Home Sweet Home: Wishing you a very Happy Mother’s Day from Petaloo and me!

Hello, Friends! It’s Kathy here wishing all the moms out there a very Happy Mother’s Day!  I’ve been thinking about my mom a lot this past week.  She was an amazing woman, raising 5 children on a shoestring budget.  She always had a song in her heart, and worked from before dawn until after dusk: baking homemade bread, canning fresh fruit and produce from our garden, sewing and mending, cleaning and doing laundry.  I don’t think I ever saw her sit down.  It was her love, humor and magic touch that made our house a home.  I learned so much from her, and we shared so many good times together that I cannot be sad on Mother’s Day, even though she is no longer with us.  Instead, I celebrate her incredible legacy.  It was with her in mind that I created this altered frame using Graphic 45’s Home Sweet Home paper collection.

This all started with a 99 cent frame that I picked up at our local thrift shop.  (Mom would approve…she loved a bargain.)  It was in good shape, but made with really ugly wood.  I sanded, painted, stained and distressed it until I was finally satisfied with this rustic version.  Then the real fun began: adding images and glorious Petaloo flowers!

The frame measures just under 8″ square and has nice deep openings that made it ideal for a 3-D project like this one.  I used scrap paper to create templates so my images would be sure to fit and line up inside the individual frames.  I hate to waste designer paper!  I chose Petaloo flowers in red, gold, blue and white to match the wonderful vintage hues in my papers.  The lace trim is from the White Fancy Trims Pack, and I love the gorgeous texture and vintage feel it adds to the frame.

This sweet couple looks pretty happy working away in the kitchen.  Hubby is making coffee, and Mother is making jam.  I fussy cut the hollyhocks from the paper collection and glued them down with Studio Matte Multi Medium.  Then I layered on Red Velvet Lilacs, Royal Blue Sugared Blooms, Sugared Berry Clusters, Royal Blue Sugared Minis, Ivory Burlap Blossoms and Yellow Mini Mixed Blooms.  My mom loved hollyhocks, and her flower garden was the prettiest one in the neighborhood.  I don’t know how she found the time to coax such beautiful blossoms from our clay soil, but she did.  So this bouquet is for you, Mom!

To balance the design, I added a smaller cluster of the same flowers in the upper left hand corner of the frame.  Oh, how I love these pretty posies!  And, it looks like Mom baked a pie today…there it is cooling on the windowsill.

I found this vintage spoon in a flea market and knew I had to have it!  I’ve been saving it for just the right project.  I love the touch of elegance it adds to my Home Sweet Home sign.

Do you see the cute little nest with eggs in it?  I wrapped burlap string around my finger and then hot glued it in place.  I speckled the eggs with Copper and Blue mists from my stash.  Such a fun little way to draw attention to those cute chicks.

I’ll close this post with one of my favorite quotes from Pearl S. Buck:

“Some are kissing mothers,

and some are scolding mothers,

but it is love all the same,

and most mothers

kiss and scold together.”

So whether you are a kissing mother, or a scolding mother, this mother (who was of the kissing and scolding together variety) wishes you a very Happy and Love Filled Mother’s Day!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

Petaloo Products Used in this Project

Royal Blue Sugared Blooms 1130-122

Royal Blue Sugared Mini Blooms 1131-122

Royal Blue Sugared Berry Clusters 1132-122

Red Velvet Lilac Picks 1112-192

Burgundy Sugared Blooms 1130-120

Antique Gold Mixed Blossoms 1836-052

Yellow Petites 1465-109

Yellow Mini Mix 1462-109

Ivory Burlap Blossoms 1200-200

Ivory Burlap Flowers 1208-200

White Crochet Lace Fancy Trim 1482-000

Other Products:

Graphic 45 Home Sweet Home 8×8 paper

Graphic 45 Home Sweet Home Chipboard

Graphic 45 Home Sweet Home Ephemera Pack

Novelty Buttons

Ivory Burlap String