purple

Beach Pea

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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

Purple and Pink Memories of Summer

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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

Beautiful Heather!

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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!

Pressed Flower Jewelry II

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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!

Bluebells and Butterflies

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Several bluebells create a safe resting place for butterflies made from creeping myrtle flowers and fern. The ground is made out of pressed kale leaves.

Creeping Myrtle

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Delicate purple flowers of creeping myrtle reach for the sun buried in a ground made of rose petals. This is normally a crawling vine that blooms in early spring but I thought I’d give them a little reach :). I am always amazed at the strength of vines regardless of their size. Their hardy features make them perfect for pressing!