Open September 24th & 25th for Jordbruksdagarna

To mark Bishop Hill’s 50th Jordbruksdagarna

The Feathered Nest

will be open on

Saturday, 9/24 & Sun 9/25

from 11:30 to 4:00

featuring special Harvest Wreaths

crafted from materials grown and gathered

in and around Bishop Hill, IL.

Please stop by for a pack of complimentary cleome seeds
harvested from our garden for you!  

Located 3 blocks west of the Village Park

at 502 W Main St, Bishop Hill, Il

309-737-0260

Time to Etch Eggs for Easter

Easter is just around the corner and I've had requests for some special etched eggs.

I gathered my tools together but didn’t have any etching solution on hand. I've always used toilet bowl cleaner for this so I went to the local Dollar General and picked up a jug of the Works. It used to contain 20% hydrochloric acid but the strength of the current product available is 9% acid. Hmmm.

I thought I’d better do a test. And while I was at it, I decided to sample other household chemicals I had around. I’m sharing the results with all my egging friends and anyone else interested. Eggshells are made up of calcium carbonate so I put several brown eggs in cups of cleaning products that claim to "bust" calcium buildup. I checked at 10-minute intervals to see if the outer brown layer of the shells was being etched. Only four solutions did a reasonable job.
In my experiment, CLR was the winner followed by the (new 9%) Works Toilet Bowl Cleaner. At just 10 minutes, the eggs in these cups revealed a clear, white layer of shell. Vinegar and Comet Cleaner did a fair job but it took 45 minutes for either to work and the results were uneven.

Once my waxed eggs were etched, I melted the designs, sketched details, and carved the shells. I look forward to doing a few more of these eggs this season featuring letters of the alphabet, bugs, bunnies, and for my granddaughters, cats!

Giving Nature a color make-over

Can you tell which eggs are natural shades and which
have been enhanced with dye?

The answer will amaze you.

Hint: Only two shells have been dyed.

Did you get it right? #1 and #10 are enhanced! 

The rest reflect the natural color range
of chicken and duck eggs!

Medieval Quilling

The art of paper quilling can trace its origins to 15th century Europe where it was used by French and Italian clergy to decorate religious objects, adding opulence with scant expense. Spun paper was an economical substitute for carved ivory and precious metals. When gilded, it was hard to distinguish from gold. Many exquisite examples of medieval quilling still exist.

January Snowflakes - light and white

Over the centuries this art form has been revived again and again and today it is being rediscovered and embraced worldwide. Only a few tools and materials are needed to create it. The real joy of quilling comes from stretching one’s imagination to combine simple elements into objects of extraordinary ephemeral beauty. I can think of no better match for technique and subject than quilling snowflakes. It is said that no two frozen flakes have ever fallen; my flakes are also one-of-a-kind. Though paper can be conserved, it does not last forever. These flakes are formed as spontaneously as the ice crystals they imitate. These are meant to be enjoyed here and now and spread joy as you hold them in your hands.

February Valentine Snowflakes

As covid struck the Midwest, my granddaughters became homeschooled. I instantly applied for the position of art teacher and the projects began! Quilling is something we all enjoy. January’s white and ivory flakes have made way for February’s snowflakes incorporating pastel colors and hidden hearts.

Micro quilling on Eggs!

We have fun making these flakes and hope they inspire you to make a few of your own one snowy afternoon. Up next: Micro quilling on Easter Eggs!

It's time to make the wreaths!

Anyone who experienced the 80’s should remember a commercial featuring that beleaguered Dunkin’ Donuts guy who meets himself coming and going while mumbling, “It’s time to make the donuts.”

I would like to thank all my clients for turning me into that guy! I am happy to have shipped so many Christmas wreaths this holiday season. 

For me, for a while now, it has been “time to make the wreaths!” Ah, but the end is in sight. While it was a joy to be so busy, I will appreciate a long winter nap before the Easter bunny shows up to remind me that it’s time to make the eggs!   

I've moved my business for the last time!

It was only a year ago that I moved my goods into the Cobbler Shop on Bjorklund Street. Though I declared it to be my last shop, I've moved out. Corona and knee surgery influenced my decision to make a new plan for The Feathered Nest. Our “littlebrick” property on the edge of town is no longer for sale. I'm delighted to report that our daughter and family will take up residence there soon. They have offered to “share’” the woodshop on the property. So...this allows me to use the renovated barn next to my new home as my studio. Yippe!

I jumped at the chance to install my business! It will be a fine place to receive clients. I have created a corner dedicated to cutting silhouettes.

Likewise, I’ve set up an egg carving station so I can demonstrate how my Victorian lace eggs are cut.

The balance of the space will contain a changing selection of seasonal wreaths and the vintage goods that I sell in my etsy shop online.

This really is my last shop. Maybe my best one. But defiantly the last one. I’m looking forward to settling in. Want to visit? Please email me for an appointment or stop in when the open sign is out!

Have you seen Sammy?

Sammy is 5 years old. He has long hair and is an orange tabby cat with a permanently curled tail. We took in this young stray 5 years ago. On Saturday, 8/8/20, Sammy did not come in for breakfast. He is a friendly cat and would engage strangers but has always come home to us at 502 West Main Street here in Bishop Hill.

If he has wandered off and is visiting you, please alert us. Likewise, if you have seen him around Bishop Hill, please call and let us know. Sammy is a cherished pet and we would appreciate any help in finding him. Call 309-737-0260 with information. 

Happy Midsommar to all!

As we celebrate Midsommar and the summer solstice this year in Bishop Hill, we reflect on what a fickle pickle our social interactions have become!

Unlike past seasons, there was no lineup of bands in the park today, no maypole, no revelers dancing like little frogs around it! Instead, most folks marked the day quietly, in the company of family and friends.

From the time they could walk, my little granddaughters have made this date special for me and today was no exception. We held a private party, punctuated with Midsommar flower crowns. This year’s headdresses were created spontaneously. The were made from what was on hand: white Dutch clover from the lawn, pretty purple clover plucked from the roadside, Annabelle hydrangeas and a few gold sedum blossoms from the garden.

However you marked this occasion, may it become a happy memory of a special day, the longest, brightest one of the year.   

Jelly, jelly, jelly. I'm on a roll.

Last week it was dandelion jelly. The experiment was so successful, I decided to make a second batch with my granddaughters Deirdre and Fiona. It has been hard staying away from my darling girls during the pandemic. They are two of my favorite people. We decided to risk a visit and, all the while, maintained a safe, six foot distance. Difficult to do, but so worth the effort if that's what it takes to enjoy their company.

Decades ago, back on the farm, I sold  jam and jelly at my roadside market. These were made from homegrown and wild gathered materials. I am thinking about launching a line of jellies next season - maybe by subscription -  something like a flavor-of-the-month club.
So... this summer I will be hauling out the canning kettle and dusting off some of my favorite recipes to review and refine. Maybe nothing commercial will come of it, but I am having fun experimenting, making something from nothing more than what's at hand.

It's time to plant the zinnias

It's hard to believe that the winter wonderland we woke to yesterday has given way to spring again. I’m so glad I have a calendar to keep me on track.

I was dreaming of armloads of zinnias as I seeded flats and set them out on a warm pad for germination. My calendar tells me I won't have to wait too long to add these transplants to the garden!

Another Day, Another Nest

Like the busy birds in my garden plucking material for their nests, I head to my workroom and spin a few myself using the delicate, airy grasses gathered last September in the golden glow of autumn. I pick blond rice grass and deep purple love grass each fall and set bundles aside to use as real Easter grass in spring arrangements. Shredded plastic may be OK for some, but nothing man-made can ever surpass the beauty Mom Nature delivers!

It's time to feather your nest!

time for spring

Hello again. I'm back blogging where I left off two springs ago! Even a broken clock is true sometimes - and it's no different with this blog featuring the spring activities that I enjoy every year. That idea makes the most recent of these (2017) posts seem current and fresh. However, I am starting over again with renewed interest in sharing my stories.

Feather your nest!

Given the uncertainty of the times it is a good idea to take stock and celebrate the small joys that fill each day, each season. Grab a  bit of wonder wherever you can. For me, it's all about nature,and that's what I plan to fill this space with: all the wonderful things I make from what is grown, gathered and gleaned from the center of my universe here in Bishop Hill, Illinois.

Time to Spring Forward under the Worm Moon

March's Worm Moon setting - as seen from my west driveway

Turning the clocks ahead has made me a little blurry this morning...kinda like this pic!

Native Americans, who used the Moons to track the seasons call March’s Full Moon the Worm Moon. It's my favorite because it signals the coming of the equinox – the balancing of light and dark, when the Sun is at the midpoint of its extremes.

Right about now, the ground begins to soften enough for earthworm casts to reappear, inviting the return of robins and migrating birds. These signs announce the beginning of the gardening season and my inclination and enthusiasm to dig in the dirt returns.

This is also the time when other lights dot my landscape. Greenhouse lights pierce the dark; they are on day and night coaxing seeds to sprout and grow tall. On closer inspection this morning, the tomatoes are up and the peppers are popping through the soil. BLTs are not so far away that I can't imagine the taste!

NOW: Victorian Lace Eggs in COLOR

COLORS Nature never intended

I've experimented with this idea for a while. Like so much of my work, I am prompted by clients to expand my repertoire to include a broader range of design - and especially color. Tricky thing though. I've finally found pigments that work with the chemicals and the process of shell carving! I'll be adding a softer range of pastels as soon as I can figure out how to get even color coverage without building up unmanageable layers on the surface of these delicate shells.

Citrus

Raspberry

Blueberry

Watch for these soon in my ETSY shop. As soon as Easter orders are out the door and that bunny has left the building, I'll be going full speed ahead with this project. Oh, happy spring. It's time to look at old things in a new light.

Take a different path in the warming days ahead. 

Let spring work its magic on you all.

Eggs, Eggs, Eggs!

The incredibly warm February weather we are enjoying in the mid-section of the country is a gift beyond measure. Pussy willow catkins are plump and silver. Warm southern winds are waking daffodils from winter’s cold hold on them. Moss is greening and the forsythia buds are swelling.

Neighbors are out and about, months before the traditional break from hibernation. Best of all, my cats are spending less time underfoot and more time chasing squirrels from their territory.

For me, ‘tis the season of eggs, eggs, eggs. Blowing them, carving them, selling them! This year I have finally found a reliable source for the rare and exquisite Tinamou eggs I’ve sought for so long. The eggs come from a breeder in Chile, where these once wild birds are now being raised domestically. Their shells have a striking glass like shine. Elegant-crested Tinamous lay a deep green egg while another member of the species, the Chilean Brushland Tinamou, lays a purple/brown/black egg.

I started to carve them the day they arrived!

My work is featured this spring in two national publications.

You’ll spot my hand-carved Victorian Lace eggs in the Favorite Things section of the March/April issue of Victoria Magazine and on the front and back covers of the Guidepost publication, Angels in America.

I’m grateful for such publicity, but it means busy days and late nights ahead. 

It’s a good thing I love my work; there is plenty of it right now! 

The dark days of December made brighter by snow

The snow last weekend delivered a dose of holiday spirit. A beautiful blanket of white covered the my Nest, Littlebrick, and Echo - the house next door that my husband and I are renovating to be our home. The snow eventually showed in my work and I carved a new selection of snowflake Victorian Lace Eggs!