Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman
Arachnis Gerbera-petal-legicus
- 28 October 2020
- click to send Christine a smile
Pick away the petals from a Gerbera daisy...
Leaving four petals on each side.
Glue in two sparkling beads for huge eyes...
I have a bonus tip for you about drawing in the eyes... see the last picture of this post.
Cut two petals in just under half...
... and glue it in the disk floret.
Design note: I am pretty much convinced that 100% of my general knowledge comes from weird things I pick up while researching design projects. Here's one: those tiny little leg-like things that can be seen beside the spider fangs are called 'pedipalps' ... they are for collecting the prey closer while the spider bites it.
Yes, a spider has eight eyes... but eyes are a really great way to add flow to your design because we are curious and want to see what the little critter is looking at. So don't miss the opportunity to add a "story" to your design. Give all the critters something to interact with.
Bonus tip for you this week: place the floral spiders in the design... and then draw in the eyes on the crystal beads. This way it is so much easier to give them a distinctive personality that tells a story with just the position of where the eyes look. You never can tell 100% how the flower will turn and fall once placed.
Design Note: for more critters and creatures to make and how to add them to your design turn to page 386 to 393 of my book. It is part of the section where I talk about going just a bit more to add something truly remarkable to make your designs stand out.
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Tutorials
How to spin (and remove) hot glue spider web or floral cocoon
Curl the wire at irregular intervals to create a natural wire tendril similar to that of a passion fruit plant
When you need to keep a tiny stem hydrated this is just what you need.
This wired rope is inspired by Monkey vine that you see hanging from trees. It is strong, rough and very tough. Covering the rope with mud will add texture and it also insulate...
Eerie! Because you use what is there already in the twigs this skeleton looks rather... realistic!
Remove the pulp from leaves so that only the vain framework remain
Reshape a vine wreath into smaller wreaths to combine as a pumpkin
It's sometimes difficult to place a tiny crystal or bead exactly where you want it.
Favourite Flowers
Transvaal Daisy, Gerbera Daisy, Germini
Related Designs
A hint of a wreath table top design for pre-Halloween decorating.
It deserves a bowl all of it's own... right? I am (of course!) talking about these spectacular little sweet peas called King Tut. Not much else is needed. But add a cute little...
Take a handful of grass... but then add just enough design to make it interesting.
Time to cut down vines... and enjoy them a bit longer in a Halloween display.
Easter Basket used in the Durbanville Flower Club Easter Parade Demonstration
Weaving hot glue spider webs
An all plant zero waste, levitating, twig (with just a splatter of autumn leaves, a breath of spiderweb and float of roots) Halloween decoration with an eerie bat skeleton made...
A twig and stick design with sweet dumpling pumpkins and rosary vine (Ceropegia woodii). I also made a cherry twig and skeleton leaf Stick Insect
A Fun Halloween design with "poisonous mushrooms" tucked between the moss and petals
Give a loosely woven wreath legs to stand on to hover lightly around a pumpkin
This week we are looking at the contents pages of my book... but more specifically at the sweet little pod design on the content page of my book.