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I‘m an amateur birder. I’m enthralled with the exotic beauty of the bird world; so close everyday and yet without quiet observation, this world goes unnoticed and unobserved. Each bird is a graceful and perfect form from any angle and in every action. Each variety with its specific markings and coloration not only make them identifiable but a study in exquisite design.

I inherited a passion for the bird world from my mother. She was an avid “bird watcher” and as a child we spent many Sunday afternoons out in the country where Mother would search out and identify the various birds along our way. She identified many of them first by their song or their call before we even saw them. These adventures out in the country were foundational to my love and passion for the outdoors and for the joy I find in all nature’s resplendent beauty.

Mother grew up on a farm on the plains of Nebraska in the early 1900’s. Her world was a world without machines or cars and out in the country it was a very quiet place with only the sound of the wind and the song of the birds. Mother not only learned all the names of the plentiful birds of the plains, but also their calls and songs of which she could reproduce very authentically. She whistled, sang and spoke lilting words that closely resembled their sounds. It was intoxicating to listen to her. It was a sweet and unique gift that Mother had and one that I didn’t inherit, although as a child I made many feeble attempts. I am satisfied with the privilege of listening to their beautiful songs, seeing their beautiful forms and movements, learning more and more about the incredible variety of nest shapes, materials and construction methods and each bird’s distinctive egg in shape, pattern and color. The learning curve is endless.

Mother was in her early thirties in the photograph that I have included in this entry. The two sepia photographs of a winter landscapes of the farmhouse where Mother grew up were taken some time in the early 20th century. I don’t have a date and can only surmise from the buggy in the driveway and the height of the trees surrounding the house that perhaps it was sometime in the early twenties. During my childhood the trees were mature and huge. These hedgerows of trees were commonly planted to protect the homes from the brutally cold north winds that swept across the flat plains.

Here you could see the sun rise and the sun set in the wide open country of the Great Plains.

Twenty Years Later

This first photograph of my daughter, Caitlin, and me was published in the 1990 catalog and the second photograph was taken earlier this year in New Zealand when I was visiting Caitlin. Even though 20 years have passed, Caitlin is still my little girl and it is fun to share this recent photo of both of us together.

Caitlin moved to New Zealand after she finished her BFA in Graphic Design. While she was there, she worked for a design firm in Wellington. It was wonderful to know that she was following in my footsteps as an artist and designer, but difficult to have her so far away.

To my delight, she has just recently moved back to the U.S. and is here helping us at MFD with some marketing projects and also on a new product line. We are having so much fun! I appreciate her fresh perspective and the contributions she’s been making to the new line.  Both Caitlin and I are very excited about this new endeavor that will be available in January of 2011.

For right now, Caitlin and I are both contributing articles in this Christmas Ideas section of the website. I hope you are enjoying this new section in our website. We have provided a place for you to comment on these articles and also you will be able to read the comments from others. We love hearing from you!

Display Your Angels and Ornaments in Antique Wall Cabinets

Three angels and a set of ornaments are tucked into the same cabinet two different ways to show you how you might want to display some of the pieces of your MF collection in a wall cabinet. The cabinet I am using here is a 19th Century Scandinavian kitchen cabinet with a top shelf detailed to display a spoon collection.

The first cabinet shows a grouping of a 3” angel, a 4” angel and a 5” angel together with the “Winter Jewels” Snowflakes. The interior of the cabinet still retains the original oxblood paint, a wonderful rich red. The white porcelain angels and ornaments show up dramatically against this background. I have added Rose Medallion plates and tea cups, dried rosy red Hydrangeas and a potted topiary tree of thyme from my garden for richness and variety.

In the second cabinet I have again used the trio of angels, but this time added stars to the mix. The set of “Pocketful of Stars” decorate the top row and the open door, while a Morning Star is centered in a herbal wreath next to the angels. On top of the cabinet, I have added traditional Christmas greens and a reproduction of an antique feather tree with more stars and red ribbon.

My ornaments are not just for the tree, but can be used in a variety of ways to decorate your home for the Holidays. Using them in a cabinet is one way to do this and the ideas shown above can be transferred to decorate a shelf or two in a China cabinet or a bookcase. Gather up some greens, herbs or dried flowers from your garden or the florist and arrange them with the porcelain ornaments.

HOW TO ADD RICHNESS AND VARIETY TO ANGEL DISPLAYS AROUND THE HOUSE

1. Each angel comes with an acrylic stand so that they may be displayed on any flat surface in your home. I have also designed porcelain easels for display and that add an elegant touch.  Set up your angels on easels in your cabinet.
2. Arrange several plates and cups around them that will communicate the idea of a Christmas tea party. Or arrange a miniature wreath that features a star in the middle and a miniature tree, again adorned with stars to echo your larger Christmas tree.
3. Add some “Winter Jewels” or stars on the back of the cabinet. I like to use Museum wax (sometimes called candle wax or sticky wax) to attach the ornaments so you do not damage the surface. This wax may be removed with warm soapy water when you take them down.
4. Tuck in greens and/or dried flowers to complete the display.

A Small Tree is Simple and Charming

With a vintage floral basket, a small Noble Fir tree, two “Pocketful of Stars” sets, one angel for the top and ribbon for extra bows, you can create this simple and charming tree. Use it for the entry way to welcome your guests or anyplace else you want to add Christmas décor to your home.
I have several of these vintage floral baskets with over-sized handles. When I use them for small Christmas trees, I love how the handle frames the tree with the top and a few branches breaking out of the “frame”. The handle is very practical too as I use it to wire the tree top onto it to stabilize the tree and keep it straight.
So many times we make things more complicated than they have to be. I know that there were times when I ran out of time before a photo shoot or a Christmas tea and I had to come up with some things fast and easy at the very last minute. Many of these decorations turned out to be my favorites and this is one. White stars on a green tree is so simple. The finished tree goes with different styles of decorating as well as any color scheme. I didn’t even use lights on this tree, but you certainly could if you wanted to.

HOW TO DECORATE A SMALL TREE IN A VINTAGE FLORAL BASKET

1. Find a vintage flower basket, preferably white or some wonderful shade of green, slightly faded with patinas of age. Vintage flower baskets with handles are still pretty easy to find in antique malls and shops. They are also reasonably priced and fun to use not only at Christmas but also for entertaining all year round with flowers and plants in the summer on a covered porch. I have planted an annual flowering climber like Thunbergia twining around the handle.
2. Use dampened potting soil in the basket’s container to hold the tree and continue to keep the soil moist. Wire the tree top to the handle where it intersects.
3. Tie some 3/8” wide ivory ribbon into simple bows. Hang your “Pocketful of Stars” porcelain stars with the ribbon bows and wire an angel on top to finish. I used a 4” angel for the tree top.

BE CREATIVE!

You don’t have to follow this specific “How To”  but let it recharge your own ideas to do something simple and striking that adds some quick pizzazz to your holiday home.

A Celebration of the Season with a Christmas Tree Decorated in White and Light

I have heard from many collectors that they do a tree with just my ornaments and of course this is what we do each year at our studio. We love the creative challenge to do it differently each year. Our white bisque ornaments are always the focus of the trees so we add a variety of additions that enrich the overall look but still do not diminish the drama of the white ornaments against the deep green of the evergreen tree.

The image above is one example; here we have focused on the detail of the Blooms of Hope Cross with antique lamp beading used as tree garland. I found this lamp beading in an antique store and was delighted with the frosted and silver beads woven on black silk edging. The small white twinkle lights illuminate the beads and define the detail of my porcelain ornaments for a rich but simple symphony of white and light on the Christmas tree.

HOW TO DECORATE YOUR TREE IN WHITE AND LIGHT

1. Use any size of white lights only.
2. Find all your Margaret Furlong ornaments and select the size of tree that will be filled up with these.
3. Look for elegant but simple glass and silver ornament or non-ornaments that you can add. I love the different sizes of old silver glass balls. Look for these at Good Will or other thrift shops; they are especially nice if they are imperfect and crackled with “patina” of age. They are very inexpensive, wonderful and add a lot of glamour.
   I also like to add clear glass balls and icicles that I have collected over the years.

MY GENERAL RULE FOR DECORATING WITH MY ORNAMENTS

No matter what the color scheme, simple or complex, I most always accessorize my ornaments with

1. antique or vintage objects or ornaments – an infinite variety of choices here –be creative
2. fresh or dried things from nature like herbs, berries, leaves, fruit, shells, sea fans, coral, ferns, seed pods, bare branches, moss, etc. I like gingerbread cookies too because you can choose a shape that compliments your theme and add a very simple edge or linear design of frosting that matches your colors.
3. Lovely ribbons.