Bird's Nest Home Decor

I love to collect fallen bird's nests. I am fascinated by the intricate things a small bird can accomplish with two feet and a beak. Usually, I fill the outside windowsills of my house with the nests, tucking them into the corners here and there. As I find feathers or shells I add them to the nests, it's an ever-evolving collection.
I was thumbing through an issue of Good Housekeeping last month and noticed a bird's nest display on someones kitchen counter and knew this was the solution to my display dilemma, a way for me to bring the outside in. I tried to duplicate the idea here.
Gather your supplies:

An apothecary jar
Bird's nests (please don't remove these from trees, I only take those that have blown down in the wind)
Feathers, broken shells
Twisty branches in the shape of a "Y" to support the nests.

Place the largest nest in the bottom of the jar and arrange a few unusual feathers or your shells inside

Next, place several branches above and around the nest and arrange them to cradle a smaller nest

Rest your smaller nest in the crook of the branch

It looks like a tiny tree under glass. You can add to it as you find treasures, but avoid cluttering it up. The simplicity of the branches and nests are beautiful alone.

Hope is the thing with feathers...

I wanted to show off my latest photograph to go into my Etsy shop. This little nest is a work of art in strength and form. Each bit of mud and piece of grass is placed with precision. I can't believe this little bird is so talented! It was blown to the ground in a recent storm and I've held onto it for my bird's nest collection.

While on my tree crusade yesterday Helper Munchkin and I stumbled upon this freshly hatched robin's egg. I have a friend who spots four leaf clovers with some built in radar and I spot robin's eggs. I have little collections of them each spring that I save in spots here and there. I love the tiny, fragile shells in shades of blue I could never duplicate.

Well, the two beauties go together perfectly and posed for a photo on a chilly spring day in Pittsburgh.

I'm going to use part of my favorite Emily Dickinson poem as the title. Look for it soon at http://www.HopeStudios.Etsy.com

We are FA - MI - LY!!!

I just completed a "Family Plaque" for 'Mom2Chaos' on Etsy and she had the greatest idea! She wanted a plaque for her family similar to the stick figure stickers people put on their cars. I'm telling you, my customers are so creative! Anyway, I brainstormed and this is what I came up with. On top of coming up with a great idea (and giving me permission to sell them in my Etsy shop) her kids have the COOLEST names!

I stayed up late to finish all my orders from this week and though my house looks like it's been ransacked due to lackluster cleaning on my part in the past few days, I'm happy. I got the nicest email from a bride who wanted a wedding frame and it just made my day. I've always said, there is no thanks in laundry but, boy, do people love their frames! It gives me motivation to face that sink full of dishes. A little positive feedback goes a long way. Maybe I'll put a feedback card on top of my families clean and folded clothes this week...

Anyway, I think we've really seen the end of ski season for 2008. It's sad to put away the skis but it's also exciting to see the grass getting greener and little shoots poking out of the dirt. I found a bird's nest last week I would love to fill with robin's eggs. Soon, they will be hatching and I think I'll collect the fallen shells to make a spring display. Any thoughts on getting rid of the bird bugs?