Tag: asparagus fern

Project – Flower Pounding/Geranium Notecard

On By TimelessladyIn Projects10 Comments

Over the years I have often used vibrant flowers and leaves for flower pounding. Flower Pounding is the art of transferring the color of flowers and foliage by pounding with a hammer or other heavy object. How to Pound Flowers

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Yesterday in my post I included a quick tip about the staining power of geranium petals. This fact reminded me of flower pounding, and it seemed the perfect opportunity to make use of the brilliant flowers and “pound” some blossoms.

Now pounding with a hammer is fine if you are using fabric. When my grandsons and I pounded flowers onto paper with a hammer, dents and dings from the blows marred the surface. I decided to try a gentler approach this time, and using steady pressure, rolled the flowers onto the paper with a small rolling pin. (The larger variety will work fine too)

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I found using a rolling pin was a much better choice for transferring the flower color to paper.
(Warning: Please don’t use a rolling pin you use in cooking and baking. If you don’t have an extra for crafting, use a brayer, a glass, anything round that can be rolled over a surface. Some plants are poisonous and using a rolling pin that is used in food preparation could allow toxins to contaminate the wood.)

LIST OF POISONOUS FLOWERS

ROLLING FLOWERS
1. Place flowers in chosen design on paper face down, add foliage if desired, white or pastel paper works best.
2. Cover flowers with a thin piece of paper, taking care not to move flowers.
3. Applying steady pressure, roll the pin over the flowers, up and down, several times. Don’t be surprised if you see color bleeding through the top sheet.
4. Separate sheets of paper. Bits of flower will cling to both sides. Pick away what you can without marring the pattern. Allow anything stuck fast to dry, and then try to gently remove with a small soft brush.
(Sometimes bits of flowers or foliage will be stuck like glue, no worries, it adds a bit of texture and interest to the card)

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I substituted asparagus fern for the geranium leaves.

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I added a few lines with a gold-tipped pen and threaded a wire-edged ribbon through the top.

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“Voila'” A unique and inexpensive tag for a gift bag.

Pleasures – Two on Tuesdays/Impulse Buys

On By TimelessladyIn PleasuresLeave a comment

I was on a daytrip this past Saturday and browsed a bit in a well-known chain store. Oh my! Off in one corner of the store were pallets of perennials and houseplants that appeared to be delivered, if not that day, within a day or two prior. Some still had the protective plastic netting stretched around the pallet. The houseplants were a good price, and one, a begonia, was unique to what I usually see in these stores. Into my shopping cart they went.

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The begonia and asparagus fern placed in an antique planter make a beautiful centerpiece on my dining room table. Combined, they cost about the same as a bouquet of cut flowers. They will last much longer, and in the long-run be more economical than buying fresh flowers weekly. Well, it sounds like good logic anyway! 🙂

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I also bought three packages of spring perennials. They were reasonably priced and the packets seemed very fresh. My three choices netted me eight plants: 1 clematis, 2 bleeding hearts, 5 columbines.

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I hadn’t intended planting a clematis this year, but I fell in love with the way this one was determined to grow and thrust its way right through the plastic of the packaging. That’s my kind of plant!

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Instead of waiting to plant them outside when the soil warms up to 50 degrees, I planted them in pots and placed them under lights in the cool of the basement. Since they had already put out green shoots within the confines of bag, I knew they’d be better off in the soil. Happy gardening!

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