Tuesday 21 February 2012

Day 303- Suitcase Garden For Ewa




For my 3rd anniversary gifts, I made rusty suitcase gardens. Like the preceding years, I set some secret criteria  for who would get the gifts. I made known these criteria only to the friends who fulfill them. For my 3rd anniversary, it was for my friends who left comments on all my anniversary posts and last year, I made 3 of such posts. Ewa was the first to qualify and after asking her for her preference, this is what I did for her. 


Some of you may remember these flowers. They are called statice or sea lavender. I used them as kurinji flowers in my tribal house. Although Ewa told me she was really attracted to these violet flowers, I did not want to use these at first. Just three months after I planted them at the front yard of the tribal house, the colours have started to fade. I then remembered Karin Corbin's  suggestion to Jeanette that one can use acrylic paints on natural moss and dried flowers so that the colours will not fade. I mixed what I thought was a kurinji blue and proceeded to paint each petal . 


I then painted a metal spade, bagged some seeds (yes, Ewa, there are seeds inside the package) and then added some moss (painted with acrylic grass green) to the garden. I was thrilled to find out later that the blue handle of the spade matched P'Nilli's gloves perfectly! P'Nilli who? Oh, she's only the coolest gardener I have ever met and if I may say so, she looks a lot like Sans! Will you believe her hair matches the colour of these flowers?


Ewa, like me, is one of those rare rusty can connoisseur. Not many of us left. 


So of course, I had to make her one. These cans are real easy to make. Just take 5 steps and for some of you, merely 5 minutes. 


Ewa, I am sure you don't know this but that is where I signed my name. Don't worry, just flip the case over to look. Nothing will fall over, not even the sand.


Now, I will have to go think about how to make the rest. I am afraid suitcase gardens are all I will be making and posting about in the next few weeks. Yes, I am thinking the same thing you are. How different can they be from each other?

39 comments:

The Old Maid said...

Sans! With your unlimited skills they will be different from each other! No doubts about it! And I can't wait to see them all!!!! The suitcases look awesome already!

If I haven't seen your signature before(I am affraid I have been blind....LOL!) it is because P'Nilli doesn't let me to touch HER garden...Not to mention to turn it upside down!

And yes! I LOVE your Fantarustic Canes!!!!! Don't think anyone could make them better than you!

So let me say once again: thank you with all of my, sorry, our hearts for this little treasure that we are so proud to own!

I am sure everyone is waiting imaptiently for their stunning gardens...so hurry up!;D

carmen said...

tus entradas son siempre tan hermosas ! no quiero ni imaginar ser el destinatario de uno de esos jardines-maleta!

Ascension said...

Holaaaaaa
Vi en el blog de Ewa tu regalo y me encanto y estoy segura de que Ewa lo va a disfrutar muchisimo, es una persona muy especial y generosa y ademas de gustos muy parecidos con los nuestros jejeje
Es una maleta fantastica, eres la "reina del oxido" jejeje
Quizas podriamos hacerte una cancion jejejeje
besitos ascension

Unknown said...

Your rusty case are once again great. And the idea for the painting of the Statice is great.
Hugs from Craftland

Drora's minimundo said...

I love these cases! The rusty can and spade are my special favorites. Fantastic work.
Hugs

Rosamargarita said...

Tu imaginación es enorme, yo creo que pueden llegar a ser muy diferentes.
La maleta de Ewa es una preciosidad, el óxido es tan real!
Muchos besos

Natalia's Fine Needlework said...

Sans! They already look different! I am sure each of them will have its own personality. Can't wait to see the rest. Mini hugs, Natalia

Maria Ireland said...

Sans your suitcase garden is amazing. I am sure each and every one that you do will be just as amazing. I love the rusty spade. Wonderful work.
Hugs Maria

Dark Squirrel Victoria said...

I Love the suitcase gardens Sans! I know they will all look different. I find when I make something for someone I am thinking about it takes on it's own personality.
I had to smile at the thought of us both growing statice in our little gardens a world apart ;)

Hugs,
Victoria

Piikko said...

Dear Sans,
I'm sure Ewa will love her suitcase garden and so are all others.
-I fell in love with your suitcase garden at the first time you showed it! I have got one little plastic suitcase from my dh-friend. Every time I see this suitcase in my craft box my thoughts turns to you.:)
Hugs, piikko

Eliana said...

Wow, Sans! Ewa is so lucky to have this beautiful garden in the bag, it's really wonderful! Your hands are artist and your soul poet.
Hugs

BiWuBär said...

I've already admired that beautiful garden at Ewa's blog - and I know you will turn every single suitcase into a miniature piece of art. Btw - when is the next meeting of the Club of the Rusty Can Connoisseurs? I've heard a rumour there will be a publication of "The Tale of Rust" in their next club magazine... ;O)

Greetings
Birgit

Daydreamer said...

Oh, I LOVE gardens! In bags... in boxes... in Suitcases... in little paper cups.... in Whatever form they grow! (Don't hurry.... I can wait...!) :):):):)

Garden of Miniatures said...

Hi Sans,I've already saw this suitcase by Ewa,but I have to say you too that I'm really in love with it. Thank you also for telling us about the experiment coloring the dried flowers with acrylics!!! I'm curious looking forward for the new suitcases,I'm sure every piece will be different from the other;-) Hugs,Jeannette

Sans! said...

Ewa, thank you for your vote of confidence! :) I am absolutely sure you can make those cans way better than I do. Like Obama says "Yes You Can!" and if I may add :

Yes, we Can Can Cans!

teehee

Sans! said...

Carmen, como siempre, sus comentarios me hacen tan feliz. ¡Gracias!

Sans! said...

Ascensión, esta canción es para los miembros del Club de óxido o que el "Clubbers Rust"

Holalalalalala Holalalalala Holalalalala óxido ho lololo
Holalalalalala Holalalalala Holalalalala óxido ho lololo
Holalalalalala Holalalalala Holalalalala óxido ho lololo

repetirá hasta que se duerma :).

Espero que usted ha leído mi correo electrónico.

Sans! said...

Craftland, I have painted the flowers since 3 weeks ago and those that are in the tribal house still look great :).

Sans! said...

Drora , thank you :. I agree with you.

I also thought the spade and the rusty can added some interesting elements to an otherwise flat piece :).

Sans! said...

Gracias RosaM. Vamos a ver si te gusta cuando reciba el suyo :). Jeje

Sans! said...

Natalia, you have a new ID :). I am so behind on reading blogs but I am sure you may have already finished a carpet or 2 !

Sans! said...

Thank you , Maria Ireland :). Those spades are fun to do :)

Sans! said...

Victoria! You have statice in your garden? :) . They come in so many different colours, they must be quite beautiful :). One day, you must post pictures of your garden. I will love to see them !

You are so right about individualising the garden. It still takes me a while to think of how.

Sans! said...

Piiko, will you make one of your own ? :)

I see yellow or pink, almost no rust and bright cheery sunflowers! Your spade will be a wooden one :).

Sans! said...

Such sweet words, Eliana :) Your comment warm my soul and cheer my heart.

Sans! said...

Birgit, I started on yours last night and I am afraid when I saw what I did this morning, I wasn't happy. Sighhhhh...Oooooooooh, a thought just came to me about what I can do ...heh heh. Will see if it works :).

And you know what? I can't wait to meet the cRusty Can Connoisseurs Clubbers :). Let me go to you ;p

Emailing you soon, may need to ask you something about trains and planes :).

Sans! said...

kisses kisses Bets! That's for reading my thoughts :)

Sans! said...

Jeanette, finding out about the acrylic paints from your post reinforced my belief that nuggets of gold can be gotten from posts and comments.

You are always my inspiration when it comes to gardens and will always have my utmost respect for the incredible effort and amazing talent you have when it comes to flowers and plants of any sort!

Maria said...

The suitcase garden looks amazing, you are so good imitating rust!
I am sure the others going to look very nice too.Looking forward to see them.
Congretulations on your 3rd anniversary.
Hugs
Maria

Norma Bennett said...

Yay! 3 years of Sans inspiration - and thanks for every bit of it. These are really wonderful, it takes a very special kind of imagination to conjure up these unique creations.

Unknown said...

Another rusty can adorer, and with blue hair! It sounds like the beginning of a story. I never thought about painting moss, but our job is to freeze time, in a way, isn't it?

I still have my mom's suitcases, two aqua blue ones with the gathered silk pockets and a mirror, (that eventually dropped off). Suitcases are wonderful metaphors, aren't they? Not new ones, which are about promise and surely to be disappointed by daydreams turning into reality, but the old ones, the battered ones, the rusty ones, that are filled with the whispers of life lived. Places traveled, secrets held, stories brought back. I feel like that if I opened one of your suitcases, epics would uncurl like smoke. Can you tell I watched The Fall last night?

*Mieke*Petitevictorianrose*and*PastTimeChildhood said...

Hi Sans,I already saw this suitcase by Ewa, and must tell you I love these cases! The rusty can and spade are my special favorites.
You did an amazing Job :)
Have a great Sunday !!

Hugs Mieke xxx

Cote said...

Me encanta tu trabajo, esas maletas oxidadas están fantásticas!!
Besitos

Piikko said...

Dear Sans, you read my mind for the garden suitcase! How you done it?:)
I'm not sure if I can ever make one but good to know how would it be if it ever will be..:DDD
Hugs, piikko
ps. There is something on my blog for you...

AyamontinoMaria said...

Me han encantado esas maletas, viejas y oxidadas..¡son perfectas! Un beso

Miniature Patisserie Chef said...

Wow, these rusty suitcases are spectacular!! Wonderful!

Pei Li

Pilar said...

no conocia tu blog y acabo de enamorarme de el!!es precioso y las cosas q muestras mas aun!acabo de ver tus cinco pasos para el oxido y me parece genial!!!!!!!!!!!! tengo q intentarlo!jejjejejejeje ya tienes una admiradora mas!!muchos besos

miniaturista said...

tUS TRABAJOS SON EXCELENTES, MUY REALES.
uN ABRAZO
mAITE

Arestrea said...

I already saw this garden on Ewa's blog:)
Your little gardens are so beautiful! I can only say I fell in love with both of them;)

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