Wednesday 8 May 2013

Quite Contrary.....



       Hi everyone! Welcome back! Hope you had a wonderful sunny weekend?

Today is a special treat for me - being a guest designer for the first time! Over at Country View Crafts challenge blog, the challenge is "How does your garden grow?"

     When I was told the challenge, the first thing that sprung to mind was the old nursery rhyme...

Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells, and cockle shells,
And pretty maids all in a row.


So this was where I headed for the challenge....combining the elements of the rhyme. There had to be flowers of course, and of course it fitted in with my love of vintage. Certainly as this, like all nursery rhymes have been around for generations (in one form or another)

I had a lovely paper mache wall hanging constructed of three circle frames attached to twine...and I had been waiting for something to come along that would be perfect...I had considered tags, canvases, etc....but this would work really well....

 I had some shells - Ok, we are stretching the imagination to say they are cockleshells, but they are actual shells. I didn't have silver bells....and where were the pretty maids? Lets find out......



With the title of the challenge being 'Garden' based I couldn't resist taking photos of this outside on a gloriously bright sunny day.....


First I covered the frames with Antique Linen Distress Paint....then I got a flower print background Stamp and applied Bundled Sage DP to it and pressed it onto the frame...sadly the pictures don't do it justice as the Bundled Sage paint is very pale, so it looks quite indistinct in the bright sunlight....


I selected some lovely print images to be framed in the circles - so there were the 'pretty maids'. I blended Frayed Burlap DI around the edges of the prints and attached music paper into the frames as a background.


Crocheted lace was applied as a base for the other decorations...I selected some peach roses, and a die cut swirl which I covered in Frayed Burlap DI.






    The silver bells were drawn onto card, cut out and then a very thick coat of Pewter Crackle Paint was applied. After it had dried I attached a silver brad to the top. The shells completed the nursery rhyme inspired creation.



      I felt the other side of the frame needed balancing - so I covered some die cut flowers with Tattered Rose DS and put a matt gold brad in the center of each one...a leaf covered with peeled Paint DI completed the little flower arrangement and I applied them opposite the larger decoration

















Hope you liked seeing my 'How does your garden grow?' creation - Why not hop over to Country View Challenges and see where this inspiring challenge leads you....How will your Garden grow?



I would like to enter the following challenges -

Fashionable Stamping Challenges -Anything Goes
Unruly Paperarts - Paper Flowers
Simon Says  - Inspired by - The nursery rhyme
Eclectic Ellapu - Anything Goes




20 comments:

  1. This is a beautiful hanging Laura. It captures the essence and delicacy of a spring garden, and in colours I've come to associate with you. Hugs, Jenny x

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  2. So, so pretty and such a gorgeous hanger, just beautiful!! Great inspiration, thank you!

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  3. Thisis really really beautiful, vintage yumminess and gorgeous softness!love it , hugs trace x

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  4. Your hanging is gorgeous Laura, those lady pictures are delightful and I really love the bells you created. I know it takes some of colour away but it looks beautiful with the sun streaming through in the garden. A really beautiful make. Hugs, Anne x

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  5. I was just over there and saw this awesome piece of work, look how it looks in the sunshine, just amazing. You have used some beautiful women, and I loooove the stamping on the plates, the lovely crocheted lace, lovely flowers, oooh I just want to feel it, touch it :O), thanks for sharing your wonderful creative soul. Hope you have a wonderful day..

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  6. Love this Laura, such a beautifully designed hanging, gorgeous colours and fabulous embellishments. Thanks for joining us at CVC and sharing this wonderful creation.
    hugs {Brenda} x0x

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  7. This is really lovely Laura - isn't it great when you have a theme in mind and you can just go with the flow! You've got everything there; fab flowers, lovely maids and even shells and silver bells! Photos taken in your own garden provide the perfect backdrop. Brilliant! Love, Margie xx

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  8. Laura...your wall hanging is so sweet and lovely. Your pretty maids all in a row are shabby chic heaven. I love the flourishes and flowers you've added to the paper mache frames. The bits of lace are just an added bonus to an already wonderful make! Thanks for sharing this lovely piece with us at Simon Says Stamp and Show. <3 Candy

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  9. A beautiful hanging, love how you took the photo in the garden.
    Thank you for sharing it with us at FSC this time.
    Yvonne /Meggymay

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  10. Gorgeous piece! Love the vintage feel! Thanks for joining us on our Readers Art Quest at UPA!

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  11. Gorgeous piece of art Laura.
    love the vintage feel.
    Greetings Janny

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  12. This is so pretty... lovely vintage images, and the flowers and lace are perfect trimmings. Sorry I'm so late getting round - there's just been no time for blog visiting in the last couple of days!!
    Alison xx

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  13. Beautiful hangings with gorgeous flowers!
    Sandy

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  14. Gorgeous Work! Thanks for joining us this week at Simon Says Stamp and Show! - Ashli :)

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  15. I can't believe you made these to look like plates! SO COOL!!! Love the nursery rhyme inspiration as well! The flowers are gorgeous as are those beautiful faces! Wonderful design! Thank you so much for being inspired this week and sharing it with us at Simon Says Stamp & Show!

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  16. Wow how beautiful, really lovely. thanks for joining us at FSC this time
    Claire xx

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  17. Simply stunning Laura! I just love everything that you've done to create each of these individual little beauties. I'm also glad that you've found time to play too. . . . . A wonderful make.
    Hugs, Juliaxxx

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  18. Hi Laura, what a gorgeous creation! Love that vintage look and such an original idea. Thanks for visiting my blog; I'm so sorry about my entry, I never realised I had already entered three times. Hugs Frea

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  19. love it! thanks for joining our RAQ at Unruly Paper Arts.

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  20. A wonderful and very romantic hanging.

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