A New Beginning

Well, my husband and I finally made the decision to expand our decks around the side and back of our home this year. That means that my back shade garden will have to go. That is where the expansion will take place. Fortunately, our local Garden Club will be sending out a work party next month to pot up all the plants to sell at their annual Plant Sale. I am so excited that they will all have new homes in someone elses gardens and that I won't have to just pitch them.

If any of you have followed my blog for sometime now, you have seen pictures of that back garden when it is fully grown. I have posted a picture from last year.

The back garden is on a slant and I find that the older I get, the harder it is for me to garden there. It is with a sigh of relief that it will be replaced with an extension of our decking. This will allow us to have a seating area overlooking our streamed ravine. I really love container gardening and this would give me the chance to do more of it. As the project proceeds, I will be posting additions to my blog along with pictures. We are really excited at the prospect of spending our Summers out there on the deck enjoying our "wee beasties" in our wooded, streamed ravine.

Do check back soon for more updates. Until then .......

Rosemary, Garden Gate Designs
www.gardengatedesigns.artfire.com

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Brass Findings and Filigrees

As Jewelry Designers, you know the importance of quality ingredients in your designs. Sometimes, just a special finding or filigree can set a design apart from another and make it truly special. In my ArtFire supply shop, I have carefully added a mixture of wonderful brass findings and filigrees, items from the Vintaj line of Natural Brass and wonderful Chalcedony Gemstones, and pearls Here are just a jew for you to ponder:

My shop is just full of goodies and new items are always being added. Isn't it time you checked out:

www.gardengatedesigns.artfire.com

A Little Touch of Springtime

As our Snowy Winter dredges on, I thought I would share my Easter Springtime Display in my Dining Room.

The entire display sits upon my reproduction hunt board in my formal dining room. Little Easter Tree is a real Feather Tree that I have owed for over 20 years. It becomes a different tree with each Holiday or Season. Just decorated differently for each.

For the Springtime Easter Tree, I took light Springtime green grossgrain ribbon and wrapped the tree bark starting with the bottom of the tree ending with the top. Then, I attach my Sweet Little Bunny and it's matching green ribbon. Tree is decorated with colored eggs, carrots, special Easter Ornaments that I have collected for the last several years. The tree base is then embelished with a pale yellow searsucker length of fabric simply wound around the base.

The glass tray to the left side is a garage sale find for 25 cents I have owned for over 15 years. It is etched with Springtime flowers in yellow, green, orchid and blue. My chalkware bunnies are all from craft shows through the years. The artist I purchased them from is now retired, having extended herself so much with her craft shows that her husband made her retire. They were traveling all over the U.S. to show and sell them. I truly cherish them as I have never seen a better reproduction chalkware since.

The handmade sugar picture egg is from a local bakery. The owner's daughter makes them every year in different sizes. My younger son bought it for me one year.

The cute little folk art egg wagon complete with ducks is being pulled by a folk art chick.

See what you can do with a simple collection to liven up a room for the season. Give it a try. It will lift your spirits and get you through until Springtime arrives!

Rosemary, Garden Gate Designs
www.gardengatedesigns.artfire.com