A Toile Tale: seven barks

Showing posts with label seven barks. Show all posts

Thursday, July 20, 2017

Horse Lovers Come to Dinner

There's an adorable couple that we've been wanting to have to dinner, and last weekend we finally had them over. They are horse lovers, so I dug into my stash of equine decorations and put together this table. I'll admit that it was very hard for me to use these colors in summer. They just say fall to me! I guess I am very seasonally inspired.

But, I pulled out these Ralph Lauren linens and started with a rustic look.

I remember that when I saw these chargers at Pier One, I hesitated forever. I have so many chargers and many of them are wooden. Did I need any more? No. But, of course, I bought them. And I love them. The dinner plate and dessert plate are from ZGallerie.

This flatware is some I use so often. I played around with a light wood handle instead, but decided on this dark wood.

I was so happy to use these pieces. I made the napkins from Ralph Lauren yardage years ago, and the rings are made by Rebecca Ray designs.

Don't you love the detail on this copy of an antique rosette. Each of them has a different horse featured.

This glassware is some I use over and over.

My favorite stationery company, Seven Barks, makes these coasters with similar images to the napkin rings. How cool are they?

They also make these letterpress placecards with a snaffle bit design. This image and many other great ones come on note cards, too. They have a whole line of equestrian designs. Check them out here.

We have a great nursery close by with a beautiful gift shop. I found these stirrup candlesticks there last week.

These faux bois salt and pepper shakers seemed to fit the bill.

I often use two, or even three runners in place of a tablecloth, especially if I am making them. It is super easy to just cut and hem.

The colors of these flowers lift the feeling of the table, but still complement the colors. Roses and alstromeria work together so well. These are arranged on a wooden round and toped with a horse head.

These colors spoke to me!

This horse head is actually one side of a pair of bookends. I just wrapped the base in a bit of plastic wrap and sat it on top of the brick of oasis floral foam that I used for the flowers.

I love a table for four!

Here's what greeted them at the front door. I change out the wreath so often and I have a lot of them, but none of the seemed right for this evening, so I used the horse shoe. It gave our guests a hint about the evening.

Joining:

Metamorphosis Monday, Inspire Me Tuesday, The Scoop,

Wow Us Wednesday, Tablescape Thursday, Feathered Nest Friday,

Home Sweet Home, Foodie Friday and Everything Else,

Sundays at Home

Sunday, April 2, 2017

Photo Shoot for Equestrian Wedding

I was flattered when Seven Barks asked me to do a photo shoot for a spring equestrian wedding feature. I wasn't clear exactly what they wanted, but I began to play with some items that said spring wedding to me. Here's my path to this pretty photo.

This was the tablescape I started with, but as soon as I shot it, I knew it was too busy and had too many items in it. After all, that beautiful snaffle bit letterpress place card was to be the featured item, and it was almost lost in the complete setting. Note: These are totally un-edited photos, just to show my thought process and where I was going.

I got a little closer, but still thought it was still not the star of the show.

Closer still, but now it's out of proportion to the napkin ring.

Getting closer.

Almost there, but something's still wrong.

I added the napkin and ring back to the mix, but.....no.

Here's a close up of that gorgeous silver napkin ring with a setter and pheasant. I. Love. This.

Well, hello, beautiful! By tipping the placecard a bit, I had it. I can't tell you what magazine it's going to be in just yet, but I can't wait to see their spring equestrian wedding article.

This placecard/enclosure card ( 2" x 3.5" and twelve to a pkg ) comes in many other letterpress designs, and Seven Barks, Purveyors of Fine Papers, has so many other distinctive items in their line. Go to www.sevenbarks.com to check them out. There is an adorable bunny design that would be wonderful for Easter, and so would their Easter party poppers!

Sunday, October 16, 2016

Custom Poppers

I hope you've noticed that I've been missing from the blogsphere. I've been with my daughter playing Florence Nightingale, uber driver, maid, laundress and cook. My poor baby broke her kneecap and couldn't do any of the above! There were also thousand of snuggles, millions of kisses, and billions of giggles with those adorable boys of hers. While I was there, since Cleveland is the home of Seven Barks, I was excited to be invited to drop into their printing plant (POV Print Solutions) and watch them assemble a custom order for party poppers!!!!

There was recently a beautiful wedding in California that provided these custom poppers for each guest. They were designed with this express party in mind using the bride and groom's initials and a custom selection of gifts inside. Each one has a small gun powder strip for that little bit of excitment when you pull the ends for the traditional surprise.

This was the huge box of custom glitter that was used inside the poppers.

And here's one of the sweetest job managers I ever met! Can you see how EACH PIECE is handmade?

And here's a box ready to make the trip from Ohio to California.

I can't resist showing some of their standard offerings. Here's a photo of their Thanksgiving poppers I took at their booth at the gift show in Atlanta.

Their Easter poppers.

The red/white/blue ones.

I just had to play with one of the poppers that they gave me. I dug through my daughter's pretties and put this look together. She had so many lovely things to choose from, and I dusted the china cabinet's items while I was at it! Isn't this pretty?

I started with her Kate Spade silver and cream tablecloth. I think I got this for her for Christmas, as a matter of fact. I used this heavy pewter beaded charger, and her Wedgewood platinum wedding china. Then a mother of pearl dessert plate.

Another wedding gift was this stunning sterling silver flatware. It is Old Maryland Engraved. I absolutely love this pattern.

A friend of Susie's brought her a beautiful floral arrangement, so I picked a few select blooms out to style this pretty table. The rose is gorgeous, but those blue/grey thistles really ring my chimes!

I think these bee salt and pepper shakers came from her mother-in-law. I sure wanted to stick these in my pocket.

I went a little over the top with four etched glasses, but she had soooo many beautiful pieces of crystal, I just couldn't stop myself.

I placed them on the railing of the deck so you could get a better look at them.

This piece is the queen of the hop! It is William Yeoward's fern pattern. Doesn't it make your mouth water? This is truly exquisite. Everything about it is perfection. These were also wedding presents from some really generous guests.

These champagne glasses are similarly etched.

These water glasses have ferns and dots, as do the Yeoward pieces and are very similar, but not quite the same quality. Really beautiful glasses, never the less.

And then this little juice glass is also similar.

It all came together so well and featured this great, fun little accessory sort of poached from Seven Barks. It's no secret that I love their products. You can see their catalog here. If you want some custom designs, they can do that, too. Tell them I sent you!

I'm back in Atlanta now, missing all of the action and hugs. We're planning some fall entertaining, and then we'll soon be in the thick of holiday parties. I promise to be a better blogger and share what we're up to!

Joining:

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at Celebrate and Decorate

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21 Rosemary Lane

Friday, November 14, 2014

Seven Barks Thanksgiving Crackers

Check this out! If you follow this blog, you know that I'm crazy about the paper products from Seven Barks. They usually create items that reflect the sporting life....dogs, horses, boating, fishing, etc. They add a few table top items each year, and their new offerings this year include these awesome party crackers. They have a gun powder strip (for the pop!) and small toys inside, just as the traditional English crackers do. You can see their entire line here.

The poppers and these mums inspired this table. These are about the only mums left in the stores or nurseries around here. That's ok because I love them. I've got them in the living room, the dining room, and some are still flourishing outdoors, but I think their days are surely numbered.

Here's the way I worked things together in the breakfast room.

I set this outdoor table using a lot of these same items early last fall.

You can see the rest of it here.

Doesn't this look like it will be a fun, casual get together? Our bachelor neighbor will be joining us tonight, and he's about the most casual guy you ever met, so I never let things get too over the top for him.

I pulled two pumpkins in from outdoors around the pool. I think they were glad to come inside. Then I stuck some of those mums into a brown crockery mug. I think it is old, but I'm not totally sure.

I added some yellow ornamental peppers.

Then I stuck one bloom into the napkin ring. They are from World Market, and the orange napkins are from the Palm line of linens. I love the quality of them.

This rattan charger is from World Market, too, and the white plates are our everyday, no-name dishes. The orange/white plate is from a bridal shower I did several years ago. I think I went to every Homegoods store in the Atlanta area getting enough of them!

Because I wanted this to be very informal, I used this yellow polka dotted flatware. I think it came from Homegoods, as well.

Don't you love this guy?

I just had to buy a box of their Christmas crackers, too. I love this Victorian goose badge on them.

We'll have dessert and coffee tonight, so we'll use these.

This is a bit of a departure from most fall tables, in that it is so screamingly bright, instead of fall's usual earthier tones. I'll save those colors for another table.

After all, it's a bright and beautiful day outside. It will be dark by the time we eat, but for now, I'm sure enjoying the sunshine. I know so many of you are experiencing unusually early, cold weather, and I know the feeling of dread that I always had with the first snow. Delightful and beautiful, but the winter can be so loooooooong.