Sunday, March 2, 2014

OTP Birthday Gift

As much as I LOVE it (and the birthday girl), this is one Birthday Gift I am not in a hurry to make again ...

What isn't there to love?? Get an eyeful of all those glittery sparkles of glass beads and silver thread entwined amongst handmade flowers - stunning aren't they?? - but making so many of them has removed any fingerprints my hot glue gun had left me!

 Scrapbooking Altered Projects

So how did I make it?

Start by covering a length of wooden rod with some of our silver cup chain.  Adhere it to the rod with wonder tape.  I love the fact that the tape - whilst mega sticky - still lets you move it about to push the chain into place, if you don't get it straight enough first time.

Scrapbooking Altered Projects


Stick the rod into a pot and cover around it with fabric.


Scrapbooking Altered Projects


Then start to make the first of eleventy billion and one hand-made flowers (and no - I am not exaggerating and yes - it is a real number) instructions to follow for how to make the flowers - and add to your pot with assorted baubles, beads and gardenias.

Scrapbooking Altered Projects
Scrapbooking Altered Projects

 Now to face my fears!
(Don't understand how something small and rubbery can be so scary!)

Scrapbooking Altered Projects


Note it would be easier to use a polyfoam ball, but I was stuck at home for a few weeks unable to drive due to a crook back, so this was my compromise. 


Take yourself back to 'ye olde' kindy days and make up some homemade glue - this is the recipe I followed.  


 1 cup flour 1/3 cup sugar 1-1/2 cup water with 1 tsp white vinegar mixed in

 Now cover that horrible rubber thing.
I think I need this to help me ... just in case the horrible thing pops!

Scrapbooking Altered Projects



Now wait patiently for it to dry!  Not my strongest point - so time to make some flowers...

I have this gorgeous pink fabric (the sort used to make sari's) and using a very old flower die, I made a ridiculous amount of flowers (I lost count at 600 individual flowers) and I must note here to give a 

HUGE THANK YOU 
to Audrey - who has been cutting flowers on the cuttlebug for me instead of scrapping at Timeout Tuesday 
and of course my DD Angel for her contribution.


Here is how I made them  ...
WARNING - if you don't have a hot glue licence - keep band-aids and ice on hand!

Using the SAME size flowers.


Glue and fold one flower in half.  I use my hot glue gun, as the glue gives you flexibility when pinching – don’t use too much glue, just a thin layer is needed.



Fold in half again and glue - then pinch.

Glue 3 pink flowers on the side, then glue the 2 silver flowers in the middle - as the photo shows - then glue the last 3 on the other side of the silver flowers.

Or just glue all 6 together of the same colour, pinching them to shape as you go.

Glue some fibre wool to the back of each flower.



Now - start gluing them - all 600 plus - to your ball.

Pop in some glass beads (which catch the light beautifully) here and there for the sparkle factor.





and - finally - many hours later - ta da - one gorgeous birthday present.


 We have a sale on our rhinestone chain till the 15th March and over the coming weeks there are several projects where I will show you how to pretty much wrap them around anything to make it sparkle. It's just amazing what you can do with some sparkly chains...



2 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is beautiful but sounds dangerous to make!! I found a cold glue gun at Spotlight here in Christchurch and have changed to using that as I have very, very sensitive fingers.. Might be time to find one for yourself over the ditch!!

Anonymous said...

Really? i had no idea you could get cold ones, damm wish I knew when we were in Christchurch last year. Might have a look around here, thanks for letting me know Pauline:)