Sorry these aren't great photos but my camera is really acting up. For some reason my camera won't focus properly on super macro right now and I can't get in to get a decent close up.
Hopefully, you can still you get the idea from these.
Each of the flowers have the tiny white and purple dots in them, there are a couple of shriveled flowers, a couple of leaf stems where the flowers have fell off and it looks like a caterpillar has been at some of the leaves :-)
This is the prototype though...don't worry Nikki, you won't be getting this one....the rest will be much better :-)
I will continue the tutorial once I can sort my camera out but really the only steps left are the flowers and the leaves. So, if you want to carry on, here is how I did it....without photos
The flowers were made by cutting a piece of paper about 1/4 inch square. Dot with white paint down the diagonal center, leave to dry then dot with purple paint over the top.
Wrap around the end of a toothpick until you form a cone shape and glue the edges down. Make sure the edge you stick down is at the back of the flower....otherwise you'll end up with a reject like above.
Cut the flower down to size. The 1/4 inch paper will give you a flower that is too big but it is much easier to handle at that stage. Insert a small piece of wire through the flower. This will become the stem which you connect to the main stem.
Once it has dried, paint the opening edge of the flower with white. I ended up using water color paint...acrylic was not subtle enough for this. Then using a tooth pick or stylus bash the opening (gently) so to it starts to curl back.
Attach 4 tiny leaves to the base of the flower but only glue at the very bottom then curl them out. Then bend the flower over and glue the wire part to the main stem. This will give them the effect of the flowers hanging rather than just being stuck to the main stem but you probably can't see the effect in these photos.
The main leaves I just cut by hand from scratch. I am not happy with the color of them yet so I'll leave that till I have figured it out better.
Now I need to go do all this again.... 8 times :-)
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Oh well... I'm wordless. You say you are not happy with the leaves colour. I trust your judgement but if your throwing it in a bin... PLEASE send it to me instead. I think it's wonderful
ReplyDeleteAmazing, if you were to put that photo beside a real foxglove you couldn't tell the difference.
ReplyDeleteThanks for following my blog! I thought I'd take a look at your blog, too! And I'm very glad I did, because your flowers are absolutely beautiful, I'm so impressed by your work!
ReplyDeleteHappy to see you like Guinness, too! Maybe I will steel your sign from St. Patricks day and use it in my pub:-)
Helene
I agree with Rosana. The "throw-away" attempts have been gorgeous and so much better than I could do. You do great work. I think you are too hard on yourself sometimes.
ReplyDeleteThank you all.
ReplyDeleteBut really, you just can't see the flaws in it.
On a couple of the flowers, the paper overlaps at the front. Some of the joints you can see bits of glue and the leaves are the wrong color.
I don't think I am hard on myself really...I would hate for someone to look at anything I've made and think it was junk...that's all.
Next to myself though, Mick is probably my biggest critic and I know he won't just blow smoke up my ass. With this one though even he was very impressed so I am going in the right direction :-)
And another thing...they don't have stamen. Not sure what to do about that yet.
ReplyDeleteWell i think this foxglove is beautiful and think you have made it to perfection.
ReplyDeleteI love the colours and the little odtd inside and think all the buds are fab.
Should really do something to my house so they can be planted. Oh so excited and can't wait for you to finish.
Thank you ever so much for taking this difficult task on.
Nikki x
Thanks Nikki...glad you like them...at the end of the day that is what matters :-)
ReplyDeleteDifficult ? Whatever gave you that impression lol...actually I am very much enjoying them now!
WOW! They realy turned out beautiful! You did a great job, they look verry real!
ReplyDelete* marlies
They look wonderfully garden-worthy Tallooley! What is it about the leaf color you don't like?
ReplyDeleteThanks Marlies...and Patti.
ReplyDeleteThe leaves are too 'flat' They have this really detailed veining on them and I just can't seem to get it right...I've tried every type of paper I won.
Oh and the color is too light.
You deserve a medal for your persistence, I would have given up long ago! No matter what you say, it looks stunning!
ReplyDeleteMercedes
Thanks you Mercedes....my persistence is more like a crazy ingrained stubbornness :-)
ReplyDelete