WGN Channel 9 - Ray Rayner and His Friends - "A Mesh Rose" (4/26/1978)

Here's the bulk of an edition of Ray Rayner and His Friends (or The Ray Rayner Show, both titles are shown in the course of this clip) in which Ray is assembling a mesh rose, with pertinent explanations. (Commercials and cartoons are all edited out, except for a brief People, Places and Things excerpt at the very end)
He starts out showing an already made one, then searches out a mesh bag to commence his how-to demonstration (the one he finds is a bag that once housed fancy California oranges, made by the Melrose Park Produce Distributors in Melrose Park, IL; he also suggests mesh bags for onions). Also required are chenille wire, florist tape, rose leaves (that one could buy in a dime store - probably in today's time at a 99 cent store), pipe cleaner, and needle and thread. Before he starts, he previews the upcoming edition "en français," albeit in the manner of many a Pepe Le Pew cartoon.
Recording switches to the next segment, in which Ray performs "More" from the film "Mondo Cane," and a shot of behind-the-scenes.
Next segment, Ray begins the process of assembling said mesh rose for the viewers to learn and do at home - starting by cutting the label off, then cutting the mesh in half, splitting and folding it, wrapping it in the shape of a rose, sewing the rough part with a needle and red-colored thread and tying a knot in the thread afterwards (with the organist playing "Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose").
Recording then cuts to the segment afterwards, with Ray starting off wishing happy birthdays before going on to the next step in his mesh rose assembly: wrapping it with florist tape, then adding leaves to the top of the stem for which Ray uses a segment of a pipe cleaner and then tapes it (or tries to) to the mesh, finally adding the leaves and rolling the tape to the bottom of the "stem." He then puts his mesh rose into the vase on the table, as recorded laughter is heard afterwards.
Recording next cuts to just after Ray commences the next segment, showing pictures and/or reading letters from the likes of Tod Bonnett (sp?) of Saint Anne, Tracy Burrows (sp?) of Peru, the Kelly kids of McHenry (one of whom is Leah, the other Shaun (?) Joel), Todd Kavanaugh (sp?) of Streamwood, Shelly Shuk (sp?) of Benton Harbor, Paul Fernandez (sp?, location unknown), Jason Gondo of Chicago, Beverley Marie Drabik of South Talman, Beth Seder (sp?) of Clarendon Hills, Amy Bach (sp?) of Hickory Hills, Joey LaMantia (sp?, no address), Jeannette Connelly (sp?) of North Newland, Zbig Adamchick (sp?) of Schiller Park, Sandy Sprain of Alsip, Linda Riggs of Des Plaines, Doug and Jeff White of Muncie, IN, and Renee Haines (sp?) of Chicago.
Recording cuts to ending segment where he shows both mesh roses (his and Chauncey's), and closes program.
Ending credits:
Ray Rayner and His Friends
Chelveston Lives at the Animal Kingdom
Musical Director - Don Orlando
Assistant Director - George Waschbusch
Executive Producer - Ray Rayner
Directed by Bill Hartmann
Ray Rayner and His Friends
(C) 1978, WGN Continental Broadcasting Co.
"I am an old cut-up."
This aired on local Chicago TV on Monday, April 24th 1978 during the 7:00am to 8:00am timeframe.
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