A Fresh Look—and New Articles—for Country Sampler!

A note from the Publishers of Country Sampler.

Country Sampler November 2020

Country Sampler magazine has been a favorite publication of country decorators for more than 30 years now. We, the editors, as well as our readers have seen country styles evolve and change while still maintaining the strong core of what we love about country-style decor. Just as designs and decorating styles change, so too do magazines. With the November 2020 Christmas issue, we are pleased to bring you a refreshed Country Sampler with a new look and additional content. Much like how at Christmastime we redecorate our homes from top to bottom with sparkling trimmings, trees and displays, the Country Sampler staff has been brightening up our look and adding exciting new features to the magazine. Each issue will feature four distinct editorial sections: Country Homes Showcase, Refresh & Renew, Standout Spaces and Living the Life. Plus, we have a revamped Home Decor Lookbook where you’ll find some of your favorite merchandise to purchase and companies to check out. Watch for future issues to see more of these new sections. Here’s what you can expect to find in this new content:

• Country Homes Showcase: The home tours that you have come to love over the years have been enhanced and expanded with larger photos, more tips, and design elements that point out unique ideas in each home. In the November issue, we bring you five festive homes that are decked out in holiday finery. In future issues, watch for more variety of country-style homes with beautiful photos and great design tips.

• Refresh & Renew: Articles in this new section emphasize repurposing, simple DIY projects and before-and-after makeovers of everyday goods. In “Wreath Revival” in the November issue, Country Sampler stylist René Haines designed five easy-to-recreate wreaths in various country styles using basic wreath bases as starting points.

Wreath DIY

• Standout Spaces: Features in this new section focus on ways to make the most of specific areas in your home such as kitchens, entryways and bedrooms. For November, we showcased an assortment of ways to show off your Christmas tree on unique bases. These holiday touches can bring Christmas cheer to every space.

• Living the Life: This new section will feature interesting places that promote a simple lifestyle, tips for fostering a cozy country aesthetic, gorgeous salvaged gardens, favorite down-home recipes, and much more. Watch for it to premier in the January 2021 issue. It’s an exciting new way to expand your love of all things country.

• Home Decor Lookbook: You’ll find decorative accessories and furnishings for purchase in this revamped advertising section that’s more reader-friendly and easy to navigate. We’ll also give you tips on how to use your new purchases to decorate your home. Additionally, newly incorporated ads can be found throughout the pages of the Country Sampler with more home decor items from your favorite companies. Shop away!

We hope that as you turn the pages of the November 2020 issue as well as future issues, you will enjoy not only the beautiful homes that define Country Sampler but also the enhanced content that is meant to inspire you to create the country home of your dreams.

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Handwritten Treasures

Greetings from Country Sampler managing editor Lisa Sloan! With Mother’s Day a little more than a week away, I have been reflecting on past gifts that I’ve given or received that are dearest to my heart. At the top of my list (and most people’s lists, I’d venture) are things that bear the handiwork of the giver. That could include such keepsakes as a child’s framed palm print, a lovingly pieced quilt or a simple handwritten card.

Maybe it’s because I am a writer, but I especially enjoy handwritten notes, letters and recipes from family members. A few years ago, my then-15-year-old daughter gifted me with a birthday letter. The teen years often can be tumultuous, which made her words even more poignant: “You’re such a nice person and very fair the way you treat us … you inspire me to work hard with everything I do. I hope to be like you when I grow up. I love you so much, probably more than you realize.” What a priceless gift in a challenging season of motherhood!

This child’s note was recreated as a sign by Rachelle Creel from A Redeemed Mess, an Alabama-based creator.

Many people incorporate such handwritten treasures into their home decor; by framing grandma’s family-favorite cookie recipe or giving a Bible inscribed by previous generations a place of honor in tabletop vignette. Some craftspeople have come up with ways to make these ephemeral items a bit more lasting by producing custom handpainted and engraved signs and even tea towels and pillow covers featuring your loved one’s script.

Wee Custom Designs in New Jersey transforms family recipes into tea towels, complete with colorful graphics.

Miki Sigmon, of Miki’s Custom Creations, based in Jacksonville, Florida, is one example. Miki creates custom-engraved signs from handwritten sentiments. “Handwritten items have always been special to me, and I think it started with my grandma,” she says. “I remember her sharing letters with me that she had written to my grandfather while he was in the Navy and letters my dad sent to her while he was in boot camp.”

Miki made her first “handwritten” sign after her grandmother’s death. “I was looking through my Bible and came across a card she gave me in 1990. It really felt like she was talking to me,” she recalls. “That day, I decided I wanted to put her writing on wood and I made three signs—one for my Dad and one for each of my aunts.”

Miki Sigmon made this engraved sign using a card on which her late grandmother, Dottie, wrote some sage advice. She adorned it with a butterfly, which was one of her grandma’s favorite motifs.

Soon others asked her for similar creations, so she expanded her business (which focuses mainly on custom laser-cut goods) to include them. “I love what I do, and it brings me such happiness to hear how I have touched people with the items they order from me,” she says. “I feel this is my special gift I can give back to people who need that last piece to hold onto.”

In a time when handwriting seems to be going by the wayside in favor of typed or texted missives, it takes a little more effort to create written mementos. If you’re looking for a way to keep the younger generation engaged in creating written memories, the Treasured Passages book is a way to facilitate that. “It’s easy to underestimate the importance of family artifacts, until your opportunity to create them is gone,” says Whitney Biggs, one of the book’s co-creators, who found inspiration in a desk full of her late mother’s belongings, which included a list of things that made her happy.

Part scrapbook, part journal, Treasured Passages is a keepsake that two people create together and comes with a pullout storage drawer that includes 30-40 cards that are exchanged between the two authors. Once completed, the cards are tucked into little pockets and under lift-up flaps in the book. There are versions to be shared between mothers and daughters and grandparents and grandchildren.

But a special book is not required to preserve memories—pen and paper are all you need to convey your thoughts, offer a favorite quote, pass along advice or share a secret recipe. Put it in writing and you may just create a family heirloom that means more than words can say.

Do you have any special handwritten treasures that you display in your home? Comment below and tell us about them!

Until next time,

Lisa Sloan

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Easter Greetings!

Happy Easter and Happy Spring from editor Donna Marcel.

According to the calendar, we are one full month into the spring season, but Mother Nature sure threw us a curve ball last Sunday with several inches of snow in my area. But, just a day later we rebounded with temperatures in the high 50s and got back into the swing of springtime weather–just in time for Easter.

I was going over our family’s holiday dinner menu with my niece a few days ago and we started reminiscing about coloring eggs together when we were kids. My niece is only nine years younger than I am, so we were close enough in age that we were able to share in the experience of slowly swirling eggs around in a big bowl of water mixed with vintage Ruby’s brand dye–the product with the wire dipping ring and the plastic bottle stoppers in the shape of bunny heads.

I remember one year being so happy with the psychedelic design on an egg that I couldn’t bear to let anyone eat it, so I hid it in a container at the back of a little-used cabinet above our oven! A few years later my mother finally discovered my long-forgotten egg and asked jokingly, “Do you still want this?” I imagine I answered yes, but ultimately I reluctantly agreed to part with it after she explained the odoriferous effects time and heat have on an egg.

That Ruby dyeing kit has been off the market for years and I haven’t found an alternative that comes close to producing the same bright hues, but I did discover instructions for creating similarly colored eggs with food coloring and either whipping cream or shaving cream (although eggs colored using the shaving cream method might not be fit for consumption). Nevertheless, I am going to try my hand at coloring eggs using whipping cream and see if I can come close to my childhood creations.

Additionally, I hope to craft some faux eggs that I can safely stash away on Monday or even use as party favors to give away to dinner guests. Here are a few easy projects that I found on the JOANN Fabric and Crafts Stores website (www.joann.com/projects):

Yarn Wrapped Festive Eggs

Supplies:

  • Tim Holtz® idea-ology™ jute string
  • Wood or paper mache eggs
  • Liquid adhesive
  • Scissors

Directions:

  1. Apply adhesive to a small section starting at one end of the egg.
  2. Add the jute string by wrapping it around and around the egg.
  3. Continue to apply adhesive to small sections and keep wrapping the jute string until the egg is completely covered.
  4. Create stripes or patches of colors as desired.

Stencil Painted Eggs

Supplies:

  • Unfinished wood eggs
  • Acrylic paint: white, light pink, light purple, light blue, light green, light yellow
  • Floral sticker stencils
  • Paintbrushes

Directions:

  1. Paint entire egg white. Allow to dry.
  2. Apply sticker stencils to egg as desired.
  3. Paint over stencils and remove from egg. Allow to dry.
  4. Touch up or add more detail as desired.

Spring Chalkboard Eggs

Supplies:

  • Martha Stewart Crafts™ Multi Surface Acrylic Craft Paint: Pink Dahlia, Chamomile, Diving Board, Peacock Feather
  • Martha Stewart™ Chalkboard Paint, Gray
  • Bodoni Alphabet chalkboard silkscreen
  • Erasable liquid chalk
  • Basic brush set
  • 7 wood eggs

Directions:

  1. Paint all eggs with Gray Chalkboard Paint, apply 2 coats, allow to dry between coats.
  2. “Dip” paint the bottom of each egg with a color listed above. Allow to dry.
  3. Following directions on the Silkscreen, personalize each egg with Liquid Chalk.
  4. Allow to dry.

We’d love to hear about your favorite ways to dye or decorate Easter eggs. Share your stories with us in our comments section.

Wishing you all a blessed Easter celebration with your family!

Donna

P.S. If you would like more spring decorating inspiration, then you’ll love our May issue and our special Home Tours edition, which are full of ideas that will help you refresh and renew your rooms. Copies are available for purchase on our website and on newsstands now.

Order online: www.samplermagazines.com

Find a copy on newsstands: http://magfinder.magnetdata.net/

 

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As the Wind Blows

Happy Spring from managing editor Lisa Sloan!

Windmills and windmill blades have become a popular country-decorating motif, as they instantly convey a rustic farmhouse feel to interiors and serve as reminders of our past.

A windmill-themed piece enhances the gallery wall in this home, featured in the March 2019 issue of Country Sampler.
Photographed and Styled by Gridley + Graves.

Whether you prefer a whole fan or segments of just a few blades, you’ll find everything from authentic salvaged parts on online auction sites to more-affordable reproduction examples at a variety of retailers. You might even consider fashioning a DIY representation of your own using blades from old ceiling fans.

Have you ever considered the meaning behind this trendy wall decor?

Long before the motif became decorative icon, I was captivated by windmills, perhaps because the town I live in was once known as the “windmill capital of the world.” During the prime of windmill manufacturing, which spanned the mid-1800s to the mid-1950s, the river town of Batavia, Illinois, was home to six companies that produced hundreds of windmills each year.

Many Batavia-made windmills have been restored and installed around town, including this Pearl steel model, circa 1890s-1900s, which was produced by the Batavia Wind Mill Company. This windmill was once used on a farm in Minnesota.

The self-governing American-style windmills were very different from their European counterparts, which required constant monitoring and adjustment by a miller. Thanks to mechanisms that automatically adjusted the wheel or blade angle, American-style windmills could regulate their own speed and direction.

European windmills were powerful workhorses in the preindustrial world and were often used to mill and store grain. They featured large towers and huge blades constructed by skilled craftsmen.

In contrast, fan-type American windmills, which were designed mainly to pump water on farms, were affordable and easy to assemble with simple hand tools. Fan-style windmills helped fuel agricultural development and support transportation during the westward expansion of the United States.

When you consider their origins, development and function — to harness the power of the wind — windmill imagery can be interpreted in many richly varied ways. Though some see windmills as a simply a symbol of rural life, others might view them as representations of entrepreneurial spirit, self-sufficiency, adventure-seeking, perseverance or transformation.

A clock inspired by windmill blades stands out against a pallet wall in a home featured in the 2019 edition of Country Sampler Home Tours.
Photographed and Styled by Gridley + Graves.

So, if you’re seeking a meaningful new piece of wall decor, you may find, to quote Bob Dylan, “the answer is blowin’ in the wind.”

See you next time on the blog!

P.S. Be on the lookout for a few windmill-themed decorating ideas in the July 2019 issue of Country Sampler, which will be available on newsstands in late May!

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Shamrock Style

Greetings Country Sampler fans!

It’s editor Donna Marcel back here today on this last Thursday of the winter season. The calendar and the refreshing 65-degree temperature outside tell me that spring truly is right around the corner. Like most of the country over the last several months, my area has had its fair share of the effects of Old Man Winter–and I am more than ready to bid him a not-so-fond farewell!

Although the earth and the trees haven’t yet started to reveal their glorious emerald blades of grass and budding leaves, respectively, green decorations aplenty are gracing store shelves as the start of the St. Patrick’s Day weekend festivities is only a few hours away!

If you haven’t had a chance yet to start decorating for the holiday, or if you need a few more quick ideas to round out your party decorations, then I hope you’ll read on and discover six fast and fun St. Paddy’s Day projects, excerpted courtesy of Country Door and DIY decorator Robin, who hosts “Front Door Friday” on the company’s blog, https://www.countrydoor.com/blog

1. POT OF GOLD
This inexpensive and easy DIY display takes less than an hour to prepare! Simply gather and clean off some rocks from your yard, or buy a few packs of similar-size rocks from a crafts or hardware store, and spray them with metallic gold paint. Then, fill a black pot with sand or gravel to ensure stability, Robin advises, and place the rocks on top to create a lucky pot of gold for your front porch or entryway. You can readily find plastic pots in dollar stores at this time of year. Or, save a few greenbacks by borrowing a cauldron from your Halloween stash or a cast-iron campfire pot from your outdoor gear, she suggests.

ROBIN’S TIP: Are you hosting a party? Top off the gold rocks with gold-foil candy and let visitors take a treat!

2. SHAMROCK TOPIARIES
A pair of topiary pots presents a versatile way to easily change out your front porch decor for each season. For St. Patrick’s Day, Robin wraps faux ivy garland on the metal frame, tucks green mesh around the base, and ties on a few green shamrocks to give the piece some top ‘o the mornin’ style. Season-appropriate mesh and ornaments can be substituted for every holiday.

ROBIN’S TIP: To save money, use a tomato cage from a garden center instead of a topiary frame. Place the cage upside down in a pot and secure it using sand or gravel. Twist the top together in the center.

3. WELCOMING WREATH
Give a store-bought wreath an instant makeover with the addition of a festive bow. “A grapevine wreath with neutral white flowers can be updated all spring and summer with ribbons and a few decorative accents. One purchase, many different wreaths!” Robin writes.

ROBIN’S TIP: Pick one ribbon pattern to use throughout your decorating. This will help tie pieces together and give your front door a consistent, polished look.

4. BOXWOOD FLOWER POTS
Transform plain terra-cotta pots into weathered-looking beauties by applying a whitewash finish using craft acrylic paint. Sand down the surface to create a distressed look, and then place round faux boxwood balls on top. You can adapt this project for other holidays by simply changing the ribbon, Robin notes.

ROBIN’S TIP: Remember the decorating Rule of 3! Make a trio of pots for better design aesthetic.

5. IRISH BLESSING SIGN
Make guests to your celebration feel welcome with an Irish blessing. “Whenever possible, add a sign to your front porch. It draws people in and speaks for you–so make sure you love it! Most wood signs can be outdoors for a few weeks without damage. But just in case, a quick coat of polyurethane will prevent fading and wear,” Robin writes.

ROBIN’S TIP: Make your own sign! Print out an Irish blessing or put those handwriting and calligraphy practice sheets to good use and write one out. Use outdoor-safe decoupage medium and apply to a piece of wood or a picture frame without the glass (to prevent breaks).

To view a fun tutorial video for these projects, visit https://www.countrydoor.com/blog/front-door-decorating/front-door-friday/st-patricks-day-front-door-decorating

6. GRAPEVINE GARLAND
A garland created from grapevine wrapped in deco mesh is easy to make and an affordable decorating option for a single holiday. Deco mesh is a wide, gauzy ribbon with metallic highlights that is meant to hold its shape as you arrange it–plus, it’s waterproof for outdoor use.

Supplies
• Grapevine garland
• Deco mesh (buy extra to include length for fluffing it out)
• Floral wire
• St. Patrick’s Day ornaments and embellishments
• Command hooks

1. UNCOIL GRAPEVINE AND ADD DECO MESH
According to Robin, grapevine comes in several different lengths, but when buying keep in mind that the vine will not lay flat; it will be looped. Measure your door frame before purchasing and be sure to buy extra length, taking into account the looping. Lay the grapevine out on the floor or a table and pull it lengthwise, working with the direction of the loops. (Uncoiling the vine is probably the most difficult part of this project, Robin notes). Loosely wind the deco mesh around the vine. Use two different colors for more vibrancy.

2. CREATE BUNCHES
Use wire to secure the deco mesh in bunches at even intervals along the vine. Keep the mesh loose and fluffed out.

3. ADD ORNAMENTS
Attach seasonal ornaments and accents using wire, string or glue. Wood cutouts that are available at most hobby and craft stores come unpainted, allowing you to personalize them for your color scheme.

ROBIN’S TIP: It’s good to shake off the decorating “rules” sometimes. Try hanging a garland asymmetrically, for a fun twist.

To view a quick tutorial for this project, visit https://www.countrydoor.com/blog/front-door-decorating/front-door-friday/diy-st-patricks-day-deco-mesh-garland

I hope you all have a fun and festive St. Patrick’s Day weekend!

Donna

We want to hear about how you are celebrating and decorating for St. Patrick’s Day! Please share and comment below.

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