So it was a usual sort of day when I received an email asking me if I would like to a feature a Sarah Raven product on my blog. Well I thought about it for a millisecond and said yes. I have been a customer of Ms Raven for many years and I have watched as her business and her catalogues have grown and grown. I have bought seeds and dahlias from her many times and the odd vase too. So when thinking about what it I would like to trial it was quite a difficult choice. I wandered through the internet site thinking and thinking, but then the choice came to me easily: the Christmas Wreath kit. I have bought Christmas wreaths for several years now. Starting with the cheap couple of quid ones from the local greengrocers and, oh no, actually just buying the cheap couple of quid ones from the greengrocers. I have seen on other websites some truly beautiful wreaths and I have had wreath envy, but I confess I have found the price of many of them difficult to agree to. I can see they are very beautiful and that they are of great quality, I do think they are worth in general what is charged; but then I think how long I will use it for and I get a bit miserly. So the kit seemed a way of having something beautiful for no great cost.
The kit arrived on a Tuesday, I knew I would not have a chance to do anything with it sensibly during the week as I work long hours and generally in the evenings I do not feel like doing very much. I had the Friday off work though and I thought I would look at it then. I opened the box and then reality hit me, it was pouring with rain outside and I needed garden material to make the wreath. Slightly cross with myself I packed it all away again.
The next day was a beautiful, cold, but sunny day; perfect for what I needed to achieve. So, cup of tea at the ready, I moved operations outside and started again.
Moss was applied to wire ring, the more eagle-eyed amongst you may notice the free 'lucky yellow snail' that was enclosed with the moss.
I then wandered around the garden, trug and secateurs in hand, collecting stuff to put on the wreath. I rather enjoyed this. The opening of the box the day before had made me think quite a lot about what I wanted to put on the wreath and this fore-thought was a good thing. It meant some things I went straight to and clipped and other things caught my eye as I wandered around. My trug quite enjoyed this too as it is generally used as a hand-held wheelbarrow, filled with weeds etc. To be doing something a bit more dainty I think made it happy.
Then the help arrived, thankfully a brief offer of help.
Thirty minutes after starting there was a small, but audible, ta da! I declared the wreath complete and went to fix it by the front door. I know it should be on the front door, but I can't bring myself to knock a nail into my door.
I like it.
I like it a lot. I am not a very 'craft' type person, I knit and sew etc, but making things like this is beyond my usual habits. Whilst I usually have cut flowers in the house to say that I arrange them is an insult to anyone who has ever arranged a flower. I surprised myself at how good I think it looks, I did keep it quite simple and I think I could have done more, but I like it as it is as a first attempt. It felt that all those years of watching Blue Peter were not in vain after all.So, thank you Sarah Raven, I can honestly say that I enjoyed making the wreath, I am pleased with the result and your kit pushed me into creating this when I would never have bought the constituents separately. I can thoroughly and honestly recommend it and I will buy one next year without a doubt.
