Spring Eggs and Pussy Willow Decorating

Springtime and nature go hand and hand. For this vignette I went with natures colors.
The white plastic eggs are covered with light brown packing material. The pussy willow buds have a wonderful warm gray color with light gray tops. The branches are earthy with a reddish brown wood color. The gray paper egg holder plays off the gray pussy willow buds. Adding the twine to the glass vase was another element of texture and color. Texture plays an important role in monotone decorating; it's the key element in achieving the look without it looking bland and flat. It gives the vignette that touchable feel. I love decorating with color but monotone decorating can also be beautiful. You don't need to be an artist to have beautiful artwork.  Just follow with texture and you will achieve the look of a professional designer.  Here I made my own wood art using the woodworker's transfer tool.
 *Watch the video to learn how to use the tool on my sidebar. 
Don't be afraid to paint items in your home. The sweet birds were originally silver in color, but I painted them with chalk paint.
After they were dry, I went over the birds with a vinegar and steel wool solution. The same solution I made for the French parfumeur picture. 

Here are the recipes for the vinegar and steel wool solution/Faux Barn Wood and homemade/ Chalk Paint. 
Unfortunately it's been very overcast here, and on top of that, the flash on my camera washed them out a bit. The birds have a wonderful patina to them and it works so well with the earth tones.
I also painted the shelf table with chalk paint and sanded back the edges to reveal the wood. 
French Pussy Willow/Salix Caprea can be found in your local floral market. My sweet husband knows how much I love pussy willow and brought them home for me. I cut the pussy willow branches down to size using my clipping shears. I put them in a glass vase without water. Putting water in the vase will encourage the pussy willow to continue to grow. The fuzzy buds will turn into leaves and twigs will form roots. If you're looking to plant them in your own garden this is a great way to do it. Plant your pussy willow in a moist sunny location. Did you know that if you cut your pussy willow branches in the winter and bring them in your home they will grow the gray fuzzy buds just like they do in spring? To do this you would need to put the branches in water for a few weeks until the buds appear. After that let the branches dry out and display them in a dry vase. They can last for a few years. Dust them off by using a hair dryer on low or cool. 
Thanks for stopping by!
XO,

32 comments:

  1. Good Morning Dee,
    This is so pretty, so Spring, and so you. I love it.
    Have a wonderful weekend.
    Your blogging sister, Connie :)

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  2. How cute are they! And so nice to see something springy on this dreary day!
    -Shelley

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  3. How pretty, I have seen the pussy willows in the grocery store lately and after seeing yours I am wanting some:)

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  4. How pretty, I have seen the pussy willows in the grocery store lately and after seeing yours I am wanting some:)

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  5. Gorgeous vignette! I love those little birds! and the shelf is beautiful. Such a pretty look.

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  6. Oh what a lovely visual treat you have blessed me with. It looks fantastic.

    Have a wonderful weekend.

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  7. That is a truly beautiful vignette. Oh how I wish I could master the wood tool. You get such beautiful results. I have watched the video twice and I still can't master it. Did you say you washed the birds with the vinegar and steel wool as well? I didn't know you could use it on painted items. It's just stunning.

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  8. Dearest Dee,
    Love all your work and especially the nice way you arranged your pussy willows in that vase.
    Isn't it awful for not being able to capture things on camera on dark and rainy days?
    But that's life.
    Enjoy the weekend.
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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  9. Thanks Maggie!

    I wish you could master using the woodworker's transfer tool. It's so much fun to use. Make the toner a little darker on your printer before printing out your picture. Or take your printed image to a store like Staples and have them print it darker on their laser printer. It could be that the toner is set to light on your printer for the toner to transfer using the tool. Remember the woodworker's transfer tool is melting the toner off the paper and onto the wood.

    Yes I did wash over the painted birds with the vinegar and steel wool solution. I thought if it works on wood why not try it on chalk paint. I could not be happier with the turnout. The birds now have a wonderful patina to them.

    Dee

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  10. How cute Dee! and different. Love them.

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  11. Oh how cute. Such a great project and your eggs are great with the packing material. Very creative...I am so glad you got your navbar hid...LOL. The trick is not to foget the hit the enter key....You go it.!

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  12. Dee,
    Love the look of it!

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  13. So creative, I absolutely love it! -Bev

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  14. Wow Dee, this is amazing! I loved your tutorial on how to do it too, this looks amazing! ~Diane

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  15. It looks great! I love the eggs!

    Have a great day.
    Pam

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  16. The natural colors and textures really work wonderfully on this shelf. Thanks for the info on the pussy willow.

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  17. Hi Dee, Your vignette is beautiful and I love the artwork!
    xx,
    Sherry

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  18. I am headed out to find pussy willow branches today and I am going to look for the woodworking tool. I just love that sign.

    Thanks for the inspiration.

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  19. I love the wood art you created for your vignette, Dee. The whole vignette speaks to spring...Perfect!!
    Mary Alice

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  20. So beautiful! I love the different tones and textures -- that packing paper -- well that's just so cute!! I love painting things -- I'd paint my kids if they stood still long enough I think.

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  21. I love the paper covered eggs, I thought they were pine cones at first glance....And who knew pussy willows would continue their transformation when cut..Thank you!

    Carol

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  22. Dee, Spring has sprung at your home! You did a lot of great work to put together the pretty vignette... and it really paid off! Wonderful!

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  23. Hi Dee,
    What a pretty spring display! You've inspired me to get moving and change my decor. I need some spring touches around here :)
    -Lynn

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  24. Wow! what a gorgeous vignette you have created, Dee! Absolutely amazing from the Frenchy wood art,the brown packing material eggs down to those cute chalk painted birds...very very pretty vignette!Love the finish on the wood art and shelf:)Thanks for the inspiration~hugs, Poppy

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  25. The arrival of pussy willows always meant that spring had sprung, when I was a little girl, walking to school, noticing their softness and dainty shape. Your spring vignette is very welcoming and I'm sure a pleasure to take in.

    Thanks so much for sharing!

    Poppy

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  26. I'm crazy for your wood art project and had to pin it!
    JP

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  27. Love that entire vignette. I espcially like how you made that wall art! Very nice.

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  28. Wonderful! I love how you used what you have to make something beautiful!

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  29. Oh i love it, such a pretty vignette. Thanks tons for linking to Inspire Me. Hugs, Marty

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  30. I love this idea! It's so pretty! I remember a post you did on aging a chest. I think you used this technique. It's such a fascinating painting technique. I can always count on you to share a creative idea!

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Thanks for stopping by! ❤ Dee