on the 11th day of joyfulness...

dottie angel shared with me

a joyful branch

(skill level : easy peasy lemon squeezy)

yesterday i mentioned Eline and her peachy crafty book filled with inspiring things to do and make. some very simple, others requiring a bit more time. one page really caught my eye for there was a branch hanging with a little bit of yarny goodness wrapped around it in a few spots and a couple of dingly dangly goodies. i was smitten with this branch and so whilst doing my joyful decorating around our shed, i had no choice but to make a 'dottie angel' joyful branch for us. well for me actually. for my love for my joyful branch is so great, i have told my clan i am willing to share, (because i was bought up properly and told sharing is good), but deep down inside, i do not wish to share its peachiness and i am secretly claiming it all to myself... 

"shall we get on Tif" i hear you say, 

"quite right too", say i

ingredients:

* a nice chunky branch,

(i found mine in the yard where a tree had come down, i went out with my trusty saw followed by my chickens and came back in the shed, victorious with mossy branch in hand)

* strips of fabric

* lace

* ric rac, hardy twine or narrow lace

* mod podge (just a smidgen needed)

or

* needle and thread

* dingly danglies from you box of glee

* felt or fabric birdies (optional)

recipe:

1: if your branch is mossy or damp, allow him to dry out. once dry start wrapping him with strips of fabric. you may wish to do different colours, you may also wish to not cover him completely but leave a bit of his bark showing. (i, once again used my peachy Liberty fabric from my fabby friend Rachelle) to keep things in place you could use a smidgen of mod podge on the ends of the fabric strips or you could do a little bit of natty stitching with your needle and thread. (like i did, cause i do like myself a bit of natty stitching)

2: when you have fully clothed your branch and it is most pleasing to your crafty eye, perhaps you may care to add a little bit of lace here and there, or perhaps not. i shall leave that up to you and your branch to decide.

3: next, cut a length of your hardy twine, ric rac or narrow lace which is befitting to how low you wish your branch of joyfulness to hang. tie either end securely to the ends of your fabric wrapped branch, i am thinking 'boy scout securely' here, for things may get a little weighty.

4: hang your branch in an easy to reach place for dingly dangling thus avoiding tired arms and vertigo. if you are wishing to add felt or fabric birdies, now is the time to stitch them in place. then start adding your gleeful dingly danglies whilst singing this song...

"oh joyful branch

oh joyful branch

how branchy is your joyfulness

oh joyful branch

oh joyful branch

how joyful is your branchiness"

and repeat until you have finished hanging your dingly dangly goodness

5: hang your joyful branch in a place where maximum joyfulness can be appreciated. step back, feel the rush of love for your joyful branch, think to yourself how clever your little branch of joyfulness is, for indeed, it is not just for the gleeful season, with a bit of swapping out of some dingly danglies, this joyful branch can be enjoyed all year round

can it really be we are at the eve of 'day 12 of joyfulness' already ~ Tif