Paper Flowers For Winter Seasonal Mixed Media Paper Flowers and Collage Embellished Vases

One of the bottles I embellished was an unusual bottle to say the least.  It was an odd shaped clear glass bottle that reminded me of Aladdin's lamp.  I don't know why but it's shape intrigued me.

For this vase first I added old book page collage papers to it first.  Then I painted it with black acrylic paint and added a sponge paint combination of metallic royal blue paint, metallic silver paint, metallic dark blue paint, and white acrylic paint.

Since it was so different I also decided to add an embellished texture in several areas with paper-clay smeared shapes that I could stamp and then paint.

In looking at my unusual vase I decided to add five two-layer passion daisies to it as they, too, were a little unusual in nature so they would fit the unusual vase.

I decided to compliment the colors of the vase and created five royal blue and dark blue metallic painted blossoms with a tinge of light acrylic blue.   After painting my paper blossoms I inserted them into the paper clay centers I had fashioned to hold them and set them aside to dry.  After the paper-clay centers were dry I painted them with a bronze silver paint.  Once the metallic paints were dry I added a clear glossy glazing medium.

Because the vase was bigger than my miniature bottles and because the flowers were larger and heavier I decided to add smaller cubes of the green floral foam to the inside of the vase until it filled it up to within 1" of the top of the vase.  This helped to stabilize the larger floral stems.

When everything was dry I added the paper stems to my unusual bottle vase and bent them into positions that I thought would compliment my unusual vase.  I love how the vase turned out and hope you do too.  Unusual but beautiful in it's uniqueness.

Paper Flowers For My Mixed Media Collage or Embellished Vases

There's nothing quite like having a delightful time "playing" with crafts and being lost in your creations.  Such is the way I've been for several months now and I couldn't be happier.  Lost in my crafting bliss.

I have been experimenting with collage and painting of glass vases or bottles I have accumulated over the years or from my crafts supplies stash and creating paper flowers for them.

One of the vases I embellished was a round glass vase that stood 6" tall.  The vase above was originally solid blue in color and I wanted it to be a combination of blue, teal, black and white sponge-painted colors.  I added a paper collage to the vase first and then added the sponge painting to it.

In looking at the paper flowers that I should make for this vase I decided to go with a combination of daisy like flowers and poppies. I created three double-layer white daisies and five blue poppies.

I decided to compliment the colors different colors of metallic paints on the vase and painted the poppy blossoms with a combination of royal blue, dark blue, and silver metallic paints and painted their paper-clay centers with a silver metallic paint.  For the double daisy blossoms I painted them a combination of white and silver metallic paint with purple glitter paint and painted the paper-clay centers with a Christmas green metallic paint.  Once the metallic paints were dry I added a clear glossy glazing medium.

Because the vase was bigger than my miniature bottles and because the flowers were larger and heavier I decided to add smaller cubes of the green floral foam to the inside of the vase until it filled it up to within 1" of the top of the vase.  This helped to stabilize the larger floral stems.

Once the flowers were dry I added them to the vase and bent them into the positions I wanted.

One of the vases I embellished was a glass vase that stood 13" tall.  The vase above was originally solid blue in color and I wanted it to be a combination of blue, teal, black and white sponge-painted colors.  Generally I like to collage the vase first and then add the sponge painting but, this time, I decided due to the shape of the vase I would just sponge paint it.

I loved the way it turned out so much with just with the sponge painting that I decided not to embellish it any more.  I was going to add Victorian collage images but felt the beautiful colors should stand on their own.

In looking at the paper flowers that I should make for this vase I decided to go with large daisy type flowers as this vase was so tall it needed tall flowers.  So, I created eight daisy like paper flowers.

I decided to compliment the colors of the teal and royal blue metallic paints on the vase and created three royal blue metallic painted flowers and five teal blue metallic painted flowers. I painted the royal blue blossoms with a combination of royal blue, white, and silver metallic paints and painted the paper-clay centers with a silver metallic paint.  For the teal blue blossoms I painted them a combination of dark teal, light teal, and silver metallic paint and painted the paper-clay centers with a green metallic paint.  Once the metallic paints were dry I added a clear glossy glazing medium.

When everything was dry I added the paper stems to my vase and bent them into positions that were pleasing to my eye.

Because this vase was bigger than my miniature bottles and because the flowers were larger and heavier I decided to add smaller cubes of the green floral foam to the inside of the vase until it filled it up to within 1" of the top of the vase.  This helped to stabilize the larger floral stems.

I created these two vases for the winter season decorations and can hardly wait to put them out.  They're just so pretty and so beautifully blue.  Maybe they'll cheer me up during the snowy winter season when I, too, might be blue....  One can hope......

New Paper Flowers For My Mixed Media Paper Flowers and Collage Embellished Bottles

As you know, I have been having a delightful time experimenting with glass vases and bottles for the past few months.  During the last few weeks I decided to make paper flowers for my embellished vases and started with the two small 4" - 6" mixed media vases I had made with a Victorian theme.

When deciding what paper flowers I should make for this vase I decided that small daisy multi-layer like flowers in complementary colors to match the embellished vase would be pretty and would add to their overall prettiness.

I decided that five small flowers (one center flower with four surrounding flowers) would be suitable for the size of this vase. For their blossoms I thought a combination of royal blue acrylic paint, dark blue metallic paint, light blue metallic paint, and silver glitter paint would be pretty.  I also thought the center stem for this group should be just a little different than the four stems surrounding it.  After the paint had dried I inserted them into the paper clay centers I had fashioned to hold them and set them aside for the paper-clay to dry.

After the paper-clay was dry I painted the paper-clay centers with a metallic silver paint.  Once the metallic paints were dry I added a clear glossy glazing medium.

Once the flowers were dry I added them to the vase and bent them into the positions I wanted.  In looking at the bottle I have to say it's still very Victorian and still very "pretty."

The small lace embellishment from my creative embroidery stash made the second vase in this group  a little different so I decided to make the flowers for this vase just a little different as well.

Once again I decided that five small flowers (one center flower with four surrounding flowers) would be suitable for the size of this vase. However, since this vase was already a little different I thought this arrangement should be a little different as well and decided to make the center stem a different color than the stems surrounding it.

For the four stems surrounding the center one I thought the blossoms here should be a combination of teal blue acrylic paint, dark teal metallic paint, light teal metallic paint, and silver glitter paint. I painted the center stem with a combination of royal blue acrylic paint, dark blue metallic paint, light blue metallic paint, and silver glitter paint.  After my paper blossoms were dry I inserted them into the paper clay centers I had fashioned to hold them and set them aside for the paper-clay to dry.

After the paper-clay was dry I painted the paper clay centers of the four teal blue flowers with a metallic silver paint.  I painted the paper clay center of the royal blue flower with a gold metallic paint.  Once the metallic paints were dry I added a clear glossy glazing medium.

Once all the flowers were dry I added them to the vase and bent them into the positions I wanted. I was happy with the way this bottle came out as well.  It, too, is certainly "pretty."

I hope you like how my mixed medial paper flowers and collage embellished bottle turned out.

Flowers For My Mother's Bud Vase

During the past two months I've been working on creating paper flowers for the mixed media vases I had embellished this past summer.

One of the clear glass vases I decided to alter this past summer was a clear glass single bud vase that had sentimental value to it for me.  You see, over 40 years ago my mother gave it to me as a present.

The purpose of this vase was to hold one flower stem - usually a rose.  I have held on to this vase for many decades and decided this summer it would make a lovely mixed media blue bud vase.

I had originally decided I wanted to create an embellished paper rose for my vase. I wanted the paper rose to compliment the blue/purple color theme and glitter paint. However, in looking at the vase and where I wanted to put it I thought it would be easier to embellish a silk floral rose stem with the blue/purple glitter paint and add it to my vase.

Plus, I wasn't quite sure how to create a paper rose so I decided to put this off until I had more time. The holiday season is coming up so fast and I have so much to do I really didn't have time to experiment with this right now. I figured I can always learn how to do this later.

So, I bought two floral rose stems.  One was a silk floral stem with three white roses and one was a silk floral stem with three white and pink tinged roses.

I decided that the silk floral stem with three white and pink tinged roses would be a good fit with one of the roses cut off.  I had originally thought one rose would be good but after testing this stem I decided two roses would be good.

I wanted the color of the roses to compliment my vase so I decided to embellish the buds with the blue/purple glitter paint.

The pictures above don't really do the vase and embellished roses justice.  It is just so pretty.  I know my mother would be pleased.  I know I am.  At least until I learn how to make my paper rose.... lol

My Red and White Poinsettia Flowers For My Victorian Mixed Media Christmas Bottles

After finishing my large red poinsettia arrangement I turned my attention to some of the Christmas mixed media bottles I had made that could function as vases with embellished paper flowers.

Initially,  I had decided that my Victorian mixed media Christmas vases would stay as bottles as I loved them just the way they were but decided that some red, white and green poinsettia stems in them would be very pretty.  So I decided to create paper flowers for all four of the vases.

I decided that four, five or six small poinsettia stems painted in a bright Christmas red, white and green would be pretty so I made the paper blossoms and painted the red ones with a combination of acrylic red, metallic red paint, and clear glitter paint. I painted the white blossoms with a combination of white acrylic paint, white metallic paint, and clear glitter paint.

I painted the green blossoms with a festive green metallic paint and then sponge painted a combination of white pearl metallic paint and glorious gold metallic paint on them.

As the gold puffy paint worked well for my large red poinsettia arrangement I decided to use that here as well.   So, I inserted my paper blossoms into the paper clay centers I had fashioned to hold them and set them aside to dry.

When the paper clay was dry I painted the red flower paper clay centers with a metallic Christmas green and then added the gold puffy paint. I painted the white and green flower paper clay centers with the festive green metallic paint and then added the gold puffy paint. Once again, the puffy paint worked really well so I was pleased with all of them.

Once everything was dry I added my two small white poinsettia stems, two small red poinsettia stems, and two miniature white poinsettia stems to the white "Joy" mixed media vase and bent them into the shape that I wanted.

For the red "Peace On Earth" vase I decided to use three small red poinsettia stems and three miniature poinsettia stems. 

Once everything was dry I added my small red poinsettia stems and miniature red poinsettia stems to the red "Peace On Earth" mixed media vase and bent them into the shape that I wanted.

Once everything was dry I added my two small green poinsettia stems and two small red poinsettia stems to the green "Merry Christmas" mixed media vase and bent them into the shape that I wanted.

Once everything was dry I added my red poinsettia stems and white poinsettia stems to the gold "Merry Christmas" mixed media vase and bent them into the shape that I wanted.

I can hardly wait for the Christmas season to begin so I can put all four of my Victorian mixed media Christmas bottles out.   It's a little too early to put my Christmas decorations out now but I promise I will take pictures when I do and post them for you all to see.

The Christmas season will soon be upon us..... yippee!

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Finally Finished The Paper Flowers For My Mixed Media Fall Embellished Vases

Pretty soon we'll be decorating for the Christmas holiday season so it's only fitting that I should finally create paper flowers for the two fall seasonal mixed media embellished vases I made several months ago.

I had previously made two paper flower stems but needed to make more for the two vases.

For one of the vases I wanted to create paper flowers that were similar to black-eyed Susan's.  I really wanted to create sunflowers, as I just love them, but thought they would be too big for my little vases.  So, I created three black-eyed Susan type stems.

After creating them I realized they were just a little too big for the vase.  Given I hate to waste anything I've made I decided to just let them be a little too big for the vase anyway.  They still look nice on my mantle.  Maybe over time I'll decide to change them, but for now they're fine.

For the second vase I needed to add two small stems that would compliment the two floral daisy sponge painted paper stems I had already made. I wanted these two to be much smaller and be prickly type desert or cactus type flowers so I created two that looked like pods.

The pods don't quite look like any type of flower that you could name, but are pretty none the less.  Plus, they match the sponge painting on my original daisy stems.

They, too, look great on my family room mantle so I'm happy with the way they both look.

New Paper Flowers For My Sponge Painted Christmas Vase

This past summer I had a delightful time "playing" with wood, glass, and paper-clay crafts.   The two classes that I took at Artful Gathering this summer really put me in a creative crafts hyper drive.

Some of the things I was doing was experimenting with collage and painting or doing both to many of the glass vases or bottles I have accumulated over the years or from my crafts supplies stash. So I embarked on creating the vases and then deciding what paper flowers I wanted to create for them.

One of the glass vases I wanted to embellish was the one shown in the picture above. In looking at it I thought it would look pretty just the way it was with an embellished paper poinsettia in it.   I wasn't sure how to fashion the little stamens and filament in the middle of the poinsettia as I needed to support my large poinsettia petals somehow so I decided to just add bronze beads to the large round center I had fashioned out of paper-clay.  It worked well and and looked somewhat like a poinsettia so I was happy with it at the time.  However, in looking at it over the last two months I decided I wasn't happy with it - either the vase or the paper poinsettia flowers.

I really wanted to collage the vase but couldn't figure out a way to do so with its' shape and bubbles so I decided to just sponge paint it in Christmas colors.  I painted it with black acrylic paint first then I added a sponge painted combination of Christmas metallic green paint, metallic red paint, metallic grey-blue paint, and white acrylic paint.  I sealed the paints with a glazing medium.

I decided that six large poinsettia stems painted in a bright Christmas red would be pretty so I made the paper blossoms and painted them with a combination of acrylic red, metallic red paint, and clear glitter paint.

In looking at my original stem over time I decided I didn't really like bronze beads and decided to use a gold puffy paint to create the effect of the little stamens and filament this time.  So I inserted my paper blossoms into the paper clay center I had fashioned to hold them.

When the paper clay was dry I painted it with a metallic Christmas green and then added the gold puffy paint.  The puffy paint worked really well so I was pleased with that.

Once everything was dry I added my six poinsettia stems to my sponge painted vase and bent them into the shape that I wanted.

Then I cut three pieces of a red Christmas type rope that I had, wrapped it around the top of the bottle and tied it in a bow.

I wanted to put this new arrangement in between my mixed media Santa and Mrs. Claus art dolls that I had made this summer, which are shown in the picture above, and place all three on my kitchen table.

All three are tall and skinny and will be perfect for my table which has a long but narrow rectangular shape.

I can hardly wait for the Christmas season to begin so I can put all three of these out.   It's a little too early to put my Christmas decorations out now but I promise I will take pictures when I do and post them for you all to see.

Victorian Boys and Girls Paintings From The Harper's Young People Illustrations Book From 1889

I found when I was looking at all the illustrations from the Harper's Young People Illustrations Book published in 1889 that I was really drawn to the illustrations that were engraved.  I found the engraving process intriguing and, of course, had to find out more.

According to Wikipedia:  Engraving is the practice of incising a design onto a hard, usually flat surface by cutting grooves into it with a burin. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing images on paper as prints or illustrations; these images are also called "engravings". Engraving is one of the oldest and most important techniques in printmaking.

After learning how they create these beautiful illustrations I was even more in awe of the the amazing detail with each.  I was especially in awe of the unbelievable facial expressions they were able to achieve.

I hope after looking at all the amazing illustrations below and the blown-up sections of the facial features you would agree.

The illustration above was in the December 8, 1888 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Book on page 58.  It was entitled "At Your Service!" and was from the painting by J.G. Brown, N.A.

The illustration above was in the January 12, 1889 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Book on page 154.  It was entitled "A Christmas Vigil" and was drawn and engraved by Frank French.

The illustration above was in the November 24, 1888 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Book on page 25.  It was entitled " The Jumping Jack" and was from the painting by J.G. Brown, N.A.

The illustration above was in the January 12, 1889 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Book on page 137.  It was entitled "That's A Beauty!" from the painting by J.G. Brown, N.A.

The illustration above was on the cover of the March 2, 1889 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Book on page 241.  It was entitled "Else Leslie Lyde" from a photograph by Sabony.

The illustration above was on the cover of the May 11, 1889 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Book on page 402.  It was entitled "The Belle of the School" after the painting by J. Guy.

The illustration above was in the March 2, 1889 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Book on page 249.  It was entitled "The Jolly Beggar" from the painting by J. G. Brown, N.A.

The illustration above was in the July 27, 1889 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Book on page 585.  It was entitled "Morning Papers!" after the painting by J. G. Brown, N.A.

 

The illustration above was in the February 2, 1889 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Book on page 185.  It was entitled "Pegged Out!" from the picture by J. G. Brown, N.A.

How incredible are all of these. Wow!