Treasured Keepsakes

As Christmas approaches quickly, I enjoy reflecting on the special little treasures displayed throughout my home. Keepsakes created and given to me from special friends.

Snowflakes crocheted with loving care. I remember the day I received these treasures.

                Beautiful crocheted church complete with the steeple, doors and Christmas trees.

  Carved Deer, standing near~

New found snowy cottage, had a green roof and now graces snow! I found this lone cottage at TarJay. It was calling to me for a redesign of snow and glitter. A keepsake to moi.

Wishing you a nest of blessings~

Angels to watch over you~

Snowy scenes to bring you cozy days.

Wishing you  a Very Merry Christmas.

 

I'll be back with more of my home tour in the days ahead.

 

Enjoy Special Christmas Days,

 

Celestina Marie

Christmas Decorating Simply Using What We Have!

Decorating for Christmas can be filled with new and sparkly, but I love to take on the challenge of using what I have to decorate. I have found just adding a touch of holiday to the decor already in my cottage home, brings a look that is cozy and charming.

This year my decorating took on that style as you can see in the pics that follow. It was so much fun to Christmas up with treasures I already had and displayed in a new way.

Like this bowl of sugared fruit with a few blue ornaments and pine cones added to my vintage blue willow bowl. I use blue willow in my old world kitchen and this display on the island works right into that style.


For the table, I layered a large round Christmas platter with another in rubbed oil bronze in the center. Added to the two tiers I added vintage and new ornaments, magnolia cones, berries, sugared fruit and more. In the top I added a faux candle with timer and each evening it comes aglow and gives a cozy warm feel to the kitchen.


Here's an idea, to glass angels candle holders, I simply place a vintage gold ornament to the top of two angels. Candle holders don't always have to hold a candle.

One of my favorite and most cherished treasures is this red glass plate made by my great grandfather in the glass factory in W. Virgina in the 40's. To the plate which is displayed on a vintage dresser, I have added red and pink vintage ornaments. It's simple, easy and so pretty.

In this same room I have added a beaded red angel to the top of a vintage armoire displayed with a vintage hat on an old stand, with books, small dress form and a pair of wooden shoes brought back from France by my father in WWII. I cherish these shoes and remember them being in my entire life.

For the coffee table, once again I have added traditional ornaments to my mother's vintage glass bowl displayed with Christmas books and beaded pear coasters. But this time I place the bowl atop a candle ring of pine and berries which gives it some elevation and extra accent.

To this decorator's gallery ledge, I simply add an old world angel.

To my recently new guest bathroom, I added small ornaments to the glass bottles and jars with a glitter tree and large bottle brush tree.


To the top of the iron display tower I placed a beautiful crocheted angel with feather fur trim. She looks perfect overlooking the pink roses in this bath.

And since I seem to be on a roll with bowls this season, I had to once again this year, display my bowl of books in our library. It is always ready to read a few pages filled with Christmas inspiration.

How about a little treat?~~~ red, green and silver kisses filling a vintage canning jar and tied with red ribbon. I have to be careful not to eat too many for the decoration will go away. It's for looks right?!?! LOL and looks right at home among the little cookie jars of Santa and his Winter Cottage.

For my beloved Deacon's bench, made by my father, I place our family bible accented with holly leaves and berries and a pair of vintage glasses open to the story of the Christ Child's birth.

And have you seen these darling little set of 4 stencils from Dollar General for one dollar? They are for decorating cookies, cupcakes and such with sprinkles, sugars or powdered sugar. I can't wait to try these little sweeties.

Lastly, in case Santa loses his hat on the way down the chimney, I hang this sweet Santa hat on an old cane standing in a vintage crock by the fireplace.
This hat is very special to me. You see, it was worn by my mother when she was in the nursing home before she passed away. During the one Christmas she spent there, she wore it and wheeled around to the other rooms to wish those very sick a Merry Christmas. I can still see her, wheeling up into a neighboring room with a big smile full of cheer and greetings. It makes me cry with joy to remember her praying with other sick elders, singing Christmas carols and doing the Lords work, right to the end.

Love to you this Christmas!

~~~LITTLE PINK ROSE CHALLENGE~~~

Painting small tiny treasures can be a challenge, but one, that recently I was honored to try. It took me back to my years of designing small mini houses for a company in Ohio. Since then, I have not painted too many small pretties, until my dear friend from Tatting Chic posed the opportunity to paint roses on a tiny little wood shuttle used in her gorgeous tatted lace treasures. Let me say, if you are not familiar with what this very talented girl does, you must go visit her blog and enjoy the beautiful work she creates in tatting.

Anyway, Tatt Chic searched for a shuttle and found one in wood for me to paint. It is about the size in length of a quarter and a half long, and across about the size of a dime. I was excited when she sent the shuttle to me and after a few days of planning the process, I began the transformation.

Here are 2 pictures of what this sweet item looks like in it's before state. Tatt Chic let me borrow her post pics, since like normal for me, I forget to take the before pics. LOL!! The shuttle is beautiful in the original and beautiful wood surface, but Tatt Chic wanted it white with roses. In the art world, something like this can be a "no no" when someone has worked so hard to create such an item. So the idea was run by the maker of the shuttle first and she thought it would be fine.


Can you believe she creates such gorgeous tatted works from something so small? I don't know how she does it, but I tell you, she is good!!

As I proceeded to paint the shuttle inside and out, going with the white background that Tatt Chic wanted, I thought about the pretty treasures that this shuttle might bring forth from Tatt Chic's talented hands. It gave me a sweet sense that small things can bring such happiness.

I continued to paint the inside spool and outer edges a ground of pink. On the edges, I gave them some texture design under the paint first, using strokes in white, aqua (which does not show) and dots also on the front and back. Lastly, a pink rose with leaves and swiss dots was painted on both sides.
Here are two pics of the finished shuttle shown with the only tatted lace doily I own.


At this point, I sealed the entire shuttle with a light satin varnish to complete and protect the painted surface. However, this pretty needed a little home for storage when not in use, so I painted a sweet little box to hold the shuttle.


This was a special project for a wonderful person we know and love as Tatting Chic. I had so much fun working on this small treasure. Thank you dear friend, for the opportunity and challenge. I hope you enjoy your painted shuttle for years to follow.


Please take a moment and visit Tatting Chic and her post about the shuttle too. View her beautiful works and be amazed at the talent, time and creativity to make her gorgeous works of art.

Until next time, I will be back in the studio after my 2 week staycation. Lots going on for the holidays and much more to share about the projects I finished while home.
Blessings to you always, Celestina Marie