hats?  I do!

And I often find them at some of my
favorite shopping venues—auctions,
flea markets, thrift stores, and yard sales.

But...
more often than not, the prettiest ones 
cost more than I care to spend, and the more affordable ones are,
well...
just way too plain.

Carol @ The Polka Dot Closet has the perfect solution
for my dilemma.  She buys the cheaper plain-Jane versions and turns
 those ugly ducklings into beautiful swans.


No doubt, you're quite familiar with the
beautiful burlap blooms that began popping
up all over Blogland some time ago.

But...have you crafted any yet?

Amy @ Aprons & Ambition has a simple-to-follow tutorial
that will get you producing these pretty posies with the greatest of ease.


Take a look at this "sweet" cake.  Those fondant
teddy bears are just too adorable!

 Kagi @ Sweetened by Kagi created this
cute culinary work of art.


If the sweet treat above didn't make your mouth water,
the sight of this chocolatey taste-tempter is
certainly bound to!

You can get the recipe for this super-simple dessert at Delightful Curiosity.
And while you're there, why don't you welcome this
newbie to Blogland.   ; )


Pallet projects are popular DIY themes.  And I've
seen numerous items made from them.  But this was the first
kitchen carryall-shelf that I've seen.

 Adriane @ Pages from Home was the
brainchild for this handy piece.


That wraps up the fun features for last week.
Show us what's been happening in your neck of the woods this week?


IF YOU LINK TO THE PARTY, PLEASE BE SURE TO
LINK BACK TO THE BRAMBLEBERRY COTTAGE ON YOUR BLOG.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Dyeing and Decorating Eggs the Natural Way



Prior to this pretty project, it had been many years since I had dyed eggs.

And, sadly, the last time involved nothing more than plopping little tablets in cups of water
and vinegar, waiting for the tablets to dissolve, and merely dipping
plain eggs into the pastel solutions.


But...
receiving this issue of Country Living, spring of last year,
 forever changed the way I perceive egg dyeing.

Being even more health conscious now, than I was years ago,
made the thought of using natural materials for dyes quite appealing.
And the artistic aspect of this project was an added plus.

If you would like to know how I achieved the results that you see above,
follow along, and I'll walk you through the process.


The first thing you'll want to do is to
collect the tools necessary to accomplish the task.

Tools:
A cutting board and sharp knife for chopping food and plant materials
Pots large enough to accommodate water and the dye materials
Lids for the pots—to prevent excessive evaporation
A measuring cup
A strainer
A slotted spoon
Coffee filters
Small bowl and small pastry brush (optional)


You will also need:
Scissors
Knee highs or panty hose, cut into 3-4" sections
Twist ties


Since I wanted my eggs to be as close to the colors on the magazine cover as
possible, I followed the link referenced in the article to
 find out exactly what plant or food materials were used for the dyes.

The link lead me to blogger Sonia Bauer.  It was there that I discovered
 that Sonia had used red cabbage, yellow onion skins, and cranberries to achieve
 the earthy colors shown on the eggs in the magazine. 

While I found Sonia's instructions helpful,
being the "exacting" person that I am, I needed more
precise measurements for the dyes.

I turned to Martha Stewart for advice, and, of course, 
Martha didn't let me down.  As a matter of fact, she gave me the idea
for substituting strong coffee for the cranberries.   ; )
 

There's never a shortage of plant material when you live on
the edge of national forest, so gathering natural elements for 
decorations for this project was a cinch.

Well...
except for the daisies.  Mine aren't blooming yet,
so I decided to try the faux variety.

Big mistake!

I counted on the faux daisies to be coated with a waterproof substance.
Turns out, it was more like a water-resistant substance...

AND 
definitely NOT a vinegar-based-dye-proof substance.


Everything I read stated that white eggs were the best for dyeing. 
Any other color alters the appearance of the dye.

That  made sense to me, so I went with it.


I followed the formulas on Martha Stewart's site for making the red cabbage
and coffee dyes.  As for the yellow onion skins, I only used the skins from two large
onions, and that worked fine for me.

I let the dye materials—red cabbage, yellow onion skins, coffeesimmer
in water  for the advised thirty minutes, but felt the dye was
too pale at the end of that time.

So, I continued to let everything simmer for an additional thirty minutes.

Once I was satisfied with the depth and richness of the dye
 color, I turned off the heat and removed as much of the cabbage and onion skins
from the pots as was possible with a slotted spoon.


Several sites suggested straining the homemade dyes, prior to coloring
 the eggs—to strain out particles and sediment.

I discovered the easiest way to do that was by placing a coffee filter
in a large strainer and gently stirring with a spoon.  For the coffee, it was necessary
to change the filter several times.


Placement of the plant materials on the eggs was trickier than
I had imagined it would be.

Stretching the stocking fabric around the egg—to keep the decoration in place—
caused the plant materials to bunch up as I stretched the stocking. 

Since I wanted to keep everything as natural as I could, I didn't want to use
any sort of glue to hold the plants in place.

Then I had the idea of using a bit of egg white diluted with water
as a means of temporarily adhering the plant to the egg.

That's where the small dish and brush came in.

And believe me, a little of that homemade glue goes a long way!


I also discovered that I could place the plant right-side up or down—
whichever was easiest...
and looked the best.


Once I had the plant or flower on the egg, I wrapped a piece of the
stocking material around and secured it with a small piece of twist tie.


Before cutting off the excess stocking material, I turned the egg over
to make sure I was happy with the plant placement.

The area of the egg where you pull the stocking together and tie it off will
leave a unique star design once the egg is dyed.

I thought that was an interesting side effect.


Though I used the Color Glossary on Martha Stewart's site as a reference
for the length of time to leave the eggs in the dye, I checked every five
minutes or so—after the first twenty minutes—to keep the
color from getting darker than I wanted.

As soon as I was satisfied with the color, I removed the eggs
with a slotted spoon and placed them on a paper towel-covered plate,
where I gently patted them dry.

Once they were cool enough to handle, I carefully removed the
stockings and plants from each egg.


I discovered that I liked best the designs created by the
plants with many multiple fronds, leaves or petals.


Those with a single broad surface area—like the miniature violets—
were not as pleasing in the end.


I found that using faux flowers was possible, but much more time-consuming.
The dye bled through the flower fabric and left only a faint outline

The image that you see here was the result of
painstakingly rubbing away the dye to reveal a clearer image.

To do that, I saturated a Q-tip in white vinegar, squeezed most of it out, and ever so
gently removed the dye until a distinct flower became apparent.

Obviously, using the real deal would have saved much time and grief.

Live and learn, right?!   ; )


Though this process is much more involved than the drop, dissolve, 
and dip method, the final product is quite rewarding.


Here are a few other tips I learned along
the way that should make your experience
less a matter of trial and error
than mine was:

The dyes you create are just that...dyes.  They stain anything they come in
contact with—hands, clothing, countertops, etc., so use caution.

To prevent eggs from cracking, make sure the eggs and the dye solution
you place them in are about the same temperature. 

You can boil the eggs in the prepared dye solution—which is what I did—
or boil eggs ahead of time and use the cold dip method
(details on Martha Stewart's site).

While faux flowers and plants can be used, they create more work in the end.
Next time, I'll use the real thing!

If you use the same slotted spoon to stir or remove the eggs,
rinse before introducing it into a different dye color.

The dye will rub off the eggs, if they're handled too much
before they've had time to cure.

Rather than purchasing new stockings, I used what was on hand. 
Though the color I used was neutral, it was still hard to tell
when the dye was the color I wanted. 

 I think white stockings might make it a tad easier
to tell when the eggs are dyed the color desired.

Being an organic gardner, I compost everything possible. 
So it was an easy task to simply save the coffee grounds from several pots of coffee
to reuse to make the brown dye.

Be sure to refrigerate the coffee grounds if it will take a while
to accumulate what you need.


I'm anxious to try my hand at making dyes from other materials and finding
interesting elements from nature to create new designs.

These sites offer ideas for other materials that can be 
used to create different dye colors:


Have fun and happy creating!   ; )


Linking to:

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Time Travel Thursday #88 & Talented Time Travelers #87


"We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories.
Some take us forward, they're called dreams."
~Jeremy Irons~


Welcome to the 88th Time Travel Thursday linky party at The Brambleberry Cottage!

Are you ready to share your fondest memories, grandest dreams,
and most creative projects? Great!

But before we get this shindig started, let's spotlight a few of
the talented time travelers from last week's party.


Am I the only person in all of Blogland who has not experienced
Annie Sloan chalk paint?!

When I see pretty pieces like this shelf by Analisa @
RUTH's farm and furniture, I feel like I'm
really missing out on something great.


I like a number of different decorating styles and have grown
quite fond of industrial chic pieces—like this clock.

Want to see another totally awesome industrial piece?
Then pop on over to THE OTHER ME IS SANE, and take a peek.


Okay, tell the truth! 
Have you ever heard of DIY ironstone?

Well, Todd and Jodi @ Cottage Charm Creations have
a tried-and-true method for turning pieces past their
prime into genuine gems!


Does this not look too yummy for words?!!!

Mary @ Sweet Little Bluebird knew how to tempt us.  Did she not?

I think we should start a new fad.  You've heard of dinner and a movie.
How about blogging with one of these muffins?

I'm game!   ; )

Now get this party started...
while I go find some chocolate!


IF YOU LINK TO THE PARTY, PLEASE BE SURE TO
LINK BACK TO THE BRAMBLEBERRY COTTAGE ON YOUR BLOG.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

A total copycat? Not "eggs"actly.



When I received this issue of Country Living last spring, I knew I would be
using the gorgeous cover photo as inspiration
somehow the following year.

Everything about that image appealed to me—
the earthiness of the dyed eggs, the soft white elements,
the serenely sophisticated style.

a few months ago, I decided to pull this magazine
 back out and plan my strategy.

As I began collecting the various pieces needed to
re-create the Country Living vignette, I found I was lacking
two things—the proper dish to hold the eggs and
a bird figurine that I didn't mind painting.


A visit to one of my favorite flea markets proved to be quite productive.
I found this pretty ceramic piece and the cute little vintage,
 plastic birds for a mere buck each.

The colors were not what I wanted, but the styles were
  "eggs"actly what I had in mind.   ; )


With a tiny repair, to replace the missing beak of one of the birds, and a good coat
of my favorite white spray paint—KRYLON's Fusion in
 Dover White—both flea-market finds were ready to be put into service.


Next, I selected four silver-plated forks from my stash of mismatched goods
and four white English ironstone dessert plates.


I thought these vintage Boopie glasses—pieces inherited from
my grandmother—would make a nice addition.


The pretty cross-stitched linens were another fabulous deal
I found them at an estate sale a few years ago...
 for a grand total of twenty-five cents!


None of the walls in the cottage are blue, so I had to come up with something else
that I felt would be the perfect backdrop for my spring vignette.

And you know where I go when I need that "perfect something"!
Yep, you guessed it...the barn.

That's where this fantastic, old, chippy-paint door has been
stored—amid all the other wonderful architectural pieces
awaiting their day in the sun.


Once I had gathered the flowers and leaves from around the farm
and concocted the homemade dyes, it was time to get down to creating
 the part of this vignette that makes it so impressive. 

Of course, the beautiful, dyed eggs are really the showstopper here!


Since my tulips have not bloomed yet, I had to make a quick stop
at the local supermarket—meaning forty minutes away for me—
to find these lovely, white beauties.


I'm actually quite pleased with the end result of this copycat challenge.


And I learned a lot about making my own natural dyes...
as well as, the best ways to use the materials from nature
to embellish the eggs being dyed.


I also discovered a number of things NOT to do!


My eggs are certainly not perfect.

But for my very first attempt, I think they're terrific.


I wonder how many eggs the folks at Country Living
had to prepare to come up with the flawless masterpieces
that graced that magazine cover?   ; )


If you would like to know how to create pretty spring eggs like these, 
be sure to stop back by in a few days.  I would love to share some special tips that will make
your experience a little less "trial and error" than mine was.   ; )


Linking to:
Debbiedoo's Copycat Party


Tammy's Anything Goes
Kathleen's White Wednesday
The Style Sisters' Centerpiece Wednesdays
Patti and Paula's What's It Wednesday
Jill's Voila Party
Shannon and Dean's Diy Link Party
The Tablescaper's Seasonal Sundays