On my online workbook this week: Ifs and buds

Dear

This week’s inspiration is noticing the pretty.

and also… Dew. Drop. Crystal… Rafts! Without the rafts the tiny dew drop crystals sink (which is great because it makes it really easy to fish out if one accidentally drops into the water, in other designs) but here we want them to float.

My design note for you is how to place the dew drop crystal rafts exactly where you want them without disturbing the twigs in your design where the gaps are tiny.

I use a plastic tube (see the pictures above) to position the crystal rafts. Dip the tube in water, touch it to the crystal on its little acetate raft, lift and touch that to the water. Perfectly positioned! Same to lift it out again. Simply dip the tube (or straw) in water and lift the crystal out again. It sticks to the wet tube, effortlessly. My tube is an orchid water tube extender. The kind you get at the bottom of orchid water tubes so that you can insert single flowers in individual water tubes into a design.

Once you are ready to take the design apart simply lift the crystals out, let them dry on their acetate backing and they are as good as new to design with again. The cut pieces are also convenient to tuck into your tool box because they take up no space.

Enjoy!

Every good wish,

Christine