Selep Imaging Blog: January 2021

Sunday, January 31, 2021

Winter Garden

Winter Garden as seen from the second floor

We recently had a significant snowfall in Wisconsin (where we are supposed to get snow). The snow was the finishing touch on the garden vignette I had envisioned.

Winter Garden close-up

As the lawn disappeared beneath a blanket of snow, it settled on my mosaic table and chairs, and the arch I decorated with an evergreen garland and red bow.

Winter Garden early morning

The garden is a focal point for noticing lighting effects. On some mornings, the snow can turn pink and lavender as the sun rises. (The photo above hints at this coloration - pink colored snow is a sunrise effect that I don't have a photo of, but on the handful of occasions it happens it's magical)

Winter Garden when cloudy from East bedroom

Throughout the day, the colors of the snow and shadows change - sometimes gray, sometimes blindingly white.

Winter Garden in sunlight

A cloud passing over can turn the snow a subdued gray or soft blue, and then moments later the sun emerges and the rooms inside the house light up with reflected light from the snow.

Winter Garden: Sunny Day late afternoon

The colors of the shadows change as well - in late afternoon shadows can turn a deepening blue as they lengthen and stretch across the snow.

The garden scene can be seen from three bedrooms facing the street. The garden makes looking out the window to check the weather a pleasure.

Bird nest with snow

It's unusually quiet right after it snows. The snow muffles sounds, animals and bird snuggle down, and things seem still for a moment - frozen (!). Where do the birds disappear to when it snows?

Glass Garden Flowers with snow Set 1

Closer to the house my (large) collection of glass garden flowers got dusted with snow. I've made these flowers over the last decade or so.

Glass Garden Flowers with snow Set 2

The snow melts off the glass plates quickly in the sun, but I enjoy the extra decoration that nature gives my collection for a couple of hours.

Glass Garden Flowers with snow Set 3

People have asked me if I take in the glass flowers during the winter. The answer is no. There would be no room to store them and besides, in winter they are the only flowers still blooming! The glass colors especially stand out in the snow.

Glass Garden Flowers with snow Set 4

I have two matching planters that flank the door (one shown) that I decorate seasonally. I love the way the snow covers trees, evergreens, and branches and shrubs.

Planter with winter foliage

My garden arch, the planters, the table and chair set, and the glassware that I used for the glass flowers are all resale shop and estate sale finds.

I have a post on the glass flowers here, and the mosaic table here.

Winter Garden

The garden lies under the snow with over 100 tulip bulbs, many different irises, 4 rose bushes, daisys, black-eyed susans, and many other flowers. I created it during 2020 with the extra time at home due to the pandemic.

Garden Art in winter

I look at the garden and imagine what it will look like in spring. It's a strange gardening habit of mine to view a mound of dirt (or snow) and instead see future flowers...

Click on the images to see them enlarged.

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Mosaic Stepping Stone

I am linking up to these parties:

Life and Linda: Love your Creativity 82 Sun 3p (l Entry 7 of 129.)      I was featured here!
April Harris: Hearth and Soul Sun 10p (Entry 26 of 187.)
Faeries and Fauna: Waste not Wed (l Entry skipped)
Ducksnarow: Happy is homemade 59 Sun (s Entry 97 of 136.)
Love my cottage: Little cottage 88 Mon a (Entry x of 92x.)
Create with Joy: Inspire me 472 Sun-Mon (m Entry 47 of 192.)       I was featured here!
My Random: Anything Goes Sun p (Entry 7 of 49.)
Jesh studio: All Seasons Mon (Entry 15 of 25.)
Good Random Fun: Good Fun Mon 4a (m Entry 17 of 51.)
Mersad photography: Through my Lens (Entry 12 of 27.)
BNOTP: Metamorphis Monday 6a (s Entry 18x of 58x.)
Uncommon Slice: Inspire Me Mon 120 2-4p (m Entry 2 of 84.)
* Stroll Life: Inspire Me Mon 577 3p (l Entry 24 of 123.)
Common Ground: All About Home 77 Mon 6p (l Entry 17 of 106.)
Loulougirls: Fabulous-party Mon 357 7p (l Entry 41 of 131.)
Our World Tues: Our World (Entry 26r of 62.)
Image-in-ing: Weekly link up (Entry 33 of 78.)
Nicholasjv: Travel Tue 273 (Entry 10 of 13.)
Across the Blvd: Beautifully Made Tue 8a (Entry 3 of 52.)
Lindas lunacy: Making-a-home 201 Tue 9a (m Entry 3 of 49.)
My world Thru My Lens: My Corner Wed (Entry 25 of 78.)
Peabea: Pictorial Tuesday (Entry 1 of 14.)
Poinsettiadr: Classy Flamingos 139 Tue (l Entry 12 of 27.)
Thistlekeylane: Tuesday Turn About 85 5p (s Entry 1 of 167.)
Also My Wee Abode: Tuesday Turn About (s Entry 1 of 167.)
Nanahood: If your Happy (s Entry 2 of 12.)
LeCultivateur: Wonderful Wed 53 a (m Entry 89r of 208r.)
Stonecottageadventures: Tue with a twist 406 (l Entry 22 of 38.)
Lets Add Sprinkles: Keep in Touch Tue 185 4p (m Entry 18 of 62.)
Gingersnap crafts:Wow me 490 Tue 7p (Entry 17x of 120x.)
Girlish Whims: Whims Tues 496 8:50p (Entry 5 of 94.)
Applestreetcottage: Party-in-your-pjs 344 (Entry 4 of 123.)
Flusterbuster: Creative Muster Wed (l Entry 51x of 110x.)
Grandmas: grandmas house 229 Wed 4p (m Entry 63 of 80.)
French Ethereal: Share Your Style 291 Wed 6p (Entry 1 of 53)
Imparting grace: Grace at home 411 (Entry 46 of 123.)
Artsy mama: Artsy party 240 Th 7a (Entry 23 of 107.)
My Slices of Life: Hearts+Home Handmade Th 6a (Entry 18 of 117.)
Pieced Pastimes.gr: Saturday Sparks Th 8a (L Entry skip)
Eclectic Red Barn: Thurs Favorite Things Th 7a (Entry 54 of 232.)
Also KatherinesCorner: Th 7a (Entry 54 of 232.)
Also Follow the yellow brick: Th 7a (Entry 54 of 232.)
My Thrift Store Addiction: Vintage Charm 270 (m Entry 62 of 64.)
Life beyond Kitchen: Creatively Crafty 261 Th 4p (Entry 63 of 82.)
Kathleen: Bloggers Pit Stop 256 Th 8p (L Entry 4 of 86.)
Its a small town life: Thankful Th 24 (Entry 18)
Coastal Bohemian: Funtastic Thur 318 8p (i Entry 3 of 114.)
Shelbeeontheedge: On the edge (Entry 47)
My hubbard home: Fri with Friends 10 (Entry 11x)
The Painted Hinge: Farmhouse Fri 190 8a (L Entry 15 of 82.)
Zucchini sisters: Celebrate your Story 267 Fri (m Entry 50 of 54.)
Ohmyheartsiegirl: Wonderful Wed Party 244 (s Entry 43 of 149.)
Cottagemarket: A morning cup of joe 8a (L Entry 44 of 91.)
Shabby art boutique: Create-gather 456 8a (L Entry 49x of 113x.)
Busy Being Jennifer: Fri Favorites 9a 73 (m Entry 31 of 70.)
Our mini family: Our mini party 316 (s Entry x of 62x.)
Funkyjunkinteriors: DIY Salvaged 563 Fri (Entry 2 of 26.)                 I was featured here!
** Eye Love Knots: Snicker Doodle 371 Sat 5pm (m Entry 34 of 155.)
Pams Party: Dare to share 454 Sat (m Entry 27 of 84.)
Jaipur gardening: Garden Affair (Entry 18 of 21.)
The house on Silverado: Sun on Silverado 30 (Entry 25)
Shiplap and Shells: Charming Homes 47 (m Entry needed)
Creative Mom: Craft Schooling Sunday (s Entry 27x? of 35x.)           I was featured here!
Franca: Keep Calm and Carry On (Entry 18 of 26)

420284

https://www.dabblinganddecorating.com Wed

Saturday, January 23, 2021

Valentine Mosaic Ball

Mosaic Ball: View 1

I have a collection of bowling balls. How many people can say that?

Mosaic Ball: View 2

I don't even bowl. My collection of bowling balls are picassiette mosaic covered art objects.
(Picassiette, or the French "pique assiette", are mosaics made with broken bits of china.)

Mosaic Ball: Detail showing five red and white patterns

The colors for this mosaic ball were going to be black and white and red all over. (There are so many jokes that start that way...) But, alas, my red and white dishes "read" as pink. (That means the visual effect of the red and white appears pink from a distance instead of red)

Mosaic Bowling Ball and Bird Bath Base in Garden

When it became apparent that the red would not be prominent, I decided to embrace the pink effect and intentionally mix in pink.

Mosaic Ball Detail: Two styles of Pink and White china was used

I was able to use two contemporary orphaned pink dishes I loved.

Mosaic Ball: View 3

The six black and white patterned dishes used in making this ball came from contemporary china found in resale shops.
I was wondering why most black and white china is contemporary. Older vintage and antique china embraced color more. Perhaps our ancestors valued the bits of color during the long white and gray winters.

Mosaic Ball: View 4

Today, people see so many colors everywhere - in print and on-screen viewing, in fabrics and objects. My ancestors, and many historical cultures had a lot less color in their world, especially in harsh winter months in Northern climates. (We can't all be descendants of tropical people, or those that had colorful silks and dyes.) In long snowy winters, whites, grays, browns and blue (skies) would have predominated.

Mosaic Ball: View 5

I attended an art lecture where the speaker noted that black and white and gray were calming to city collectors in places like New York City, where the noise of the urban environment made people want to come home to neutral spaces. Maybe that is why styles changed to include more black and white, vs. the colorful china in the past.

Mosaic Bowling Ball and Bird Bath Base in Garden

Some notes: The birdbath base (above) is one of my earliest large projects, made more than a decade ago. It was sealed and has been outside since then, holding up surprisingly well.

I mentioned in this note here that I like to learn from my projects. Here is my tip from this project: DON'T use the concave and convex bends in china, or the thick sections from the bottom. I made a mosaic tip graphic below. It doesn't look as sleek as I would like, but it took a lot of time and at least my "mosaic tip" is done!