Homemade ...

Custom House Portrait

My husband and I recently celebrated our anniversary and as a gift I contacted Rebekka Seale to create a beautiful house portrait for us.  We have lived in some beautiful locations over the years from Beacon Hill in Boston, Basking Ridge in New Jersey and  Hampstead in London, England but I have to say that Concord is the place that truly feels like home to us.  Maybe because in the back of our minds, we always knew we would eventually come home to Massachusetts and that if we lived anywhere it would be a place filled with history and charm.  So 8 years ago we left London and set up home here in Concord and set about renovating our little house inside and out.  We are almost done or can you ever really be done? 

Rebekka Seale is from Nashville and she creates these lovely, whimsical,  watercolor and gouache portraits of your home.  She managed to pick out just the right details to highlight our home like our rock wall and our fiery orange doors.  She even added in the cardinal husband and wife that live in our backyard waiting for my husband to fill the bird feeder each week.  I swear they sing to him - it's all very Disney-esque!

Hanging on the wall in our living room

She was fun to work with and was just as excited as I was when the rendering was complete.  I wanted to make sure that she has a chance to see where her creation is living now.  Take a look at her blog and website here and here. I think you will enjoy taking a peek at her  lovely watercolors and illustrations.

Hanging by the doorway for all to see

Thanks from me to you

In the end - my husband was thrilled with his gift and so was I.  It was totally worth the wait.

See you soon,

Ellen

inspired to create: May Day - Signs of Springtime

inspired to create: May Day - Signs of Springtime: May Baskets A sure sign of Spring - a secretly placed May basket of posies on the doorstep. It must be May 1st. Today it was dark and...

May Day - Signs of Springtime

May Baskets

A sure sign of Spring - a secretly placed May basket of posies on the doorstep. It must be May 1st.

Today it was dark and dreary but that all changed when "Anonymous" hung a basket of loveliness on my door knob.  The custom is to ring and run after you've delivered your surprise.  I'm supposed to try to catch the fleeing giver and stop them with a kiss of thanks. I know who it was - I saw her feet walk by my window.

The gift tag

The tag was so sweet.  It made me want to cry.  A few of us dear friends no longer have our mothers by our sides so this message was all the more special. She used to make and deliver May day baskets with her mother when she was little and then the two of them would drive around town to ring and run.  

She is doing it in her mother's (and all our mothers) memory.  What a lovely memory to carry around.

The full view of the May basket

Can you see just how sweet this basket is?  It's a recycled can that's been painted then stuffed with soil, thyme, parsley and pansies.  Tied to the tag is a pair of gardening gloves sewn together with a vintage button.  

Suddenly, the day doesn't feel dreary ...

My mom's favorite little Springtime quote:

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils

~William Wordsworth

Thank you to my dear friend.

Little Women ...

Little Women series by Ellen McHale

These are my "little women" - not to be confused with my hometown heroine, Louisa May Alcott's, Little Women. Although I must admit that I was inspired to do a series of little mixed media women when I was walking by Miss Alcott's very own Orchard House. 

My "Little Women" are destined to travel the world as Artist Trading Cards or ATCs as you might already know them.  ATCs are miniature works of art created on a card the size of a baseball trading card. (roughly 2 1/2 x 3 1/2).  All kinds of media find it's way onto artist trading cards like watercolors, pen and ink, collage, printing, acrylics and mixed media.  The cool thing about ATCs is that they are for swap only and not for sale.  You organize your mail swap with a group of other artists and send your little creations out into the world with the hopes that you will get one back in return.   There are Art Card Editions known as ACEOs that are sold as original works but you must be upfront about your intentions before you decide to join in on a swap versus a sale.

This ATC swap is happening with a group of women artists that connected through a terrific art workshop/ e-course called Creatively Made.  It was dreamed up by a very talented artist named Jeanne Oliver of Jeanne Oliver Designs.  So out into the world I send my little creations knowing that they will arrive in the hands of a group  of encouraging women artists around the Globe. 

Here are a few of my "Little Women" ...

Little Women ATC mixed media, water color on bristol board

Envelopes awaiting their tiny work of art (all photos by Ellen McHale)

If you are from Louisa May Alcott's hometown and you would like a Little Women trading card just for the fun of it ... let me know with a comment in the comment section.

"It's amazing how lovely common things become, if one only knows how to look at them."

 ~Louisa May Alcott, Marjories Three Gifts

I hope you enjoyed the post - more to come next week.  Enjoy this gorgeous, albeit strange, warm March weather. 

~Ellen

Love is in the air ...

Sugar hearts and Tea sachets

" ... Love in your heart wasn't put there to stay -

Love isn't love, 'til it's given away - " Oscar Hammerstein

This is one of my favorite quotes that really does ring true and in that spirit, I wanted to come up with two sweet gifts that are easy to make and give away to those you love this Valentine's Day.

The first "sweet" gift is the sugar hearts and tea sachets pictured above.  You will love making these and the ingredients are few. How you package them is totally up to you.

How to:

Ingredients

Gather your ingredients.  I am using Domino Organic Sugar because I like the color, the texture and the taste but you can use whatever you like or have on hand.

Water

You will need a few teaspoons of water to wet or dampen the sugar.

Dampened sugar

Stir in  your teaspoons of water one at a time until your sugar begins to look like wet sand like above.

Rolled out sugar

Flatten or roll out your dampened sugar to about 1/8 of an inch thick.  Pat it down.

Cut sugar hearts

Use a small heart shaped fondant or cookie cutter to cut out the heart shapes into the sugar.  You will have to keep patting it down.  Gently remove the heart shaped sugar from the cookie cutter.

Sugar hearts

Once all of your hearts have been cut out, let them sit out on the counter for at least an hour or as I did - overnight.  The sugar will harden and will be ready for packaging.

Sugar and tea sachets ready for packaging

I put six sugar hearts in each tiny bag and stapled a little stamped card stock to the top of the bag for a finished look.  (see the picture at top)

Harney and Son's Fine Teas

I happen to love Harney and Son's fine teas plus they have the most darling little "tag-a-long" tins for gift giving.  Each tin contains 5 gorgeous tea bags in a silken tea sachet.  So beautiful that you almost don't want to dip it in hot water!  You can order these directly from Harney and Sons or they can be found in many places that sell fine teas.

Vanilla Sugar gift

My next little sweet gift is a small jar of vanilla sugar.  It is so easy to make but it smells so divine and tastes so incredible that it shouldn't be this easy. 

How to:

Gather ingredients

Gather your ingredients: Sugar (again, I like to use Domino Organic Sugar), Madagascar Vanilla Beans (From Trader Joe's) and a large jar to hold it all.

Sugar and Beans

Split the beans down the middle (the long way) and place 4 or 5 of the split beans into your canning jar.  Scrape up any extra vanilla seeds into the jar (nothing goes to waste).  Pour sugar into and around the vanilla beans and fill it to the rim.  Close and secure jar and let it sit for a week or two.  The longer it sits, the move the vanilla will perfume and permeate the sugar.

Decant sugar to smaller jars

Decant the sugar to smaller jars for gift giving.  Add a piece of the vanilla beans to each of your smaller jars.  Cut out a little tag and stamp it with a heart and tie on a little bit of twine and voila!  A sweet gift.

This sugar is scrumptious when added to your oatmeal, a cup of coffee or tea, or for the top of a creme brulee.  

Happy February!

See you soon,

Ellen

Hello 2012!

My version of Whistler's Mother

Happy New Year to everyone.  Still no snow in the Northeast but we do have plenty of gloominess to remind us that we are indeed in the dark days of winter.  I find that it is hard to find inspiration in the weeks that follow the sparkle and delight of the Christmas/holiday season.  In a way, you have to actively search out things to bring you out of your creative slump and get yourself moving in the right direction.  It just so happens, that I started to work on a new series that would feature women in art.  Right now, I am just calling it my Hello Women series.  I started with one of my favorites - my interpretation of James McNeill Whistler's, "Whistler's Mother.  Like eating potato chips - you just can't stop at one ...

My version of Frida Kahlo

So I moved on to Frida.  I had so much fun thinking about the artist and viewing her self-portraits.  It was here when I thought that I would have each of my women say "hello"; plus I needed some fun cards to send to friends and family - just to say "hello".  I always think that you need at least three of something to begin to call it a series - so I moved on to ...

My version of "Mona"

The Mona Lisa or at least, the way I view her in her simplest form.  She looks thoughtful and at peace - I guess the way that I would like to be feeling.  My wheels are turning and now I am thinking of expanding upon my women in art series.  Maybe Vermeer's, "Girl with a Pearl" or Botticelli's, "Birth of Venus" will be what I tackle next.  No matter what I pick - it's humbling when you really study these works and see the incredible genius behind each piece.  I think it's time for a museum visit, a time to wander and explore.

My favorite museum is reopening, after extensive renovation, on January 18th.  The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston reopens it's doors next week.  Inside, ISG's incredible collection of art  still remains on display in her Venetian Palazzo as does her gorgeous courtyard garden. The renovation has given the museum a new music room, expanded cafe, greenhouse,  and a place for new exhibitions.  

The Gardner Museum is one of my favorite places to be inspired from the incredible artwork by the likes of Sargent, Whistler and Rembrandt to the ever-changing courtyard garden displays.  Walking through the ISG is like walking through a palazzo in Venice.  It is very reminiscent of my other all time favorite museum, The Sir John Soane Museum in London.  Like Isabella Stewart Gardner, John Soane bequeathed his home to the city with the stipulation that the home/museum and it's collection was  to be preserved exactly as it was left upon his death.  I believe that I've read that  ISG was inspired by Sir John Soane's home and decided to do the same upon her death.  

If you haven't been to the Gardner Museum in Boston or the Soane Museum in London - you have to put it on your must visit list.  I believe that the Gardner Museum is one of the most romantic museums of all time (take that Louvre!).  It is a great date place but is an equally great place to go with friends.  I'm heading there once it opens - first with some friends for lunch and then again in February with my hubby!

I think I'm now inspired ...

See you soon,

Ellen

Homemade holiday embellishments ...

gift tags by Nelley Kelley

... 'tis the season for trying your hand at some homemade gifts and embellishments.  Each year I try to create all of my own gift tags, holiday cards and homemade gifts.  There is a satisfying feeling knowing that you can craft many of the things that you see in the stores especially paper items like cards, tags and wrapping paper.  It takes only a little time to gather your supplies and then you're off!  I love it when friends and family look forward to the wrappings each year and then repurpose them as bookmarks, framed prints, trinkets or their own gift toppers - It becomes a little gift to me!

Holiday Gift Tags by Nelley Kelley

I've printed out holiday sayings on lovely water color paper.  I've cut them out in a banner shape and then folded the top of the banner for a finished look.  Next, I punched a hole in the top and finished it with a tiny red grommet.  Lastly, string a little silver thread through the top and tie it on to your gift or slide it into a book gift as an added little something.

...more Nelley Kelley tags

Some of my tags are scaled down versions of my artwork.  Here I've reduced the size of my art and printed it on fine art water color paper.  Punch a hole in the top, add a grommet and thread with silver string.  Think about taking your children's artwork and scanning it into your computer.  Make all your holiday tags out of their artwork.  People will be delighted.

Clay tags by Nelley Kelley

My clay tags are so simple but are probably the most beautiful little tags that I've made.  These can adorn a special little package or can be given as ornaments.  Either way - they will not be thrown out.  I guarantee that they will be saved over the years.  This is a wonderful project to do with your children and isn't limited to the holidays.

cookie cutters

Grab some of your cookie cutters.  The size of the finished tag is totally up to you.

air drying clay

You want to use white air drying clay (not clay that has to be baked in an oven).  Roll out your clay to about 1/8inch thickness.

clay cut outs

Cut out your clay in the shape you like.  Use a tooth pick to put a hole at the top of your cut out so that you can string them up later.  While the clay is still wet, you can press different objects in them or leave them as is.  

printed clay tags

I stamped my clay tags with holiday words and tied on little bells to make them more festive.

clay button tag

Here I pressed a button into the clay for a sweet little gift tag.  Your imagination is your only limit here so have fun.  The clay needs to air dry for a day.  I found that your tags will look best if you turn them over from time to time when they are drying.  You can smooth out the edges with sandpaper but I kind of like the roughened edges because it seems more organic.

Chalkboard gift tags by Nelley Kelley

I used some chalkboard paint to dress up some balsam wood heart shapes that I had leftover from my ornament project.  A quick slick of chalkboad paint, some wire and a little jingle bell and you've got a sweet little ornament, gift tag or place setting (thread a ribbon through and tie around a napkin and you've got a little take home gift for everyone).  

Chalkboard hearts by Nelley Kelley

Jam Jar by Terrain at Styers

While I've got my chalkboard paint out I thought I would try my hand at dip-dying some inexpensive pottery.  I'm using this jam jar that I bought at Terrain.com as my inspiration.  It's lovely don't you think?  I bet we can pull off something just like it at a fraction of the cost and it would be homemade.

Plain white milk bottle

Plain white jam jar

I had these inexpensive white porcelain pieces at home and thought we could turn these into something a bit more special.  I filled a plastic paint bucket with chalkboard paint and then dipped the bottle and jam jar in half way.  I held them over the bucket so the excess would drip off and then I turned them upside down on a piece of paper and let them dry.

my milk bottle chalkboard

My chalkboard jam jar

Look how great these turned out!  I just love them.  They are not perfect but that does't matter.  The character comes from the little imperfections.  Can't you see the milk bottle being put out with Santa's cookies on Christmas Eve?  How about your homemade jam in the jam jar being served with some yummy toast on Christmas morning.  Now these would be sweet little gifts to give.

Winter Wishes

I hope this inspires you to create some of your own little gifts.  You don't have to be super artistic to create any of these things and you don't really need to go out and buy a lot of supplies - many of them you have right at home.  Wishing you a happy December.

see you soon,

Ellen