A single phoneme Written by Kate Tierney Photographed by Josh Norris 72 June 2012 TALK Greenville 73 above left: Paint your letter a base color to complement the design material that will be applied. The base color forgives small areas that go uncovered. A tube of acrylic is the best paint to use. left: This fun and funky combination of ribbon, old jewelry, buttons, colored wire and bows makes a trendy wall statement. Cover the letter first in ribbon using either hot glue or pins to secure. Decorate over the ribbon with other items. 74 June 2012 A phoneme, while being the basic element of a given language used in combination with others to build words, can also be dressed up to star in a solo show. From new-baby announcements to teen wall decor, from the blending of bride and groom initials to a mountain house front door, the popularity of boasting one’s phoneme has hit us in a big way. Start with a cardboard letter and let your creativity run wild. The lightness of the 24 inch-tall letter is a plus when it comes to hanging. The letters are 2 inches deep, giving great dimension but not requiring too much design material to complete your project. Before applying your design material, affix a wire around your letter for hanging. Depending on the letter, two hangers may be required. The following are some creative coverings to consider. above: Silk flowers and acrylic paint help dress letters to announce the arrival of a new baby girl or boy. The baby girl letter R was painted with pink paint and then silk petals and leaves were randomly glued in place with hot glue. The baby boy letter A was painted blue and a focal point of ribbon and flowers placed at the top. Another approach is to paint polka dots or stripes on the letters. TALK Greenville 75 Whether on doors leading into a chapel or positioned behind a wedding cake, bride and groom initials stamp the wedding day. These two letters were first painted white and then covered with white cushion mums. The flowers are glued in place with floral adhesive. These can be made the day before the wedding, wrapped in plastic and then refrigerated until the next day. Carnations and mums are the best flower selection for this project due to their durability. Wired twig vine and green reindeer moss give the letter G texture and a natural feel. It would be perfect as a buffet centerpiece or to hang on a front door. Use hot glue to place the moss and then wrap twig vine over and around. Moss both sides when used as a centerpiece 76 June 2012 TALK Greenville 77