Woven Heart

     I'm really enjoying getting back into the corndollie style plaiting, but this time with paper, recycled paper to be precise. Altered Eclectics is a challenge blog for recycled art and mixed media, anything goes except cards and ATC's.  

     Using old magazines I cut into strips I made lots of straws by rolling them around a skewer. Once I had a pot full of straws I began to plait a tube to form the heart shape base I needed. The tube is rather strong once plaited so rather than try and bend it sharply I chose to make two tubes and glue them together.
     When using damp straw it is relatively easy to shape, holding in place as it dries keeps it's shape well but paper is a little different, I didn't want to get it wet incase it fell apart. An overnight hold using a rubber band seemed to help and once glued together the tubes stayed put.

     Hot glue is strong and solid when dry so it holds the tubes perfectly. The only problem with glueing two tubes together is you can see the join.
     After a light spraying of white paint the colourful tubes were a little more distressed, I didn't want to loose all of the colour, just knock it back a little.
     The joins were less obvious once painted but still visible so that's were the flowers come in.

     The flowers are die cut music sheets made using Sizzix Jumbo Tattered Florals. Each petal set was coloured with Distress ink around the edges, then cut  and assembled into roses. The leaves are also music paper coloured with Distress.
     Before glueing the roses on I glued a small length of white organza to the heart for hanging.
     The flowers had several positions before I decided just where to glue them, spending two days just sitting on the table with a tweak every time I passed, until I was finally happy with their position.
     I'm now working on a smaller version with much smaller straws, a bit fiddly but hopefully worth it. This heart, including flowers, measures approx 13 inches square, if you made a slightly smaller one it would fit in a clean, decorated, pizza box for presentation as a gift.
     Altered Eclectics challenge runs all month, so you have plenty of time to be creative before you come and join us.

I would like to enter this heart wreath in the following challenges:

More Mixed Media - Anything Goes -optional blue
Die Cutting Divas - Anything Goes With A die Cut

   Rhedd's Creative Spirit - Anything Goes
Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes   (Top3)
We Love To Create - Anything Mixed Media
Try It On Tuesday - Hearts and Flowers