Linda Nelson, Author at Linda Nelson - The Createaerie

AMERICA RECYCLES DAY NOVEMBER 15, 2015: RE-THINK THIS

November 1, 2015

I usually don’t acknowledge national anything……… day, week or month; it’s just not my style. Perhaps that’s because I feel it’s gotten out of hand. Gee, why not create “National Breadcrumb Day”, “National Toilet Paper Day”, or “National Dustpan Day”. Get my drift?

Anyway, November 15, 2015, is supposedly America Recycles Day, and my learning of this prompted me to dig up a post from the past. Go ahead, give it a looksie.

©Linda Nelson 2015

I bring my recyclables to a local facility on a regular basis, tote my own grocery bags to the supermarket, and try to make use of and repurpose whatever I can. There’s even a scrap metal facility in my area that I can take advantage of. However, I am still baffled with the general DIY and crafty folk’s continued focus with reusing and repurposing things that can easily be recycled at a designated facility anyway. If properly disposed of, they shouldn’t end up in a landfill. What I seldom observe, nor practice enough of myself, is reusing and repurposing things that can’t be recycled in any way, especially bulk items. Those are what we should be concerned about even more so, and be going to great lengths to magically transforming their trashiness into “treasuredness”.

I’d love for you to share the recycling thoughts in your head!

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ONCE “UPOD” A NUTTY TIME…..

October 27, 2015

there were lovely flowers in a garden…….

and they smiled bright the whole summer through.

©Linda Nelson 2015

When autumn made its debut the flowers faded away………

leaving behind not only memories, but pods encapsulating the promise of new life.

©Linda Nelson 2015

Then along came Linda, who had her own agenda, and rewrote the script.

With a gesture of entitlement and pruners in hand, she plucked and robbed them of their dignity……

dressed them in paint……

and cast them in roles as, “…..decorative baubles, delighting my eyes and adorning my home.”

©Linda Nelson 2015

After that, she headed for the pantry to indignify other contenders, like year-old forgotten walnuts stashed as far back in the pantry as could be. “Silly nuts,” she exclaimed, “you weren’t meant to be eaten, you were meant to be repurposed!”

She slathered the nuts with layers of gesso tinted in various colors. After the paint dried she lightly sanded them down to reveal the colored layers.

©Linda Nelson 2015

But, Linda wasn’t yet satisfied. She felt these nuts had more potential than simply sitting pretty in a bowl. The “aha” moment surfaced, and she got busy……

©Linda Nelson 2015

….. busy making little napkin rings, perfect for adorning a Thanksgiving table setting.

What’s the moral of this story?

Never hold back your nutty ideas!

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WINGING IT AGAIN

October 26, 2015

I made another visit to Wing Cottage in Clinton Corners, New York, this past weekend. My friend has been renting this jewel of a getaway cottage for the past few years, and I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying it quite a few times now.

©Linda Nelson 2015

Clinton Corners and its neighboring rural towns in the Duchess County region of New York, are just delightful to visit. My friend and I usually poke around in local shops, patron a fabulous eat spot or two, and just tool around to take in the countryside scenery. My soul is replenished and my cares and woes briefly put aside when I’m there; this visit was no different.

The property at Wing is now bathed in autumn’s color palette, but not in any way less lovely than during the summer.

©Linda Nelson 2015

Pictured below are some things I scoffed up for a song at a barn sale we visited. I tend to gravitate towards items that can do double duty. The mini muffin pan, for example, can serve as a bud vase tray, be used to make concrete/hypertufa molds, house odds and ends in one of my drawers or be hung on the wall, as is. I could even use it to bake mini muffins in, but that’s not likely. The little strainer will either cradle one of my succulent plants or get filled with birdseed and placed out on my patio table for my feathered friends.

©Linda Nelson 2015

Isn’t that kitschy little bird feeder adorable? How can it not be, costing just fifty cents! The white cabinet is destined for my office or bedroom, but not before a little makeover.

In addition to our afternoon excursion, I spent a bit of time reworking the property’s flower garden, which was humbly created by a previous owner, eventually neglected and long overdue for some attention. I’ll resume this project next spring and look forward to sharing with you the outcome of its editing.

©Linda Nelson 2015

The vegetable garden has all but closed shop for the season; the remnants of morning glory vines and sunflowers are just reminders of how cheery it looked this past summer.

©Linda Nelson 2015

And, I can’t conclude this post without sharing my friend’s boyfriend’s simplified renditions of works by Andy Goldsworthy…….

©Linda Nelson 2015

Every so often one needs to be taken under wing; this one suits me just fine.

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HARVESTS FROM THE CRAFTY PUMPKIN PATCH

October 19, 2015

I didn’t grow pumpkins in my garden this year, but that doesn’t mean I was without harvest. No, I grew mine in a crafty sort of way, and my bounty was quite the menagerie.

I grew a distressed leather pumpkin……….

an ultra-suede one………..

a chenille one, and some velvet ones, too.

And, for my friend, I grew some furry, glitzy and glamorous ones.

Not too shabby a harvest, wouldn’t you say? They were very fun to grow. I love all the pumpkins you crafty folks have been growing, too. There are so many fabulous posts out there. Very, very pretty!

The pickings are slim with regard to harvesting the remainder of my summer flowers, but I managed to throw together this little arrangement; I’ll enjoy it for as long as I can.

My garden tchotchkes have all been stored away, save for a few things here and there. I always keep this little bistro set out; it looks so pretty surrounded by snow, especially when the birds come to feed.

Happy harvesting!

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