R IS FOR OYSTER

If it is true or not, I have been told that you can only enjoy oysters in the months that have a “r” in the spelling. Such as the "r" in November. November is Thanksgiving. And a huge part of my family’s celebration of Thanksgiving is with oysters. And not just a few, but bushels and bushels of oysters... shucked, dashed with lemon, a splash of Tabasco or dipped in a very fine mignonette sauce and eaten raw (thank you very much my dear sister-in-law, Kathy). Yum. A beautiful tradition we look forward to each year. It is no surprise I love a beautifully set table, and this year’s table is all about the oyster. What to do with all those leftover shells?…oyster napkin rings, of course. Add a little bit of this and that and you will find you have set the most glamorous table of the season. Simple and Beautiful. Memorable.

This what you will need-

Oyster Shells

Bleach

Metallic Paint-Pearl White...Link here.

White Chalk Spray Paint (Optional)

Satin Ribbon

E6000 Glue

Once the oyster has been shucked, run the shells through one cycle in the dishwasher.

Place the shells in a deep dish or container and fill with a ratio of 1 cup water to 1 cup bleach. Cover the shells completely.

Let sit several hours or overnight. You can check on your shells from time to time to see if they have bleached completely. Remove when you are happy with the shell color.

Wash with soapy water and let dry.

My shells never turned completely white and had large amounts of brown color on the outside of the shell. I would have preferred them to be more on the gray side, but that can be quickly fixed. 

Turn the shells so the outside of the shell is up. Just spray lightly with white chalk spray paint and let dry.

A soft white shell,perfect.

Paint one coat of the metallic pearl to the inside of the oyster. Don't worry about the paint lines, they seem to blend and smooth out as the paint dries.

Then a second coat.

Once dry, cut a length of ribbon 50" long.

Place a drop of glue to the back side of the shell.

Lay the ribbon on the glue.

Press down slightly on the ribbon.

Let dry overnight.

Tie the ribbon around the napkin...

Add a few more...

Set the table, dim the lights...

Perhaps you might even find a pearl...magic. Memorable.

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CONCRETE PUMPKINS

I love the cool look of concrete pumpkins. There is something so interesting and unique about them, a little bit mysterious. Soft and silent, a velvet like texture, unexpected. Of the many special things I adore about these concrete pumpkins is that you can keep them outside all year. They become a fixed ornament peeking out between a perennial garden, maybe tucked beside an annual. Perhaps just in plain sight perched on your doorstep with a dusting of new snow. Or mixed on your seasonal table. Decorate with them inside or out, they will capture your heart and become a personal favorite. Simple and fun, they take about 15 minutes to make. Soft and silent.

This is what you need-

Shapecrete

Tights

Twine

Vinyl Gloves
Scissors
Trowel

Shapecrete is a new type of concrete mix that is simple to use and delivers amazing results. It comes in a 20 pound container with a handle that makes it easy to lift, store and move around. Mix with a little bit of water and you are all set to create. The outcome is a smooth fine soft surface, unlike concrete that has a pebbly, rough finish, fine for a walkway, but not a work of art for your home. To purchase...Link here.

Use a drop cloth to cover and protect your work space.

To make a small pumpkin, measure from the toe of the tight and cut off about a 10" length.

Measure 4 cups of Shapecrete and place in a container.

Pour 1 cup of water, a little at a time while stirring the Shapecrete. 

Stir until you have what looks like brownie mix.

Scoop up small amounts of the mix and "pour" into the opening of the tight. Fill the tight up with all the mix.

Told the top of the filled tight and slightly bounce the concrete to form a ball and to get any air pockets outs.

Tie a slight knot at the top.

Wrap a length of twine around the pumpkin and tie it in a knot. The tighter you make the twine, the deeper the sections will be.

I tied three strings of twine around my pumpkin, but you can add more if you like. Three looks perfect to me.

Set out in a dry spot to harden. Use a drop cloth under the pumpkins while they set.  Wait two days to let dry.

From the bottom of the pumpkin, cut the twine and peal it away from the the concrete.

Snip the tight off following the lines left by the twine.

Peal the tight away from the concrete like you are pealing an orange.

A soft smooth texture for concrete.

If you see a dark area on the bottom of the pumpkin, it has not dried completely. Turn it over and let dry for an additional day.

To make the stem you will need twine, floral wire and Modge Podge glue and a craft brush.

Measure and cut a 10" to 12" length of twine.

Measure and cut 6 or so lengths of twine. The more strands of twine the thicker the stem will be.

Measure and cut a length of the floral wire the same length as your twine.

Twist the wire into the twine.

Tie a knot at the bottom of the twine.

Twist the wire inside the twine.

Use Mod Podge sparingly on the twine to help the twine stick together. Let dry.

Glue the stem on the top of the pumpkin.

Peeking out here...

Or here...

Or there...

Just beautiful.

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