Free skeleton leaves!

Absolutely free!  Here in Twin Lakes, and actually anywhere I've been in Wisconsin or Illinois lately I am often finding the ground sprinkled with free skeleton leaves!  Granted they aren't quite as pristine and colorful as those perfect albeit very fake looking ones you can buy at Michaels or on ebay, but they are beautiful, and every once in awhile I find an absolutely stunning one.  Often I keep the leaves their natural color, but sometimes I color them using Prismacolor art markers

Next time you go for a walk outside, bring along a small plastic bag in case you find some on the grass or pavement.  When you get home, either place them in your Microfleur, or just put them in a heavy book to press them flat.  Since most of their flesh has been removed (most likely by a Japanese Beetle) they will only take a day to two to completely dry and press flat.   

What have you made with skeleton leaves?

Better!

Pressed Maple Leaf Collage

Matted, 8" x 12" 

I am back in the saddle again!  Two weeks ago my children and my husband all took turns getting the flu, while I ran around dutifully taking care of everybody.  Soon I found myself bragging about my superior immunity.

Then I was reminded that God hates a prideful heart! The flu hit me hard and after 8 long days on the couch it is such a blessing to be healthy again.  I'll be back to my 3 day a week blogging schedule this week.

Have you ever seen anything like this???

Here's a quick scan of some purple smoke bush leaves I just pressed.  Has anyone ever seen anything like this?  Only a few of the leaves at the very top of the bush had this incredible design.  These are so cool!

Fading Hosta Leaves

We were blessed with an unexpectedly nice day yesterday! 

The weather people had called for yet another day of rain, but instead we had mostly sunny skies with a warm 60 degree breeze.  What a treat!

After the Packer game we headed outside to do some raking, and I was intrigued with the lovely mounds of fading hosta leaves.  They have gone through several light frosts, and their color is slowly draining away.  The dark grass doesn't really show it, but some of the leaves are actually translucent! 

I'm thinking of what kind of botanical collage I can make with them... Any ideas?

2nd annual elephant ear leaf cast

Here's this years paper cast of an elephant ear. This leaf measures a whopping 38 inches long, two inches longer than last year's paper cast leaf.
This time I also made a paper cast of the large stem, which measures 25 inches, so if all goes well (no rain, snow, footballs), I may end up with a really large paper leaf!

Note to self: Next year, do your paper leaf casting in September, not the end of October. It's cold at the end of October!

You frame it Friday

I don't usually feature scripture pictures two weeks in a row, but I guess it's been on my mind lately.

I love oak leaves. One of the first framed pictures I ever made was just a single dark oak leaf mounted on a large piece of my handmade paper, and framed with out a mat. It was simple, but dramatic. I haven't sat down to think about why I like them so much, but I seem to detect a sense of strength, and dependability - maybe because oak trees are so enduring.

After I made this be still and know picture, I made another one to give to my Dad. He has accumulated many worries, and I'm hoping he'll take this message to heart because, after all, it really is a great message.

treasure box

Here's what I did this morning.

Friends from the gallery, who just happen to have a spectacular garden, invited me to come over and raid it. Since we are expecting a hard frost any day now, Dennis and Karen allowed me free reign. I gathered hosta, elephant ears, and calla lily leaves for leaf casting. I also found many interesting leaves including japenese maples and tulip tree leaves, and even a few flowers to press.

I was especially happy to get the solomon's seal, because I think it's such a beautiful, graceful plant. I'm hoping it will press really well.

the Lord Reigns

I'm back - I missed "you frame it Friday" last week because my computer had a bit of a nervous breakdown. Apparently I added one too many high resolution scans, and my computer rebelled. One new flash drive later, things are thankfully back to normal.

Here's the scan of the "you frame it" picture that upset my computer. "The Lord Reigns" features a simple yet graceful sprig of leaves that are just on the cusp of turning from bright green to autumn yellow. Underneath is a verse from 1 Chronicles 16:31, which says:

Let the heavens rejoice,
let the earth be glad,
let them say among the nations,
"The Lord reigns!"

Times uncertain as they are, I have been finding much wisdom in this verse. Despite the financial uneasiness we are all facing, there still is so much to rejoice in, to be glad about...
and besides, when all is said and done, the Lord reigns!

You frame it Friday (a day early)

I'll be in Chicago later today attending a conference for the next few days, so here is this week's "You frame it Friday" creation a day early.

This matted pressed maple leaf collage is so much better in person - my scanner didn't quite do it justice. These are pressed maple leaves from my trip to northern Wisconsin last weekend, mounted on highly textured handmade paper, and matted with an archival acid free 8x10 mat.

The leaves have been sealed with two UV resistant polymers, so this picture is ready to drop into your favorite 8x10 frame.

Northern Wisconsin

I'm interrupting my normal flower/plant post to bring you this stunning picture I just found on our camera. It was taken on Sunday just before we headed home, by my husband. I'm not sure what I like looking at better...the beautiful fall foliage, the reflection on the lake, or the silhouette of the wispy beach grass in the forefront. Part of me wishes we were still there, in that peaceful place.

Below is another picture, of one of my enthusiastic leaf hunter helpers and I, deep in the north woods looking for "perfect" leaves. We found quite a few - several gallon ziplock bags full.

I will be pressing most of the leaves in regular flower presses , but some of them I will be pressing in the Microfleur, so that I can use them right away.
I was thrilled to find an abundance of really, really red maple leaves this year - some years they tend to be more orange than deep red. They'll come in handy for maple leaf collages.

leaf casting with recycled paper pulp

Several weeks ago I made a paper casting of one of my 36 inch elephant ear leaves, and I am so thrilled with how it turned out. (Unlike the elephant ear I tried to press!) Using recycled paper pulp (discarded printer paper paper I shredded, soaked, and blended), I placed the leaf vein side up on a mound of sand in our sandbox, and carefully applied about a 1/2 layer of the pulp.
I mixed some sand into the pulp to enhance the texture, and in order to make the paper casting rigid, I added several tablespoons of carboxymethylcellulose. "CMC", which reportedly "promotes fiber to fiber bonding and gives needed strength to paper castings", and I'm happy to say it worked! My leaf turned out extremely strong and rigid, and my kids insist that I've created a fossil.
I haven't painted it yet - I'm almost afraid to, because I'm afraid of ruining it. Maybe one of these days I'll get brave.

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns!"

That’s from 1 Chronicles 16:31, and isn’t that appropriate for this time of year?

I cringed when I saw the date of my last blog entry…I haven’t been meeting my goal of blogging 3x/week lately, have I?

Well, I’ve been busy enjoying this glorious season…not doing anything too important, but mainly just being outside during every spare moment in the midst of this fleeting season. I have been pressing last minute flowers and even long blades of grass so that I have plenty of slender “stems” to use for my pressed flower art during the winter. And, of course, I’ve begun my search for the brightest and best autumn leaves to press, along with my kids. Our search gets quite competitive, but it yields some of the most incredible leaves.

Speaking of being competitive, I finally posted my first blog “Give Away” after some prodding from a few friends, and then I forgot to announce the winners! Remember my ornamental pepper seed give away a week or so ago? Well, I feel bad about not following through on that, so I declare everyone a winner! Anyone who e-mails me their address by October 26^th will get a few seeds from my stunning orange and purple pepper plant. Just go to the contact page of either one of my websites to find my e-mail address.

I will be putting the “rejoice” picture up on my etsy soon. Enjoy autumn!

leaf mates

Yesterday I spent quite a bit of time working with pressed autumn leaves, trying to make a leaf collage picture that I would be able to donate to the art gallery I belong to for our annual silent auction coming up in a few weeks. Autumn leaf collages have always been popular with my customers, but I find them so hard to make! I select, and reselect many different kinds leaves that I've pressed, and then I arrange, and rearrange over and over until finally, just when I'm about to give up, I am blessed with an "aha" moment. A masterpiece! Well, not quite, but it is such a joy when something finally comes together.

Yesterday I was aiming for a large, bold composition that would encompass a wide variety of different leaves, with varied colors and shapes. It didn't happen. Something simple occurred instead. Why? I'm not sure. I believe that creativity is a gift from our Creator, but who knows why a certain picture happens one day, and a different one the next. I would love to gain more insight on that. One thing I do know: my art is a celebration of His work, and my hope is that it glorifies Him.

I really like this picture. I may just hang onto it awhile and make something else for the silent auction. I wonder what kind of picture I'll make next...

This is fun!

This is an image I just made – via a monochrome photographic printing process.
What does that really mean? I’ll explain: I started with a specially treated fabric square, from the leaf petals botanical print fabric kit. I placed a fern on top of it, and put it outside in the bright sun for ten minutes. Then, I took it inside, and rinsed it thoroughly, and was left with this stunning blue print image of a fern. Isn’t that incredible?
I love these kinds of things!

This image is called a cyanotype, which was an early photographic process. It was used by Anna Atkins; one of the first woman photographers, in the late 1800’s to create some stunning books on ferns and other plants.

The weather forecast for today is bright and sunny, not a cloud in the sky. Guess what I’ll be doing this afternoon?

Mega Botanical Press

If you are one of my three regular readers (bless your heart!), you may remember my "How does one press this?" post where I discovered alocasia (elephant ear) leaves. I was determined to grow them here in Wisconsin, so that I could try pressing their remarkable leaves.
Well, so far, so good! The alocasia bulb I bought has thrived, and the foliage has been spectacular. The picture above is the first leaf I harvested, along with my improvised press. The wood is actually laminated shelving (approx. 18" x 24"), and I've used large pieces of fiber fill quilt padding and felt as the filler.
To hold the press together, I've used ratchet clamps, which can be made tighter as the leaf shrinks.
I'm guessing that it will take about two weeks until the leaf is fully dry. I hope it works. Stay tuned!

How does one press this?

Two weeks ago we took a family trip to St. Paul, to see my sister and her family. One of the places they took us to was the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory, bless their hearts. Much to my delight, the Conservatory had the most wonderful rainforest room, complete with a waterfall, birds, and the most incredible tropical foliage plants, with absolutely huge, incredible, exotic leaves. They were immense! And so varied - with such strong veining. If I wasn’t a Christian, I’m certain I would have tried pilfering some of those stunning leaves, but I’m not sure if they would have fit under my coat.

I found out that many of the large leafed wonders were Alocasia and Colocasia plants, also known as elephant ears. I located a number of these bulbs on ebay, but then I stumbled upon a tantalizing website called Plant Delights Nursery that has a wonderful, very tempting array of specimens. I'm so excited! I haven’t made my final selections, but I’m leaning towards Alocasia macrorrhizos (Giant Upright Elephant Ear), and possibly Alocasia wentii. I think the two will contrast each other nicely in my front garden, and I can hardly wait to try to press them…what a stunning display they would make! I’m also thinking of trying to do nature prints with them as well. I’m not sure exactly how to press something so big, (I certainly won't be able to use my Microfleur) but I have a few ideas. Have any of you tried anything like this?

January in Wisconsin…

January in Wisconsin isn’t what it used to be. The green grass, blooming pansies, budding crocuses, vibrant green herbs and brilliant heuchera leaves. Yes, they’re beautiful, but they also strike me as being, well, creepy. It’s just not natural. Not in January.

A few months back I was jotting down some future blog ideas, and thought that January, the month when Packerland aptly earns its title of “the frozen tundra” would be a fine month to drop by my local Twin Lakes florist. Then I could buy myself a beautiful bouquet and blog about my favorite “flower store” flowers to press when I’m stuck inside and pining away for warm spring breezes. Well, there’s no need. The breezes are eerily warm, and there is still a surprising amount of pressable plants in my backyard. In January.

In case you’re wondering what I found this afternoon, here’s the line up of a quick scan, starting at the top, from left to right:

Nigella frond, pansy, cannula (I think), the second row contains 3 different huechera leaves, and one green mallow leaf, and the last row features a column of cute pelargonium leaves, a chamomile sprig, dusty miller, sage, parsley, and thyme.

In January?

Holy Autumn Leaf Cards?

The kids and I have been finding a surprising amount of “lacy leaves” the last few weeks or so, and I’m beginning to wonder if I will be able to find enough “unholy” autumn leaves for my autumn leaf cards this year!

Apparently Japanese Beetles are to blame. As much as I detest those annoying pests while I wage war against them to keep them away from my flowers, I have to admire their handiwork. By munching away the soft parts of the leaves, the beetles leave behind a stunning, intricate skelaton, much more interesting than the "fake" mass produced skelaton leaves commonly seen in craft and scrapbooking stores.

I'm looking forward to using a few of these hauntingly beautiful leaves in some of my framed autumn leaf collages this year. Who knows, I even may make a few cards with them.

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Japenese Beetles

Autumn leaves

Autumn leaves…

Autumn is in its glory here in southern Wisconsin, and before they shut down for the winter, the trees are giving us one last gift…their beautiful, bright, iridescent leaves.

Alex, my last little preschooler, has been accompanying me on my leaf gathering forays. His joy and enthusiasm is contagious, and it warms my heart to see that he too is developing a love for God’s creation. I remember when my three children were really young (I had them 14 months apart from each other) - they seemed so demanding, so needy, so totally consuming of every ounce of my energy. I wondered if they would ever want to spend time with me doing the kind of things I enjoy, like walking through a meadow, or the forest, drinking in the beauty of creation, and of course examining each and every plant, flower, or leaf we come upon.

My husband repeatedly assured me that whatever he and I had a passion for, our kids would most likely develop a passion for as well. He was right! Each one of my three children are showing a love and appreciation for the world around them, and although they might not be quite as crazy about flowers and leaves as I am, they display a remarkable tolerance for my passion, and eagerly bring me their own plant discoveries.

Autumn is such a fleeting season, please try to get out there soon, before it fades away, and drink in the color, the sweet earthy scent of fallen leaves, and the tangy cool breeze. And, grab a child or two, and take them with you, so they too can learn to appreciate the beauty all around us.

“the beauty of each blossom (and leaf) speaks silently of God’s love…”

If you don’t have time to make your own, Autumn Leaf Cards are now available on my website.