Chicken wire isn't just for chickens!

English Ivy is such a delightful little plant. I've had this little plant for quite some time. It lives quite content in the kitchen or in the hallway. Never asking for much except regular feedings and a regular dose of fertilizer. So much easier than husbands and children!

Notice the wire mesh? That our tutorial for today. A chicken wire cloche!












Gather these supplies:
Chicken wire
Wire cutters
Pliers
One Cloche the size you want your chicken wire cloche
One Base









Wrap the chicken wire around the cloche. Use the wire cutters to cut the chicken wire about 1.5 inches longer than needed.












It will be wider on top than you need. For the sample, I also cut the chicken wire about 2 inches longer.
Tip: Keep the edge of the chicken wire along the bottom edge of the cloche. It makes for a neat edge!










Wrap the ends of the cut chicken wire around one another to secure.














On short ends, wrap the ends of the wire in opposing directions as shown.













For this top, I simply wrapped wire around the top at the desired height and let the top of the chicken wire fan out. Another option is to form the chicken wire on top into a ball.
Better still visit here to see what this talented creator did with hers!









Wouldn't this be cute to house some chicken salt and pepper shakers?
I think if that is what I wanted to do, would probably find the smaller spaced chicken wire.

















These are charming Fitz and Floyd salt and peppers. Run to Tuesday Morning, they might still have a set with your name on them!












My cloche was destined for the English ivy so that its runners could meander mindlessly in and out of the wire.












Won't this be charming when the ivy is a wee bit more mature and the runners have worked their magic to create a lush green cloche?


















Thanks for stopping by. I love it when you come visit. Leave a comment so I know you've been here. I love your comments!!

I've linked to the fabulous Susan at Between Naps on the Porch so that you can see some more before and afters..

Life is what makes you smile...

As I was going through my day today, I realized that life makes me smile. All of it; the good, the bad, the downright ugly. It makes me smile.

I found a great pepper mill this week. It's a William Bounds Pep Art pepper mill that I have been wanting for years. The first time I saw it was in OKC at a wonderful dinner with colleagues who are also good friends. I smile now; I found it at Tuesday Morning and at a really good price! Now every time I see it, I'm reminded of that wonderful dinner. Thanks Phil, Mary and Bernina.
Smile.






And then my youngest let me know that he thinks I'm the best mom ever. How nice that is to hear. And he did it in German. Wow.
Smile.


















And my oldest gave me two of the most wonderful grandchildren in the whole wide world. One of which is so precocious that she is going have her father pay for his brother's raising.
Smile.

















The sunsets in Lubbock are most amazing.
Smile














My road to work has been drastically altered because the smart people planning road construction have successfully managed to rip the loop out between 19th and Quaker Avenue. Men???
Smile.

	No Worries Mate...Life is what makes you smile The sun is shining and it’s just another day, life it makes You smile, if you see the funny side come what may Out of the door and far away always new horizons And people to meet along the way, maybe one Will ask you to stay, stranger things happen in Life everyday, no worries mate as the Aussies say... andrew mark wilkinson

July QuicKutz Club project

Welcome! I'm so glad that you are here. It's that time again, time to come to club and have a bit of fun. As promised this time it's quite an easy page. On that note...how are you coming with filling your album so far? I myself am missing about 3 months, oops I was doing so well too. Oh well, I'll catch up as you will too. Although I used a metal plaque in the upper corner, should you not have this - I have a nice piece that will fit into that space perfectly! It's a club die.. I know you'll love it. Be sure to pick yours up before club as you probably want to use your die!

I know, I know, I'm missing one brad in the center. Oh but that is on purpose, it's easier to see that there really is a flower behind the brads if I left it blank. Isn't that bottom piece fun... It came that way, but you can easily make one of your own.. The butterflies are all cut out of a designer paper and popped up with foam pop dots! Same for the birds.

Supplies:
Melody Ross for GCD designer papers as shown
black brush pen
foam pop dots
black ink
3 Melody Ross brads
Basic scrapbooking supplies

QuicKutz dies:
flower KS-922
leaves KS-917
Cookie cutter 3 dimensional pop up flower die set
your club die!!

Put a little light in your life

As you can clearly see, this darling shade was originally $30.00. Would I ever have spent that much on it? I mean it is really elegant.


How about $1.00? Certainly. On sale in Santa Fe. I purchased two of them.



And two of this hardware. I've looked on line to see if I could find a resource for you to no avail. But fear not.
I found a site that has a a votive converter for a candlestick. Click here. As long as the upper opening on the shade isn't wider than the opening in the votive cup this could work as well. Or follow along for another cute option.


I first made a paper pattern by tracing the original shade onto some plain white paper, which I cut out. Then I traced the pattern onto the decorator paper that I planned to use on the new shade. This is one of Basic Grey's lace cardstocks. Isn't it yummy?

Then the hard choice of choosing trims began. I finally settled on something more malleable so that it would lie flat when glue-sticked to the curve. Glue sticked isn't a word? Really, to a crafter it is! I used a Mokuba flower trim for the wider, lower edge of the lampshade and a mini, rayon rickrack for the upper edge.


Apply a 1/4" wide strip of Terrifically Tacky tape along the back straight edge. Press firmly to adhere. Release the orange cover. Press the other edge over the tape. Press to secure.


I also made another simple shade out of a patterned vellum. Once again, trace the pattern onto the letter sized vellum. Isn't it nice that it fits? Once it's cut out, use a Gold Leaf pen available at most craft stores, to edge both the upper and lower edge of the shade. Adhere the back closed with more Terrifically Tacky tape.


Place the hardware onto your candle holder. I chose my antique English Barley Twist candlestick.
See how cute this is? Today I've got a 'real' votive candle in the holder. However, with kids and company, I resort to battery operated candles. Makes me responsible and saves a disaster.


I love how the light shines through the opening in the paper.


I can see this appearing on a buffet table or on a side table in a room. How about the bathroom? It needs a bit of sprucing up don't you think?


No hardware? Find your favorite wine glass. Don't have one? The Dollar Tree has plenty. I like the chunky ones with interesting stems the best.


These would also be cute at a wedding reception, birthday party, individual candles on a dinner table, or even in a kitchen window. What ideas did you dream up?


And here is the simple one. Of course, the flaw is front and center. Oh well, I'm not perfect either.

Alternative shade ideas: paper piercing on vellum, die cuts on vellum (ooh so cute for halloween), your favorite Christmas paper. Can you think of more?

Have fun with this project. It's easy and will add a bit of light to your life for sure.

Bienvenidos a nuestra casa

Welcome and thanks for stopping by. It's raining outside, but in here we are going to be dining on some delicious south of the border delicacies. In honor of your visit, I've used our favorite Talavera pottery dishes; Guatamalen woven runner, place mats and napkins; and our Mexican sugar mold.

It's still early, but do come on in.

Have a nice glass of iced tea, or could this be a cold adult beverage?

Normally we would have live ivy or other trailing plants interspersed with the tea lights, but the streets were flooded this morning and driving required oars. So we'll make do with a bit of faux ivy. I usually go to the nursery and pick up some seedlings (or plants in very tiny 1" square pots), remove them from the pots and place them inside a clear baggy and then place them in on of the cylindrical openings. Then after dinner, I'd love for you to take the plant with you as a remembrance of a great evening.

What is this pattern you ask? It's created by the craftsmen and each piece is an individual pattern. No two will be exactly alike.

The tortilla warmer is awaiting the tortillas and will be placed in the oven just long enough to warm them through.

How did I do this? Oh not so hard. Find yourself a salt cellar and cut a paper the width of the diameter of the cellar. Hold it vertically in the center of the cellar. Pour salt on one side, pepper on the other. Remove the paper. Tap the cellar on the table a few times - lightly. Serve with a salt spoon.

You like our glasses too! Hand blown in France, we brought them home from Santa Fe several years ago.

It's a bright colorful table for sure.

From where did we get the brassware? It was a gift from my mother about 30 years ago. Made in Thailand with rosewood handles.

Watch the opening for a clue as to whether it's salt or pepper. Pepper has 3 openings and salt only has one.

Another intriguing pattern.

Although the openings in the antique are cylindrical, you can insert clear votive holders into the openings and then you can use tea light candles.

The backs of old silver are as interesting as the fronts, don't you think?

Bright and casual for a rainy evening inside.

Click here to find out about what you can do with the 'piloncillo" that comes out of the mold.

A glimpse of one of the plates. So you'd like to sit here?

The Guatamalen linens are all cotton, hand woven, color fast and wear extremely well. Purchased in Santa Fe at the Chile Shop.

Come back again sometime soon, we love having you at Casa de Bennett.

Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. I love to hear from you. It makes my day! I've also linked to the lovely Susan's Tablescape Thursday. Click the picture below to feast your eyes!