Starting to think about Easter and bunny trails

Sholim

Yiddish for 'Peace', spoken in Israel and by other Jewish speaking persons

www.hollyanivychristmas.com

Well, so far this year I have been late for

Valentine's Day

St. Patrick's Day

President's Day

and probably more that I don't even know I have missed!

So, I thought I better jump right in to Easter preparations

or it will be done and gone!!

from unknown shop

I like to get out some of my angels for Easter.

I do a little display with them on a half table I have under a HUGE mirror.

I also have 2 areas on either side of our tv.

Since The Cat J.T. (Junior Terrorist) is gone now,

I can also put things on my round side table in the LR,

and things on my little cut out arbor/thingy in the wall by the stairs to go up.

This is a special angel my sister gave me.

She and/or the kids usually give me at least one angel for either my birthday

or Christmas. (My birthday is in December.)

It's kind of funny/ironic really.

My mom's birthday was Dec. 28.

Her entire life all of her aunts and uncles would send ONE gift

and ONE card with the message

"Happy birthday and Merry Christmas".

This really made her crazy.

Everyone else got a present/card on their birthday

and

a present/card at Christmas time.

vintage clip from LisaVollrath

So Grandma and Grandpa McDowell,

and later my Dad and us two girls,

would make a big deal about having a Birthday party for Mom,

and wrapping her presents in Birthday paper

and no Christmas left-overs!

Nothing could even hint 'Christmas'.

Since my birthday comes at the beginning of December,

Mom always made sure that my birthday was like that too.

I never received anything growing up that even remotely suggested

Christmas season, or the Holidays or anything like that.

We also didn't decorate for Christmas until after my Birthday.

My dear husband has continued this tradition.

He always makes it a point to go out and buy a new roll of wrapping paper for any birthday gifts he gives me.  No red and green here!!

Mom has been gone for 10 years now.

Dad has been gone for 5 years.

Now each year my Birthday celebration from my sister

has been getting more and more Christmas-like.

This year I got a beautiful black velveteen placemat with silver branches and berries embroidered on it. It came with a pretty little votive candle holder wrapped in silver branches with silver berries.

Very pretty.

Definitely Christmas decorations!!!

 I usually receive some kind of angel ornament

(for a Christmas tree)

or an angel decorated box

(for Christmas decorating)

...you get the idea!

This year she even said:

"Oh, birthday, Christmas, whatever"

when referring to my birthday presents!

I wonder if next year I will receive One birthday present

with a card that reads

"Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas"!!!

courtesy of www.vintageholidaycrafts.com

So am I really complaining?

Nope.

At this point I am just grateful that she even thinks of me enough

to get a present/card for me!

Although I suspect it is more and more the kids that remember me...

not her.

Oh well, we get what we can, don't we?

And what does this have to do with Easter????

oops

Well, I DID go off on a bunny trail....

:0)

c. 1905 vintage song sheet cover

I am hoping to get some Easter eggs colored soon.

I went back over some of my previous blogs.

Can you believe it has been over ONE YEAR now that I have blogged?

Wow.

Anyway, I found Easter Egg decorating ideas

and Deviled Eggs recipes

and more!

(but wait....there's more....a favorite tv commercial we make fun of)

These specific dates I found the above ideas.

I thought you might like to check them out again!

Mar 26, 2011

April 12, 2011

April 13

April 15

April 16

April 23

April 26

April 30

Or,

Instead of checking out the dates listed,

 you can type into the 'search' box at the upper left corner

at the top of my blog, words like:

Easter egg

deviled egg recipe

Easter chick

and other words like that....

These are paper mache' floral eggs.

While I don't have down which place I found these at,

you can 'google' and find plenty to check out!

I will be thinking more about Easter,

and sharing in future blogs.

I love the symbolism of Easter morning that is contained in a little egg.

I love the fun we have with bunnies and chicks

and colored eggs and jelly beans

and childrens' wonder at it all.

I love that beneath all of the frivolity and fun

there is a deeper, life changing meaning to it all.

Let's explore it all together in the upcoming days of
Easter Season.

the Easter...hippo?

a rubber stamp from www.vivalasvegastamps.com

Oh yes, and I have now have 2 pages partially done on my

NEW WEB SITE!!!

http://www.collagepaperpainting.com/

inkspired

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

NEW NEW NEW!!   http://www.collagepaperpainting.etsy.com/

UPDATED!!!    http://www.myinkspired.com/

NEW NEW NEW!!    http://www.collagepaperpainting.com/

dominoes@myinkspired.com

A Parliament of Owls

WHO-whooooo?

(a small barn owl saying 'who's there?)

a Barn owl

www.getintobirds.audubon.org

So what do you call a bunch of owls at a

hootin' contest conflab?

A Parliament of course!

www.LunaLucy.tumblr.com

Here is a cute little safety-pin beaded owl to make:

HOW TO MAKE BEADED SAFETY PIN PINS:

http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/beadedsafetypins/a/080700b.htm

You might be asking yourself, "Why in the world would I want to make beaded safety pins?" Well, I can answer that! Because it is a fun and easy craft to try, and the results are even funner! (Yes, that is a true word in the 'inkspired dictionary')

All you have to do is slip some seed beads onto ordinary safety pins and you can create fun items to wear, share, swap and make great gifts.

The supply list for this project is pretty simple. All you need are safety pins and seed beads. It is helpful, but not necessary, to have a needle-nose pliers and a small, flat-head screwdriver.

HOWEVER- I made a bunch and didn't use the pliers and after o1 to 4 wearing times, they would pop open and make a mess! Not so fun.. 

Depending on the pattern you choose, you will usually need between 10 and 14 small safety pins. Open a safety pin, and slip the seed beads onto it. Once all beads are in place, close the safety pin. You may want to use the needle-nose pliers to pinch the end of the safety pin so it will not pop open later. Repeat this step until all the safety pins are beaded. These are the vertical pattern safety pins.

Now you are ready to put all the beaded pins onto a larger safety pin. Open the large safety pin (the size you need will be stated in the pattern). Use the flat-head screwdriver to slightly pry apart the coils at the end of the large pin.

Slip the loop of the first beaded safety pin onto the large one. Pull it down to the loop at the base of the large pin. Pull it around the loop and up the back-side of the pin. Repeat this for each beaded safety pin.

Once all your beaded safety pins are on your larger pin, use the pliers and squeeze the loop to close it. You can now pin your new safety pin jewelry onto your shirt, hat, shoelaces, etc.

 How to Make Beaded Safety Pins

Sherri Osborn

with side notes by inkspired

The suggestions shared here might help you when you are making free patterns, patterns from other sources, or patterns you create yourself.

Safety pins come in many different sizes. Here are some tips on choosing sizes for your own designs:

·         A size #3 pin is 2-inches long.

·         A size #2 pin is 1-1/2-inches long.

·         A size #1 pin is 1-1/16-inches long.

·         A size #0 pin is 7/8-inch long. 

      A size #00 pin is 3/4-inch long.

• A safety pin that is 7/8 of an inch long will hold 8 seed beads.
• A safety pin that is 1 1/16 inches long will hold 10 seed beads.
• A safety pin that is more than 1 1/16 inches long is usually too wide to hold just seed beads.
• A safety pin that is 1 1/2 inches long will hold up to 10 beaded safety pins.
• A safety pin that is 1 3/4 inches long will hold up to 12 beaded safety pins.
• A safety pin that is 2 inches long will hold up to 14 beaded safety pins.

Make sure you buy seed beads only for these projects. If you use the beads that are slightly larger, you will not be able to complete the patterns as shown. (Until I wrote this feature, I was not aware that sometimes you can run across different sizes of seed beads! Although my seed beads do not have a size listed on them, they seem to be about 2mm which would mean they are size 10/0).

When using Czech seed beads (the most commonly found in craft stores) the holes in the seed beads vary a bit. You will find that, while some seed beads fit perfectly on your safety pins, others will be too small. This is normal! Simply put aside the ones whose holes are too small and save them for another project.

One last note, shared by Denise the About Guide to Parenting Adolescents: If you use brass pins, you should spray them lightly on both sides with an acrylic sealer because they will tarnish and RUST.

(I have never had this problem, as the brass pins that I get seem to already have a coat on them. Also a good reminder is that ANY JEWELRY does not like sprays (perfume, hair spray, etc.) OR water. That includes high humidity in the bathroom.) 

Keep these notes about the sizes on hand when making your own patterns and purchasing supplies. Have fun!

Eastern Screech Owls

www.urbanhawks.blog.com

There are two families of owls -

Strigidae: typical owls

Tytonidaie: barn owls

c. ZoomSchool.com

Owls are found worldwide in a huge range of habitats from rain forests to grasslands to wooded areas to tundra!

screech owl coloring page courtesy of  www.tpwd.stat.tx.us (Texas)

Owls hunt and eat rodents (rats, mice, etc.), insects, frogs and birds.

 Some also eat fish.

An owl eats smaller prey whole, or larger prey in chunks.

They regurgitate the inedible parts.

Yep. Barfs 'em right up!

Little Owl in Britain

www.stonecirclesandnature.wordpress.com

Now, throwing up your leftovers

(hair, teeth, bone, feathers, insect exoskeletons, scales, fur)

might be a really BIG gross-out time

except

they manage to do it in tidy oval shaped pellets.

That's kinda' cool.

These pellets are popular with science teachers who want their students

to dissect them, and and then learn all about Owl's diet

and Owl's habitat

and Owl's prey, etc.

Those goofy science teachers!

Many different owls at quiksilverdragon on photobucket

Owls have a large head and large eyes that face forward.

This would be the opposite of other birds,

whose eyes are on the sides of their heads!

Funny thing is, they can't move those big peepers!

Not at all.

So instead God gave them a 'swiveler' neck, and their heads swivel around.

That's why sometimes it looks like Owl is twisting her head all the way around!

Their entire head has a range of about 270'.

That's a lot of swivelin'.

a Great Grey Owl in Stockholm, Sweden. Photo taken April, 2009.

Sorry, didn't get the name of the the photographer. Anyone know it? Share!

Because of the placement of their eyes, owls have almost

binocular vision and very precise depth perception.

Don't you think those radiating feathers around the eyes

give them a startled, 'what?' kind of look?

Either that or they learned how to sleep with their eyes open.

Something that, even after years of trying,

I could never perfect as well as my sister, sitting in the front row of church!

Burrowing Owl, photo courtesy of Rick Scott

Here's another fairly simple beading pattern for an owl:

by unknown (she gets around a lot)

You could fill in the 'outside' area with a solid color,

and make a little peyote or brick stitch amulet.

You could stitch several in a row and make a peyote bracelet.

Try a different color combination for each owl!

You could use brick stitch and make a dimensional shape owl;

make two and you have a pair of earrings.

Make another and you have a matching necklace pendant.

Use your imagination, and come up with some other ideas!

If you bead something with this pattern

SHARE A PHOTO!!!!

:0)

And remember....

the OWL is at the top of the food web.

It has NO major predators....

except stupid humans.

'A Parliament of Owls'

partial of a WONDERFUL painting by Scott Gustafson

See more at www.scottgustafson.com

I have lots more owl facts, pictures, mazes, drawing fun, etc.

but that is for another day!

If you liked this blog, you will probably like the other one I have already published.

{That makes two, two blogs on owls!}

- the Count, from the Muppets

Many of the above facts I found at

Col, Jeananda. Enchanted Learning. http://www.EnchantedLearning.com 1996

and on

Wikipedia

Many thanks!!!

Rose is the June Flower of the Month

Hello!

Today I will start to explore the rose.

This is a rose from the numerous gardens
at WaltDisneyWorld, Florida, USA.

I enjoyed taking many pictures there from our last trip, 2009.

another WDW rose photo I snapped

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes."

- Marcel Proust

I drive my nieces and nephews a little crazy when we go to the Denver Zoo.

I love to photograph the little things - like a bunch of flowers, or a single hibiscus.

A butterfly. A hummingbird moth. A spider web.

I take photos of the little wild rabbits,

and perhaps a peacock feather on the ground.

Oh, and I also take photos of the animals!

So they all know that if I drag behind, I'm just taking another photo,

and will catch up with them soon!

Nelicia and Lauriel, waiting for Aunt Karen, again.

"In a way, nobody sees a flower really.

It is so small; we haven't time.

And to see takes time,

as to have a friend takes time."

- Georgia O'Keeffe

vintage clip

In traditional 'flowers of the month'

June is ROSE.

 botanical illustration

The Song of the Rose Fairy

by Mary Cecily Barker

"Best and dearest flower that grows,

Perfect both to see and smell;

Words can never, never tell

Half the beauty of a Rose -

Buds that open to disclose

Fold on fold of purest white,

Lovely pink, or red that glows

Deep, sweet-scented. What delight

To be Fairy of the Rose!"

The Rose Fairy illustration by Mary Cecily Barker

 I love this next vintage poem and song:

c.1910

In the Language of Flowers

A rose means:

Love, passion, beauty and perfection.

Rachel's Rose Fairy Oval by PurpleMoon

The rose is rich in history and meaning.

Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love,

presented a rose to Eros.

Cleopatra lured Marc Antony

with a room knee deep in rose petals!

Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra

The rose is named for the Latin

 word rosa

which means red.

vintage French postcard, MademoiselleChipotte- etsy

Different colors of Roses

meant slightly different things.

Different combinations of roses,

or roses with other flowers

also meant differing things!

c.1913

The Language of Flowers

was a very complex language.

c.1909

A pink rose meant 'friendship'.

A yellow rose meant 'secret

 admirer'

On a different web site,

it says that the yellow rose means

"Zealous".

painting, unknown artist

A red and white rose,

or red and white roses sent together

 meant:

Unity

A white rose meant

Purity

and a red rose meant

passionate love.

vintage clip

c.1911

c.1911

I have quite a bit more about

the Rose history,

state flowers,

Rose ballads and songs,

and perhaps even some Rose

paperdolls!

I'll be sharing them throughout the

 month of June.

c.1917

See you tomorrow!

inkspired

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

dominoes@myinkspired.com

http://www.inkspiredmusings.blogspot.com/