My Birdsong

Creating a Christmas Home Tour

There is  nothing like a Christmas tour of homes to get you into the holiday spirit! 

I belong to the Las Adelphas Garden circle, one of 10 circles made up of about 30 members each, and part of the greater, 300-member St. Augustine Garden Club. Each year, the club puts on the Christmas Tour of Homes, in which six historic homes in the downtown are decorated with fresh flowers and all sorts of Christmas cheer. A tea and boutique are also part of the tour - in fact I had to bake some four dozen cookies for it! About 1500 tickets are sold each year and it sells out early, this year was no exception.

Being a new member, this was my first year taking part in the tour. Not only did I help decorate a beautiful renovated 1920's home, I also got to tour the other five and even enjoy some cookies and tea!

It was a lot of work, taking about three full days to decorate and then another couple hours on the day of the tour working a two-hour shift at the house and directing people from room to room. But what a great experience!

The top photo is the moss wreath our circle created for the front door of the Gowen home, a beautiful historic house right on the Intercoastal and in view of the Bridge of Lions downtown. Here it is with all the decorations in place outside. I personally wired the greenery on the fresh cut wreaths that adorn the front windows. Actually, there was a group of us working on them.

Not only did we add the fresh greenery to the square wire forms, we added large pinecones to the backs - so they'd be beautiful from inside the house as well as the outside - but we also added pepper berries, little gem magnolia leaves, a green apple and a large, purchased sugar pinecone hanging in the middle. They were a lot of work, but so worth it!

Here are more pictures of the house our club decorated. I'll share some of the photos of the other homes in a second post. Stay tuned! In the meantime, enjoy the home tour!

The family room...

A close-up of the coffe table arrangement. Don't you just love those horse-tail pine needles!

The beautiful living room fireplace. You can barely see the stairs in the background, also adorned with fresh greenery thanks to our club members handy work.

This is their entry, pink roses and pink poinsettias, magnolia leaves and curly willow. Need I say more?

Wouldn't you just love this view for coffee in the morning?

Their breakfast nook...again a gorgeous view! And check out the neat jellyfish glass lights in the upper left corner. They are stunning!

The back door was decorated with all sorts of dried fruits, cinnamon sticks and small pinecones. One of our members dried the oranges, star fruit and orange peel. Just lovely!

I hope you are in the Christmas spirit now!

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Is it Snowing Yet?

Art is such therapy during difficult times. I find that it has helped me through the most difficult days. And with Christmas now coming in just a few short weeks, it's always a great escape to spend time in my studio. I am able to let go of everything and be in the moment while I create pieces that makes me happy. 

This time of year, it means Christmas ornaments and paintings of wintery days...all that sparkles like snow when the sun shines and turns the world a beautiful white wonderland. Time to think about making gifts for family and friends, too. I'll try to share a few of my latest Christmas creations, like the little snow girls on golden sleds, now in my Etsy shop, and soon on the trees of my family! 

I look forward to spending more time with my husband and son, as school lets out and children are home for the holidays. Is it snowing yet?

California Dreamin'

I have always been in love with the lost art of spun cotton. It has such a Victorianesque look to it. The cherished ornaments were lovingly placed on the tree, and I can imagine the "oooh's" and "aaah's" that followed. I've been working on perfecting my technique, once I began this cotton journey more than a year ago. So I've been working in my studio preparing for my September travels. 

I'll be jetting my way to California Thursday to join some 24 other artists at Tinsel and Treasures Folk Art Show. The event is sure to be a crowd pleaser with so many different talented artisans in one place! And...all in beautiful, quaint downtown Danville!

Shops, restaurants, farmer's market...all within steps of the Danville Veterans Memorial Building, which is where I'll be Saturday, Sept. 15, from 10 am to 4 pm with an assortment of my vintage inspired spun cotton Christmas ornaments and figures and Halloween goodies! I can't wait to spend time with my dear friends and see my wonderful customers. Soon my California Dreamin' will be a reality! See you all soon!

So Many Fun Art Events Coming Up!

Hot air balloons are hot, and I'll have a few available at my next show, the Fourth Annual Tinsel and Treasures Folk Art Show, Saturday, Sept. 10, at the Alamo Women's Club, Alamo, CA. There's a line-up of fabulous artists who will bring their creative magic to the day.

Also after you've shopped and visited with the artists at the show, head for the Make and Take tables, where you can get inspired to make one or all of three projects, like this sweet Christmas Memories paper doll offered by Dede Warren. She designed this kit so you can personalize it with a family member's photo! What a wonderful gift it would make! Head to the Tinsel and Treasures blog to sign up and to see photos of the other projects offered. And sign up for the show mailing list for the latest news!

 

Next up...Halloween and Vine! On Saturday, Sept. 24, at Hermann Sons Hall, in Petaluma, CA, I'll be in the midst of a cadre of Halloween fans as I offer a table full of art that celebrates my favorite holiday - All Hallows' Eve!    I'll have mixed media collages, like "Nevermore", which pays tribute to Mr. Poe. There will be so many other "fangtastic" artists selling their works, you are sure to find that something special just for Halloween. Learn more about the show on the website, and don't forget to add your name to their mailing list! 

Then, it's Glitterfest on Saturday, October 15, at the Santa Ana Elks Lodge. This is always a great day with lots of art to choose from due to the 40+ artists there! It's not for the faint of heart! Head to the website for more information on artists and location.

 

Finally, Colleen and I are teaching a special event workshop together at Gilding the Lily, in downtown Fullerton, CA, on Sunday, October 16. "Winter wishes," is a one-of-a-kind light up lamp that is sure to become a family heirloom. 

We will have a great time building the lamp, creating a wintery scene and then sculpting and fashioning two sweet now ladies. You don't want to miss this! For information and to sign up, head to Gilding's classes blog.

I hope to see you at one of these events in the coming months! Cheers....Iva

Let it Snow!

The Christmas spirit has touched Danville and Alamo and much of Northern California. The snow level dropped to 500 feet last night. The Las Trampas Mountains west of us are covered in it. We are east of the San Francisco Bay, which is truly amazing! This photo was taken from our gazebo (pictured below), which sits high on a hillside behind our home. See the snowy steps? That's our roof line at the bottom of the above panoramic photo. It's still very cold out, below 40 degrees, but it sure is a lovely sight!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!