Posts Tagged ‘Valentines Day gifts’

How to Make Valentines Ornaments

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

Create fun and inexpensive holiday ornaments for every holiday.

                

With all of the hustle and bustle of the December and January holidays in the past, it’s time to think about Valentine’s Day and the ornaments that can be made for a Valentine’s Day tree!  Valentine’s Day decorations and ornaments are growing in popularity, and kids have always enjoyed making Valentine’s Day gifts for classmates and friends.  This year, why not spend an afternoon with your children creating Valentine’s Day ornaments that are fun and inexpensive?    

Valentine’s Day ornaments do not have to be elaborate to be beautiful.  In fact, one of the latest techniques is to create these ornaments out of recycled materials!  Using things you have around the house or buying recycled art supplies can be a fun and inexpensive way to encourage creativity.    Here are a few ideas for items you may have around the house that can make for beautiful Valentine’s Day ornaments.

  1. Yarn (left over from a knitting project or other misc.);   
  2. Tissue paper (check in some of the gift boxes you saved from Christmas);
  3. Old greeting cards (Valentine’s or not);
  4. Candles (melt the wax and use as glue);
  5. Ribbon and/or bows (check those Christmas gift boxes again);
  6. Newspapers or magazines (paper mache is so much fun).

The options are really limitless!  Get creative and have fun.  Making Valentine’s Day ornaments is a wonderful way to spend a cold, wintry afternoon with your children.  Once you’ve got a variety of ornaments, decorate a Valentine’s Day tree and give the rest away as gifts.  At the end of February, be sure to store the ornaments in a safe place so you can enjoy them next year!

Article and images used with permission from UltimateChristmas.com.

Signature Ornaments by Gorky Gonzalez

Monday, February 1st, 2010

The ceramic ornaments are handcrafted in the studio of Gorky Gonzalez

 in Guanajuato, Mexico.

The colorful handcrafted and handpainted ceramic ornaments can be purchased online at La Casa Mexicana for $18 each.  The ornament supply is limited, so hurry if you want to add several Christmas ornaments or spring ornaments to your ornament collection.  The Gonzalez studio produces ornaments for many occasions and the red and green or red and blue heart ornaments are just perfect for a Valentines Day gift.

As the son of sculptor Rodolfo Gonzalez,  ornament artist Gorky Gonzalez  studied sculpture and casting objects in bronze and lost wax with his father. Later he worked in the village San Miguel de Allende at the School of Arts and the Allende Institute, where he built an artistic foundry attended by both student and professional sculptors.

Gonzalez also founded a small workshop of terra cotta manufacturing in the village of Marfil where he reproduced Jean Byron’s designs. His main interest, however, has always been rescuing the traditional majolica. Majolica refers to a type of pottery that is glazed with tin oxide to produce a soft white color.  Intricate designs are painted on the background with other metallic oxides.  These handpainted designs often change colors when the pottery is fired, making each ornament unique.   The name Majolica actually comes from the Spanish island of Majorca, where this style of pottery was exported to Italy beginning in the 15th century.

Currently, Gorky Gonzalez works with his son in his studio in Mexico where they continue to produce unique majolica ceramic ornaments.  You will want to see more of his ornaments as well as many of his other designs and creations at La Casa Mexicana.  You can also learn more about majolica and other Mexican handcrafted art on Wikepedia.

Article and images used with permission from LaCasaMexicana.com