EP DESIGNS

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Brooch and pin cushions were a popular little item at my past EP Designs Exhibition & Sales. This little ornate silver casing would have had a glass insert as part of its original design & use. When I found a couple of them at an opp shop the glass insert was missing but I already knew what I would do with them once I got them home. I kept them silver (so painted finish was not required), & polished the casing as best I could.

Then all that was needed for this item was the embellishing - Beads, a mini rosette, colour & a petite feather to decorate the cushion and cup.

A Recreated Treasure - A rather elegant piece - it reminds me of the 1920’s era.

Not many of these were photogrphed but another stylish pin & brooch cushion can be viewed at my EP’s Treasures blog.

At SewDelish another competition has been posted. Although I think I’m too late for this one I’ll still post it here anyhow. It’s titled Stepping Out Challenge  and the idea behind it was to to create a post with something you have made that is different to what you would normally do. We all have our own tastes & preferences in colour, style etc that we use when being creative. I know that I’m the same, and sometimes I do experiment or try something totally different to how I usually create a decor piece. I’m posting this in my EP Designs blog, instead of EP’s Treasures , because of the previous post here on Decorative tablecloths.

Here is a decorative tablecloth that was designed using a colour that I would not normally use; the material being black chiffon is something I hadn’t, at that point in time, used for designing decor tablecloths; also gold edging with fabric fabric paint instead of braid; and finally, each corner has been gathered & embellished differently. 

At the time of taking the photo I didn’t have different coloured tablecloths to team up with the topper - I would love to see a deep rich red or purple under the black chiffon, or even white for a more modern feel.

I was surprised when this design sold to a buyer in the U.S …. would love to see a photo of it in their home.

During my ‘hobby business’ days EP Designs produced a variety of decor items in addition to the recreated treasures of the painted kind.  Decorative tablecloths, tabletoppers & table runners were among the popular items. Most of the designs were one or two-of-a-kind as they were made from remnant pieces - even the tassels & embellishments were created from remnant pieces which were only ever bought at stock take sales or selected from the remnant bins in craft/haberdashery/home furnishing stores. Colour matching & creative design was always a challenge when materials were limited but interesting pieces usually resulted.

* This tablecloth draped over an old chair was designed using a curtain lace titled ‘Tuscany’  & combined with sheer voile edging.

* I loved using sheers, voiles & even chiffons for decorative tablecloths like this one, which has removeable, hand made tassels on each corner. These flowing tablecloths look equally decorative as a throw.

* Very simple but effective, white lace & ivory fringing - very elegant.

* Soft flowing sheers & rayon fringing are Oh so elegant …..

* I got into the habit of taking no notice of what materials ’should’ have been used for. In my work room, chiffons were used for decor tablecloths, curtain sheers were used for shawls, fine knits were used for throws.  Ideas kept flowing freely once the creative process kicked in. This shawl was made using a gorgeous printed cutain sheer which had an organza look & feel to it, with hand dyed lace fringing trimming each end.

I guess you could also call these items ‘recreated treasures’ too.

It’s probably something we all go through in life at some point. We have big hopes and dreams about something you’re passionate about but there are those who ’steal’ those dreams from you. Meaning well and offering ‘helpful’ information and ‘advice’, they don’t realise how destructive their words can be. They usually offer no encouragement & can cause you to lose all hope on fulfilling your dream. Donna-Marie from Jacaranda Business Support Services calls these people Dreamtakers.  She has written a wonderful post on this topic and includes an inspirational video titled Follow Your Dreams.

There are some lovely quotes in the video & I quite like this one -

“Don’t let today’s disappointments

cast a shadow on tomorrow’s dreams.

Twenty years form now you will be more disappointed

by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did.

So throw off the bowlines.

Sail away from the safe Harbour.

Catch the tradewinds in your sails.

Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Mark Twain

I enjoy browsing through other people’s creative works. There’s an amazing array of gorgoeus talent out there, and I’m discovering more & more that cards are no longer just cards but gorgeous art works. Ok, so this is not new & not breaking news I know, but when you’re engrossed in your own creative work sometimes you forget to look around out there ….. well, maybe that’s just me, so it’s nice to take time out to see what other creative people are doing. Not only do I enjoy this but I find it quite relaxing …. and inspiring.

My favourite picks from Jenni’s Papercraft Designs would have to be Simple Elegance; and I also quite like her Art On Cards.   Beautiful miniature art works are a gorgeous gift idea or keepsake.

SewDelish has a collection of cards created as a ’stepping out’ challenge where cards are created different to her usual style. My favourites here are the the black & white design, and the retro looking black dress design.
Such designs would have to be kept as keepsakes, or framed.

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Another roses tray to add to the collection of recreated treasures - A solid, useful item and a delightful decorative piece. Possibly the last of my range of decoupaged roses to be displayed, but not the last of my creative work.

Warm sunny days are disappearing making way for the usual cold Melbourne weather. Well, anything below 20 degrees celsius for me is cold. I’ve made sure the studio is ready to handle the frosty temperatures and equipment is poised, waiting for action. It’s ready for a new season of painting and recreating - all it needs now is the artist to brave the first session and arrive full of inspiration and creativity. It’a not my favourite time of the year so it takes some time for me to get moving but I do enjoy the cosy feeling inside my studio - even though it’s not the tidiest of places, it is comfortable and it’s my little world away from the rest of the world.

Painting these old treasures is a long process but I will keep you in touch with my progress.

Ciao for now, Elena

Anzac Day, the day we remember our fallen soldiers…… The day we remember their sacrifice, the great price they paid to ensure our freedom today. Sadly, it also reminds us of the tragedies of war, scenes orhestrated by the powers at hand & commanders & played out in a brutal furnace ……a sad waste. Yet, we reflect and pray that lives would not be wasted like this again. Do we learn from history?

To glorify war is wrong …. but to remember the fallen is respectful, and an honourable thing to do; and hopefully a reminder that we must work towards peace.

The Ode

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

The Ode comes from For the Fallen, a poem by the English poet and writer Laurence Binyon and was published in London in The Winnowing Fan: Poems of the Great War in 1914. This verse, which became the Ode for the Returned and Services League, has been used in association with commemoration services in Australia since 1921.

Lest We Forget.

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After browsing a number of sites owned by talented jewellery artists I decided to bring out another of my recreated treasures. This cute little design is finished in soft pink, pale green & pale gold. I wanted to keep it soft because of the detail in its design.

My first thoughts go to chocolates - The pink compote would look so elegant serving a selection of handmade chocolates but after browsing through Annette Piper’s blog Under The Loupe and seeing some creative jewellery designs I’m now thinking this compote could look gorgeous with a beautiful green, pink & mauve pearl strands
draped over it; add to it a purple bracelet and a rose quartz charm bracelet ; top it off with a pale pink & frosted necklace . A mix of gorgeous beads, pearls & gemstones would sit pretty in the compote and add a sweet little feaure on a dresser or corner table.

I’d love to be able to photograph this compote with all those gorgeous pieces of jewellery. The compote has a satin finish and would set off the shine and luminous sheen of the jewellery beautifully.

When I’m not recreating items I’m selling decorative home wares on eBay. I simply love beautiful things and enjoy my ’shopping’ at the Trade Shows. These gorgeous decor items for the home are also a nice idea as a gift for mum …… for Mother’s Day or any occasion.

Here are some of the products you will find and are currently listed.
CLASSIC PINK ROSES BLOCK PANEL PRINT Chic & Gorgeous

SHABBY FRENCH PROVINCIAL FRAMED MIRROR Elegant Charm

BEAUTIFUL GREEN MILK GLASS VASE Nostalgic Collectable

If decorative home wares are not your preference I’ve come across a mix of gift ideas from other sites. My New Shiny Shoes being one of them. There are gift ‘finds’ here for everyone. The team at My New Shiny Shoes do the searching and bring to you their ‘finds’, all of which are chosen for the Australian market.

Here is one of My New Shiny Shoes ‘Friday’s Find’……..

And here’s something for a business mum……..

and here’s a gorgeous piece for any mum……..

Enjoy browsing through my eBay listings or My New Shiny Shoes.

Ciao for now, Elena

I started thinking about my keepsake boxes after writing my previous post on keepsakes. We all tend to collect little keepsakes along the way in life. Sometimes we don’t keep them but sometimes there are special things we just can’t throw away. I believe that little keepsakes are lovely ‘memoir’ tokens which are a gorgeous hand-me-down gift to a loved one. There are the usual keepsakes for baby, Christenings, weddings etc, but it’s the non-occasion ones that can also be extra special. At the moment I’m thinking of hand made items…. and usually when I think of ‘hand made’ I think of something that grandmother made, an aunt, great aunt or special ’someone’.

A while back I created some keepsake boxes to sell during my Christmas Exhibition & Sales. These decorative little boxes were purely decorative, and for storing little keepsakes…. possibly small, delicate or precious things.

These type of boxes are not difficult to make. Any crafty person could easily get together their materials and be creaive with it. These boxes could also become a keepsake themselves - a special keepsake secretly storing lots of treasures.

The boxes seen here are simply paper mache boxes (fairly sturdy ones); each given a painted finish & sealed; lined inside on the base with felt; with a lid decorated using padding, crushed panne material, braid or tassel fringing, feathers and fabric glitter paint. most of these materials used were found in remnant bins at various fabric stores or during stock take sales or from opp shops.

 An easy weekend project - you could also have more than one on the go. They’re a fabulous gift idea and a gorgeous keepsake in themselves.

I started thinking about keepsakes after reading a post at The Tall Poppy titled ‘The Lost Art of Tatting’.  Not a common craft these days but I don’t think it’s a dying art as there are always a few talented people around demonstrating their craft at events like The Stitches and Craft Show. I’m always amazed at the talents of other crafters and some of the beautiful items they create. It also makes me think about the many hours spent by ladies of days gone by, creating beautiful items, most of which were made because there was a need.  These beautiful items were eventually handed down to daughters or other family members or friends.

I treasure anything handmade that’s been handed down to me from my grandmother & great grandmother. Things like a handwoven linen teatowel, hand embroidered linens, lace ….. some of these would be classed as antique linens but I wouldn’t part with them.