Splashy Japanese Maple Trees

Definitely not your typical fall leaves, Japanese maple trees certainly electrify the garden with color. And the range of leaf shape is astonishing! They do best in USDA Zones 6 through 8 and in the hotter areas they require consistent water with excellent drainage, and afternoon shade. It is also best to plant them in the spring or early fall, so if you've a mind to plant one these beauties you best get around to it within the next couple of weeks. These are some watercolor paintings I put up in my Etsy store today, and from left to right they are A. palmatum 'Sango Kaku', 'Dissectum' and 'Atropurpureum'.

Gifts from the Garden - Herbal Oils and Vinegars

This is the first in a new series I am creating here on my blog. With Gifts from the Garden I will be sharing some of the many culinary and crafty projects I've made both from my garden and for my garden. This first post - Herbal Oils and Vinegars - is timed to inspire you to get those tender herbs picked before the first frost does them in, and then make something lovely that you can present as gifts during the holidays. And a very economical gift it is! All you need are a few ingredients and some empty bottles with corks. Many of the bottles I've used are simply the ones that the vinegar came in when I purchased it, the wine vinegar bottles being among the prettiest. I've also purchased the smaller size Perrier water because I really like the green color and the nice shape of the bottle. Or visit my fellow Etsy seller NewVisionDesigns for a beautiful selection of vintage bottles. Finally, for my simple recipes just click this link - Herbal Oils and Vinegars Recipes - to download a PDF file. Perhaps you have your own tips and techniques - your questions and/or comments are always welcomed and appreciated!

Moss Gardening - When Grass is NOT an Option

A few years ago I had the great good fortune to participate in a garden tour at a private residence aptly named Eden Woods. Frustrated by the inability to grow anything resembling a lawn under the canopy of massive oaks on her one acre++ property, the homeowner turned to a natural and obvious solution. Now several species of moss blanket the earth at Eden Woods, creating soft undulating streams of emerald green loveliness. Eden Woods has the distinction of being documented by the Smithsonian Institute Archives of American Gardens and an episode on a gardening show on HGTV. For more information on moss gardening join me on Twitter (@TheCranesNest) and my friend Bren (@BG_Garden) this Monday, September 19, from 9-10p ET, #GardenChat. Guest Host @MossRocks will be answering questions about moss gardening, dish gardens and their wonderful new product Moss Rocks! And be sure to visit the GardenChat webpage for more information and a Calendar of Events.

Proud as a Peacock

Yesterday I received my very first Etsy sale and I'm "Proud as a Peacock"! Well, maybe not that proud, but I'm flying pretty high right about now. So since the peacock is back in vogue once again I thought I'd share a few lovely images. The first photo at the top was taken earlier this summer at the Norfolk Zoo. I managed to take quite a few very sweet animals photos that day, so they'll soon be rendered in watercolor and up for sale in my Etsy shop. The other is a large scale acrylic painting I've been working on for a couple of years now. Really need to get that finished! And lastly I thought I would show off some of the lovely handmade home decor from a few of my fellow Etsy sellers. From Right to Left we have a stunning feather wreath by pickypickypeacock, a beautiful hand-painted glass pitcher by marywibis, a slipcover for a lampshade (how cool is that?!!) by lauralishadieladie and a lovely pillowcover by JolieMarche. Now, go visit Etsy and get that holiday shopping started!

Wrapped with Love

Along with the opening of my new Etsy store Cynthia Crane's Art came the challenge of creating packaging that would reflect my overall aesthetic. So with the help of one of my new Etsy friends Gardenmis and her lovely butterfly cutouts I think I've achieved my goal. That's one of the wonderfully nice things about shopping on Etsy - the range of products is simply amazing! While there certainly are loads and loads of original art and craft, you'll also find craft supplies, vintage items, clothing, photography and a whole lot more. Most Etsy sellers are small independent artists and business-owners just like me. So please remember us now that the holiday season is fast approaching!

DOWN ON THE FARM

Many of these original painting are now up for sale at my Etsy store: Cynthia Crane's Art. Be sure to insert your email in the box over on the right if you'd like to receive notifications when more work is available. Or feel free contact me (RED LINK BUTTON AT TOP ON THE RIGHT) for a special commissioned painting of your favorite animal or pet.

DOGGIES and KITTIES

Many of these original painting are now up for sale at my Etsy store: Cynthia Crane's Art. Be sure to insert your email in the box over on the right if you'd like to receive notifications when more work is available. Or feel free contact me (LINK AT RIGHT) for a special commissioned painting of your favorite animal or pet.

MY FEATHERED FRIENDS

Below is a sampling of many of my birdie paintings. You can find many of my original watercolor paintings and prints at my Etsy store: Cynthia Crane's Art. Be sure to insert your email in the box over on the right if you'd like to receive notifications when new work is available. Or feel free contact me (LINK AT RIGHT) for a special commissioned painting of your favorite animal or pet.