Wednesday 11 February 2015

LEAF AND PETAL CRAFT


Pressed flowers preserve a moment in time. They evoke a remembrance of a special bouquet from a loved one that caught your eye in spring. They seem to keep summer alive almost forever.
Unlike a bouquet of dried flowers, pressed flowers are perfect for framing, placing inside a locket, or using as adornments for note cards, bookmarks, lampshades, wall hanging, table mat, etc. Here's how to make your own pressed flowers.
A shape is constructed by recalling his specific observations. This activity stimulates creative expression & imagination and also helps in learning of botanical aspect of leaves & petals.

Different figurines of flora & fauna could be iterated & scaled down using the pressed flowers & leaves, against a recalled observation, which not only grooms the imaginative & ideative skillset, but also helps with a deeper understanding of botanical aspects sans any embodiments to the raw structure of leaves & petals.

SELECTION
If you plan to create framed pressed-flower art, collect blooms and foliage at various stages of development to give your design a natural look. The better the quality of the blooms at picking time, the better they will look when dried and pressed.
For best results and the most vibrant colours, condition your blooms first.

CONDITIONING
Plunge the stems into water immediately after cutting, then hold the stems underwater in a sink and recut the stems at an angle to allow the greatest water absorption. Place them in a clean vase filled with water and floral food.

PRESSED FLOWER TECHNIQUE: BOOKS
The easiest method of flower pressing requires no special equipment other than absorbent paper and a heavy book or a pile of books. Pigments in the petals, stems, and leaves may stain the paper, so if the book is valuable, protect the pages with a layer of newspaper on each side of the plants being pressed.
Let the flowers dry for a week before checking on them. Allow two to three weeks for complete drying.

PRESSED FLOWER TECHNIQUE: IRON
Like the other method, this one begins with pressing the flowers between two pieces of absorbent paper.
Heat an iron to a low setting. Empty any water from the iron and do not add water. You do not want to add moisture with steam.
Prepare the flower for pressing by placing it between two sheets of absorbent paper. Flatten the flower with a heavy book first, and then press the warm iron on top of the upper sheet of paper for 10 to 15 seconds. You don't need to make a gliding motion as if ironing. Wait for the paper to cool for another 10 to 15 seconds, and then repeat. Check occasionally by very carefully lifting the paper to see if the flower is stiff and dry.




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