Thank you for revisiting!
In amongst this article you will find several juxtaposed photos of most of the
fun decorations and gifts that I have created over the past two years!
They are not for commercial sale in stores!
They are not for commercial sale in stores!
I hope they inspire you too!
There is so much interest from people
around the world searching for inspiration to creatively decorate with natural or
organic materials and objects! Now that is the spirit of Creativity!!
I know this, as I can see by all the visits on my little Blog. I am graciously proud that this Blog has been used as reference and inspiration!
I know this, as I can see by all the visits on my little Blog. I am graciously proud that this Blog has been used as reference and inspiration!
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| Dried Forest Bulbs of Milkweed Fluff, Juniper, Saskatoon berries, Rosehips, Aspen cones, Sagebrush |
I think we may admit, at this time of year we do like a bit of glitz and glamour to make holidays sparkle with magic and spirituality.
It is just way too easy to choose these convenient
and amusing products that give us immediate or short term pleasure, only to be
thrown away in the very near future because they are cheap or break down. Heck we are busy, financially stressed and overwhelmed with life too! But these purchases never really 'go away'!
What if we consumers began to think about how
these products not only impact the people of today's world, but also indefinitely impact our future generations! That means people in our own
families? It can be difficult to envision the world for our future
grandchildren, great grandchildren, great great grandchildren and so on.
What if warnings were on all the labels of decorations, presents and all this stuff that we buy reminded us that they could not be decomposed in a landfill or ocean? Just like with health warnings on cigarette packages and products that list the potential long-term effects of that product.
Maybe it would be helpful to display TV monitors in
store isles with videos of landfills, ocean gyres full of plastic garbage,
animals trapped in man made garbage, and plastic garbage contents in the
bellies of birds.
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Or what if we posted photos with factory workers names in the shop isles showing the harm caused to them by working long hours with toxic paints, fumes and dysfunctional machinery.
Too wordy.... Too much detail ..... Too much time..... Too overwhelming.....Too busy......
Too boring....... and so on.
It is up to us to introduce our children or learn ourselves and teach
others what we can pick in nature. As well, what to protect in a sustainable way. Or inspire people to re-create from our garbage! This is an opportunity to explore and learn more about our local ecosystems!
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| Dried floral Bulbs to hang on the tree Hydrangea, Lilac, Rose, Geranium, Phlox & Tulip |
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| Heart Shaped Christmas Bulbs with Baby's Breath, Rosehips Wild Grass Lichen, Juniper, Milkweed Fluff |
However many of us are beginning to question the
materials used to create beautiful decorations marketed to us in our
favorite stores.
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| Angelic Milkweed Pod Fluff |
Some of us may even question who~ is actually
producing these pretty ornaments in foreign countries and at what cost to the
factory workers own health and well being? Is it really worth it to pay
for these sometimes glitzy, toxic and future garbage producing decorative
things!
Slowly more and more of us consumers are becoming aware of just what is actually happening way before decorations and toys actually fill store shelves.
Slowly more and more of us consumers are becoming aware of just what is actually happening way before decorations and toys actually fill store shelves.
We continue to justify that buying the
available decorative products is okay, because well they are already here. Sometimes
it feels easier to look the other way or just numb out and not pay attention to
the images or documentaries that can make us aware of what is actually going on in
the factory worker lives!
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| Heart shaped Door Entrance Ornament Lichen, Fir cones, Rosehips, Oregon Grape berries |
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| 5" Lichen Wreath with fir cones, Rosehips and Oregon Grape berries |
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| 14" Lichen Tree with Aspen cones, Rosehips & Saskatoon Berries |
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| Mixed seeds from my garden labelled with inspiring attributes to Bloom! |
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| Wooden hearts stamped and then stained with natural ochre rock and linseed oil |
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| Rose water made from roses from my garden with Witch Hazel |
What if warnings were on all the labels of decorations, presents and all this stuff that we buy reminded us that they could not be decomposed in a landfill or ocean? Just like with health warnings on cigarette packages and products that list the potential long-term effects of that product.
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| Homemade Bird Food Ornament to hang on a branch |
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| Takeout Bird Food Ornaments! |
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Or what if we posted photos with factory workers names in the shop isles showing the harm caused to them by working long hours with toxic paints, fumes and dysfunctional machinery.
These people are the ones to be acknowledged, as they created all this commercial decorative and celebratory stuff that amuses us and we partly buy due to society's peer pressure!
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| Bee Mindful Beeswax Candles with a stamped and painted box |
Maybe most of you visiting this Blog post,
have not even read this far into the article.
Too wordy.... Too much detail ..... Too much time..... Too overwhelming.....Too busy......
Too boring....... and so on.
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| Trinket containers decoupaged with Wasp Nest Paper |
Yeah...we like things easy, convenient, on demand
and perfectly appealing that we can be buy as needed or obliged.
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| A mirror decoupaged with Wasp Nest Paper and a stamped and painted box |
I am not trying to shame and guilt us people! Nor I am not suggesting that we should harvest large amounts of unsustainable organic material from our natural habitats and ship it somewhere to be made into products!!
I am hopefully inspiring or provoking more of us to see the natural resources in our own backyards so to speak and harvest only enough material to make some decomposable adorable decorations!
I am hopefully inspiring or provoking more of us to see the natural resources in our own backyards so to speak and harvest only enough material to make some decomposable adorable decorations!
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| Candles slid into empty slips of birch bark and a candle holder decoupaged with River sand with Mica |
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| Boy holding an Owl Pellet Discovery Kit |
So today this is a shout out for a creative
challenge to rethink consumerism and shift us globally into a new sustainable
economy!
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| An Owl Pellet Discovery Kit to dissect an Owl Pellet for bones! Just like a Scientist with dissection tools! |
Help share the accountability and support needed to
reduce the harmful impacts on our very land or sea,
for the lives of other people and our future families too!
My Christmas wish is to give ourselves the gift of
simplicity and encourage all generations to remember all the natural sources
and objects around them. To see natural beauty and simplicity with new
eyes!
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| A Make Gratitude Bundles Kit A family/group activity/ritual to share thankfulness and grateful appreciation for each other and Nature! |
By learning to how to see the simple and natural
beauty that surrounds us, we help each other stay connected to nature and learn
to identify and remember our natural surroundings.
This naturally leads to an understanding of Gratitude!
Being thankful and grateful for what we do have!
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| An Apron for crafting and cooking! |
Now~ I am already cooking and crafting up ideas for next year!!
The Creativity pot is boiling over!
Season's Greetings Everyone!
Make Merry In All Celebrations This Season!
Photo credits for half of these photos goes to Coreena McBurnie!
Be sure to visit her Blog of Book Reviews and Creative Adventures!
Beautiful, beautiful creations. Inspiring art, and words. We are with you 100%, and are enjoying a non-consumer holiday based on the enjoyment of nature and creativity.
ReplyDeleteYou share a very important message about much-needed changes in the way we live. Simplicity is the way to go.
Thank you. Happy holidays.
Thank you! Your Blog is interesting too! I have added it to my must read list! Happy Holidays!
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