gardenzcrafts

ROSE INITIAL

I made a template from cardboard. (In this case, it was a "D" for my husband's cousin "Deidre". Enlarged it on a copier, and traced it over styrofoam. Covered form w/green moss (culled from the woods behind my house.)Yippee,free! Glued on rose buds to cover. Just make sure, when making any kind of craft like this...to attach a hook before gluing on roses. Trust me..that sound of cruuuusshing roses is sickening!!

GARDEN HEART

This was a Christmas gift I made just this past year. It's garden themed (well, "DUH!"). Simple straw heart base, swathed in white glue and covered with crushed herbs and flowers. Topped with whole, natural specimens, spanish moss, sweet annie, yarrow, lavender, rosebuds, pinecones, cinnamon, pearly everlasting, larkspur, artemesia, ornamental oregano, pepperberries, anything else I could get my hands on! Sporadically placed are tiny terra cotta pots and a minature terra cotta watering can and raffia bow.

ROSE TOPIARY

The "trunk" is made from mountain laurel branches that I soaked in warm water to make them more pliable; twisted them together and secured to dry with a rubber band. Top is moss covered styrofoam ball, studded with tiny red rosebuds and preserved boxwood. If I were to make this again, I'd use glycerine to preserve the box. When I made this several years ago, I used clear arcylic sealer. Way too messy and not exactly the most environmentally friendly!

GARLIC & HERB WREATH

I've had this wreath for almost 12 years now. I originally made it for my Mom over 9 years ago. I've had it hanging in my kitchen ever since she passed. It gets a tad dusty..other than that it looks about as good today as it did then. Remarkably, the garlic never softened. At the time, I think I used that same acrylic preservative.

It's a staw-based wreath, covered with sweet annie and topped with just about any and all herbs I could get my hands on...and of course..the garlic!

I'll have more details about the soft-sculpture"WELCOME" wreath posted at a later date. Thanks for visiting!

I know the following pages are a bit "out of season", but, hey, in cmaybe the wintergardenz pictures will keep you cool in the months ahead!Wintergardenz [BACK]