Friday, September 2, 2011

Trim The Tree

Let's start decorating the Christmas tree!  I'm so stinkin' excited about today's project.  There's a big story behind it too, so lets get to that.  My awesome friend Joanna sent me a picture from the Holiday Mini catalog, (page 28 for those of you that have the catalog in hand).  She asked if I knew how to make those ornaments.  I knew I had seen them done somewhere.  So I told her, when life settled a little (who was I kidding) I'd try them out.  So after we got the first day of school out of the way, Logan's birthday party done and were in a routine, I sat down and stared at the picture and tried and tried and tried.  Nothing I did looked like the ornament.  At this time I was convinced that the cones were made from triangle pieces of DSP.  There's my B- in geometry showing it's ugly head, I hated geometry.  Ironically I was always much better at algebra, I loved algebra-still do!  Now, with card making I use geometry all the time.  Go figure!  But I'm getting off track.  So after trying and trying and trying and getting no where with the triangles.  I sat down to email Joanna back to tell her I was sorry and I didn't know how to do it after all. 
Literally about 1 minute after the email was sent, I knew exactly how it was done!  All this time I was working with triangles and the key was squares!!  DUH!!!!  So I got busy again.  This time it was coming together-Yay!!!  I did it!  I figured it out!  Dan and Logan were off at Lowes or somewhere, Megan was sleeping and I was doing a happy dance!  So after I got a couple cones done I kept going!  This ornament took 15 cones all together. The squares were 2x2 and the completed ornament is about 6 inches wide. 



Once I got the cones complete I glued them all down to a 1 3/4 inch circle.  I finished decorating it with some of our new buttons from the Holiday Mini and a DSP Lolli under that.  The DSP I used is our new Spice Cake DSP from the Holiday Mini.  I just bought more of this DSP, it's so awesome, I think it's some of my favorite DSP of all time!!!  It's that good!!!!  I used some linen thread in the center of the button.  I added a ribbon to hang it on the tree with our Soft Suede Taffeta.  So pretty!
So how did I make it?  Well you DO need a square, as I finally figured out.  You take your square and roll it into a cone.  DSP works well for this because it's flexible and not as thick as cardstock. 

Once you have it rolled glue it together to hold it's shape.  I used Tombow multi glue on my ornament, it worked well.  I did consider using sticky strip, but the advantage to Tombow over Sticky Strip is that if you make a mistake or don't get it rolled right, you can readjust it (if you work quickly before the glue dries).  With sticky strip, once it's stuck, it's stuck. 
Have a great weekend!  For my USA friends, be safe for the holiday weekend!

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!!

6 comments:

Jessica said...

Came to your blog thru stamping connection. Love your ornament, it sparked my imagination. Thanks for sharing...off to play!!!
Jessica U
www.rememberj.blogspot.com

Nat said...

Love it, so pretty! That paper is groing on me, there's just something with Pool Party color being on a fall paper. You are also right about cones or cornet, as we call them in the baking world, being made with triangles. Your way is much easier.

Bobbi Miller said...

Ruth, I am on Joanna's team and boy oh boy...was she excited when you figured this out! She emailed us all right away and gave you full credit of course, and we are making these at our December Christmas meeting. Thank you so much for sticking to it and figuring it out. It is lovely and you've done a fab job! Thanks again for your continued inspiration too! Love you blog and creations! Hugs and have safe holiday weekend.

Elaine U. said...

Beautiful!! I must attempt this myself. Thank you, Ruth!

Anonymous said...

Where do you get the materials for this project?

Paulette said...

What is DSP?