Being German-American, I have a special affection for the holiday traditions from the homeland of my ancestors. Each year, I have a lot of fun applying my own creative touch to traditional German Easter treasures. This year, I have created
Cottontail Cheri, an Easter market like
those held in Germany. (Sadly, much of
last year's collection was destroyed in the flood.)
I particularly enjoy decorating papier mâché eggs my own way, like the one above. I started with a robin's egg treatment and added a curious medallion made of old German type and plaid paper rope (untwisted), centered by a tiny bunny. Martha Stewart's coffee bean-edged pink ribbon finishes it off.
I really heart
Florentine designer paper, and it looks just stunning on a papier mâché egg. Add Dresden foil trim, and you have a family heirloom.
By the way, that fellow who's helping me show off my Easter eggs is a little replica of a longtime Reuther family heirloom, Bummy Rabbit, a wrought iron rabbit that my grandmother, Mammy, had in her yard when I was a little girl. The full-sized Bummy now sits in my patio garden, a proud survivor of last year's flood.
Here's the German script medallion again, this time with pleated Florentine paper, on a bronze painted papier mâché Easter egg. Scalloped green Dresden trim is the finishing touch. These eggs make the best candy boxes, to hold little treats and nestle in an Easter basket.
If you've followed this blog, you know what a fan I am of
D. Blumchen & Co., where they specialize in imported German craft and holiday specialties. That's where I got my papier mâché eggs and German die-cut scrap, like the bunny on the egg above. I used a dimensional découpage technique to apply the little fellow to this robin's egg painted candy box, which is a little smaller than those above. The tall bunny showing off this egg is destined to become a family heirloom.
Again, beautiful Florentine designer paper, on a smaller papier mâché egg, finished with Dresden trim.
The smaller bronze egg here has a German text medallion with pleated Florentine paper, this time centered by a prim little paper rose.
I do hope you'll visit my
Cottontail Chéri Easter market and make one of these creations an heirloom for your own family. Each item in the market includes a link to Etsy, where I am selling this collection. And stay tuned to Atelier Chéri, where I'll be telling you about some of the other Easter treasures at Cottontail Chéri.
à bientôt...Tatie
Here we are again, yearning for spring and finding glints of light and life amid the rich brown of sleeping earth. Like eggshells as fresh-looking seed starter pots. Remodelista included some rich, sleepy browns in its 28 February files, in a couple of totally unrelated items.
The brown of the ancient pressed tin fleur de lys ceiling tiles grow fresh, sitting above washed white tile walls, at Iris Café in Brooklyn Heights.
I find restored bricks and brick walls to have a clean, fresh feel. The wall above, also at Iris Café, stands up well to the baroque detailing of old picture frames.
Meanwhile, back outside, the bricks and stones of a Victorian yard in Cornwall, England are made fresh by white cold frames sporting tender sprouts.
Speaking of sprouts, stay tuned. Something fresh and fancy coming soon! à bientôt...Tatie
