Departing from the normal can be somewhat of an adventure.  That is what I have done with the Christmas Wreath for this season.

Coming from northern Wisconsin serves as a resource for this time of year.   A wealth of balsam trees grow abundantly.  What better place could there be to use these boughs?

Many years ago my mother and her sister took seasonal jobs at a wreath factory.  Mom got so comfortable with the business that she and Dad began making and selling them for themselves.

In the off-season, we picked up pine cones that would later be wired together and rolled in white paint.  Bows could be made in the summer as well.  Once the frost hit the northwoods, my brother picked the pine boughs.  As long as the weather stayed cool, the wreath-making began in earnest, for it was then that the undecorated wreaths could be stored on cold ground underneath a protective canvas.  With the bulk of the wreaths finished, the decorating began.

This Christmas Wreath design for our card comes from a photograph of one of their creations.  The wreath is adorned with white-tipped pine cones and a red velour bow.

Whether your choice is the fresh-sketched pencil wreath or the one done in colored pencil, we hope it brightens up your holiday.

photo credit: Kain Kalju via photopin cc