A Fanciful Twist

Autumn Magic

It's autumn, can you believe it?

I wanted to pop in yesterday but I was in pruning madness.

There are fresh roses springing up, as they do at this time of the year.

And so my mind dances between summer and fall.

I've been painting little pumpkins.

Just a couple coats of standard acrylic craft paint does the trick.

I'm so pleased with their bright cheeriness.

The little turquoise ones really hit the spot too.

Just remember that if you put a teal pumpkin outside your house for Halloween it means that you are giving out food free items to trick or treaters (such as little toys) for kids with food allergies.

So, teal is the food allergy pumpkin color, isn't that cute?

You can google the details on that if you want to know more.

I never get any trick or treaters way out here, so my little blue babies will just be for fun.

I'm feeling very colorful lately.

Pops of happy candy colors and such.

It was such a glorious hiking day today, the clouds were unreal.

The air, the ambience, the entire weather experience was sublime.

I post regular pics on Instagram if you fancy a peek.

So, it was grey with dappled sun here and there and soft rain.

Soooo perfect for the autumn mood.

Lighting a few candles and starting to decorate a little.

My new rose bushes (not that I needed any more, but you know) are doing incredibly well.

Gifting gobs of roses over and over.

Can't go wrong with a Gene Boerner rose bush I say.

Stacks of happy colors, yay!

I'm just beginning to decorate my dining table.

I lost a day this week with rodent drama in my holiday decor shed.

It was sealed shut but it's par for the course in the country.

I ended up throwing away a lot and then somehow was inspired for something fresh and new.

It was actually liberating to be forced to get rid of most of my old holiday decor.

The good stuff was safe in bins or secure in the tiny cottage so no worries.

Anywho, here I am painting pumpkins now, so fun.

I'm not sure exactly where I'm going with my decor.

But fresh roses and pink and orange stripes are stealing my heart.

Grey day (we love those in the land of sun) & happy mantle...

Such a neat way to plunge into a new season.

I think autumn is beloved by most isn't it?

It sure is nice to get a break from the heat.

I love October, it's not too far away is it?

I just don't like how fast the next 3 months go.

Need to savor each day.

I just pruned 8 wheel barrows of a climbing rose that is eating my little gallery building in the garden.

Currently used as an office but soon to be mine again.

I need to rebuild my dear scarecrow, maybe as soon as I finish typing actually.

I'm supposed to be at some fancy event tonight but somehow movies and pajamas want to win me over.

Okay, they more than likely will.

I've been going to bed very early and waking up very early.

When I was a kid I'd fall asleep in restaurants all the time.

I could not stay up.

My parents would pull two chairs together to make me a little bed or find a cozy booth for me.

I remember going in and out of sleep to the sounds of a restaurant.

Clanking forks and plates, chatter of people, scents of cooking.

Still a fond sound.

I love closing my eyes at breakfast joints and hearing the sounds.

Such good smells in a morning cafe too.

The good news is, now that the days are cooler I can enjoy a morning breakfast away instead of tending garden madly.

Watering and protecting all the growing things.

It's time for a break, yessssss!

I loooove my garden but boy the summer is long here.

There I go veering again, the one thing I'm great at.

Soooo, off I got for now.

Happy autumn!!!!

 

Love, Vanessa

 

 

 

Ps:  Since it's Jon Secada Friday...

(My sister and I invented this as our time of playing blast to the past tunes for each other. We used to do this over the phone on Friday nights when she lived in New Mexico and we still do sometimes. Music obsessives, for sure.)

Anywho, I was going to leave you with Elegia (when it came on in Stranger Things I immediately thought about Blane, Andie and Ducky, talk about blast to the past) but then I thought, maybe too moody for candy colored pumpkins.  If you've seen Stranger Things on Netflix, the soundtrack is fab isn't it?

All that to say...

Since we have pink pumpkins I'll leave you with the Psychedelic Furs <3

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Autumn Air & Magazine Winners

It's happening isn't it?

It's in the air, that wonderful crispness.

Cold at night, hot at noon.

Blanket chilly at midnight, sleeping with windows open.

Pumpkins hanging around, all 4 somehow making it.

I've never had so many pumpkins on a vine.

I'm not sure what's going on but there are about 15 out there.

I've never seen 4 in a row.

And all I did was take seeds out of a rotting white jack-be-little from last year and plunked them in a huge pot.

Granted it had fresh amazing compost soil, so that could have been it.

But I think it's magic seeds for sure.

We are all loving the weather.

The boys are in heaven.

Not roasting to death in their little furry costumes anymore.

I've been all over the place.

Visiting with visitors from Ireland, adding new cards to the shop.

Bathing dogs.

Trying to organize my life.

The last year I've taken a ton of time for myself.

Everyday hikes, lots of play time and shopping and refueling.

Enjoying the heck out of life.

I love watching the butterflies.

I find I have this pattern where I go non stop doing things for 8 years and then all of a sudden one day I take a year off.

I did it 8 years ago and now again in 2016.

I really really needed some back to the real world time.

I didn't even know I needed it until I had a chance encounter with someone special in May of 2015.

That kind of jolted me out of the rabbit hole and into the world.

It's been so much fun.

But now I feel the shift again, where I am so refueled I can get back to my art and blogging more often again.

Although I have been painting a bit throughout the year.

I have a place in the city where I can go to and paint so I'm not always a country house hermit.

Thanks to Mister Lovee who tends my gardens and watches the boys.

I can go out and live a bunch.

Have some freedom.

It's been amazing.

Lots of changes and lots of the sames.

But all good stuff.

And somehow it's autumn again.

Just a few days away.

I don't live in time anymore I've noticed.

I don't care about my age or time.

I just live and try to enjoy the moment.

Not always easy, but we have to try.

Pumpkin blossoms and garden spells are swirling up.

A fresh new season, how exciting is that?

The madness of the next 3 months is overwhelming, but I love it.

I just takes lots of deep breaths and plunge.

I love the ups and downs of life.

The twists and turns and the beauty of it all.

Thanks for being here.

There.

Kindred friends.

It's always delightful meeting up with you.

See ya sooner than the last time.

 

Love, V

 

 

 

 

ps:  The winners of the magazine (I picked up 4 to gift away) are...

(chosen by random number generator)

#3 Laura's Favorite things!

#19 Dawn the Bohemian!

#17 Laura, Dogsmom!

#12 Cyndie Crow Brown!!

 

Okay friends, just email me your snail mail addresses and I will pop your magazines in the mail.

([email protected])

Thank you everyone who joined in the fun!!  <3 <3 <3

 

 

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Pine Cone Zinnias & Woman's World Magazine {a giveaway}

Hi there friends, Happy September!

In spring of 2015 I did a fun pine cone craft on a whim.

You might recall?

I had gathered some pine cones in my garden and noticed the underside look like zinnias.

So I painted them, and sure enough they did look like our zinnia friends.

This craft has brought more people to this fanciful land than I could ever imagine.

Imagine that?

It's been crrrazy and fun.

I have not been able to believe the amount of visitors that pine cones turned to zinnias have brought.

And super special thanks to everyone that has sent me pics of their own painted pine cones.

I love them!

This week my pine cone zinnias craft is in Woman's World Magazine.

Fun fun!

So, I thought to celebrate I would give away a couple copies.

And, I thought we could also re-visit this fun flowery craft below.

I'm amazed at how many people took an interest in this.

Simply leave a comment to enter the magazine giveaway.

And here we go with that original tutorial below...

 

 ♥

 

Let's Make Zinnia Flowers from Pine Cones!

Look at all those beautiful zinnias.

But wait, what do you mean they are actually pine cones??

Yes yes, it's true.

These are pine cones pretending to be zinnias.

Pine cone bottoms that is!

You see, these came about in the most curious and unexpected manner.

One day very recently, I was sitting at my work bench, feeling rather lack luster.

I had my hand on my chin, wondering what I wanted to make or do.

I was actually rather bored that day, as I sat and stared at some less than perfect pine cones sitting on my studio work bench.

I had collected them off the ground under my pine tree for holiday decorating.

And here they sat, 3 months later.

In my way really.

I picked one up, tossing it about in my hand.

When the most curious thing happened!

I took my pine cone as you see below and flipped it over.

I was looking at a regular pine cone as you see.

But then by flipping it over...

I found a perfect looking zinnia on the bottom side of the cone, as seen below.

I gasped really, I was so surprised.

So, I grabbed some standard acrylic craft paint, and painted a few pine cone bottoms.

Pretty much just to prove to myself that what I thought I was seeing was true.

With each stroke of the brush, a real zinnia emerged.

I was utterly amazed.

Zinnias hiding under pine cones?!?

Who knew?

After I painted some up I realized you could either leave the tops pointy, in their regular state, as below, or...

You could use craft cutters to remove some of the pine cone petals and reveal a stem, like below.

Either way works just fine.

I think they are easier to arrange in a bowl if you just leave them as they are in their natural state.

You can also paint your pine cone bottom white first and let it dry before applying brighter colors.

Then add the colors of your choice.

Don't be afraid to layer different colors and layer shades for depth.

This is not time consuming, simply use a medium to large paintbrush and glob the paint on.

It's that easy.

A little paint and there you have zinnias that never ever fade.

Are you as gobsmacked as I was?

Who on earth knew that zinnias would be hiding in such a place?

Right on the bottom side of a perfectly regular pine cone?

I sure didn't.

Such an easy and pretty craft.

All you need is standard acrylic craft paint of your choice, a medium to large brush and you'll be well on your way to a perfect bouquet of zinnias.

 

Great for gifts for any occasion.

And the things you could make are ever so many.

From centerpieces to wreaths and beyond.

You can sparkle them up if you want too, the options are endless.

They sit perfectly in a bowl, those wonderfully tricky pine cone bottoms.

 

So, if you find yourself kicking around pine cones on your walks, pick up a few.

Turn them over and look for a zinnia hiding on the bottom.

Take them home and give them a whirl.

I'd love to see yours.

If you make some feel free to send me some photos.

 

Pine cone fun!!!

Let's get crafting.

This one's too easy to pass up, don't you think?

 

Love, Vanessa

 

Simply leave a comment to enter the magazine giveaway <3

 

 

 

 

PS: Regarding pine cones...

I don't know what kind of pine tree it is or specifically what kind of pine cones these are.

(although someone mentioned that they are loblolly pinecones)

I did this project on a whim never thinking so many people would be interested in it, the response has been incredible! Wow, I'm so amazed!

The cones are from a pine tree in my garden in Southern Arizona nonetheless.

If you are unsure if your pine cones will work, simply turn them over and look at the bottom side to see if you spot the classic shape of a zinnia.  If you do, then paint away <3

 

PPS:

I get so many emails and questions about this project, which I just did for fun with the paints I had on hand.

Many folks ask if they can use spray paint and the answer is, I don't see why not?

It would probably be super easy and the spray paint colors out there are amazing.

I can't see why you can't try any paint you want, the sky is the limit.

I used regular acrylic craft paint and just mixed up basic colors that I layered as I painted, nothing outrageous.

Another question I get everyday is about baking the pine cones first to remove bugs.

Now, being the wild woman I am, I didn't even worry about this.

Mainly because I never saw a bug emerging ever.

However, I live in the desert where the temps reach 100+ all summer.

So I'm quite certain my cones are baked/dried naturally.

But, my mom told me you can wash them in white vinegar and water.

Big bowl water and about 2 cups of vinegar, just soak and slosh around for an hour.

They might swell up and look funny when soaked but will go back to normal once they dry.

Then set them on paper towels to air dry for up to a week.

If you want to really make sure you have no bugs, then after you wash them just put them in the oven on a foil lined cookie sheet at 200' - 250'F for an hour, checking carefully to make sure they don't burn.

Then just let them sit around on paper towels for 2-4 days.

Like I said, I've never done any of that, because I live in a dry dry dry desert climate.

So, don't hold me to any of it pretty please :-)

And please don't burn anything.

If you are still unsure just google, prepping pine cones for crafts, and you'll find all sorts of info.

I'm sorry if I haven't answered everyone's questions via email, but I try ♥

Thank you so much for the huge response to this fun craft I discovered on a whim, simply to amuse myself on boring day. I am so glad you liked it too! ♥

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