Here it is, as promised, one of the little projects we started last summer.
I must admit, this all came about rather impulsively as I perused the HBS miniatures website and noticed they were hosting a contest featuring a simple Gazebo. All that was required in terms of crafting and decor, was that their Gazebo be used. I thought it might be fun and the construction was simple, so for $19.99 I bought one, glued it together, and then spent several months staring at it. There really wasn't a lot of extra time to devote to it, but one thing I knew for sure though, was that it had to have a little cake somewhere on the premises! And Grace fashioned a beautiful one as you can see.
The idea for a "garden party wedding reception" came to me, oddly enough, after I found a string of silver bead garland at a thrift shop for 25c. After I cut and hot-glued it in sections to the rafters, creating the illusion of lights, the rest just sort of fell into place. A silk curtain made a soft backdrop, and I just filled in around those two main elements.
Grace meticulously made the climbing roses with tissue paper and wire. The "white-work" tablecloth was fashioned from an antique hankie. Oh how I hated to cut it up, but as you can see it is very effective--but then after I made it, I wished I'd made it floor-length. But, oh well. The topiaries are Styrofoam balls rolled in crushed oregano and stuck together with toothpicks and glued into pre-fab flower pots. Sarah did most of the foundational painting and helped wrap tiny presents.
The dishes, candlestick, cake server, and other accessories were purchased from HBS. All in all, a fun mini group project. However, we were completely out of our league as you can see by the contest winners and the honorable mentions. I am just really so amazed with the level of crafting that went on there. Click on each of the images to see all the fabulous little details. The new contest has already begun and features a sweet country cottage. Find out more about it here, if you dare. I must say, I'm mighty tempted!
