My beautiful vase and lethal sticks

[Gill Lotter]

Hello All,

In the pics attached is my beautiful African vase from

http://www.stylewmaz.com.au/Index.asp?pagename=African+Beaded+Ceramics&site=1&siteid=577

I've now added some interesting sticks. I started off with just the thicker ones and they looked a bit sparse. Now added the thinner curly ones and it just looks like mayhem!!

Husband has his sights set on my sticks for the next council chuckout. Help!! Any ideas about these lethal sticks!

Cheers Gill

PS: Note sticks do hover dangerously close to DH new tele ! Eeek!

[Julie-Ann]

Hi Gill
I must tell everyone Gill & I often have talked about these sticks on Twitter. At first her DH kept on nearly stabbing his eye out every time he walked past them - which is how they came to be known as the lethal sticks:D.
Now they are only lethal to the new tv.
Gill do you have any sand or foam in the bottom of the vase? I would suggest using Florists foam in the vase. That will allow the thicker sticks to stand more upright and for you to be able to set the position of the sticks.
I love the vase:)

[Katrina]

Hi Gill!

First, I am loving that vase! Gorgeous colours.
Second, I do like the sticks in it.

Ok, just what I am thinking.....

Sticks may be too high for the proportion of the vase. I think if they were shorter (hard to say by how much because it's hard to see it in the room) it would suit better. I think the thicker ones are ok too, but they need to be in the back.

Then another idea - can you take it up off the ground? Do you have a nice sideboard, or tv unit or something it could go on? I can't really see the size of it for the room, but usually I think the only pots/vases that should be on the ground must be of large proportion.

I will draw a little picture and come back :)

Someone may have a better idea, so don't hold your breath on my creativity hahaha!!!

[Katrina]

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Sorry again about the photo of the drawings, but I am not sure how to reduce a pdf down to fit on here.

Hope you get my drift though!

If this not a possibility Gill, let us know and I am sure we can think of lots of other things :)

[Katrina]

I also just saw what Julie-Ann wrote about them falling everywhere. I just use newspaper and stuff it all around inside there. Just packs the space out (technical term used there!).

[Julie-Ann]

I often use plastic shopping bags to pack the space out too. I love the drawings Katrina:D and totally agree they would look better shorter and the vase up higher.
Then you can give the chopped off bits of the sticks to the kids for sword fights - then they really will be lethal sticks:D

[Lorraine]

For packaging to hold sticks, etc I have used cheap brand coffee beans or rice. I would also go with Katrina's idea for the sticks. :D

[Gill Lotter]

For packaging to hold sticks, etc I have used cheap brand coffee beans or rice. I would also go with Katrina's idea for the sticks. :D
Hi Julie-Anne, Katrina and Lorraine,

Thanks so much for your great ideas. Wow! I'm one of those creative but very inpractical people. Love the idea of vase being up higher as it just seems to disappear into the background and really love the vase.
Sticks are so long could probably fill another pot with the other halves (LOL). I never even considered shortening them, but then I am a bit precious about my sticks.

Love coffee bean idea. Will smell like Gloria jeans :)

Swords? My precious sticks? Hmmmmm........

Thanks again!!! Will post result

Gill

PS: Regarding the layout/decor of rest of the room.. Gulp!

[Julie-Ann]

Layouts of a room are a piece of cake. Post a couple of pics and we will have it looking stunning in no time:D

[Fiona]

Just wanted to say I love the vase and sticks and Thank you for posting them as I think I may have just found my SIL a present!!

[Lorraine]

Gill if you don't feel comfortable about shortening your sticks, maybe you could just buy some shorter ones. I used to have something on our floor, a taller vase with a thicker base and narrow top, it did look lovely. I got tired of it though and it was put into the shed with all the other stuff I'm over, not sure if I still have it or not. I also had some of the tiny lights you can buy on stems in amongst the sticks. :D

[Katrina]

Lorraine I have those twinkle lights! I bought them from Freedom and I have them amongst other sticks too. Love them.

[Lorraine]

Katrina I think mine are from Freedom too, they are in the shed now????? Are they the one's your "mice" like????????????? roflmao. :D

[Katrina]

Yes Lorraine! That is them. Apparently the mice must "enjoy" them - said so convincingly by my darling husband :)

[Lorraine]

Well Katrina I hope the "mice" are enjoying your pretty lights. :)

[Elements]

When I first saw your drawings Katrina I thought you had drawn the vase in front of the TV....:D:D That would be great for a laugh Gill for when hubby gets home...you could mess with his mind a little and tell him you sorted the problem out. No TV:eek: We now have a mirror.
Ayway...I think Katrina is right the sticks do appear a little out of proportion.
My solution would be to spend more money:D or find something around the house that is narrower and taller to accomodate the sticks more like a ceramic bottle neck vase that would compliment your existing pot and then add green tall grasses in the pot but only half as tall as your existing sticks....

[Milena]

Hi Gill,

This morning I was going through my decorating folder on my laptop, came across a photo and immedietly thought of your beautiful vase with your lethal sticks:)
An idea may be to add a few more different elements into the display eg artificial African flowers and grasses (bulrushes and pampus if you want to be really African :) )
The attached photos are the examples that I had showing what I found. The arrangements in the photos are obviously larger so you could do something similar on a smaller scale.

[Katrina]

Hahaha Elements! Now that would be so much fun messing with hubby's mind. I may find a good trick like that to do to mine. He wouldn't know whether I was serious or not because I am always changing things and coming up with strange ideas! Love it :)

[Julie-Ann]

Gill I saw that KMart were advertising 2 different versions of the sticks with little fairy lights at $15 each:D

[Elements]

Love to see the outcome of your vase Gill.;)