This ornamental bamboo is a recent addition to our garden. The leaves are full of fiery color. Each tier of foliage shows more and more of the deep red so I thought it appropriate to stay true to it when arranging. At the top of these beautiful plants there are shoots of white flowers that begin as the tight buds.
My first pressed flower video. I hope you enjoy!
These beautiful vines grow alongside the beach here in the NW. They have gorgeous purple pea flowers and wild, twisting vines. Vines are some of my favorite plants to press. Vines may seem invasive to some but I admire their persistence to survive and flourish. The tiny ends are a miraculous design that grab onto everything. I have to laugh when trying to detach the little guys from each other because it seems their very purpose is to hold on for dear life. One of the most amazing facts about these plants is that the seeds can survive while floating in salt water for up to five years! This has caused them to be a native plant in many countries. You can read more on beach peas here: Beach Pea
These eight purple and pink Toadflax (or Linaria) flowers were picked in the warm Summer months. With temperatures now in the forties and the cold rain pouring down I found myself daydreaming of warmer days as I look at these flowers. I used the home made press to slow dry these and I am very happy with the results! I love how their wild, little leaves stick out in every direction.
Linaria are perennial flowers that grow in late summer and have some very interesting properties. It’s noted to have been used as a diuretic, insecticide, and fever-reducer. Bees and other like insects are required for its pollination. You can read more about this beautiful flower here: About Linaria Flowers
Here’s one of those plants that gave me a very pleasant surprise! I’ve always admired these flowers from far away but never gave them a close up look. My breath was taken away when I saw how colorful and bold they were. I also had no idea they were adorned with beautiful green needles. One of the things I love the most about Oshibana is studying the anatomy of the endless variety of flowers that nature provides. As with many other flowers that thrive in cold weather I wasn’t shocked to find that they pressed extremely well. I plan on pressing many more of this gorgeous flower but here are my first two pieces. Enjoy!
Here is an amazing artist that just opened her shop on Etsy. This art takes my breath away. I feel as though I’m actually in these beautiful scenes! The shadowing is done so perfectly. Here are some of the amazing works and a link to her shop below.
It was a long process with many problems followed by solutions but I was able to find what worked. I started by setting a 2-part epoxy (Easy Cast) into the molds and letting them sit for 24 hours. After that I place the flowers down and covered them with another layer of epoxy. Here in Seattle it’s in the 40’s this time of year so I ran into the problem of bubbles. After the bubbles rose to the top I ran a hair dryer over the top and it seemed to get rid of the majority of them. I let them sit for another 36 hours and popped them out of their molds.
When they were thoroughly dry I used scissors to trim the edges and sanded them with 150 grit sandpaper, then with 1500 wet or dry sandpaper. They looked horrible after sanding and I was pretty worried but then I placed a layer of Mod Podge Dimensional Magic over them and they were as clear as glass! I used a 2 part epoxy glue to place the bezels on the back and voila! Here is the result. I can’t wait until more flowers come into bloom and the weather warms up to make a second batch!
I’ve decided to try something new; pressed flower jewelry! So far it’s been a whole lot of trial and error but I think I’m getting the hang of it. These are some of my firsts and I have much more in the making. I used Mod Podge dimension on these and it works pretty well. I’ve found a big problem with the color running into the gloss so I’m working on finding what flowers and glues work. I used Perfect Paper Adhesive and I don’t think it’s quite doing the trick. I’ve been reading that Mod Podge gloss works best so I’m going to give that a try this weekend. Also, I got a clear epoxy and molds to try out. It’s such a tedious but rewarding art! It takes several days and several layers but the finished result is well worth the time I think. I’m including links to amazing artists that have this technique down. I have no idea how they even do some of these pieces! Happy Friday everyone!!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Goodthings88
http://www.etsy.com/shop/SpottedDogAsheville
http://www.etsy.com/shop/KateeMarie
http://www.etsy.com/shop/PressedFlowerJewelry
http://www.etsy.com/shop/NaturalPrettyThings
http://www.etsy.com/shop/UralNature
A love-inspired piece with pink and white larkspur. I had some of these beautiful flowers left over from a custom order so I decided to marry them in an ocean of deep red! There is a peaceful feeling that comes to me when I find the “just right” spot for my flower pieces and this is a perfect example. After a bit of tweaking the flowers seemed to be made for each other. Sort of like the feeling I get after cleaning and organizing my messy art table :).
What a lovely flower to press! I’d never seen a St. John’s Wort flower before I picked this one and honestly thought it was named after St. John’s Wart :roll:! I’d heard the name in passing and it’s funny how we carry what we think for so long until the knowledge reaches us! I’ve read different thoughts on the history of the name. Most of them describe the origin as the flower being harvested around Saint John’s Day. Wort is an Old English word for plant and has nothing to do with warts. 🙂
Hypericum perforatum has a history as vibrant as its gorgeous flower. Different translations of the flower share a similar meaning. They mostly describe the plant as having the ability to keep evil spirits at bay. The Greek word Hypericum or hyperikon means “over image or apparition,” and perforatum means “punctured,” and refers to the spots on the leaves, which are oil glands, that appear in a certain stage of its life cycle.
This flower really took well to the pressing and the yellow has yet to fade. I wish I had picked more but I always like to try flowers out before ripping the whole lot out. There’s always next year. It reminds me of a little rhyme that came to me soon after beginning my pressing journey and it goes as such:
Most flowers are free,
But take heed to greed,
Take only what you really need! 🙂
Made of Flowers 