Glue guns and Glitter balls

What is she up to now, I hear you ask (from the post title)?!  Well, let me tell you.

Last week, I saw a post from a friend on Facebook that there were some spare trees, at the local Methodist church.  It is that time of year when Christmas is approaching, although we are still only in November (just).  I asked on the Ladies facebook group if anyone fancied doing this, and I was met with several very inspired ideas, and an element of keen engagement and willingness.

I thought we had a few weeks, but it turned out it had to be decorated by Thursday tea time, which left us a couple of days to collect and create some decorations.

On Monday I called to Bren Cycles to raid their scrap bin; unfortunately the scrap had recently been emptied, and all I got was a chain and a couple of small cogs.  I contacted The Bike Factory, and was assured they had some chains and cogs, and they offered to put them through the industrial cleaner.  I called in the next day and was given a large bag full of goodies, and spent the evening and next morning de-greasing and cleaning chains and cogs, although some were exceptionally clean!

Wednesday afternoon came, and I had cleared my dining room table of the usual accumulation of items, only to replace with all sorts of crafting goodies.  I had scoured the shops in town for glitter and glue, and of course my bike components (with hubby setting about removing links from chains and creating smaller loops for us in the kitchen).

The team:

Sophie - reindeer expert

Gill - was only passing but ended up laminating baubles

Mary - with her glue gun and
penchant for all things glittery

Collette - what's next?

Helen - crocheted wheels specialist

Through the afternoon various helpers arrived, some for the whole afternoon, some dropping in to lend support to cutting, laminating, gluing and glittering as needed.  Sophie was well away with creating reindeer, and having supplied paints and googly eyes she made a marvellous job.  I attacked some short strands of chain (already painted silver by Mary) with a glue gun, and liberally dusted them with glitter, creating icicles.

I then turned my hand to the cogs, which we had sprayed at the start of the afternoon green or gold, and threaded red ribbon around, to make rather dashing wreaths.  Finally I used some other slightly longer lengths to make candy canes, painting them red, and wrapping a stripey ribbon around their length.

Helen was the latest to arrive, after work, and crocheted two wheels, with a black tyre.

With a few 'baubles' which were created from photos of individual ladies on their bikes, printed in circles, cut out, laminated, and finally finished off with sequins, this concluded our six hours of creativity.

Thursday morning my husband and I fiddled with a few more bits, making larger stars, before packing everything up and heading to the church.

We wound red and white lights around the tree to start with (to emulate bike lights, front and back), and one strand of 'tinsel' - an inner tube sprayed gold by Sophie.

Then the icicles, stars, wreaths, baubles, wheels, and other decorations which define our riding - two cup cakes, a bottle of champagne and a beer tankard!  (in a Methodist Church!)

Delighted with our creation, we then took a few photos for posterity.  Well, what did you expect?!!!

The final tree, dressed to impress

Close up's...

And then some poses in my cycling top - just because!