Linda Nelson, Author at Linda Nelson - The Createaerie

ANGEL HAIR(STYLES)

December 10, 2014

I just finished up a custom order of angelic handmade greeting cards. Designing and assembling these cuties was just too much fun to be considered work.

©Linda Nelson 2014

I also transformed a few of my decorative pinecones into hanging ornaments.

©Linda Nelson 2014

The ones pictured above are for a friend. Have you given making these pinecones a try yet? They’re super lovely placed amongst an organic, rustic and natural holiday setting. Plus, they’re so very easy to make.

©Linda Nelson 2014

Click the sidebar pinecone photo and you’ll be taken straight to the tutorial.

Happy holiday crafting!

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THRICE UPON A YELLOW WING

November 2, 2014

Last weekend I made a return visit to Wing Cottage, and assisted my friend in taking down her vegetable garden and various garden beds for the season. The late October weather was glorious, some trees still clad in the celebratory hues of autumn.

©Linda Nelson 2014

Her vegetable garden harvest had proved bountiful throughout the summer, though upon my arrival this time around I was greeted with just these darling little diehard strawberry plants. And the rooster.

©Linda Nelson 2014

Upon the plants being cut back, it was apparent that the decorative treasures tucked about would now take center stage and be the sole stars of the show.

©Linda Nelson 2014

The property is lined with a few bluebird houses, something I hadn’t taken notice of during my previous two stays at Wing.

©Linda Nelson 2014

My friend’s periodic archeological property gleaning has rewarded her with numerous curiosities and props to play around with and display. She gifted me the bottles and jars, which I will add to my overabundant, yet never enough, collection of bud vases.

©Linda Nelson 2014

The pond on the property was the “it” spot for a harmonious choir of frogs and crickets during my visit back in August; though, by last weekend the performers had already packed up and left. This time around the tune was rustling leaves, and though still music to my ears, proof that fall was in full gear.

©Linda Nelson 2014

However, my friend’s boyfriend apparently still hears frogs and crickets.

©Linda Nelson 2014

I bet Wing wears a blanket of snow well, peeking out like a little yellow box of sunshine. I would love to find out.

©Linda Nelson 2014

If you are just now reading about Wing Cottage, take a peak at my posts from the past to learn more about this gem that’s nestled in the picture perfect country town of Clinton Corners, NY.

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GARDEN TRICKS MAKE FOR VISUAL TREATS

October 22, 2014

Requests from my clients for Halloween decor are infrequent, as many of their homes are not exactly situated in trick-or-treating neighborhoods. Pictured are a few entrances I designed, the focus being pretty rather than scary.

©Linda Nelson 2014

Our mid-atlantic zone 7 region is ideal for incorporating a few summer season plants into the autumn mix. And, while trusty mums and cabbages are readily available, fresh cut evergreens are great contenders, too. I think incorporating them bridges the autumn and winter look together, allowing the display to read as “current” for a longer period of time. Evergreen branches can fill pockets in your container plantings where summer annuals have succumb to frost.

©Linda Nelson 2014

With regard to what’s growing in the ground, perennials such as sedge grasses, sedum, dusty miller, yucca and euphorbia visually carry a garden further into the season. Often sold in one gallon size pots, they are ideal for nestling into container planting arrangements, too.

©Linda Nelson 2014

I hope this post has delivered a little insight on how to enjoy your potted plantings a bit longer.

There you have it.

Now, start planting.

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WHERE DID THE PUMPKINS GO?

October 11, 2014

I enjoy creating holiday specific tablescapes when hosting celebratory meals. However, I don’t elaborate on “decorating” for holidays, Christmas being the exception. My home’s decor consists of an era-mixed acquisition of items and furnishings, drizzled with subtle hints of the season at hand. I rarely purchase accessories from home decor stores, preferring to work with hand-me-downs from family members and curious finds from thrift shops and yard sales.

Where is this topic leading to? The pumpkins. Yes, all those pumpkin tutorials and pictures I posted in the past month. You didn’t think I was making them just for your viewing pleasure, did you?

Now, I must apologize in advance for the less than ideal light source in the photos, as my living room faces west. It’s shadowy in the morning, garishly bright in the afternoon, and I don’t bother using photography studio paraphernalia.

Anyway, I just thought I’d let you see where my patch of crafty pumpkins ended up.

First of all, I love books, especially coffee table picture books. I will never want an electronic book. Ever. But, see how these pumpkins are casually sitting on the book? Like they snuck into the room and just nonchalantly placed themselves there. That’s my style.

That mason jar? It has a stash of “readers” in it. Decorative AND practical. And well, what do you know? Another little pumpkin snuck into the room.

Above are my industrial pumpkins. They’re keeping the okra seed pod company.

The nest of pine cones was a nest of seashells throughout the summer, and during the spring, a nest of little blue eggs. I love these pumpkins because they don’t scream Halloween or Thanksgiving. They could sit there all year long and fit right in. That’s the way I like it.

See the dental mold mixer in the right-hand side of this photo? That’s my halloween decoration. Because going to the dentist is scary, right? And the railroad spike makes for the perfect weapon in a horror flick. By the way, I pressed those Dusty Miller leaves almost one year ago. They maintain a slightly brittle, yet leathery sort of existence. Give pressing some a try, as they make great natural embellishments for crafty things. They’re not very scary, though.

I made this scrap linen and feather pumpkin for a friend who owns a little beachy boutique. I think it will look adorable perched at her register counter. I hope she likes it. Until then, it will sit amongst some of the others I’ve made.

I hope you enjoyed viewing my handmade pumpkin patch as much as I’ve enjoyed viewing all of the wonderful pumpkins created by so many talented people from all over the map.

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