Signs of Spring and Early Bloomers-A Peek-a-Boo Project

As the weather is getting warmer and the advent of Spring weeks behinds us, I remember my mother's gardens on our small country lot. The first flowers to bloom would be the tiny white snowdrops followed quickly by the tiny blue spring beauties. Added to our springtime bouquets would eventually be lily-of-the valley in both pink and white, bleeding hearts of similar shades, pussy willow, and crabapple blossoms. She never grew hellebores and I often wondered because it contained the word "H-E-double toothpicks." and perhaps explains my fascination with them.   They intrigued me with their deep colors and blooming even with snow around their roots, they seemed resilient  to me, unwilling to be defeated in the face of adversary. These are the inspiration of this project.

Supplies:  Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Arabian Triptych, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Fern Fronds, Gypsy Souls Laser Cuts-Butterflies and Dragonflies, Metallic Paints(Chocolate, Pewter, Black Flash), Paint Brush, Tim Holtz Distress Stains (mermaid Lagoon, Bundled Sage), Magazine Pictures of Flowers, Scissors, Tim Holtz Distress Markers (Hickory Smoke and Frayed Burlap),Weldbond, Gray Acrylic Paint, Matte Varnish, Exacto Blade, Shades of Green Alcohol Inks, Sponge Dabber, Spray Bottles of Water and Rubbing Alcohol, Various Shades of Nail Polish, Brown and Black Sharpie Marker, Plastic Bag of Kitty Litter, Clamps,
1.  Take apart the GSLC Arabian Triptych.

2.  Dry brush with metallic paints in shades of pewter, chocolate and black flash.

3.  Fill in any negative spaces with Tim Holtz Distress Stains in mermaid lagoon and bundled sage.

4.  Collect magazine pictures of flowers you desire to use in your composition. Mine is of hellebores from a Martha Stewart Living Magazine I deconstructed.

5.  Fussy cut to the best of your abilities, this is not a fond or pleasant chore for me.

6.  Edge the cutouts with Distress Markers, I used frayed burlap and hickory smoke.

7.  Glue into center of back portions of GSLC Arabian Triptych.

8.  Create a varnish wash of gray acrylic paint and matte varnish. This will add to the vintage look of your final project.

9.  Choose GSLC fern fronds you would like to add to your compositions cutting carefully with an Exacto blade.

 10.                Use alcohol inks in shades of green and a sponge blotter to color your GSLC fern fronds.

11.                Spray with water and rubbing alcohol to give GSLC fern fronds a splotchy appearance.

12.                Take apart GSLC butterflies and dragonflies you'd like to add to your compositions carefully with and Exacto blade.

13.                Use various shades of nail polish to color the wings of your GSLC butterflies and dragonflies.

14.                Use a brown and black sharpie to color bodies of GSLC butterflies and dragonflies.

15.                Glue GSLC fern fronds, butterflies and dragonflies into your compositions.

16.                Weight down with a plastic bag filled with kitty litter.

17.                Glue frame portion of GSLC Arabian Triptych using Weldbond, holding into place with clamps.

 

 

 

 

Some final thoughts. In the days when messages were sent in the language of flowers, A springtime bouquet with snowdrops and lily of the valley could signify consolation, hope, and the return of happiness. Even bleeding hearts and crab apple blossoms represented the age of innocence and purity and fertility and romance. But if you should receive a bouquet with hellebores in them it represented scandal and calumny. Even the flowers can tell us stories.