Tag Archives: Barbara Jones

Craft – Faberge-inspired Egg Box

Posted on by

Faberge eggIn my Décor post, Faberge Eggs, this month I told the story of these beautiful eggs and their connection with the Russian Romanov family.  Inspired by those Faberge eggs, I decided to recreate a simpler but still elegant oval “egg-shaped” wooden box that is painted and decorated with crystal and pearl stickers.  This box will be displayed in our family room bookshelf during the Easter season.

IMG_9366Faberge-inspired Egg Box – supplies

  • 1 wooden oval-shaped box (I used an oval to mimic the shape of an egg)
  • Sandpaper, used to prepared the rough surface of the wooden box
  • Pearl paint (I used Martha Stewart brand pearl acrylic paint in Mother of Pearl)
  • Paint brush
  • Pearl stickers
  • Crystal stickers
  • Glue stick, to fix or repair loose pearls/crystals

Faberge egg top Faberge egg open
Faberge-inspired Egg Box – instructions

  1. Pre-determine the pearl and crystal sticker placement prior to painting.
    (Sometimes stickers will come in an already established pattern as one application, like the one I used on the side of the wooden box.  On the edge of the lid, I alternated with placement of an individual pearl and diamond design. On the top of the lid, I pieced together several different patterns for a nice combination)
  2. Prepare the wooden oval-shaped box for painting, use sandpaper on all the surfaces, including both exterior and the interior of the box, to create a smooth surface.
  3. Paint the wooden box; let the paint on the different areas completely dry.
    (I suggest painting the inside of the box first, then the bottom, then the sides/top)
  4. Attach the pearl and crystal stickers in the different pattern combinations that were pre-determined ahead of time.  If any pearl or crystals come loose, use a glue stick to re-attach.

Craft Tip: For the wooden box that I created, I used a simple color palette of Martha Stewart pearl paint in white with pearl and “diamond” crystals for an almost monochromatic look.  Experiment with a color palette; using one, two or even three different colors, until you find the right combination that you like.

In a previous post on the House of Fabergé I gave a brief history of the company.  Peter Carl Fabergé was famous for designing the beautiful jeweled Russian Imperial Eggs which were specially created for the Russian Tsar Alexander III and later his son Tsar Nicholas II between 1885 and 1917.  In 2013 I published a post on the 54 Imperial Eggs that Fabergé created during that time.  (For readers interested in more detailed information about the House of Fabergé or on the Fabergé Eggs, please click on the link to the previous blog posts)

In another post, I was inspired by the original Russian Imperial Fabergé Eggs, I decided to recreate a more traditional and elegant style.  This idea started when I found the double eagle pendant in my local craft store.  The golden eagle pendant has a large blue gem set in the center and accented with diamond-like crystals.  I thought this pendant was a perfect inspiration for an Imperial Fabergé-style Egg.  (For more information on this craft project with a supply list and instructions, please click on the link to the Faberge-inspired Egg post)

Decor – Faberge Eggs

Posted on by

Faberge Lily of the Valley Egg

Peter Carl Faberge was a Russian jeweler who is famous for the legendary series of Russian Imperial Eggs created between 1885 and 1917 for Tsar Alexander III and later his son Nicholas II.  These eggs were lavish and intricate art pieces made of precious metals, painted with an enamel process and decorated with gem stones.  They have become a symbol of the Russian Imperial family and are considered the masterpieces of House of Faberge.

Easter is an important celebration in the Russian Orthodox Church.  Over the years a tradition of bringing hand-colored eggs to the Church to be blessed then later given as presents to family and friends.  For the wealthy members of Russian society the custom developed into giving more expensive jeweled eggs.  Faberge had been creating miniature jeweled eggs to be worn as jewelry for several years. The first Imperial Faberge egg was commissioned by Tsar Alexander III as a gift for his wife, Empress Maria Fedorovna.  Inspired by an egg owned by the Empress’s aunt, Princess Wilhelmina Marie of Denmark, during her childhood the Empress was known to have greatly admired this egg.  The Tsar wanted to give an Easter egg in a similar style as a romantic gift to the Empress to commemorate the 20th anniversary of their betrothal.

Faberge Hen EggThis first Faberge Egg created for the Russian Imperial family, known as the Hen Egg, was crafted in 1885 of gold with a white enameled shell which opened to reveal a series of delightful surprises.  The first was a golden yolk which opened to reveal a golden hen which also opened to display a miniature replica of the Imperial Crown created in diamonds and rubies.  (Currently, all that remains is the outer gold and enamel shell with the golden yolk and unfortunately the golden hen and miniature crown have been lost.)

When this first egg proved to be a success with the Empress, the Tsar commissioned Faberge to create additional Imperial Easter Eggs every year with the only requirement being that each would contain a hidden surprise.  Once Faberge was appointed the goldsmith to the Imperial Crown, he was given complete creative freedom and his designs became more elaborate and intricate.  When Alexander III died in 1894, his son Nicholas II, continued the family tradition and presented a Faberge egg to both his wife, Empress Alexandra and his mother, now Dowager Empress Maria, every year until 1916.

Each Faberge Imperial Egg, from conceptual drawing to complex production by a team of highly skilled craftsmen, could take over a year to complete.  Faberge designed his eggs to commemorate the milestones and achievements of the Russian Imperial court and also to reflect the personal events of the Romanov dynasty.  Such as, the 1911 Fifteenth Anniversary Egg that commemorated Nicholas II accession to the throne or the 1913 Romanov Tercentenary Egg which celebrated the 300 years of the Romanov dynasty which included portrait miniatures of the Russian rulers.  Throughout the years the element of the hidden surprises remained a constant feature of the Faberge Eggs.  Such as the 1897 Coronation Egg with a miniature replica of the Coronation carriage that took over 15 months to complete or the 1899 Pansy Egg which included a small heart shape medallion with miniature portraits of the Imperial family.

Fabrege Fifteenth Anniversary Egg     Faberge Tercentenary Egg

Faberge Coronation Egg     Faberge Pansy Egg

Faberge Winter EggThe most expensive Faberge Egg ever produced is the 1913 Winter Egg.  At the time the Tsar paid 24,600 rubles, which was a remarkably extravagant price for the time and the highest price he ever paid for a Faberge Egg.  The egg design is made with a thinly carved, almost transparent rock crystal, finely engraved and decorated in platinum gold and 1,300 diamonds in a pattern meant to resemble ice crystals and bordered with an additional 360 diamonds.  The removable egg sits upon a rock crystal base carved to resemble a block of melting ice.  The hidden surprise inside the egg is a miniature basket made of platinum gold and 1,300 diamonds and the flowers are made of white quartz, gold, and garnets.  (The Winter Egg sold at auction in 2002 at Christie’s in New York for $9.6 million)

Faberge produced 50 Imperial eggs over a 32 year period, with no eggs produced in 1904 and 1905 due to the political unrest during the Russian-Japanese War.  Two Imperial Eggs were in the process of being created and scheduled to be presented in 1917, but of course the tragic execution of the Tsar Nicholas II and his immediate family by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Revolution brought a violent end to the Romanov dynasty.  As a result production in the Faberge workshop closed, the entire inventory was seized and Peter Carl Faberge fled from Russia with his family.  (He died in Switzerland in 1920)

Only one of the Imperial Eggs, the 1916 Order of St. George, left Russia with the original owner, The Dowager Empress Maria.  Following the Russian Revolution, the Romanov palaces were ransacked by the Bolsheviks and by order of Vladimir Lenin the contents, including the Imperial Eggs, were moved to the Kremlin Armory.  Later in 1927, Joseph Stalin sold several of the eggs in order to obtain foreign revenue.  Then, between 1930 and 1933 an additional 14 Imperial Eggs were sold, some were purchased by Armand Hammer, the owner of Occidental Petroleum.  Malcolm Forbes, the publisher, owned nine Imperial Eggs and approximately 180 other Faberge items.  After his death in 1990, the entire collection was scheduled for sell at Sotheby’s in New York City in 2004, but before the auction started someone purchased them for the amount estimated between $90–120 million.  Currently, it is believed that of the 50 original Russian Imperial Eggs only 44 are known to still exist.

If you are interested in further information on the Russian Imperial Eggs, I would recommend the book, “Faberge’s Eggs: The Extraordinary Story of the Masterpieces That Outlived an Empire” by Toby Faber.  I also recommend the DVD, “Treasures – The Czar’s Faberge Eggs”, a 2005 A&E documentary.

For a great craft idea, please check out Faberge-inpried Eggs for a list of supplies and instructions.

Celebration – St. Patrick’s Day

Posted on by

St. Patrick's Day vintage card

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17; the anniversary of his death which became an official religious feast day in the early seventeenth century and over the years has become a cultural celebration of Ireland and the Irish people.  Some of the symbols, customs and traditions surrounding this celebration include: shamrocks, leprechauns, festive parades, eating corned beef & cabbage and wearing green so we won’t get pinched!

St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and he was born in Britain in the fourth century to a wealthy family with a father who was a deacon.  At the age of sixteen, Patrick was taken captive by Irish raiders and sent to Ireland as a slave.    He was held somewhere on the west coast of Ireland and eventually returned to Britain and began his studies to become a priest.  Several years later he went back to Ireland as a bishop in an attempt to convert the pagan Irish to Christianity.  One famous legend told is that St. Patrick went to a hilltop (now known as Croagh Patrick) and with his wooden staff he banished all the snakes from Ireland.  This of course is a myth, since snakes were never native to Ireland, and it has become a metaphor for the conversion of the pagan Irish to Christianity.

The shamrock was a scared plant to the Celts in ancient Ireland it was a symbol of the rebirth of spring.  It is said that St. Patrick, in his teachings, used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity since the shamrock being a plant with three leaves represented the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  By the seventeenth century, after the 1798 rebellion of the Irish against British rule, the Irish people began to wear the shamrock on their clothing as a symbol of their pride in their Irish heritage and their displeasure with the English rule.  Over the years this tradition became known as “the wearing of the green” and the association of the color green and St. Patrick’s Day has grown to represent Ireland.

The belief in leprechauns probably comes from the Celtic folktales of fairies or tiny people who used their magical powers for good over evil.  According to legend, leprechauns were responsible for mending the shoes of all the other fairies that paid them with coins that the leprechauns stored them in a hidden pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.  If the leprechauns were ever captured by a human, they would give them three wishes in exchange for their release.  Leprechauns were not originally associated with the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day.  In 1959, Walt Disney released a film, “Darby O’Gill and the Little People”, which featured a cheerful and friendly leprechaun so different from the cantankerous little man of the Celtic folktales.  It is this image of a leprechaun, a small little man with a beard wearing a hat and a green jacket, which quickly evolved into an image associated with the Irish and became a symbol of St. Patrick’s Day.

The celebration of St. Patrick’s Day was originally observed in Ireland as a religious feast day.  The day usually falls during Lent and Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and then celebrate in the afternoon.  The Lenten custom of not eating meat was waived and there would be dancing, drink and a feast of the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.  Unable to find Irish bacon in America, Irish immigrants living in New York City substituted with corned beef which was a cheaper alternative.

Chicago River dyed green 1The first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place not in Ireland but in Boston in 1737.  Later in 1762, to celebrate and observe St. Patrick’s Day, a group of Irish soldiers serving in the British military marched through the streets of New York City and expressed their Irish pride through their music with bagpipes and drums.  Since that time, the Irish immigrates in America have held annual parades not only in New York City but also Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia.  On very unique tradition developed in Chicago when in 1962 city workers, in an attempt to control pollution and trace illegal sewage leaks, released green dye into the Chicago River.  This idea of dyeing the river has now become an annual event in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day.

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated throughout the world and although the United States holds the largest events, other countries such as Canada, Australia, Japan and Russia have their own festivities.  In Ireland, the day has long been a religious holiday and until the 1970’s Irish laws dictated the closure of local pubs on March 17.  However in 1995, the Irish government began a national campaign to capitalize on the interest in St. Patrick’s Day as a way to showcase Ireland, Irish culture and to increase tourism.  Currently approximately 1 million people annually take part in Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Festival which has become a celebration over several days featuring parades, concerts and fireworks shows.

St. Patricks Day Trivia

  • Erin go Bragh translates to “Ireland forever.”
  • An estimated 13 million pints of Guinness will be consumed on St. Patrick’s Day.
  • St. Patrick’s true given name was Maewyn Succat.
  • 36 million U.S. residents claim Irish ancestry. This number is almost nine times the population of Ireland itself (slightly more than 4 million).

Celebration – Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit

Posted on by

Peter Rabbit

During this Easter season, I thought it would be the perfect time to visit the world of Peter Rabbit and find out about the author who wrote these charming and classic children’s books.

Beatrix PotterHelen Beatrix Potter (Born: July 28, 1866 Died: December 22, 1943) was an English author and illustrator, her first book “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” was first published in 1902.  She continued to write a series of books featuring such delightful characters as Benjamin Bunny, Jemima Puddle-Duck and Squirrel Nutkin.  Beatrix also drew the beautiful illustrations for her stories which featured the lovely English counrtyside where these small animal friends lived.

Beatrix was born into a wealthy and privileged family and her father was a barrister in London.  They lived in South Kensington and spent their summers in Scotland or the Lake District in England.  Beatrix and her brother were naturally curious children and had such a love of nature that they would keep a variety of small animals and spent their time studying, drawing and painting watercolors of them.

Beatrix and her brother were raised by a governess named Annie Moore and after she left their employment to get married, she remained friends with Beatrix throughout their lives.  Beatrix and Annie kept in touch over the years, writing letters and sometimes Beatrix would enclose stories for Annie’s children that she would illustrate with amusing drawings.  In 1893, one of those stories was to Annie’s son, Noel, and it was a charming tale about four little rabbits named Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail and Peter.  Annie suggested that Beatrix’s stories would make wonderful children books.

In 1901, when Beatrix was unable to find a buyer for her stories, she decided to print them at her own expense for family and friends.  The London publishing house of Warne & Co. was eager to compete in the lucrative children’s book market and they decided to publish Beatrix’s story of Peter Rabbit.  In 1902 “The Tale Peter Rabbit” was published and became an immediate success.  The popularity of Beatrix’s books is credited to her enchanting and imaginative animal stories set in the beautiful rural English countryside and charmingly illustrated.  Beatrix wrote and illustrated two to three of these little books every year eventually writing a total of twenty-three books. Working closely with Norman Warne, her editor, over the course of following years the two became friends and then they fell in love.  In 1905, they were secretly engaged despite the disapproval of her parents but sadly Norman suddenly died a few months later.  Beatrix continued to work with the Warne & Co. until her final book was published after World War I.

Beatrix Potter's Hill Top Farm

With the proceeds from her books and a small inheritance from an aunt, Beatrix bought Hill Top Farm in the Lake District in 1905.  She made many improvements to the property, learned new farming techniques and began raising livestock.  She continued to purchase additional farms hoping to preserve the unique country landscape that she loved.  In 1913, she married William Heelis, a respected solicitor in the area.  Beatrix and Heelis were married thirty years, they had no children, but Heelis came from a large family and they enjoyed their nieces and nephews.  Through the years they continued farming, raising their prized Herwick sheep and more importantly their preservation efforts.  Beatrix also continued to write her stories and to draw, mostly for her own pleasure, until her failing eyesight made it too difficult.  She died from complications of pneumonia and heart disease in 1943 at Castle Cottage.  She left almost all her property, including over 4,000 acres of land, sixteen farms and several cottages to the National Trust.

Beatrix Potter’s lasting legacy are the stories of Peter Rabbit and his friends.  Her children’s books have continued to sell throughout the world and are printed in several different languages.  She left most of the original illustrations for her books to the National Trust and the copyrights to her stories and merchandise were given to Warne & Co.  Her beloved Hill Top Farm was opened to the public by the National Trust in 1946; her artwork was displayed there until 1985 when it was moved to Heelis’s former law offices in Hawkshead, now known as the Beatrix Potter Gallery.

Beatrix Potter Interesting Facts

  • “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” was published commercially in October 1902, with a print run of 8000. Each book cost one shilling each.
  • The character of Mr. McGregor appears in several books. He’s remembered for chasing Peter Rabbit out of his garden in “The Tale of Peter Rabbit”, but he also appears in “The Tale of Benjamin Bunny” and “The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies.”
  • “The Tailor of Gloucester,” was based on a story that her cousin, Caroline Hutton, had told her. She self-published it in 1903, paying for 500 copies to be printed, but after sending one to Norman Warne, he published it as a follow-up to “The Tale of Peter Rabbit.” This story was said to be her favorite story (… and mine, too!)
  • To mark the 110th anniversary of the publication of The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Frederick Warne & Co. commissioned British actress Emma Thompson to write “The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit”, in which Peter ends up in Scotland after accidentally hitching a ride on Mr. and Mrs. McGregor’s wagon. The book was released on September 18, 2012.

Movie recommendation

The 2006 movie, “Miss Potter”, stars Renee Zellweger in the title role with Ewan Mcgregor as her publisher, Norman Warne.  The movie tells the story about the life of Beatrix Potter and charmingly incorporates animated characters from her children’s books.

Decor – Easter Home Decorations

Posted on by

Easter - kitchen tableSpring is coming soon and it is now time to start decorating our home for Easter.  It seems like I’ve got a gazillion boxes filled with decorations for Christmas and Fall/Thanksgiving, but for Easter there are fewer boxes.  Decorating for Easter is a little simpler with plenty of pretty pastels, bunnies, tulips, sweet peas and white roses.

Easter - front doorI usually start my decorating process each season with the exterior of the house.  The front porch always needs some sort of door decoration because it sets the tone and style of the interior house decorations. I have several different wreaths, one for almost every holiday.  The one I will be using for Easter this year is a very sentimental wreath.  My Mother passed away last March and for her funeral I made a wreath for the ceremony and gravesite.   Making the wreath allowed me to have that quiet time to emotionally deal with her loss and reflect on my memories of her.  I wanted to use my creative talents to make something from my heart and I wanted to honor my Mother.  The wreath has some symbolism; white roses were one of her favorite flowers.  So, I used six white full roses to represent our family, my parents and their four daughters, and the nine white rose buds represent their nine grandchildren.  To add fullness to the wreath, I used green hydrangeas and berries in a pretty shade of rose.  After the funeral last year, I brought the wreath back to our home and hung on the front door until it was replaced in October by an autumn wreath.  For Easter this year, I unpacked it from storage and hung it back on our front door and it is perfect for Spring.  Some would think that it would bring me sadness but it is just the opposite feeling because when I see it now I always think of the wonderful memories and great conversations I had with my Mom.

In the entry way of our home, there is a wooden pedestal with a white rose floral arrangement.  To give it just a little more color for Easter I added three light blue feather sprays.  Next year, I think I am going to tuck eggs into some of my floral arrangements for an unexpected surprise!  On the floor at the base of the pedestal is a Peter Rabbit garden sculpture which adds just the right touch of whimsy.  To greet our guests as they enter our home is a framed picture on the wall that says, “There’s no place like home” and for Easter I decided to add two white bunnies to give it a fun look!!

Easter - entry    Easter - Boyds Bears 1

In the library, there is a glass-front lawyer bookcase that holds my Boyd’s Bear Collection.  As you know from previous posts, every holiday season I set out different figurines.  For Easter, I add two Boyd’s Bears bunny and duck figurines.  For the top two shelves I add some greenery and scatter some eggs among the other figurines.  The bottom shelf displays my Boyd’s Bears Village and I change out the winter trees for the spring/summer trees, add some seasonal figurines and even include some tiny carrots.  To compete this area, on the top of the bookcase I add a cute stuffed Boyd’s Bear dressed in a bunny suit and holding a carrot.

In our family room, one wall has a large brick fireplace with a large mantel flanked on either side by bookshelves/cabinets and above the mantel there is a beautiful English garden landscape painting.  Each holiday season I decorate the fireplace mantel and for Easter I use two wonderful “Bunnies by the Bay” white bunnies dressed in blue and white checked outfits. The bookshelves on both sides are filled with framed family pictures and a collection of antique cameras and for Easter every year I display a beautiful blue and ivory “quilted” egg that my Mother made.  I also display two lovely glass ivory and gold egg ornaments for just a subtle touch of Easter.  Finally on the fireplace hearth for a touch of whimsy I add a cute stuffed dog wearing bunny ears and holding flowers in his mouth, this was a Easter gift to my daughter a couple of years ago.

Easter - fireplace mantel 1    Easter - kitchen counter1

In our kitchen, I keep the decorations to a minimum since we need to have the counter space clear for food preparation.  In the corner of the counter, next to a basket of artificial vegetables, is a stuffed chocolate bunny.  Across the room is a desk/work area and I add a cute rectangular decorative plate with bunnies displayed on an easel. This plate matches the trio of plates displayed on the space above the upper cabinets.  (Please take a look at the March Décor post, Decorating with Plates, if you would like to see a picture)

The last room decorated for the Easter season is the dining room.  In this room of our home there is a lovely china cabinet which displays our Noritake Rothschild china, Tiffany crystal glasses, elegant silver serving pieces and a collection of Capodimonte Napoleon porcelain roses.  In some of the teacups I have added beautiful white and silver glass eggs for a subtle touch of Easter.  Also displayed with the china, is a collection of Hallmark ornaments from the Peter Rabbit series sitting on the rims of the plates or tucked next to the teacups.  Across the room on an antique tea cart is a white feather tree sitting in a cracked egg vase and decorated with white bunnies and pastel eggs.  Please check out the March Décor post, Easter Table Decorations, for pictures of our dining room table set of our Easter luncheon.

China cabinet teacup 2 China cabinet teacup 1 Tea cart 1

DECORATING TIPS:

  • When decorating for the holidays it is sometimes more cost-effective to add embellishments to decorations you already have instead of purchasing new ones for every season.  Think about adding inexpensive floral picks, feather sprays or maybe tuck a couple of Easter eggs into an existing floral arrangement to add color or texture and also to create a little interest.
  • When shopping for items for your children’s Easter baskets, consider repurposing these items in the following years as home decorations.  Think about using that cute stuffed white bunny sitting on a chair in the living room.  Smaller stuffed ducks or bunnies look great on a shelf.
  •  When shopping for Easter decorations, look for cute Spring-themed picture frames.  A couple of these would look great on a fireplace mantel or bookshelf.
  • This one may sound strange, but at Christmas look for glass ornaments; such as bunnies, ducks, eggs or even flowers.  These can be used as decorative accents for Easter.  I use some glass egg ornaments on the bookshelves in our living room and also sitting in the tea cups in our china cabinet in the dining room.
  • Please see the March Craft post, Jeweled Easter Eggs.  These beautiful eggs would look great in a basket on the kitchen counter or a side table in the living room.  Another suggestion to display the eggs is using small silver or crystal candlesticks, then place a couple into a china cabinet or bookshelf.  They would also look great at each place setting on your table for an Easter luncheon or dinner and would make a fun party favor for your guests.