valentine's day Archives - Linda Nelson

CUPID WAS HERE.

January 23, 2018

In my last post, I shared with you some sweet, handmade musings inspired by Cupid. Well, he continues to hang around aiming his crafty bow right at my heart. I don’t mind at all. Draw it in my direction all you want, little guy!

©Linda Nelson 2018

The fabric, trim and wire fixation kept me amused for one afternoon, but another afternoon followed……. with more fixations. I’ve been busy.

©Linda Nelson 2018

Full disclosure – this vignette was set up in my guest room, as it’s the only room in my house that gets bathed in the “flat” natural light that I prefer for photographing things. The common rooms (where I would actually intend to display these adornments)really stink with regard to suitable lighting.

I had made a bunch of wire ornaments to sell at my local garden center during the Christmas holiday. I updated the few I kept for myself by simply swapping out the original jute twine and green ribbon for pink ribbon. And, the cache of scrap ribbon leftover from the hearts I made is proof that you can pretty much turn anything into decor!

Oh, those popularly available reproduction game tiles are so overrated. Hand stamping real tiles is so much more fun ;D

Yes, I put on this siren hued, goopy lipstick and kissed the mirror just for you.

Printing vintage graphics…simple, fun and super thrifty.

The piece pictured below was a fun little project, and didn’t take much time at all to make. I bet you could come up with your own version of it. Go ahead, give it a try.

And, this little mushroom I made last year fits right in with all the other sweet companions.

Well, this post wraps up my collection of Cupid inspired creations. And, full disclosure – this is what my dining table has looked like for the past few weeks. Really.

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A THRIFTY ROMANTIC DISSECTION

February 8, 2017

A few weeks ago, and with Valentine’s Day in mind, I purchased a woman’s dated, boxy, dolman sleeved, three quarter length bright red leather coat at a local thrift store. Doesn’t that sound romantic? Just kidding.

No, I purchased it so that I could dissect it. Now, doesn’t that sound romantic?

©Linda Nelson 2017

Actually, here’s the Saint Valentine worthy reason I bought it.

©Linda Nelson 2017

Not only was this a dissection and a repurpose, it was a fashion faux-pas intervention, too. No woman should be walking the streets in a dated, boxy, three quarter length bright red leather coat with dolman sleeves. Really.

Okay, moving along with St. Valentine and Cupid……

Who says you can’t repurpose leftover candy canes? Sweet and silly, ha?

©Linda Nelson 2017

I perused the internet for free-to-use vintage images and printed them onto quality watercolor paper. Placed about, I think they’ll add just the right amount of sweetness to my home. I’m partial to the framed one. It’s just so adorable.

©Linda Nelson 2017

Here’s a twiggy little craft idea for you. Clip some branch tips from a dead shrub, slap on a few coats of paint and bundle them up with fabric scraps and ribbon.

©Linda Nelson 2017

And, nothing makes a loving statement like a partially rusty scouring scrubby. No, I didn’t use it on my pots and pans. I stretched apart a new one, let it sit outside for a few weeks, then weaved a piece of floral wire throughout it so that it would hold a shape/form. A little found bead attached as an embellishment, and another decorative bauble was born.

©Linda Nelson 2017

And, last but not least, the headboard is up! The guest room makeover is officially crossed off the list. In my last post, I stated that I would share a bit of history about this headboard…… Long ago, before I was even born, it was a sliding closet door. My dad(still before I was born) altered it to serve as a drafting table in his office. Many years later it sat propped against a wall in my basement. A few years ago it was dragged upstairs, and served as a tabletop in my office. And, just yesterday it was dragged outside, lightly sanded, dry-brushed with some paint, lightly sanded (again), rubbed down with hemp seed oil and mounted onto the guest room wall. I believe this door may have finally found a permanent residence.

©Linda Nelson 2017

Next re-do victim, my home office.

Stay tuned……………

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WHAT’S YOUR SIGNATURE STATEMENT PIECE?

February 12, 2016

I don’t really “decorate” my home for Valentine’s Day. I generally don’t decorate myself with jewelry either, though I own quite a collection, many of which are lovely costume pieces. I just prefer to hoard and possess them rather than wear them. When I do adorn myself with baubles, however, I’m usually inclined to choose one piece as a signature statement, and the showiness of that piece is dictated by my mood at that time.
When I’m feeling fabulously bold, I might choose this chunky attention getter…….. I’m totally serious. My sister used it as a Halloween costume prop years ago, then passed it on to me with the suggestion that I may want to disassemble it for crafting purposes. Little did she know that I thought it was fantastic just the way it was and that I’d enjoy it crafted around my neck.

When I want to feel like a princess, I might fetch this piece.

My signature winter holiday statement piece is almost always a snowflake brooch.

My absolute favorite go-to ring is this one, a Christmas gift I received from my aunt and uncle about FORTY years ago. I wear it when I am feeling “moody”.

linda nelson at the createaerie

And, when I simply want to step into a bygone era, I might pair a classic vintage pin atop one of my vintage hats, along with one of my vintage handbags.

So, I thought it befitting that I would make one (or two) signature statements in my home for Valentine’s Day.

This 1969(unsigned) screen print on mylar by Jim Dine, titled ‘Four Hearts’, is one of two thousand produced. I wonder what the other one thousand-nine hundred-ninety-nine are doing for Valentine’s Day?

My other statement piece is this 2016 original, one-of a-kind, signed collage on acetate by yours truly, titled ‘Sweet Tender Heart’. Priceless.

Thanks for stopping by, my blog reading sweethearts!

WHAT’S YOUR SIGNATURE STATEMENT PIECE? Read More »

valentine’s day

CUPID WAS HERE.

A THRIFTY ROMANTIC DISSECTION

WHAT’S YOUR SIGNATURE STATEMENT PIECE?