Eco-print; feijoa leaf on silk. Image: Su Leslie 2019 This week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge ask us to focus on the details, so I’m going to take you on a wee journey through a very cool fibre art process I learned recently. This is not a lesson in technique (I’m a total novice here), but a […]
It’s all in the detail — Zimmerbitch
There is no finer flower than a double peony.
The singles may produce many more blooms,
but every double bloom is a delight.
The blooms need to be supported, especially during rains.
They are worth all the work.
I love everything about every one.
My favorite blooms late so you will have to wait for her.
She demands her own grand entrance, just like the famous actress she is named for.
Flower
The rainbow of colors has started in the iris beds.
Pink was first as Persian Berry bloomed early in April.
Thunder Echo was second with its deep burgundy edges and tan frilled top.
Taco Supreme joined the group yesterday.
Little Much has been set apart so as not to be crowded by others.
Banana Frappe burst out brightly this week.
Just this morning Night Affair opened its hatch to guide pollinators to its treasure.
These are the colors of my Iris Rainbow on this lovely April morning.
My garden blesses me over and over.
Flower
Delosperma ‘Fire Spinner’ surprised me today.
It burst into flames in the bright spring sunshine.
This variety of ice plant loves to nestle against rocks and creep into crevices.
It looks perfectly happy along the stone wall.
FLOW
FLOW
If I dreamed up a tiny plant, it would have striped leaves and tiny dusty-plum-colored flowers.
I do not have to pretend this jewel of a plant exists.
It is really growing all over my garden.
Tucked under planters, beside rocks, between roots.
Tiny little Ledebouria cooperi ‘Jessop’ is a dream come true.
All it needs it a place where it won’t be stepped on.
My ‘Jessop’ is lowly, lovely and dearly loved.
Flow
Sometimes magic is green. I consider the Epimedium a magical plant.
Someone else must agree, since one of its common names is “Fairy Wings.”
The blooms hang on thin stalks that are almost invisible.
I have four varieties yellow, orange, white and red.
Yellow is thriving under a shrub.
Orange is tallest of the four.
White is the smallest and blooms later.
My newest ‘Rubrum’ only had two red blooms, but is growing well.
Four colors of “Fairy Wings” in my garden. There has got to be magic here!
FLOW
My Clivia miniata ‘Good Hope’ has two babies and a bloom.
The flowers are a soothing buttery yellow.
The flower head is perched on a sturdy eighteen-inch stalk.
This plant is boring all year, but when it blooms, it steals the show.
FLOW
Mama inherited lovely, costume jewelry from her mother, grandmother and great aunt Ethel.
She cannot see well anymore and her fingers can’t close the tiny clasps.
She still likes to look at her collection and talk about its history.
I had the idea to display her favorites as a collage.
I am very pleased with the results.
I am sharing the process with my readers because I made many mistakes that I hope you can avoid.
I used jewelry cleaner to get them all sparkling.
First, I ordered a beautiful golden, oval frame. It came with the glass firmly glued in.
This was not mentioned in the description.
My husband had to assist in the glass removal after I broke the glass. (I am accident prone.)
I ordered black plastic craft mess and black velvet with adhesive on the back.
I arranged and rearranged the pins on a template with grid lines. I wrote any info off the pin onto the template.
I took photos of the various patterns and picked my favorite.
I used the fake photo from the frame as a template many times. DO NOT TRASH THIS.
It helps to fold the oval in halves both vertically and horizontally to have an x and y axis for a guide
Finally, I arranged the pins on the mesh and marked where holes needed to be cut with a gold pen.
The pins were stored on the template for easy replacement. There was a last minute tweaking of placements.
After all the holes in the mesh were cut with tiny scissors,
I stuck the velvet on the front and cut x-shaped slits with an X-acto knife.
Cut the outer oval border LAST. You will need that extra margin for handling.
I then pulled the pins and clasps through the mesh to secure each pin flat against the velvet.
A piece of black craft foam fills the space behind the mesh. Cardboard was too stiff.
I put the template and photos in the back of the frame for reference.
The hinged back can be easily opened and a pin removed if mama decides she wants to wear one.
Mama loved the collage.
We went back to look at more jewelry. Here we go again!
FLOWER
floweralley 