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Tag: velvet pumpkins


first pumpkins of 2019

4
October

velvet pumpkin on book

In case you were wondering, yes – I did start making pumpkins.

For today’s Friday field trip I am sharing my first creations of the season!

My very first pumpkin of the year is a simple gray velvet.

gray pumpkin on log

So far, I’ve only made two.

The second was an experiment.  I made it from velvet, but added a ‘top coat’ of tulle.  The tulle is a very special one…it was taken from my mother’s wedding dress!  (It’s the pumpkin in the first photo in this post.)  I want to try using the tulle in a few different ways, but the overlay idea was my first one.

pumpkins with shutter

I hope you are inspired to make some pumpkins of your own, maybe using some fabrics that are special in some way to you.

velvet pumpkin with plaid

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a fabulous weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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and so, the pumpkins begin

1
October

white pumpkins in chenille

Well, it is October after all!  Even as I write this, I haven’t officially started making pumpkins yet this year.

white pumpkin in velvet

I did put a few out that I made in past years though.  Today will start the beginning of this year’s pumpkin making!  Chenille was new last year…I need to come up with something new for 2019!

velvet pumpkins

Happy October!  Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Comments Off on and so, the pumpkins begin | diy, style

october book giveaway!

28
September

breast cancer awareness pumpkins (2)

This is one of those months when the book giveaway is not a book!  For October, the giveaway is handmade pink velvet pumpkins.  Pumpkins; because it is October and pink; because October is breast cancer awareness month.

I encourage everyone to display at least one pink pumpkin during the month, preferably in a really visible location – like a front porch.  A great way to show support for breast cancer awareness month!

Inside the home, a clear container, a terrarium, or a cloche is great for pink pumpkin display! The container I used here is from Terrain and I am constantly changing up its contents to suit the season!

breast cancer awareness pumpkins (2)

To win your very own velvet pink pumpkins, made by me, just leave me a comment saying you’d like to win!  The winner will be chosen at random at the end of October from the comments received during the month.  Win and you will be able to display some pink velvet pumpkins each October!

Congrats to Mary Beth (a self-proclaimed pencil geek) , the winner of the September giveaway of the journal and the set of pencils with my custom imprints.  Click here to see more on the giveaway.

pink pumpkins in a terrarium

Instagram users, please read on.  For the month of October, let’s share our pink pumpkins!  Use hashtag #pleasuregram to share any photos of pink pumpkins on display – by you or by someone else!

pink pumpkin

Thanks for stopping by!  Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

1 comment » | diy, inspiration

it’s all about the stem

25
September

its all about the stem

It’s official.  It is fall!  I always start the season by making some velvet pumpkins.  Every year I make a few more, using new shades of velvet and pumpkin stems I have collected from the year before.  Each year, I like to make some pumpkins that are a little different than the year before…either in color or fabric.  But, before I start my own pumpkins, I have a few pumpkins to make as gifts.

yellow ochre velvet pumpkin

If you make velvet pumpkins, you know the personality of the pumpkin is created with the stem.  And, the hardest part about making pumpkins to give as gifts is to part with the stems!  It is all about the stem!

Here are a few great stems from some gifts I made this year – my first pumpkins of the season.

At a request, I created my very first red pumpkin.  Look at that marvelous stem!

red velvet pumpkin

Thanks for stopping by!  If you haven’t yet tried making a velvet pumpkin, you can look back into my archives for directions by clicking here and give it a try!  You can start by collecting some fabulous stems!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Comments Off on it’s all about the stem | diy, inspiration, style

fall by the sea velvet pumpkins

27
October

white velvet fall by the sea pumpkins

I thought I would leave you with one last velvet pumpkin post for this year.  If you have been inspired to try making some velvet pumpkins, I want to suggest you experiment with stems.  Yes, the real pumpkin stems are so beautiful (and my favorites), but changing up the stems can create a different vibe for your homemade creations.

teal velvet and driftwood pumpkin fall by the sea

For today’s Friday field trip, I am demonstrating this by sharing a few of my seaside pumpkins.  By simply changing up the stems, it is possible to create a beachy vibe with your velvet pumpkins.

fall by the sea pumpkin trio

Just as I save pumpkin stems, I also save pieces of driftwood that I think will make great pumpkin stems come fall.

white velvets fall by the sea pumpkins

Driftwood stems are much more challenging to collect than real pumpkin stems, since the shapes are so varied and not all pieces will translate well as pumpkin stems.

fall by the sea velvet pumpkins on shells

My favorite driftwood stem this year is on this light sea green pumpkin – isn’t it perfect?!  The driftwood stems usually are chunkier, just by nature of the driftwood – but, the shape of this piece looks like an authentic pumpkin stem shape!  I love it!

fall by the sea aqua velvet pumpkin

Sea themed velvet pumpkins look great in a home displayed in a cluster with sea glass and some Spanish moss.  Adding ribbons, twine, seashells, pearls, etc. to the pumpkin can help convey your vibe…have fun with it!

fall by the sea gray velvet pumpkin

I hope I have inspired you to try making a velvet pumpkin in a sea themed color with a driftwood stem!

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing with The Inspiration Gallery at  Taryn Whiteaker. :)

3 comments » | inspiration, sand & sea, style

free pink pumpkin printable

10
October

free printable pink pumpkin bookmarks

What better way to support breast cancer awareness than to display a pink pumpkin for the month of October?!

Paint a huge pumpkin with pink chalk paint (ordinary house paint will do as well) and place it on your front steps…if one person driving by thinks “look at that…must be for breast cancer awareness,”  it has done its job!

pink velvet pumpkins on pleasure in simple things blog

A little pink pumpkin on a desk at work can serve the same purpose.  I like to display a handmade pink velvet pumpkin during October.  It reminds me, as well as others, that breast health is important.

The pink velvet pumpkins pictured here are new ones I made up this year for a breast cancer awareness GO PINK! event benefit at Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown, New York.  Thank you Kim – I am honored to have my pink pumpkins represented at your event!

pink velvet pumpkin pleasure in simple things blog

As a gift to you, my friends, I am including a pink pumpkin bookmark printable that you can download by clicking here.  It includes my favorite ‘pink’ quote!   Use landscape and print it in color on a piece of white card stock – save one for yourself and give the others to friends!  Enjoy!

Thank you for stopping by!

I hope I have inspired you to display some pink pumpkins this month for breast cancer awareness!  It is a wonderful way to honor breast cancer survivors and, also, those who are currently battling breast cancer.

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing at the Inspiration Gallery at Craftberry Bush.

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mini lantern with pumpkins

5
September

pumpkin lantern for fall

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend!  I spent a recent weekend in the woods visiting a friend – and, one cool evening by a fire, my thoughts turned towards the fall season.

When I got back home and was thinking about fall (and, of course white pumpkins), I went into my closet and pulled out all the velvet pumpkins I have made over the years.  Like every other year, I will make a few new ones in neutral shades this year to add to my collection!   I started thinking about what new fabrics I will use for the current year…

inside a mini pumpkin lantern

While I was contemplating the pumpkin box and fabrics, I noticed a little misplaced holiday lantern that didn’t make it into one of the Christmas storage boxes – seeing it immediately inspired me to use it for fall!

Inside the lantern, I added a couple of the smaller pumpkins I have made, a little Spanish moss, some of my DIY bleached mini pine cones and a couple acorns I had painted.

velvet pumpkins in a lantern

Instantly, my holiday lantern is transformed into fall décor!  Maybe, as the days get shorter, I will add a few white fairy lights.  So, just like that, fall décor has sneaked up on me…and, you know how that goes…now I am all in!  To add fuel to the fire – my favorite garden store starts selling white pumpkins this week!

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope I have inspired you to repurpose something from another season for your fall decor!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Comments Off on mini lantern with pumpkins | diy, inspiration, style

homage to fall with velvet pumpkins

24
September

One of my recent visits to Terrain created an intense love for velvet pumpkins…definitely love at first sight!  O.M.G., why have I never seen these before!  The display in the store was just breathtaking…how incredibly beautiful!  As much as I hate leaving summer, I now have a wonderful reason to celebrate fall…velvet pumpkins!!  So, I spent the first night of fall staying up into the wee hours of the night making velvet pumpkins…they are addicting!!

Here I present my homage to the new season, using my new creations…enjoy!

Because so many have asked, I am going to put together a tutorial (another late night!) on creating these beauties and I will post it tomorrow…if you want to try your hand at making them, check in tomorrow for the instructions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The pumpkins I saw in Terrain, that created such a stir in my heart, can be purchased in an unreal assortment of colors, on this website: http://www.hotskwash.com/hot-skwash-online-store/  To shop Terrain online:  www.shopterrain.com

Hope you enjoyed my velvet pumpkins!  Remember, if you want to give them a try, check in tomorrow for “how-to” instructions.  Thanks for visiting, Jackie

7 comments » | style

     

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