Mixed Media Christmas Ornament

The new monthly challenge begins today at The Mirror Crack'd.  This is a mixed media challenge blog and this time we want to see a Christmas Decoration.  Remember, no cards are allowed.

I made this ornament for my own tree, which is decorated in primarily red and gold with a few white elements.

This ornament started as a styrofoam ball - novel idea, right?  I kicked it up a notch by gluing small pieces cut from a paper napkin.  The napkin was a two-ply one so I really had to lay the glue on thick.  I found Mod Podge worked best.  If I had separated the plys and just used the patterned one, it would have shredded so it was best to use it as is.  One tip is to set it in the top of a wide mouthed drinking glass while you work because if you handle it too much, the napkin wants to come off on your hand.  Also make sure you move it around as it dries (I used my heat gun to speed up the process) or it will stick to the edge of the glass.  I had a couple tiny spots that I had to adjust at the end but it was easy.

Once it was all dry, I added some vertical strips of lace, metallic mesh ribbon and soutache braid, all of which came from my sewing room.  Then I created some some oval and circular panels from foil tape that is used in the heating and air conditioning industry.  The pieces were cut using a couple of Spellbinders dies, embossed with an embossing folder from Craft Concepts called Budding Vine, then painted with a mixture of two red craft paints and highlighted with Classic Gold Treasure Gold wax paste. The oval pieces were added around the top and the circular one was added to the bottom.

I also re-coloured two filigree pieces with Cranberry Adirondack alcohol ink blended with Gold Mixative and added those to the two strips with lace.  Large pearl stickers from Recollections were added to the oval embossed pieces and to the two filigree pieces.

Finally I made a loopy bow for the top from ribbon I picked up at Michaels  with a pearl stick pin that I picked up at Excelsior Wholesale on a visit to England and then added some beads from Arton Bead Supply to another stick pin for the bottom.

I hope you will join us and show us your mixed media Christmas Decoration.