Hi all...alix here again!
We really should chat more here at Creative Towers, eh...you've gone and ended up with a Christmas wreath 2 days in a row...but i have to say they couldn't be more different...even though the design is essentially the same. That really is one of the fabulous things i love about crafting your own...you can stick to a simple design...in this case a repetition of the same embellishment over and over around a ring, and by changing the colours and the materials you get a totally different feel to the finished piece. Eleanor's wreath is simply stunning in a serene, modern, understated and frosty way...and mine is a cosy, nostalgic and warm one. I love them both!
To create my poinsettia flowers i cut out LOTS of shapes from a paperback book using a Creatables die and my big shot...but you could use a cricut to save time if you are lucky enough to have one! I laid the flowers out on sheets of copy paper and put them in a large cardboard box before spraying them liberally with Dylusions mica mist sprays in red and green. While they were drying, I covered a foam wreath base with buff coloured tissue paper, scrumpling as i went and then coated the whole thing in clear Viva Decor Croco glaze. Then i went to bed...
In the morning...i assembled the poinsettia by layering one large green, two medium sized red and one tiny red flower shape on top of each other and adding them to the wreath base with a selection of beads in the middle, secured with sequin pins. {Sequin pins are just like regular pins but shorter.} The poinsettia on the top of the wreath all have a large crystal bead in the middle, and the ones on the side have 3 tiny seed beads. Trust me...after a few you will want a thimble!! ;0)
I continued adding my poinsettia all the way around, leaving small gaps into which i pushed some large glittery brads that i've had forever and then i tied an oversized bow with some lovely organza ribbon and secured it at the top with another poinsettia flower. Finally, a scrap of ribbon was pinned to the reverse as a hanging loop.
I'm really pleased with how this turned out, its pearly from the mica spray {sorry my photography skills won't allow me to show this!}, twinkly when the lights shine on the crackled base in the evening and rather opulent because of the luxurious ribbon and faceted beads. Best this of all...as its all attached by pins...i can simply unpin all the flowers if i want to make something totally different next year!
Let me know what you think...does my wreath stand up next to Eleanors..?
Finally, a great big HAPPY CHRISTMAS SEASON to you all,
alixxxxx
