With most of the nation facing severe cold weather this season, the southeastern US is no exception. We’ve had to endure ice and snow and cold temperatures that are very unusual indeed. What better way to shake off the winter blues than creating a few flowers.

I decided on two flowers using an off-white floss spun with silver and embellished with silver wire and beads, and added a light blue flower with some silver accents. I thought it made a nice winter bouquet. Here’s a photo of the finished piece.

I know I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating. Ganutell flowers offer unlimited opportunities to be creative and expressive. This is just one  more example.

I’ve had lots of requests for some basic instruction in this art form, as well as the bead and wire flowers, and I’m currently working on a new e-book. Be sure to register for my newsletter, as I’ll be emailing an announcement when it’s available.

In the meantime, stay warm, and bead something pretty!

Bookmark It

An exciting aspect of Ganutell as a craft is the endless opportunities to be creative. There are many colors and types of floss and wires, and the number of  beads and embellishments available can be overwhelming. Then there are the different shapes of petals we can create, and the many ways they can be assembled. I admit it …. more than any other craft, I find myself thinking ‘out of the box’ most often with Ganutell.

A while ago, while rummaging through my stash of copper wire, enjoying the lovely shine and beautiful colors, I was inspired to try a Ganutell flower made just from wire. No floss and prepared thread for this one, just some beads and wire. I chose the color because purple’s my favorite, and found that 28 gauge wire works best for the petals, with the usual 24 gauge for the stem. It took a short while to become accustomed to wrapping the wire, but frankly my experience in doing French beaded flowers was a great help with this.  I added beads for some extra bling and to allow for a little larger petal size, then chose gold colored wire for the leaves to make the final piece extra special.

This one proved to be a winner, and sold immediately.

Which reminds me ….  crafters often ask how they can sell their work, so I thought I’d share my experiences in shows, retail sales and online selling, in some upcoming posts. I hope you’ll visit often!

Bookmark It

Forgive my play on words. Actually, Ganutell DOES rock, but the reference is to a cute little mount I’ve been using for Ganutell flowers.

While I love the traditional look of Ganutell florals, I also like to find ways to display my work that are more casual or contemporary. Here’s a quick and easy way to mount a flower to a river rock. You can find bags of these in most craft stores.

Choose a rock shape that appeals to you, but be certain it has a flat bottom so it will balance well. Take the lower  inch or so of your flower stem and make a spiral, then bend it at a 90 degree angle, giving your flower a ’seat’. Glue this spiral to your rock, using a strong glass or mosaic glue, as the surface of the rock is smooth. E600 glue works well for me. While the glue is curing, you’ll need to hold the flower in place. I sometimes place the rock/flower in a small glass and balance clothespins that are attached to the flower to hold it, or use the wonderful ‘third hand’ clips.

When the glue has cured, and your flower is well adhered to the rock, use some moss to cover the base of the flower. Most floral departments in craft stores have a nice assortment of mosses. Any simple white glue will work for this, and it will dry quickly and clear.

This is a great inexpensive little hostess gift, or teacher gift, or whatever you need it to be. I hope you’ll try this mount, and let me know how it works for you!

Bookmark It