JANE GALVAN DEMONSTRATES MAKING GIFTS FROM SIMPLE THINGS
by JJB

Jane Galvan has the knack of taking simple things from the yard and turning them into something marvelous. Happily she demonstrated her expertise for the April Sound Lakes Association May luncheon.

She brought a variety of containers to show us how to create our own gifts for friends. An audience favorite was a recipe box which she opened up for flowers, placing oasis as a base. She brought several pieces crafted from heavy grapevine material, 

including a wishing well, basket and house, all of which were turned into striking pieces.

As Jane completed a design it became a centerpiece for a table. Much of the greenery she used came from her own yard; other bits were roadside finds. "It's only a weed if it isn't growing where you want it," she said. Of course she brought blooms from one of her florist shops.

She worked with the rule of thumb, that arrangements should be 1/2 times the height of the container she was using. She used different materials and colors to give each design some excite- ment. As a focus for the eyes, she massed greenery or plants or a combination of them near the base of the arrangement. She also reminded us of the rule of three, one each for heaven, earth and man.

Using the grapevine house with a flat back to fit against a wall, she started with a dahlia in a 3" pot, added greenery, then brought in visual interest with small chrysanthemums, which resembled black-eyed susans, and some asters.

Half of a coconut shell became the base for an exotic tropical arrangement. Height in the grouping came from umbrella grass, and she added some antherium and birds of paradise. We learned that the "birds" won't open by themselves; she gave them a bit of help with a paring knife.