Tussie Mussie

Multiple irons are in the fire at the moment, so I thought I'd stop and share a project I'm working on.  It's known as a Tussie Mussie....In the 1700’s, when regular bathing and indoor plumbing was uncommon, the tussie mussie became popular. A tussie mussie (also spelled tussy mussy) is a small bouquet (nosegay) of fragrant herbs and flowers. During this time, elegant ladies carried tussie mussies to mask the odors around them. Smaller tussie mussies were often worn on the lapel to mask body odor.
 During the Victoria period, tussie mussies placed inside of a doily were designed to share a message usually between lovers.  Each flower or herbal sprig contained a meaning. A young lady, after receiving a tussie mussie from her suitor, would discover the meaning of the bouquet by looking up the flowers chosen for her in a book called the Tussie Dictionary. The young lady could then choose one flower to save as a keepsake or to return to her gentleman caller in response to the message the tussie mussie conveyed.
Today, when someone refers to a tussie mussie, they are talking about the small cone-shaped metal vase used to hold the nosegay or small floral bouquet – the bouquet holder. These metal vases have been designed to be easily carried, especially by brides and bridesmaids, and some even come with a small stand so that the bouquet can be displayed as a centerpiece during the reception.
(This is all borrowed from the blog, Growing and Using Herbs , a GREAT blog btw)

Many might be familiar with the use of the Tussie Mussie for May Day.  A small cone of flowers hung or shared in celebration and I've been seeing more and more uses of the Mussie Tussie for Christmas decor.   So, here's my take of the Mussie Tussie for Christmas. 

I started with a paper mache  cone I bought at my local big box craft store.. then a nice heavy coat of gesso for my base.  After that I let creativity take over!  I pulled out my inks, mists, Tim Holtz tissue paper, TH Stamps, some Stampendous stamps too, along with stencils and craft medium.  And Stickles.. LOTS of stickles!!

It's not quit finished... it's a work in progress...  It's the first of two.  You might say this was "practice" as the other is for a swap I'm in.  And frankly, these are fun to make.  No rules.. the sky is the limit!!   I'll be adding a "handle" so I can hang it.  Then I can fill it with Christmas goodies or greenery.  Not sure which for this one.