Marie Claire Creative Blogs

Marie Claire Idees is looking for creative blogs. It's actually a contest.
I found some gorgeous blogs here. Most of them are in French but of course you can always translate.
I love Marie Claire Idees' blog; it's one I follow daily. Love the French aesthetic.
If you would like to submit your blog visit: Marie Claire Creative Idees where you can also check out all the entries (MAB is #72). I totally don't expect to win anything but it's kind of fun to participate!

Jikke's Handmade Knitted Cardigan

Isn't this a sweet little cardigan? Handmade Knitted Cardigan found at Jikke's.
She says you can find the pattern here.
Sweet, sweet, sweet!

Recycled Silk Top Giveaway

Kathleen is having another giveaway.
She took a silk blouse with short sleeves and altered it into this lovely top covered with cherry blossoms.
Recycled Silk Top Giveaway.

You have to link back to here site to be entered to win - but if you have a blog and want to enter, here's the link.

Bryson

So many of you have been asking me for a picture of the new baby so here he is in all his glory!
I think he's about 6 weeks old here and look at those blue eyes!
He is the sweetest baby ever and his big sister loves him so much. She doesn't like it at all when he cries, which is not that often, and will come over and stroke his head if she hears him crying.
I could eat him with a spoon!

Go Van Go! Graphic Designer

I love these graphics designs by 20-something graphic artist, Van.

Van designs for Juna Studio and also has an Etsy shop where you can purchase a printable file of some of the cards she designs. The file includes instructions and templates for the cards and envelopes.

Van also makes gorgeous hand-embroidered cards like the apple one shown here.

Check out Van's Go Van Go!'s graphic

design blog and her Etsy shop here.

Man's Shirt Recycled into Girl's Dress

Dana has a great tutorial on how to make a girl's dress from a man's shirt.
Her instructions are very thorough and easy to understand with lots of pictures.
Thanks, Dana, for this great idea! Adorable little dress and adorable little girl!
Dana's a very talented re-fashioner and you and you can see lots more of her great ideas on her blog, Made.

Paper Sculpture: Helen Musselwhite

Beautiful paper sculpture from Helen Musselwhite.
Helen, from the UK, uses bright colors and strong lines in each wonderful piece of her highly-individual paper sculptures.
I can't even imagine the patience one must have to do something like this.
But I do love paper and I think I might try my hand at this sort of thing - on a much, less detailed scale to start with.
Here - enjoy some of Helen's ab fab work. (By the way, notice the Janet Bell influence in that Harbour Tide piece. LOVE Janet Bell!)

Ideas for Displaying Fresh Flowers

With Spring comes warmer weather...

But the weather can be fickle. Warm, sunny days, then like today - it's overcast and quite cool. So, why not bring a little outdoors in with some fresh, sunny flowers?

One of the things I've always loved doing is "forcing" branches of flowers to bloom. It really, really works! You can do this with forsythia, cherry blossoms and flowering quince. I have done it with all 3 of these plants with great success.
Just cut some of the thinner branches off. These might be the ones that would need to be trimmed anyway, so you might as well enjoy them.

If it's a "woody" type of stem you need to bang on the stems at the end. Just take a mallet of some sort and pound them about an inch or so from the bottom. Helps them drink.

Tips for Keeping Fresh Flowers Fresh

- Trim the stems just before immersing in water so they will be open enough to drink. - Use a lighter to heat-seal stems of flowers with a milky sap. - Cut off leaves below water level. Those leaves start to smell quickly! - Change the water every couple of days or so. - Pinch off dead blooms; some flowers will continue to bloom if they have buds on them - Use a cork coaster to protect furniture. Just use double-sided adhesive to stick it to the bottom of your vessel.

Ideas for Vessels:

• Fish bowl (the small goldfish kind)
• Clear or colored glasses or jars
• Bottles - vintage ones would look especially nice
  
• Compote dish
• Jars
• Votive candle holders
  
• Egg cups
• Empty cans wrapped with pretty paper or fabric

Clear glass vases are always pretty; I love them just as they are. But if you want to make them even more special, fill them with marbles, pebbles or glass beads in the color of your choice. Anything that's waterproof can work!

I'd love to see your spring flowers! Send me a picture or a link and you may see it posted here.

Photo Credits:

Cherry blossoms in bloom. Photo by Tom Leighton

Glass Votive Vase from Neutral Dwelling

Egg Cups from Country Living