Showing posts with label flower press. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flower press. Show all posts

Monday 5 August 2013

Burned flower

As I said in my previous blog post, I am working on a new flower press. I thought it would be nice to show you the work in progress!

This is the actual drawing and text on the press. I put it on using carbon paper (an old-fashioned way to make copies).


After I put the image on the wood, I used my wood burner tool to create the external lines. I use small paintbrushes to color the image.


A messy desk! The light isn't what it should be to take pictures, but I have to use strong artificial light to work proper.



Saturday 3 August 2013

Drying plants

Today I would like to show you a project I am working on. I'm drying plants, because I'm creating a herbarium.

Normally, I use a flower press to dry plants and flowers, but my flower press is full of other leaves and plant pieces, so this plants I dry in a... Bible! Of course you can use every thick, heavy book instead. I use this Bible, because you can close it very firmly by closing the locks on the sides of the book. (By the way, I'm working on a new, bigger plant press, but it is not ready, yet.)

Mostly, I use coffee filter bags. These bags are very absorbent, so the plants will dry quick. Besides, the filter bags protect the delicate pages of the bible against moisture from the plants. I simply cut the compresses edges from the filter bag, fold it open and lay a plant on it to dry. Then, I put another open filter bag on top of the plant and turn some pages to put another plant on, etc.

The way I dry my plants:



This is the front page of my herbarium. When the leaves are dry, I will glue one in the centre of the page.


Some plants, like this thistle, fits in one filter bag. I just close the bag and put it in the book.


Look how wonderful this little thistle is!


This plant didn't fit on a filter bag, so I used ordinary print paper.