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Nature Made: The Ivy Wreath of Friendship

I've always loved ivy, especially the ivy that winds up the trees at my Father's house in West Grove, PA. As the seasons change, so does my front door; changing from flowering stems to robin's egg blue tinsel. Last weekend was perfect weather so I decided I wanted to freshen up the front of my house with a new wreath; so I said, "out with the artificial".

The ivy grows wild in the wooded area on the grounds, the veins take over the bark like chains, they are durable and hearty perfect for wrapping and shaping a wreath. A word of advice for vine hunting is if it looks like a jungle come prepared for the jungle: long pants, gloves and boots especially come in handy in shading areas where mosquitos breed and hide.

 

Bring some clippers to cut thick vines, look for the thick and thin, curly and straight as all types will work for wrapping. Gather about 6-8 long vines depending on the size you wan to make. You don't have to use ivy vines, you can use anything that would work well for bending and is not too dry as it will break.

 

For the all natural look I find that vine roots are great for tying bundles together. 

 

Start by organizing all your vines, leave your really leafy ones for later. Start the foundation by weaving the vines together going in and out making a circle. 

 

One of the vines I found had a great slot for a door hook, love the different shapes and imperfections you find in nature. 

 

Here is a close up roots used to bind the vines together in areas. 

 

 

After you have the foundation start to add the leafy vines, as this will begin to give riche texture. Keep building until you have about 10-12 wraps.

 

To make your leaves last longer you can spray with water, but overtime the leaves will become dry and eventually die. With the changing seasons, I plan on removing the leaves entirely, the bare bones and berries will merge well with the falling leaves and chilly weather.

 

The final wreath will be warm and inviting. Did you know that ivy represents memory, friendship, faithfulness, eternal life and marriage? A wreath like this would make perfect as a house warming gift or simply hand outside welcoming guests to your home.

 

May "Hearts to Hearts" Promotion Results

Back in May, Red Heart 13 teamed up with our friends at Ghostlove Jewelry to make May about giving back.

50% of our combined proceeds were donated to the following organizations:
~ Kindred Image exists to be a voice and arms for the abandoned children in Seoul Korea 

~ MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) are currently raising money to help veterans with PTSD receive treatment using MDMA

~ Surfers Healing seeks to enhance the lives of kids with special needs, specifically those with autism

The jewelry we sold during May raised money for our selected charities with 50% of each sale being donated to the very important cause it represents. I am very proud to announce with our team efforts we raised over $275.

In case you missed our promotion in May, please visit the three organizations listed above to learn more about their cause. 

Thank you for all your support and we look forward to making future donations. 

 

XOXO

Leila & Dawn

Mama Bird Terrarium Tutorial

We are our mother's sons and daughters, yesterday we celebrated Mother's Day. I hope you all had a wonderful day whether you are a mother yourself, spent the day with your family, or thought of a fond memory of her; thinking of each lesson learned growing up or all the smiles you brought her. With a little green I built a miniature moss world representing the nurturing of a mother's love for my very own mama bird.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Hanging glass ornament with open front / apothecary jar / mason jar

Dirt and small pebbles

Living moss / artificial moss

Small nest

Bird eggs / natural findings like butterfly wings, flowers, feathers, bark, mushrooms

Vintage lace / thread

Line the bottom with dirt and small pebbles for draining, then gather moss and place on top. This particular terrarium lives on very little water mostly with a spray bottle or a spoonful of water every few days.

You can find small bird nests at most crafts stores or if you have the patience make one using vines and twigs, then line the edges with thread for extra color.

I wanted to create this piece especially for my mom using four eggs representing myself and my three younger brothers. These eggs are made of polymer clay which were sculpted and baked by my friend and owner of Spool Design. Feel free to use whatever you'd like to make it personal.

For hanging purposes I used vintage lace and tied it with a knot. 

Here is my mama bird holding her gift, she cannot wait to hang it in her kitchen window. This terrarium was specially made for Mother's Day but can also be given anytime of the year. It would make a special birthday or baby shower gift or for table centerpieces.

Terrariums come in all shapes and sizes, living or for decoration, for detailed step by step instructions and video for a sustainable living terrarium visit Sprout Home.

For more decorative terrarium ideas, check out what Red Heart 13 has made in the past »»

 

Hearts to Hearts: Handmade for a Cause

We are proud to announce that we are teaming up with our friends at Ghostlove Jewelry to make May about giving back.

50% of our proceeds will be donated to the following organizations:
~ Kindred Image exists to be a voice and arms for the abandoned children in Seoul Korea 

~ MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) are currently raising money to help veterans with PTSD receive treatment using MDMA

~ Surfers Healing seeks to enhance the lives of kids with special needs, specifically those with autism

Any purchase of jewelry during May raises money for our selected charities with 50% of each sale being donated to the very important cause it represents. The very piece you wear will tell the story of why you support your cause and what it means to you.

You can make a direct donation to the organizations listed above or simply purchase a piece of jewelry from our collections and/or the Ghostlove website.

Thank you for all your support.

Buried Treasure Finds

Sweet treasures ready to be made into summer jewels. Here is a collection mixed with with antique store finds and vintage pieces after I cleaned my studio. 

Tomorrow's Tribe

Enthralled is more than the word to describe how I'm feeling about Vogue Australia's April 2014 Editorial called Tomorrow's Tribe. The color is so lush and the textures make my mouth water. The first photo really reminds me of proud black and white photographs of Native Americans. Tribal is back with more vibrance and truly is a statement. Model Marina Nery. Photographer Sebastian Kim. Stylist Katie Mossman. Hair Bok-Hee and makeup Mariel Barrera.

Forest is where the heart is.

Here is a look behind the scenes on set of the Born at Dawn video preview. It took some hussle and bustle to lug everything by hand to the woods next to my pop's house in West Grove, PA. You should of seen my trunk, as it was filled with all kinds of things. It was stacked to the brim with vintage mirrors, animal skulls, vintage clothes and two candle wall scones I grabbed right from above my bed. Once I got everything over the fence, I had a sweet time arranging everything in the vines that line the naturally grown tree fortress. I displayed jewelry from vines and thick branches all while having dim flickering candles reflecting in mirrors. I hope you enjoy the step into my little homemade world.