Merry Driftwood Mantle

One of the projects I spent way too much time on this holiday season was my fireplace mantle decor. It was calling out for some attention and it became an ever evolving creation over a few weeks –  much like a painting that is worked and reworked until you just must stop.

I had fun though and would like to share the evolution.....

This "before" shot was taken after removing the print that usually resides over the fireplace and replacing it with the convex mirror I inherited many years ago. See me in the reflection? The goose is a sentimental reminder of Christmas Past.

And now the games begin! Fresh greens and very large grapevine wreath added....

Driftwood of many shapes and sizes placed.....

Grapevine balls were so tenderly placed (one fell off and was immediately snatched up by Mr. Willy the dog)  but after much review, the mantlescape was getting a bit heavy....

Less is more so the saying goes, so off with the driftwood & remaining balls, replace judiciously.

Lights were added at some point! Fantastic cheap string on a TIMER from Walmart!!!!

Did I mention I couldn't stop? The last addition (almost) to my Christmas Mantle Project were drilled cut tree ends strung with jute....like stockings hung by the chimney with care....

Wait, maybe just a little more?

A little glitz was necessary, right?  I placed the silvery, sparkly coiled branches sparingly and......

the starfish jumped right in afterwards!

The Christmas Goose stands watch. Merry Christmas to all and may Peace find all who are in need.

Driftwood

Driftwood is a wonder of nature. In the abstract is can be just as wonderful. Looking closely at the swirls and eddies of wood grain that mimic the sea, I could not but help envisioning a series of "Ansel Adams like" images.  Deciding on the platform of either black & white or au naturale was a facebook question I posed. The outcome will be apparent by my images! 

Thank you all for your unbiased opinions! I love the fact that choices were made and you were not afraid to share. In the end it was up to me to make my own decision because the votes were just about even! These images will be matted in black with a beveled white edge to enhance the gray tones, then framed but not sure where they will end up!

The original driftwood was an entire tree at times. Not something I could take home!

I am really wishing I added a black border to these now just temporarily to make them pop off the screen!

Coming up with names for each image (which helps me identify the ones I want to post) was a fun little task in itself. Names like gnarly, cavernous, folded tree, holy cow, ax attack and last but not least, dolphin face...my "willing to go out on a limb" facebook experiment piece.

But to appreciate why I choose to try my hand at abstracting you must see the subjects in their world, on the beach where they rest. At the high tide mark they are rolled and pushed and covered in various amounts of sand with every passing tide.

Time for another walk to see how they fared during some recent stormy weather. They could be gone completely, moved or joined by a few friends!

Beauties and the Beast

Gifts from the sea. Some a bit surprising at times, some breath taking and some are curiosities. This past week I received a gift from another source but ultimately it was also from the sea. My Aunt Anne searched her attic space for a jar she knew lay hidden...full of seaglass from many years ago. Possibly gathered with her mother, my grandmother and my first seaglass mentor!

Some of the most beautiful pieces I have ever seen were contained in a huge jar she presented to me, knowing my addiction to collecting seaglass was a family trait, a tradition and I would cherish the contents. 

But this treasure chest of beauties didn't mean my seaglass walks could take a breather....quite the opposite. It fueled me!

And quite the curiosity I did find!

A rusty appendage attached to its very worn and stained wood spine.

I question, where could this be from, what did it support and am I holding a little piece of history?

Is it a beast or is it a beauty?

Prehistoric, fossil like and with such a personality, I had to bring it home. Maybe it will go back to the sea, maybe it will become another garden ornament, but for now it is telling me a story.

Some of the "beauties" from the sea are nearby. The lavender piece a gift from my daughter and the aqua green are yet another story. So thick & old and luminous, where are they from? Nuggets of this size and color are certainly not from recent times!

Beauties meet the Beast. But what is the saying? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

They are both beautiful in my mind and especially together. All are gifts from the sea!

Gearing up for the Garden Expo

I have been meaning to create a link here for the upcoming Garden Expo at which I will be finally selling my seaglass creations! 

So here it is. The Garden Expo 2012

I am "undercover" though. My decision to embark on this adventure was quite serendipitous. I LOVE that word! I did not plan on making my gems into jewelry...but had it in the back of my mind for forever. Sometimes life changes in the blink of an eye though. Thus, Carol Roche, Seaglass Designs was created and I have been working hard on creating a look, using my graphic design background, my love of seaglass, obviously and much more! To explain though, "undercover" just means my entry for the expo was late and I was asked to share a table with a friend. You will not see my name on the list of vendors but my "tablemate" is Bruce David Photography. Look for us there!

The studio, if you can call it that, has been all about earrings this week. How do you pair one of a kind pieces of seaglass up with each other to create earrings for two ears? I can't call in a dating service! So I have to let my sense of color, and shape relax a bit. Taking a few deep breaths this week anyways!

The earring display was created from a garden piece of driftwood. Had to do a little bug eradication first though! Quite the "Matterhorn" of earring displays...funny, that word serendipitous comes into play again but only a few will make that connection.

Staging, pricing and all sorts of projects seem to emerge from my basement studio to end up in the kitchen. The natural light lets me see what I need to see! I promise I will clean it all up soon!

 

My marketing and design background kicks into gear when given the right opportunity. This time I couldn't pass up the chance. The Garden Expo starts on Saint Patrick's Day! So, how many people put their noses up at the most common green seaglass pieces? Not I.

I drilled a little too fast and a few too many today. One piece just exploded! The drill was quite bent out of shape, literally. I put a quick order into Gesswein, conveniently for me, located in Bridgeport! I hope to be back up and running tomorrow. Then, on Saturday, selling my seaglass to people who will wear it and cherish it!

Making a Stand

I guess I should say making a display stand! I am going to be selling my seaglass necklaces soon at a local Garden Expo and I wanted to use natural materials to create a unique, "from the earth" display. I had so much fun (with a bit of frustration) in the process. I had all the materials – from my driftwood collected, a dowel, drill, rocks, coping saw and then some patience :)

Drilling went as expected, I painted the dowel to look a bit aged and thought it would all just fall into place as planned! 

But somehow, the angles drilled weren't quite right. (so re-drill) The balancing of two different driftwood pieces was off. (idea! use rocks as shims or "props" as it turned out) Then how to attach the whole ensemble together so it is steady, straight (biggest issue) and still looks OK?

Doesn't this look a bit like a Foot Long Sandwich? Yikes....NO!!!!! 

I had been collecting some rocks that struck me as subtly colorful and I was considering doing something with them. They were sitting on my windowsill and I decided that they should be a permanent part of the display! Not just a temporary shim. They added color, interest but not enough to take anything away from the real purpose of this adventure.

The next display stand was going to have a base of an awesome piece of driftwood. Sand was still hiding in some of the crevices and added to the mess I had already created.  Although this dowel did not need a shim or any help to stand upright, the rock theme continued.

When I could sigh a sigh of relief that this project was not done in vain, and with the support of Pappa D, my very supportive husband, we brought the stands down to the beach...

Swing to the right, swing out of control! I did say patience was a factor. The wind was making this a lot more difficult than expected.

This shot just defines my seaglass, sand, driftwood & rock connection. They are all so interrelated and so much a part of my life!

Hope to give a link to the Fairfield Garden Expo soon! Would love to see you there!