To celebrate a combination of old school ideas from last weekend and the upcoming guest appearance of Sheila O’Riley this weekend…..I remind everyone of a no fuss, no-till gardening method that I too have tried, and continue to implement.  My good friend Sheila shared it with me several years ago for our Courage to Create series; I,  in turn shared it again with our B. Original viewers; and here I go talkin’ it up at borganic.net.  It’s genuinely a good one.  It’s easy; it’s fun to put together; it can be done anywhere, any size yard; and it works.

It’s also referred to as lasagna gardening and other names, but ‘no-till’ says it all.  ENJOY, if not this season…next year for sure!

Just as the title says, there is no tilling or digging, (that’s right, no rototiller needed)…you can install one of these directly on your lawn (preventing soil erosion). And you basically employ alternating your ‘brown’ and ‘green’ layers similar to how you execute things in your compost bin.

You will start by layering newspapers directly on the grass or weeds. (Wetting all your newspapers first will make them easier to spread out and they won’t blow away while you work).

Start with 4-6 sheets for your first layer. This will act as your weed barrier.

Next, a layer of composted manure — about two inches deep — invite all the beneficial organisms and earthworms you can!

For the remaining layers — keep them at anywhere from 2-4 inches deep and water your layers as you go.

Next up, natural wood chips that haven’t been chemically treated. This allows for aeration.

Next….a green layer like grass clippings.

Followed by a layer of shredded paper.

Then a layer of straw.  

And another layer of grass clippings.  

You are now ready to plant.  Dig out a hole in the layers (the appropriate depth for your plant), fill with garden soil and plant.   Be sure you add enough dirt so you can plant deep enough. For rows of seeds….trench through your layers using your hands or a hoe…fill your row with garden soil, sow your seeds and top off with more soil, as directed.

You enjoy the wonderful benefits of composting as it happens.  This gardening method is low-maintenance, no weeds…water as needed.  It is less time consuming and you will produce an abundant crop for very little work. Your back will thank you as well as the earth below your feet!

Click here for a user friendly pdf of her version of the recipe and the steps for a 4×4 area courtesy of Sheila and her Backyard Conservation efforts.

Cheers to no-till gardening….a lovely method that is far from UGLY!!!

Thank you again, Sheila!

michele.

I remember my grandpa always using it, but it wasn’t until an experienced woodworker reintroduced me to it several years ago on a segment we were shooting, that I too actually started using it.  And the more I learned about it, the more I used it.  I, like everyone else out there had always turned to the polyurethanes for my sealers, but in the end was never ever really 100% satisfied.  In some of the applications I felt like it just left a cheap looking plastic coating on top of things.  Now granted, I do a lot of experimenting and unconventional projects, and don’t always use products in their recommended way or for their intended use, so yes that also comes into play with ‘results’.  But, the polyurethane products were ones that I never really got that excited to use.  (those of you who enjoy working on things creatively will know the ‘excitement’ I’m referring to)   The shellac however does give me that excitement.  Not only is it a natural product,  (I am gradually exploring and introducing greener building and art products and materials onto the shelves of my studio, which is a process in an of itself, and more on that later!),  it is a versatile product.    

It can perform as a primer, as a sealer, as a stain, as a varnish, as an odor and stain blocker, as an adhesive….and it always leaves things with a more natural, ‘warmly melded’ look and feel.   Our house is filled with a number of projects using salvaged wood, furniture and building materials and shellac plays an integral part in the finishing of all of them.  I use it on wood, metal, paper, glass…..like I said, it’s versatile.  

You can brush it on, spray it on, or wipe it on.  It’s non-yellowing, it’s fast-drying….You can use it on some of your metal tools to protect from moisture and dirt, you can use it to create your own tack cloths……it’s non-toxic and safe to use on children’s things or items that come in contact with food…on and on, and on….(which we’ll share in a much more ‘visual’ way in one of our upcoming episodes, so consider this your “textful teaser” for the interim).   You can get it waxed or unwaxed depending on your application needs.  

You can get it in a dry form (Shellac flakes or buttons) which can be found online or in specialty woodworking stores.  They come in various shades and you just mix up small batches at a time using an ethanol, denatured alcohol or other organic solvent. You can also purchase it premixed at any home improvement store.  Zinsser  is the most common brand and it usually sits all by itself somewhere on the shelf with all the other sealers. It’s unwaxed counterpart (which is great for priming or as an undercoat, or sanding sealer) is called SealCoat made by the same manufacturer.  As with any product, there are always advantages, disadvantages, different grades of the product, and variables that come with the tools and techniques used, but all in all I think Shellac is a naturally good product that gets overlooked by a lot of people and as always, I encourage you to throw it into the mix and see how it works for you. 

For those of you who aren’t familiar with where Shellac comes from, you’ll find it interesting that:  it’s made from lac, a natural resin excreted by the female lac bug (laccifera lacca) to form a cocoon.  These bugs feed off the sap of trees native to the forests of India and Thailand.  The cocoon then is the raw material for the shellac and is called “sticklac”, because it also has parts of the bugs remains and twigs mixed in with it.  They get washed and refined to remove the twigs and bug remains to give us the the raw material that’s readily available to all of us.  I can’t begin to imagine how many cocoons and trees it takes to keep the supply up.  A fascinating process to watch, I’m sure.  I also wonder if there are trees here in the states that are home to these insects and producing?  Nature….you gotta love it!

‘Nother Bit of Trivia 4 ya – it’s also used as a glaze and coating for a lot of candy products like Skittles, for example.

Cheers to naturally good products!

michele.

A lot of our first shows are playfully designed to just get people outdoors; to look around and really absorb all that is around us every single day. Nature is an integral part of our lives and there are so many wonderful, wonderful benefits to spending time outdoors.  When you actually make use of some of the things nature provides for us, you get drawn in.  You’re gaining an awareness and an appreciation for the environment you live in, in a completely different way and ultimately, it’s a way that is all YOUR OWN.  It’s my belief that with that appreciation and awareness, we all start to make more conscientious choices.  Here is an excerpt from this amazing book that I read by Peter London. It’s titled Drawing Closer to Nature: Making Art in Dialogue with the Natural World.    Simply think about it, enjoy it, and SHARE it!  

• Nature is infinitely wise; It knows how to do everything that is possible to do.  
• Everything we need to know and know how to do, Nature knows and does.
• Nature does not lie, does not know one thing and show another.
• Nature always and only means exactly and only what it says
• Nature is constantly displaying everything it can do.
• Nature is guileless.
• Nature is shameless, shows everyone everything.
• Nature is infinitely layered; the more an eager observer prepares for the seeing, the more Nature reveals of itself.
• Nature uses only what is required to manifest its potentiality, not one thing more nor one thing less.
• Nature is never frivolous or shallow.
• Nature can be understood as a sacred way of speaking, because its content is always a matter of life and death, and what it says is always true.
• Nature appears beautiful to us because we too are Nature, and what we take to be beauty is only like meeting like and celebrating the congruence.
• Nature is always speaking, but in a language that we have not been taught because those traditional peoples who knew how to speak the languages of Nature we have either ignored or killed.
• The way Nature conducts its affairs is the way I want to conduct my affairs.
• The way Nature creates the world is the way I want to create art.  
• We have cut ourselves off from Nature in our minds, our hearts, and our bodies.  Our religious traditions, political policies, and social conventions, despite the protests of many, have reinforced this schism, separating humans from the rest of creation.  This schism is killing us.  All of us.

A huge shout of thanks to Mr. London for this beautiful, insightful arrangement of thoughts.

Cheers to Nature!

michele.

Our playful approach to getting in touch with nature and repurposing continues this week with some of the natural tools and recycled materials that we use for art projects.   You’ll be happy to know you can just reach outside your door for a natural colorant to experiment with.

Berry Ink:  
(I recommend making small batches at a time.  A little does go a long way, and it’s quick and easy to whip up as you need)

• 1/2 cup of berries  (Wild berries, mulberries, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, etc…the riper, the juicier! You can mix them up or use them separately.  Experiment to see the different shades and depths of color you get with each.)
• Bowl
• Strainer – You can use a seive if you have one, or a mesh strainer works great, as well.
• Wooden spoon
• White Vinegar
• Salt
• Small glass jar with lid (baby food jars are perfect or you can repurpose glass air freshener bottles (thoroughly cleaned) and top off with a tapered cork stopper)

The berries will juice better if they are at room temperature (or slightly warmer)

Smash your berries with a wooden spoon and strain.

Let the berries sit in the strainer until all the juice has drained out.

Add 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar 

Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt  (the salt and vinegar act as preservatives)

Stir to mix thoroughly and pour juice in a small jar with a lid

Creatively use in art projects, home decor, at the office…or here’s a novel idea…why not write (that’s right, handwrite, not texting, or typing) a letter to someone that you can physically send in the mail (not e-mail)  What a wonderful surprise for the recipient….I mean, how many of us get handwritten letters anymore?!  Use some handmade paper or your favorite stationery and make it special!   We are all so used to doing all of our communicating on our mobile devices and computers which in my opinion can be pretty cold and less than soulful, so have fun with expressing yourself the good old-fashioned way.  You’ll be “Berry” Glad You Did!  (sorry.  couldn’t help myself)  To watch this how-to in action, click on over to our video page.

A little trivia for ya:  During the Civil War there was a shortage of ink and paper.  Because of this shortage, our ancestors had to come up with some creative ways to write letters, especially the soldiers in the fields.  They were known to make their own ink by squeezing the juice from berries. They  would use bird feathers and cornstalks as pens.  A beautiful reminder of resourcefulness, and that when we combine nature with creativity, we can solve a lot of the problems we encounter.  

CONGRATULATIONS to Juanita Lanaux….last weeks’ www.borganic.net blog winner.  Juanita scored one of our handmade, portable nature presses to pop in her carry-all so she’s ready to press at any time. Portable and easy to use on nature walks!  

Unique giveaways every week here on the blog, just share ideas or comments of your own with a direct post, or via e-mail (michele@couragetocreate.com) or on FB.   Thanks for playing along everyone…sharing ideas is what it’s all about.

Cheers!

michele.

It’s amazing what we can find outside our own back doors.  There is an abundance of supplies and materials and it can be ours for the taking. We can find all kinds of material to work with if we only look. Those beautiful fallen leaves or even the skeletons of the bug-riddled foliage can add great interest to an art project.
For a naturally creative exercise: 
Challenge yourself to create something using ONLY what you find outside.  That doesn’t exclude things like adhesive, nippers etc, but the main ingredient should be natural elements.  Excellent project for anyone, any age!
Gather what materials look interesting to you and get to work.   Something as simple as a small broken branch or leaf with a different shape can take on the look of an insect or even a bird.  Explore combining several different things to create your vision.

Let the creation guide you.  As you need something, take a walk and FIND it!  It’s an exciting process guaranteed to deliver a delightful, unexpected outcome. 

that I own, that celebrates nature in all it’s stylish glory.  If you’re someone who enjoys creating with natural elements, you will be forever inspired by this book.   Even if you don’t give a hoot about nature, but let’s say, you enjoy Project Runway…..then you too will want to take a looksie! Fairie-ality, The Fashion Collection from The House of Ellwand — Candlewick Press.  

The concept, the designs, the written words and illustrations…it is breathtaking.  It’s purely visual, no how-to, but after perusing, I promise you will look at everything that grows through a fresh set of playful, imaginative eyes.  I only wish I could visit with the creator and watch him work…and man, if these fashions were in my size……:)  

as a side….for those of you who know me well; I use what I use, share what I learn, promote what I believe in…..so I haven’t been paid to chat about this little print piece, nor do I know any of the parties involved in this bound beauty.  I just discovered it on the shelves at the bookstore long ago, purchased it, and found it to be a truly beautiful body of work that’s worth sharing…..and I think I read somewhere that there was going to be another round, only it will celebrate interior design and furnishings…..hopefully, it really does hit the shelves!

Cheers to ‘creative conservation’ at its’ most fashionable.
michele.

Do any of you have words that don’t agree with you?  You know, the ones that for one reason or another, they just don’t have a nice ring to your ears, they don’t roll off the tongue, they don’t conjure up the desired image or feeling?  Well, my friends, as ridiculous as it sounds….potpourri is one of those words for me.  Can’t tell you why, just not a fan, so I’m going to use ‘natural mélange’, a mish-mash of dried, fragrant plant material…not sure that’s any better, but that’s what I’m going to roll with today!  

In the spirit of creative conservation, we continue to share interesting ways to preserve some of the loveliness from our yards and gardens year after year.    One of those ways is by whipping up a lovely melange of fragrant dried petals, leaves, spices, herbs, roots, seeds…the compilations are endless and all about personal preference.  There are so many things to think about…..the mixture of fragrances, colors, textures…all in all, they’re mighty fun and simple to stir up and enjoy.  

Your main ingredients are:   dried petals, leaves, spices, herbs, roots, seeds, etc — you can even throw in some of those citrus peels before they head to the compost pile  

Create an interesting combination of colors and textures.  When choosing flowers for your ‘melange’, try using sweet peas, hydrangea, roses, mums, marigolds, and even dandelions because they will keep their color and add a nice texture to the mix. Other flowers that make a great ‘melange’ are bee balm, black-eyed susans, lavender, coreopsis, asters and butterfly weed. These are just a few of my favorites to use. Whatever you do, don’t limit yourself.  A great way to dry out your plant material so that it gets a proper amount of air circulation is to set your flowers and such on a window screen to dry naturally. You can also bundle and hang upside down in a warm, airy space.   After they’ve dried, you can very lightly crush or chop some of your larger materials, if desired….(you don’t want things to be too fine, though). I usually leave things as is, and only break down the larger materials.  The stirring action naturally breaks things up, anyway.

You can rely on their fragrances and combinations alone or you can add to the experience with the addition of essential oils of your choice, especially if you’re using a lot of ‘neutral’ smelling items.  Remember, a little goes a long way when it comes to essential oils.   When adding essentials, it’s a good idea to mix them with a small amount of fixative (spices, roots, powders — natural cellulose, ground benzoin, orris root, patchouli), so the fragrances stick around longer in your mix.   I also know a lot of people who don’t even bother with that, they rely on just what naturally lingers in their mix or they simply add a few drops of their oils as needed and stir in directly with their petals and such, and continue to do so as the fragrance weakens…so the options are yours.  Experiment and see what you like best. I just eyeball and mix until I have what I want….a handful of this, a couple drops of that……To start, stick with fragrant combinations you’re familiar with and know work well together. 

Place in a large bowl, adding all desired ingredients.  Dried herbs and spices are added sparingly so as to not overpower, but again, if you’re all about mustering up a strong smell in one area or another, go for it!  Add a few drops of essential oils and stir.  Throw your mixture into an airtight container for a couple of weeks, then set them out in a decorative dish, or place in a small mesh-like bag made out of repurposed doilies, burlap, muslin, or mesh produce bags stitched up and tied, to toss into a drawer or hang in a closet.  You can also set your decorative dish filled with your specially created ‘melange’ by a window so that every time the breeze blows in, you get the fragrant reminder of a summer stroll through the garden.  Use what you have, experiment and put that imagination into gear…put your eyes into it as well as your nose and you have another delightful way of preserving those natural goodies.

Cheers to naturally mixing things up…even your words …ha!

michele.

Bigger is ALWAYS better as far as kids are concerned.  Even when it comes to hair accessories.  We were back at my parents for the weekend and Madeline loves to deck herself out with flowers from grandma’s garden and I LOVE the fact that she went out there and found the biggest, most vibrant bloom in the bed to sport proudly for the day.   I mean, who WOULDN’T pick that to wear?!  She looked a bit top heavy, but loud and proud is what it’s all about!  

This is the time of year we always spend a lot of time in my mom’s gardens when we’re back there, sippin’ cocktails, hangin’ out in the chicken house, listening to music, playing games.   My mom has always loved to garden and has a beautiful yard every year.   She has also managed to get in on all the plantings that have happened at my place over the years, and she thankfully instilled in me her “no fuss, simply enjoy it” approach to it all.  ”Some stuff works, some stuff doesn’t”;  ”Some years are better than others”;  ”If a plant doesn’t like the home you’ve given it, simply dig it up and place it someplace new”; “Share your plants”;  ”Don’t strive for perfection, just nurture what you have, and enjoy the process”;  Liberating stuff that has really enabled me to enjoy my own gardening efforts over the years in a carefree way, too.  So, I was excited to learn that my mom and dad had just received an award from an area gardening club for their ‘inspiring’ yard and gardens…(even in light of the unusual year she’s had battling an outrageous infestation of potato bugs and spider mites)….They were both quite proud and I can honestly say they were efforts worth rewarding! Fun, Fun, Fun!   

Cheers to taking pride in YOUR gardening efforts!

AND….Congratulations to Jenny Anderson, this weeks’ winner of the scarlet t-shirt scarf.  Thanks for playin’ along Jenny…the handmade goods are headed your way, wear it proudly!

More Free stuff goes out the door again this week.  I’ll be sharing what it is here shortly along with more ideas on ‘creative conservation’.  To participate all you need to do is make comments of your own and share ideas here on the blog, on FB, or via e-mail:  michele@couragetocreate.com

michele.

The beauty of the bottle cap lives long beyond the bottle.   You can smash em’, pound em’,  twist em’, use them in jewelry, or in this playful case let the kids have at them and see what they can come up with.  A long, shiny snake was the winner!

You’ll need:

a hammer

an awl

a lump of clay

durable string or cording

2 corks

Place your bottle caps flat side down on  your lump of clay and use an awl and hammer to pound a hole in the center.  Punch holes in as many bottle caps as you need for the desired length of your snake. (you want to make sure you punch a big enough hole for your needle and string to go through)

Whittle and shape one of your corks so it looks like a snakes head, and the other the shape of the tail.  Add color or embellishments if you like.  Use your awl to force a hole through the center of your head and your tail.  Using a larger-eyed needle, run your string through the tail, and all your bottlecaps (scalloped side towards the tail), and then the head.  Tie off at the end and leave a bit of frayed string for the tongue!   The Kids love ‘em!  

 I only wish I would have saved all the colorful bottle caps that I popped off of the glass bottles of soda I sold at my summer job at my Grandpa’s camping place. (Cream Soda, Teem, Orange, Rootbeer….I’m getting thirsty thinking about it!)  It was also my job to empty all the boxes at the end of the day…and I shudder to think, they just got emptied into the trash every day!  I can still remember the sound of the caps spilling into the garbage bin.  If only I knew then what I know now!  

A reminder that we’re drawing for the scarlet t-shirt scarf this weekend, so if you have an idea of your own to share on how to use some of life’s leftovers, get it in by tomorrow.  Post it here, or send me an e-mail:  michele@couragetocreate.com or throw it up on FB.

Cheers to bottle caps and the hours of creative enjoyment they can bring!

michele.

Continuing on in the spirit of “recycling refreshed”, I share a couple thoughts on signage…something I’ve oddly been creating a lot of for one reason or another lately.  Signage is all about making a statement, and no matter what your message is, say it like you mean it!  Whenever I need a sign, whether it’s for an event, business recognition, special offers and announcements, or just for fun around the house or garden, I always explore the scrap piles first to see if I can find something unique to help get my message across.  Scrap lumber, old fencing, wood laths glued or nailed together, headboards, old doors, car chamoises, tree branches, old ladders, etc. When you use salvaged materials or something unexpected, it’s also a bit of a time saver because you already have an interesting canvas to simply build off of with your message.   There’s personality built in and it sure beats starting from scratch on something new. It’s also a creative challenge to sometimes try and marry up your materials with whatever the verbage or message is. 

I then mix up my letter options between paint, the woodburner, found objects or carving or routing.   I love to use those simple block stencils that you can get in various sizes at all home improvement stores.  They’re cheap and can give you some great looks.  Old printer blocks are also a popular way to spell things out.

When I have something to say by goodness I want to have fun saying it! Entertain yourself and others by keeping things thought-provoking and interesting.  It’s not only what your sign is saying that’s important, it’s also what you’ve said it on!

What are you saying with your signs and what are you saying them on?!? 

Cheers!

michele.