pressed flowers, leeks and leaf fairies!:-)

 

pressed flowers, leeks and leaf fairies!:-)

here's what happened!:-)

i had a beauty-full big leaf, that i had been holding on to for just the right project...this was it:-)

the leaf is a cousin to something in the elephant ear family...it pressed beautifully, almost transluscent!:-)

the fairy's skin is made from rose petals...she is dressed in tiny autumn leaves...corn silk for hair and tiny snippets of cornflower for her eyes...

her wings are made from pressed leeks!...yep, the kind you use in your soup!...i frequently raid the kitchen for material for flowerart!:-)

delicate strands of japanese maple leaf overlay the leek...

surrounded by grapevine from our property...

and that's how the leaf fairy was born!:-)

enjoy,

rebekah:-)

pressed flowers, marlis and faded lilies!:-)

 

pressed flowers, marlis and faded lilies?:-)

i love marlis!:-)...the horse whisperer of north carolina!...i have learned so much from her...and not just about horses, but about life!:-)...you can find out all about her here...

http://www.mea-way.com/index.html

i was sorting through my flower stash and found some lily petals from long ago...they were silky soft and almost translucent...so, there i sat, on a sunny afternoon, thinking about the lessons i had learned from marlis and the lily petals whispered...i'm a horse!:-)

well, i listened:-)

the horse is made from the faded lily petals...mane and tail of japanese maple leaf...

this one's for you marlis!:-)...thanks for the inspiration and the lessons that came with it!:-)

and that's how we got to pressed flowers, marlis and faded lilies!:-)

enjoy,

rebekah:-)

pressed flowers, suzanne and birds?:-)

 


pressed flowers, suzanne and birds?:-)

there's a wonderful lass named suzanne!:-)...she's courageous and innovative and fun!:-)...she's a gardener!:-)...need i say more?:-)

you can find her here...

www.SuzannesGardenTreasures.com

and there's me!:-)...the luckiest girl in the world with the best friends on the planet!:-)

suzanne gave me a gift that is precious in the pressed flower art world...pampas grass!:-)...beautiful, fluffy, silvery, soft pampas grass!:-)...

here's what happened...

meet the new specie of bird, the pampas breasted leaf-bird!:-)

a small green dogwood leaf for his head...another dogwood leaf for his body....overlaid with japanese maple leaves for wing feathers...

tail feathers are strips of an autumn dogwood leaf...feet are more tiny strips of the same leaf...

his beautiful, fluffy breast feathers are a foundation of pressed leek overlaid with the marvelous pampas grass!:-)...thank you, suzanne!:-)...i can already think of 1,000's of other ways to use it!:-)

he is perched on a strip of the most beautiful bark i have ever seen!:-)...shed from a pear tree outside a mountain cabin...thank you, dorothy!:-)...like i said, i'm the luckiest girl in the world with the best friends on the planet!:-)

enjoy,

rebekah:-)

pressed flowers, cotton and fairy/angels!:-)

 

this little fairy/angel pauses on a fluffy cloud to stargaze!:-)

cloud is cotton gathered by the side of the road in georgia!:-)

her dress is made of an upside down daffodil bloom...wings from bright zinnia petals...her hair is from a yellow rose petal and her ponytail is held by a butterfly weed bloom...stars are made from white onion skin!:-)

available for sale here...

http://www.etsy.com/listing/76218754/fairyangel

arrangement is on heavy, black cardstock...covered with matte vinyl to protect the flowers...card measures 6 1/4" x 4 5/8...envelope included...

enjoy,

rebekah:-)

pressed flowers, stress and butterflies!

 

pressed flowers, stress and butterflies?:-)

life has been a bit stressful around here lately!...there has not been much time for flowers!...so, today i decided to change that!:-)

i planned out a half hour that was all mine!:-)...here's what happened...

first i needed a background...so, i took a piece of heavy cardstock into the kitchen...i found an old mason jar and put about 1/3 cup of water, a big squeeze of food coloring and a drop of dish soap in it...

then i did what we always tell the kids not to do!:-)...got a straw and blew bubbles into the colored water!:-)...i held the cardstock against the rising bubbles and let them pop against the surface of the paper...the results were a soft, watercolor look...i really like it!:-)

i have an abundance of butterflies in the yard this year!:-)...i love watching them and decided that a butterfly would be lovely on my soft, swirly paper:-)

her body is a peapod!:-)...wings of purple petunia blooms, with additions of some pretty petals and tiny flowers...her back wings are green hydrangea...and her tail is a lovely unknown flower from a wedding bouquet...thank you, fearrington!:-)... http://www.fearrington.com/house/weddings.asp ...

antennae are stamens from the same flower as the tail...

all the stress of the mundane world around me faded as i got to play with flowers and create a pretty butterfly!:-)...and that's how we got to pressed flowers, stress and butterflies!:-)

enjoy,

rebekah:-)

pressed flowers, woodland series and way too much fun!:-)

 

pressed flowers, woodland series and way too much fun!:-)

this piece is one of the woodland series, inspired by penny black's work...

you can find her book here...

http://www.amazon.com/Book-Pressed-Flowers-Penny-Black/dp/0671660713

i picked it off my bookshelf the other day, just because!:-)...i wasn't particularly looking for anything, just hadn't thought about penny's work in awhile...as soon as i opened the book, i remembered that i was really lucky to have it!:-)...a gift from my mom, eons ago, i was inspired all over again!:-)...

these are so much fun to make!:-)

a background of orchid petals that turned translucent and skelotonized when pressed...

packed with colorful flowers in oranges and yellows...ferns and other greenery...even though it's not exactly botanically correct, i thought it made a beauty-full woodland scene!:-)

thanks, penny!:-)...and thanks, mom!:-)

enjoy,

rebekah:-)

pressed flowers, kansas and cabbage!:-)

 

pressed flowers, kansas and cabbage?:-)

well, yes!:-)

i was lucky enough to be booked at shows across the country with musician hubby last summer...we spent six weeks driving from show to show and spending as much time as possible exploring our surroundings...what fun!:-)

each state had it's special surprises...local food and farmer's markets...different plants, rocks and critters...the mountains, the plains, the badlands, they all held special appeal:-)

my memory of kansas was miles and miles and miles of fields...what wasn't fields was sky!...stunningly beautiful, i would stare out the car window convinced that i could actually see the curve of the earth at the horizon!:-)

once in a while, a lone tree would stand in a field with the sky as backdrop...nothing else in sight...here's my version of a kansas memory:-)

i used really bright colors in this piece, giving it an abstract feel, but hopefully portraying some of the beauty i felt traveling through this part of the country!:-)

the sunset is rose petals with wisps of real cotton, gathered along a roadside in georgia!:-)...the tree trunk is a piece of bark...the leaves of the tree are a tiny green flower that came from a wedding bouquet...and the field is a cabbage leaf!:-)...it had just the right contours and colors to be a field!:-)

and that's how we got to pressed flowers, kansas and cabbage!:-)

enjoy!:-)

rebekah:-)

pressed flowers, petal girls and fun!:-)

 

pressed flowers, petal girls and fun!:-)

i am taking the most wonderful class!:-)...our teacher is a talented pressed flower artist named anagha, what a beauty-full name!:-)

i have been making flower folks and flower critters for a long time, but i have never had the opportunity to take a formal class with twenty other people at the same time...

the class is called petal girls and my, oh my, are we ever having fun!:-)...the creativity is flowing and each little petal girl is unique and special!:-)

this little lass is my first contribution to the class...

her skirt is a velvety rose petal...cascades of red curly hair spill from under her hat...hair made with japanese maple leaves...purple daisy bloom for a hat...

dangling her morning glory leaf bag, she has picked a bouquet of tiny alyssum flowers on her way to market!:-)

if you would like to have this much fun, you can find out how to join us here... www.wwpfg.org ...only $14 for a whole month of inspiration, artwork and camaraderie!:-)...and it's online, so i can wear my fuzzy, bunny slippers!:-)

enjoy,

rebekah:-)

pressed flowers, may day and little, fuzzy, green things!:-)

 

pressed flowers, may day and little fuzzy green things!:-)

my mailbox is magical!:-)...every now and then i open it and there are envelopes full of rainbows and promise!:-)

this time my magical envelope came from thea...it held a beautiful, handmade card and a stack of the most beautiful, little, fuzzy, green things!:-)...they looked like miniature trees and i could already see landscapes dancing in my head!:-)

but, that was for another day...today i had a may day project to complete!:-)...i have fond memories of may day...tying ribbons to a tree ...may apples decorating the forest floor...poisonous!...but, beautiful:-)

but, i think my favorite memory is leaving flowers on the doorstep!:-)...we would gather old coffee cans and chipped mason jars, cotton hankerchiefs and doilies...then decorate them, adding ribbons, filling them with wildflowers and greenery...then we would run to the neighbor's house...with giggles and whispers we would knock on the door, leave the flowers and run!

so, here's my version of may day flowers!:-)

the doily is made of queen anne's lace and is filled to the brim with beautiful, blue, springtime flowers, interspersed with tiny bits of elderberry and white alyssum...

but, wait!...something was missing!...i searched and searched looking for tiny leaves or something green that would fill in the bouquet...and then i remembered thea's present in my mailbox!:-)...the beautiful, little, fuzzy, green things!:-)...thank you, thea!:-)...they were just right!:-)

i added a ribbon of thyme and a butterfly made of heuchera leaf to symbolize the transistion of spring and that's how we got to pressed flowers, may day and little, fuzzy, green things!:-)

enjoy,

rebekah:-)

something very strange happened!

 

something very strange happened!

today i decided to press my flower in a different way...with a hammer!...

i wanted to do some quick cards and i hadn't done any flower pounding in awhile, so today was the day!:-)

but, something very strange happened!...i happily tapped away with my hammer...peeled the paper towels back...started to scrape away the leftover botanical material...and realized that the pounding was turning green!...bright green!...i sprinkled some of the freshly picked blooms on the background of the pounded flowers, so you can compare...

how odd!...but, kinda kool:-)

any ideas about why this happened?:-)

rebekah:-)

pressed flowers, insomnia and birds!:-)

 

pressed flowers, insomnia and birds!:-)

i couldn't sleep last night!...my head was full!...of thoughts, ideas, things to do, things that hadn't been done, this and that and round and round...so, i got up!...

three in the morning, the house is quiet, i make a pot of coffee and think about what to do while i'm up...seems like it might be a good time to play flowers!:-)

lately i have been challenging myself by choosing a random envelope of flowers and making something with whatever happens to be inside...this has turned into a grand adventure and many new flower folks and flower critters have been born:-)

barbara has been a big inspiration to me this past week...she has been playing with colors and telling us about her initial bookmarks...initials...hmmmmmm...that reminds me of a wonderful class i took from kate years ago about initials...we made a collage of pressed flowers into an initial and it was lots of fun!:-)

hmmmmmmmm...i'll bet i could use these same techniques to do a shape!...the birds are singing, it's just beginning to get light outside...birds!:-)...i could do a bird!:-)

so, i cut out the shape of a bird's head from some beautiful autumn leaves...and then used the flowers from my random envelope to decorate her...placed on deep green fabric and surrounded with butterfly weed (thank you, pat!:-))

my bird of many colors really started my day beautifully!:-)...and that's how we got to pressed flowers, insomnia and birds!:-)

enjoy,

rebekah:-)

pressed flowers and pigs?:-)

 

pressed flowers and pigs?:-)

yes, indeedy!:-)...that's what happened this time!:-)

meet miss pansy pig!:-)...

grandma ruth's pansies made the perfect choice to dress miss pig!:-)

she is about 6 1/2 inches long and is sitting on my computer desk!:-)

i can't help but smile every time i look at her!:-)

thank you grandma ruth!:-)

enjoy,

rebekah:-)

pressed flowers and water dragons?:-)

 

pressed flowers and water dragons?:-)

yep, that's what happened this time!:-)

a custum order for the holidays...a dragon with a santa hat?...whatever was i going to do?...

well, my dear friend jacki, vice-president of the world wide pressed flower guild... www.wwpfg.org ...recently taught a class through the guild about marbling paper...i was lucky enough to be the recipient of some of jacki's beautiful papers:-)

i think i found just the right use for this one!:-)...thank you, jacki!:-)

this little water dragon is made from rose petals generously donated by fearrington village weddings... http://www.fearrington.com/house/weddings.asp ...his spots are tiny leaves:-)

i snagged a few pointsettia leaves from my holiday plant for his wings...i thought they were quite festive!:-)

japanese maple leaf tips for his fiery tongue and miscellaneous bits and pieces of this and that to finish the piece...

and that's how we got to pressed flowers and water dragons!:-)

enjoy,

rebekah:-)

pansy fairy!:-)

 

pansy fairy!:-)

she's all finished!:-)...and the journey was wonderful!:-)

my grandma ruth was a flower presser too!:-)...when she passed away, my mom sent me grandma's flower stash...i've always felt honored that i inherited her flowers and wanted to put them to good use:-)

while browsing through one of the boxes, i came across some pansies with a wonderful antique feel to them...aha!:-)...a fairy dress!:-)...her skin is made from some lighter pansies found in the same box!:-)

translucent hibiscus blooms form her wings:-)...cornsilk overlaid with a beautiful weed for her hair:-)...batchelor button snippets for eyes and a clip of a red rose petal for her mouth:-)...

queen anne's lace florets fill her arms with a bouquet and she has tucked one of the blooms into her hair!:-)...pansy shoes adorn her feet!:-)

thank you, grandma ruth, for allowing me to continue the tradition of pressed flowerart with your flowers!:-)...i am honored:-)

enjoy,

rebekah:-)

flowers+rocks=flowerox

 

flowers + rocks = flowerox!:-)

the story of how it all began...

many moons ago, when my daughter was just a tot, we played flower fairy!:-)

we would mod podge rocks with pressed flowers, covering them carefully to protect the flowers, then hide them wherever we went for someone to find!:-)...a tiny note from the flower fairy would wish them a happy day and hope that they would enjoy their flowerock!:-)

we'd tuck them into phone booth change slots or leave them on a bench along the local nature trail...behind a book in the library or in a tip jar at the bakery...all over town!:-)

we were lucky enough to witness some of the results!:-)...an eight year old girl found one peeking out from under a bush on her birthday...a teenager found one on a ledge at the mall and ran to show all her friends her lucky find...a lady found one in a parking lot and excitedly told her friend that she was going to display it on the bookshelf in her office!:-)

my interest in pressed flowers continued to grow and i began to put flowers on other things!:-)...soap, tiles, bookmarks and cards...and then i began to do framed pieces!...what fun!:-)

many years later with technology at my fingertips, i found a small group of other folks interested in pressed flowers!:-)...yippee!:-)...that small group of about 15 people has grown to be the world wide pressed flower guild!:-)...a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit dedicated to teaching the art and science of pressed flowers, with members all over the planet!:-)...you can find out more here... www.wwpfg.org ...

and that's how it all began!:-)...from the gifts of the humble rock and flower!:-)...i am still making and hiding flowerox!:-)...maybe you'll find one!:-)

enjoy,

rebekah:-)

pressed flowers and a renaissance faire!:-)

 
pressed flowers and a renaissance faire!:-)

we have had a wonderful opportunity to travel across the country this summer...working shows and festivals along the way!:-)

our most recent adventure was in washington state at a renaissance faire!:-)...

nestled in a lovely wooded spot with peacocks roaming the property, horses preparing for a jousting tournament and an amazing array of artists, we were welcomed like family by the owner of the property:-)

an invitation to pick wildflowers was gratefully accepted!:-)...and the kissing wench brought me a beautiful red rose which was quickly beheaded and popped into a press!...i will make a pressed flower picture full of memories of a wonderful time!:-)

if any of you are lucky enough to be in the area or visiting in washington state, be sure to check out this magical place!:-)... http://www.nwrf.net/ ...it's a must see!:-)

thank you lady tienne!:-)...it was a terrific experience!:-)

enjoy,

rebekah:-)

pressed flowers and find the fairy?!:-)

 

pressed flowers and find the fairy?!:-)

what a wonderful journey!:-)

this picture is chock full of bits and pieces of memories:-)

the background is corn husk sold in a local shop as tamale wraps...little did they know where these would end up!:-)

the dark mountain in the distance is a leaf snagged from a bush in tennessee...wish i could remember the name of it!...when you iron it, it turns black!...very useful!:-)

the lilypad is actually a lilypad!:-)...plucked straight out of the mississippi river by a dear friend that also loves pressed flowers...thanks, diane!:-)

the waves are tiny pieces of money plant seedpods sent to me from georgia...the ferns from virginia...thank you sarah and barbara!:-)

and the tiny fairy flying across the water...can you see her?:-)...she is made from a silky, tulip petal cut in the shape of a fairy!:-)...thanks, gilda!:-)

the fairy is almost luminescent against the background...you have to look closely to see her...and that's how we got to pressed flowers and find the fairy!:-)

enjoy,

rebekah:-)

pressed flowers and hearts!:-)

 

pressed flowers and hearts!:-)

my friends in the world wide pressed flower guild have been playing with ribbon bookmarks and making beautiful pressed flower valentine's day cards!:-)

as always they have inspired me:-)...

i nabbed a heart shaped cookie cutter from the kitchen cupboard and traced around it on cardstock for a template...

then i rummaged in my overflowing flower box to find some likely candidates for my project!:-)...ahhhhhhh!:-)...some beautiful, antique-like pansies, some dusky orange autumn leaves, some camellia petals and queen anne's lace from my grandma ruth and finally some birch bark for a more manly look!:-)

laminated, hole punched and beribboned, they'll make great little valentine bookmarks!:-)

and there's my pressed flowers and hearts project!:-)

enjoy,

rebekah:-)

oh, and as for the world wide pressed flower guild?...yes, there really is one!:-)...you can find them here...

www.wwpfg.org

pressed flowers and color mists!:-)

 


inspired by a friend of mine that has been playing with a new product...i dug something similar out of my art room...

it's called color mists...it comes in a variety of colors, including metallics...my favorites!:-)...

here's what happened with a combination of purple haze and 22 karat gold!:-)

you can find all the colors here...

http://www.outsidethemargins.com/shop.php?category=11

has anybody else tried a spray color?...did you like it?...

enjoy,

rebekah:-)

pressed flowers, spring and bling!:-)

 

pressed flowers, spring and bling!:-)

we have had quite a cold spell lately and i have been sitting and poring over my seed catalogs dreaming of spring!...action is required!:-)

i found some spring colors and rummaged through my flower stash looking for treasures...always fun and frequently surprising!:-)

sparkle!:-)...i needed sparkle!:-)...a long unopened box in my flower room unearthed some snippets of gold thread and some bling!:-)

here's what happened!:-)...a pile of spring!:-)

enjoy,

rebekah:-)