Inside Gardening

While the weather outside is unpredictable and not always conducive to working outside, I've been gardening inside on a much smaller scale.

My last post I showed how I created my flowers from scratch using two simple punches. Realizing that I wasn't going to get the realistic results that I wanted, I decided to order more flowers.  The iris are from Itsy Bitys Mini with simple directions: cut supplied wire to length for 8 flowers. Remove the blooms and leaves from the sheet then using the stylus curl alternate petals upward then turn the flower over and curl the remaining 3 petals so that each bloom has three petals that face up and 3 that face down, as iris naturally grow. The directions say to dip the tip of stem in glue and perch the bloom on top of the glob of glue, a rather tenuous balance. So I as I did for my own creations, I bent the wire to make a bit of a platform for the blossom to rest on.

While the blooms are cut from colored paper, the stamen is not, so I had to paint on the pollinator, using a toothpick dipped in a dab of yell paint.

I added the leaves a bit above the end of the stem because once planted the leaves will look as if growing from the ground. I wanted to be able to cu the stems to length and/or have plenty of stem to "plant."

 My garden grows.

 The Mistress is ready to plant her garden.

From SDK I ordered more flower kits: delphiniums and two daffodil kits. I adore daffodils. We have them growing here, but this spring's really bad weather ruined them. They barely endured 6 inches snow and as if that wasn't enough to test their durability and resoluteness, they were subjected to 7 degrees one night. The layer of snow protected them from being totally frozen; still they tried to bloom and be happy.

For the beginner and one lacking experience and certain artistic skill, these kits can seem intimidating; however, I am happy to report that if I can do it, so can you. Just follow the directions. The pieces come printed on a cotton crepe paper sort of material. I had watched a video on how to assemble these types of kits, so I felt like I could do it. Following the directions, I used acrylic craft paint slightly thinned with water to paint the flowers.

I began by practicing with my acrylic paints. My only yellow is too bold, so I calmed it down by mixing white with it, dab by dab.

I tired the color out on paper first. The problem with mixing paint in such a hap-hazard way is that you have to finish the project because you won't be able to recreate the shade.

I painted half the petals and the leaves, leaving the other half for another color.

I would say that SDK is very generous with the number of flowers with each kit; this one yields 12.

The directions are simple in assembling the flowers and the material is quite sturdy and forgiving. 

For the second batch, I wanted to replicate my daffodils in the garden with the bright orange cup.

Following the same process of blending paints, I was able to create that tangerine orange.

       

While the flowers are easily painted, I had to be careful to get the paint right consistency--not too

thin, not too thick and once the front was dry, I had to paint the back side of the back of the flowers. I used clothes pins to hang them to dry.

The Results

Two nice pots of smiling, happy daffodils. Again I attached the leaves higher on the stem so that the stems can be trimmed to size later.

Another project will a climbing rose like the one I made a while back for the Blue Farmhouse Now Pink.

I suppose now, you have realized that I'm attempting to build a garden for the Bellingham. What else do I have to do these days. Even when the Stay-at-Home order ends, I will continue working on my little garden. I really am in uncharted territory, but it's such fun.

Thanks for visiting. 

Making Do

I don't remember the first day that the Stay at Home order was announced, first by the President then by our own governor; still I have followed the order faithfully by literally staying home.

I have ventured out twice: once to go the grocery store before this situation became so serious, sometime early in March, which included my last trip to Hobby Lobby. April 7th, I spent the day at the town hall working the local election. Since then hubby and I have made weekly trips to the grocery story to pick up our online orders in the parking lot of the supermarket. We don't even have to get out of the car while the grocery clerk loads our groceries.

I've cooked more than I have in years. Lost a bit of weight because we haven't been going out to eat; taken down curtains and washed windows--which I would usually do this time of year anyway. Worked in the yard, weather permitting. Finally, I've competed another branch on my family tree. taking me back to Richard III's  bloody defeat and death in Market Bosworth Field in 1487.

The checkbook balance has been very healthy until my checks for the IRS and State went through; however, the credit card balance is nice and fat since our shopping is mostly online now, including those grocery pick-ups.

And we've had a Double Whammy at staying inside. Snow in April really isn't that unusual for Norther Colorado, but this storm was particularly bad. Not only did we receive about 6 inches of heavy, wet snow, the temperature fell 70 degrees in twenty-four hours. Yes, you read that correctly. One day it was a balmy 69 degrees and we were able to get some yard work done and the next morning it was 7.

With a week's worth of bad weather limiting out-of-doors, I hid in the basement digging in my stash to too see what I had to keep myself entertained, making do with what I have on hand. 

I began by making a trellis for the henhouse with the thought to make a clematis climber from scratch, but I only have on tiny flower punch, so I decided to order a kit from Itsy Bitsy and I am still waiting for it to arrive--perhaps today. I also made a flower box for the straight trellis to sit and drug out my fan shapped trellis that I made for the Bellingham Farmhouse a while back, thinking that I would put roses on it. That is is on hold because the only leaf punch I have is an oak leaf. 

     

Inspired by our own Echinacea and this photo in one of my garden catalogs, I set about making Echinacea and liked my results, making up my pattern as I went.

I punched out a bunch of flowers. Using my stylus, I shaped each flower into a bit of a cone by rolling the stylus around the middle of the flower on my spongy mouse pad.

I began by cutting floist wire and bending a loop to form a platform for the floor head. For my first flower I wrapped the wire in florist tape, which made the stem too thick and heavy.

My Martha Stewart border punch rendered some decent leaves.

 After I glued each flower on a stem , I used a felt tip pen and colored the center. Once the flower dried on the stem, I pinched the petals downward even more to get a more droopy Echinacea and added leaves.

This thick stem wouldn't take the leaves very well; still I potted it and will find a place for it.

 I made eight more flowers and put them in a little pot. I rather like my pot of flowers--a bit rougher than the kit flowers would have been and they probably lack a bit of authentic details that kits offer, but I'm happy with my flowers.

Rudbeckia, or Black-eyed Susans, are another garden favorite here. Using the same punch--because it is the only one that I have--I made a container of Rudbeckia. To give them a little more definition, I use tea out of used tea bags for the center. I didn't add leaves because they would have looked too much like the Echinacea.

I was on a roll. With my trellis built I was ready to make my Clematis, but realized that the flowers would look just like the others, so I broke down and ordered a vine kit. 

When the kit arrives, I'll strip off the florist wire stems and start all over with the kit.

Next:

This is another project that I started last year, a Robin Betterly Easter kit. It came with all the little pieces to create a really cute Easter cabinet. (Now it looks like you can buy the kit by the piece). I had wanted to have it finished for Easter last year then for this year but neither deadline was met. But it is finished now. It was one of those projects that required just the right mood to assemble all those tiny pieces. 

 And yet another project. I'm turning the Westville into a turn-of-the-century apothecary. From scratch and my stash of wood scraps, I built a bookcase which went unstained for months. Another project completed.

Finally, in February I purchased this 1/4 sized house. Saturday--or was it Friday--I nervously started this project. 

It's so small.

Stained the floors.

All these little pieces for the porch railing. I pondered two possibilities: to paint or not to paint?  I also went rogue by painting the house instead of using the paper shingles that came with the kit to be used for both the roof and siding. I will have to use trim that came with the kit to cover up the seam where the top floor and bottom floor are glue together. I stained the floor, the ceiling, and roof, wishing that I had painted the ceiling in the upstairs a lighter color because it is very dark inside.  I found two  6x6 and 4x6 paper packets that I used for wallpaper.

After assembling the tiny railing and trying it in place, I decided that I like the brown porch railing. 

I even have furniture that has been stashed for a long time. I am thinking of painting it, though, so that it will show up in the dark little house. I even raided the toy store for some tiny things that would fit in the house. I still have to finish the trim on the little house and decide what accessories I actually use. Will I do another 1/4 size house? MMMM? Not sure. 

With the Bellingham nearly done and other unfinished projects finished, I dug even deeper in my stash. When I began my dollhouse journey, I purchased a completed Franklin house, a huge farmhouse by Greenleaf built in the '80s or '90s. It came with everything that original builder had purchased to complete the project, including these wicker furniture kits, which at the time when I had not intentions of building anything looked pretty intimidating. Now I have made some of my own woven baskets, so I think I'm ready to tackle these kits. I'm going to start with the one on the right first, the table to see how it goes.  

Has anyone else made these kits? Any tips? At one time there were some on eBay, but not now. 

 So. That's what I have been doing. I do hope that staying home will end soon; my stash is slowly being depleted. Right now I'm going to check the mail to see if my flower kits have arrived.

Thanks for visiting. I wish you good health. Keep building.

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