Shortly after we moved to our current home several years ago, a neighbor invited me over for tea.  As we got acquainted over tea, and she showed me her garden area, I was especially intrigued with the gorgeous glass plate flowers that she had created and had placed all throughout her garden areas.  It wasn't until this summer that she was able to show me her craft, and how to put the plates together.  I had previously watched many videos on it, but there is nothing like hands-on to learn for yourself.



So I thought I would do a post on just the glass plate flowers themselves.  I have included pictures of most of the plates I have made this summer.  At the end of the pictures that I will share below, I have included a video on my process of making the plates if you are interested.  I make the plates outside, and there are plenty of "country noise effects" throughout my video, lol!

I won't narrate below each picture below, you can just scroll through and enjoy :)










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I've had quite a few people ask me how to make these plates, and so here is a short video tutorial for you to watch if you are interested in how they are made.  It is an easy process, but there is some work that goes into gathering everything you need to make the flower.  This was my first attempt at narrating a video tutorial, while holding my camera in my hand, so bear with me in this, lol!



I hope you enjoyed the video, and if you love china as much as I do, this may be a fun way to display plates and china that otherwise would be hiding in a cabinet.  These plates have brought a lot of joy and whimsey to my garden this year.  I have also used a lot of cracked china that otherwise could not be enjoyed, yet these pieces can live on in the beauty of my garden despite their broken, chipped state.

As I use these beautiful pieces of china, I don't feel so bad cutting into a plate that is already chipped or otherwise marred, as I give it new life. This is a beautiful analogy too, just as the Lord can take our chipped, broken, marred and scarred life and under His gentle handiwork and care, use us for something new and wonderful again.  There is no end to the enduring creative love of the Lord, and the purpose He has for our lives.  He is the Great Potter, and under His hands, and in His care, we can be made into something new again, to further benefit His kingdom.

I love thinking of that analogy as I take these cast-off plates, teacups, saucers, candleholders, ashtrays, and custard cups among others... and turn them into something new and beautiful, to be enjoyed.

Blessings to all who have visited here and shared in this joy of mine today :)


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The loveliest of seasons, the one we anticipate all winter long has come and gone... amazing how fast the days fly by! This summer was a busy one and filled with days full of adventure and lots of fun memories made. We were too busy enjoying summer for me to share each one with you at the time, so I will just take you on a quick peek now of some of the fun moments we had this summer.

A highlight of summer here is always going camping...

While we set up camp and unpack, I get my Cowboy Soup in the Dutch oven and put it on the fire to heat while the rest of camp preparations are underway.

We live in an area where there are plenty of places to camp on state land, and so we always have fun finding a campsite.  We were particularly excited to find this campsite right next to a noisy rushing creek.

Lots of fun exploring around our campsite.

Huckleberries were in season, and we filled our buckets... and tummies with them!

We rode back up into the mountains and enjoyed the beautiful vistas! Wildflowers were in abundance!

Daises bowing graciously in the sunshine...

Butterflies in abundance...

Butterflies and daisies!

Riley enjoying the beautiful summer day exploring amidst the profusion of daisies.

Back home, in my garden... my strawberries produced a record crop this year.

Lots of logging trails to explore on the 4-wheeler...

A favorite treat in July are the thimbleberries which grow in abundance here.  They taste a bit like a raspberry with a woody undertone... fun to munch on as a quick treat in the woods!

My neighbor's pie cherry tree was loaded with bright red deliciousness...

I picked the cherries, canned them, and shared half with her.  She does not care to can, so it is a win-win for both of us :)

Tart plump juicy cherries...

Lots of work go into these little cherries, but they are worth it!

This is the end result of one pie cherry tree!

On each Thursday this summer, an adventurous soul who is 83 years young led group hikes to different trails in our area.  This particular hike took us to several waterfalls and to a sanctuary where you could see an actual eagle's nest up close.  We were amazed at how large the nest was!

A little piece of heaven down by this gorgeous waterfall we hiked in to see.

African Daisies blooming happily in my garden.

Huckleberry ice cream cone enjoyed by my husband and I.

The beautiful face of a sunflower in my garden.

Another day is done.

Full moon reflection in the still night waters.

Happy succulents in my garden.

A bouquet of flowers gathered from my garden.

4-wheelin' in the mountains with my husband. I went on a hike with my friend LD and her children one hot summer day in early August.  The trail was 6 miles in, and 6 miles back out, a 12-mile round trip! We packed a lunch and enjoyed the views.

A beautiful package received in the mail from my dear friend, Marilyn from Pink Paper Cottage.  She created these cards for me with decorated seed packets... just the cutest packaging and design! She knows me well :)

It was really the dog days of summer, and sweet Miss Riley's pose sums up just how it feels in the midst of those hot summer days!

We had some of my husband's family visit this summer.  I made homemade playdough for the kids to enjoy playing with.

We had a bout of smoky skies this August, and it really put a damper on outside activities.  However, when my husband's family visited, we did go kayaking together one day.

This was a sampling of what our skies looked like for much of August.  How thankful we were when September came, and the skies cleared!

My husband bought me a little indoor rose bush, and it has the most beautiful blooms!

Marigolds blooming profusely in the late summer.

My sunflowers bloomed a second time!

And just like that... fall arrived!  Late August our purple ash tree began showing signs of fall with a purple tinge to its leaves...

I'm still amazed at how quickly the seasons seem to pass!

Flowers from my husband, gorgeous!

Some of the happy mail that arrived for my birthday :)

Enjoying a cup of tea with the Whoops macaroons sent to me by my friend RH and Vanilla Bean Macaron tea sent to me by a friend Lynn, who I met through Stephanie's tea exchange.  Delightful!

Another friend gave me a gift of tea! Have you heard of Blooming Tea?  The teapot is made of clear glass so that you can see the beautiful tea flower unfold in the hot water.  The green tea leaves unfold to disclose a beautiful blooming tea flower.

Isn't it beautiful!  It makes the prettiest cup of tea! You can find Blooming Tea online at https://teabloom.com  Such a delightful treat!

And here we are... in the stunning season of fall!  I added this door to my garden this summer, and it's already a favorite of mine for decorating.

Summer was indeed full of all the delights we look forward to all year long, along with some not so fun moments ... a terrible scourge of wasps that were a pestilence to our entire northern Idaho area, then we had gray smoky skies for most of August, and then the deer discovered my garden, and decided a fence meant nothing to them, and completely mowed my garden down to where I really didn't get a harvest of veggies.  However, despite all of those things, it still was a beautiful summer, and like every gardener I've ever talked to... there is always next year :)

We realize my garden needs a taller fence, and my husband has promised to enlarge the garden area with a tall deer-proof fence, and we will also plant fruit trees in the garden as well, so all is not lost... good will come out of it all!  And if the cycle of life has its way... there may be meat in my freezer for this winter.... meat that was fed out of my garden ;)

I hope to catch up with all of you, my precious blogging friends and readers as time permits and to see what adventures you have been on in the last month or so... blessings and hugs to all of you :)