Tag Archives: wreaths

Unique Wreaths capture a Native and Organic style

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And they are the creations of Mauli McDonald of ‘art and nature’ out of New London, NH.

Art of Nature_0001

A visit to a fine arts festival at Roseland Cottage situated in the heart of Woodstock, Connecticut makes for a pleasant afternoon.  The grounds of this 1846 home, a national historic landmark, is filled from corner to corner with 175 artisans and their wares, from jewelry to pottery and more for two days every October.

As I toured the artisans’ booths this year, on October 19th, I did not bother much to take out my camera as usual.  For some reason, I wasn’t in the picture taking mood, but I was admiring many of the art works showcased and being offered for sale by the participants.  I picked up a few holiday themed ornaments, a really nice pottery piece, and enjoyed a lunch as I chatted with a group at a table filled with visitors from all around New England.

But one artisan that day struck me in particular – and it was the works by Mauli McDonald of ‘art of nature’ from New London, NH.  She had beautiful organic wreaths and center pieces.  Even her business card connected with me.  It was created on torn edged paper with a real feather pasted on the center below her business name.

Images property of Mauli McDonald

Images property of Mauli McDonald

Mauli’s words provide the perfect explanation, as presented on her website, of her art form:

“The materials that I have chosen to work with have in some way enchanted me.  The soft edge of a feather, the curve and cradle of an antler, the green pool moss on a white wintered log—each object speaks.  And as you will discover, many of the designs carry, as well, a native, organic, almost unsophisticated style.”

As I looked over her unique wreaths created with native and organic materials that day, I was in awe of how she assembled the textures, colors, and overall feel.  She definitely has talent – and when you see her pieces in person, you witness her ability to capture materials from the forest floors in well-balanced compositions.

But more importantly, the objects she uses are organic, natural and make one think of things in nature which she so beautifully captured in an art form.  As you look and admire them, many may bring you memories of scenes in nature you have experienced in your own walks through parks, forests, or even in your own backyard.

As I browsed along her website later, I spotted her ‘antique art’ pieces where a violin or snowshoe was used in combination with treasures from nature.  How wonderful these pieces are because they capture a keepsakes and combine it with nature’s treasures.

Images property of Mauli McDonald

Images property of Mauli McDonald

As Mauli McDonald states,

“I am drawn to certain thing simply because I like the object.  A singular piece may have no function, but there is something about it that I find appealing.”

I totally get that statement. Being ‘drawn to something’ because it has a particular connection or appeal.  Like the violin, for example, made me think of my father who plays one.  And the snowshoe is one of my hobbies in winter.  But the way this artist assembles theses treasures with nature is truly beautiful.  It pays homage to both objects – the treasures found in life and given by nature to us every day.

Mauli McDonald’s works are wonderful examples of “combining nature with art” and I wanted to share them with you. Take the time to visit Mauli McDonald’s website at www.natureswildart.com and if you should happen to be traveling in New Hampshire, I suspect a visit to her beautiful shop would be worthwhile.  Just look at the entrance!

Image property of Mauli McDonald

Image property of Mauli McDonald

It is located at 9 Newport Road, New London, NH 03257.  To reach Mauli, email to urth@tds.net or call 603-526-2638.

For more information regarding the Roseland Cottage Fine Arts and Crafts Festival, visit HistoricNewEngland.org/Festivals.

Written by Cathy Testa

P.S. Tips when you visit Roseland Cottage for their next annual show, just enjoy – everything is there for you, parking is in lots across the street, some on lawn areas, lunch is available as there are many choices by the food vendors, live music is playing too.  I would say the only tip is to note this event on your calendar so you don’t miss it next year.

Evergreen Kissing Balls Class 2012

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Candle Centerpiece

Good Morning, or Afternoon Everyone!

Today is the day I have the pleasure of teaching attendees the how-to’s of making gorgeous evergreen kissing balls for the holidays.  Wreath making is also being offered as well as mailbox swags, button balls, candle center pieces, and more.  This is my third annual class on this topic, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to hold it because is it fun, creative, and everyone leaves with a hand-made evergreen decoration.

For those reading my blog regularly, you know this tradition – at least for me – is partly due to my Canadian heritage, and the other part of the formula is being in the world of horticulture.  It can be dreary looking outside in the winter months, and having evergreens around your home in various décor showcases surely cheers one up.  It adds a nice dark green color against the soft snow of the season.Birdbath with Evergreens

I hang two kissing balls from hooks by my entrance door every year, on hooks used for hanging baskets in the summer.  I also make an evergreen topper for my whiskey barrels and insert a big wicker snowman with lights in the center.  I like putting evergreens on a iron garden bench and on the rim of my hearted birdbath.  And I hang evergreen garlands from various places too.  The list goes on.

Festive SnowyAs shown on my latest guest appearance on the CT Style televisions program (See:  http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/ct_style/holiday-kissing-ball#.ULnhI10o7IU), I mentioned kissing balls don’t just have to be hung from hooks or from the ceiling of your entrance doors or wrap around porches, although they look absolutely gorgeous there.  They can also be placed in a pretty holiday tin as a table centerpiece. Or you can create festive and fun snow man by using a kissing ball as the body. Another new creation I invented is what I call a “button ball” which is almost a full ball that is hung on the base of your windows, outdoors, on the center of the base.  Just think creatively.

Yesterday, my oil delivery guy tapped on my door to hand in my bill, and he said, “Your place looks so nice!”  I told him I was setting up a class and had people attending tomorrow.  He asked for what?…, and of course, I pointed to my kissing balls hanging right there, he said they were beautiful.  You know, I’ve had the mail man complement me on plants in summer, the woman delivering the newspapers mentioning she enjoys my big container garden season change up by the end of my driveway, and even an electrician this summer, working here, bought an item of mine on his way out that I just made for the farmers market.  He said his wife still raves about it still.

Candle CenterpieceThree days after my kissing ball and wreath making class, I’m holding a class at my local East Windsor Senior Center on how to make candle centerpieces with evergreens and decor.  My parents go to this senior center every single day, yes every week day, for lunch.  They love it there.  I never thought they would be so involved in a senior center, only because they spent so much time at home on our farm, and many of their best friends were Canadian relatives, but now he has many town friends from the senior center.

One day I ran into a person who is involved in running the center, and he said, at first my father was very quiet, yet now he talks to everyone non-stop.  I’m so glad the center is here for my parents, I truly appreciate this helpful service at a time when my parents are retired.  The senior center staff invited me to have lunch with them before we begin our hands-on session for candle centerpieces.  This is another class I’m looking forward to doing, especially because the attendees are good friends of my parents, and it is a local venue.

ev on plateThen it is off to decorating some business store fronts with evergreen décor and hopefully, after that is done, I can do a little more at home for myself.  Some of my favorite evergreens to use are boxwood, balsam and fraser firs, blue berried juniper, coned cedar, yew, holly, and white pine.  I went over why during my television segment, and will during classes.

I also love collecting pine cones which I bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes at a low temperature to kill any little critters that maybe hanging out in there, and this also opens them up if they are closed tight.  The fragrance emitted, as they slowly warmed up, is interesting, and kind of sets the mood too.

Beautiful, fresh, and textural evergreens dress up your outdoor environment this time of year, and will add a bit of fresh fragrance, and create festive, welcoming environment.  Once decorated, they can’t be beat and I think even the birds enjoy them.

A new trend I’m seeing is the evergreens are showcasing more unique light products, such as solar powered lights that can be tucked in the base, or you can put a string of lights in the base on top of the soil before inserting your greens and painted or natural branches for holiday outdoor containers and pots filled with evergreens.  You can even create an ice globe by filling a balloon with water, putting outdoors during freezing temps, it will freeze into a ball.  Then just peal off the balloon and you have an ice globe.  This globe tucked into the base of the evergreens in a holiday pot with lights can look very cool during the evenings.  And if it melts, oh well, that just gives some moisture to the tips and cuttings.

This year’s class is full, but keep it in mind for next season as it will return and grow each year.  Also, if you are interested in a custom order for evergreen décor, do not hesitate to contact me at cathy.testa@aol.com or 860-977-9473.  Thank you for visiting.  Don’t forget to see more photos on my business Facebook page:  Cathy T’s Landscape Designs, and on Pinterest for my holiday boards for ideas.  Cathy T

From Spark to Tradition

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I have a friend who has a tradition of raising turkeys every year for a butchering in time for Thanksgiving.  Well, it is actually her husband and his friends partaking in the butchering, but because she and I walk together in the mornings, I’ve witnessed the turkeys in the pen and the pile of feathers that follow when their annual event occurs.

One year, her dog sat quietly on their lawn witnessing the slaughter and cut up as the gang of guys did their work, and I said to my friend, “Gee, I wonder what your dog is thinking?”  She responded, “…I’m glad I’m not a turkey.”

I never asked her though, how did this whole thing get started?  They don’t live on a farm per say, but this tradition has grown so much at their home, to the point, soon they will need a bigger turkey pen.

Because I grew up on a farm, and my Dad butchered cows, this whole process is not repulsive to me.  At the age of 8 or 9, somewhere around there, I carried cow hearts and tongues in buckets, yes, buckets from the barn to the basement, where my Mom would be there grinding meat and packaging the butchered treasures for storage in the big basement freezer.

I crave freshly butchered meat now more than ever.  Store bought meat never does it for me.  So last year, I purchased a 1/4 of a cow from a local butcher.  The butcher was introduced to me by way of the turkey butchering friends!  Who would ever figure we’d be doing that, …going in on a cow?  Not surprising, but I would not have thought this would become a tradition with my walking partner.  Ironically, we walk right past the cow candidates on our walking route too.  How funny and ironic is that?  Sometimes, I’ll jokingly point to a big cow in the pasture and say, “You are next on our list!”  LOL.

Of the packages of butchered meat, the one I seem to enjoy the most is the ground beef.  The color is so red and fresh, I think I actually drooled once upon opening it.  I told my friend it is vampire-ish.  It brings me back to the memory of juicy meat, fresh from our family farm, and I feel that tradition of my childhood when carrying pieces of meat from the butchering barn to the processing station returning.  With a large family of eight, I’m sure it was the economical way to go as well.  Eventually my Dad had a butcher do the dirty work but we always had fresh meat on hand.

But how this tradition started for my family, or my friends’ family with the turkeys, is a mystery.  Traditions seem to be created over time, starting with an initial spark and leading to a grander event.

For me, my friends, family and some gardening enthusiasts, a tradition sparked at my home three years ago.  It did not include butchering an animal, but we do cut up quite a few evergreens!  I decided to teach a class on how to make evergreen kissing balls for the holidays.  Kissing balls are popular in Canada where my parents are from, and where many of my French Canadian relatives live today.

When we were kids, we headed up north almost every Christmas or New Years as a holiday tradition.  And when visiting Aunts and Uncles’ homes, I always saw kissing balls hung in-front of their doorways.  They hang them in front of local restaurants and hotels too.  When snow is clinging to them, it adds a special feeling of remembering the cold, festive days of a Canada visit.  In fact, you start seeing the evergreen kissing balls when approaching Vermont on the route up north.

These images of evergreen kissing balls dangling to welcome visitors is part of what sparked a thought that I should offer a class on how to make them, plus one of my favorite cousins had asked me to help her make some, so the combo of the two lead to my class.

KB at Spa Restaurant

KB at Spa Restaurant

My “how to make evergreen kissing balls class” turned out to be a very festive afternoon with the ladies, whom I refer to today, in year three of holding this class, as the “Kissing Ball Makers.”  That name was also a spark upon the suggestion of one of the attendees when she replied to an email about it.

Last year, I exclaimed to the group,”I’m going to hold this class every year for as many years as I can.”  And the group returns here on 12/1 this year to keep the tradition going strong.  It is my #1 favorite event for the holidays.

Holding it right after Thanksgiving subsides and the holiday decorating season begins is just about right.  The Kissing Ball Makers relax, chatter, and create before the hustle and bustle of holiday preparations start.  It is a bit of “me time” for the Kissing Ball Makers, and they take home a beautiful and festive evergreen creation of their own style.

During our creation process, we aren’t holding our iPhones (although we use them to check out our Holiday pin boards for inspiration!)  Here is mine:http://pinterest.com/cathytesta/holiday/, plus our hands are busy stuffing evergreens or sharing our favorite holiday appetizers without anyone having to do the clean up after.

In fact, I even enjoy that tradition of cleaning up the classroom floor the next day, finding tinsel and glitter here and there scattered around, some empty cocktail classes, and the sound in my mind of all the laughter and fun from the prior day’s event.

If you didn’t get a chance to get in on the sign-up list for this year’s class, which includes new items to make such as wreaths and mailbox evergreen swags, your next best alternative is to tune in on November 27th, Tuesday, at 12:30 pm, Channel 8 to see me return as a guest speaker on the CT Style program on WTNH.com, or watch it on the web right after it airs.  See http://www.wtnh.com/subindex/ct_style.

KBs in-front of house in Burke, VT.

In the meantime, I have to ask, “What is your favorite holiday tradition, and how did it spark?”

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone, Cathy T