Pressed Flower Art

Materials:

white flowers
grass
red and green leaves
cotton
chalk pastels: brown, pink, lime green, burgundy
blue and silver fabric paint
single edge razor blade
cotton ball
press
acid free white glue
white watercolor paper for background
semi-transparent handmade paper
picture mat, frame, hanger, frame glass
framing supplies

1. Pick flowers and compress in a flower press (figure A).

2. Choose the flowers for the picture.

3. Shave pastel chalks in brown, lime green, pink and burgundy with a razor blade over white watercolor paper for the background (figure B). A chalk powder will fall onto the paper. Rub the colored power into the watercolor paper with a cotton ball (figure C).

4. Place a picture mat over the watercolor paper for a guide. This will define the area in which the flowers will be placed (figure D). Remove the mat.

5. Place green and red flowers on either side of the page, leaving space in the middle for the waterfall effect.

6. Put acid-free white glue on the back of the leaves or flowers in small dots and glue to the right and left edges of the page. Layer the flowers and leaves, overlapping them (figure E).

7. After adding flowers, glue cotton in the center of the page from top to bottom between the leaves and flowers along the sides (figure F). Glue a sheet of semi-transparent handmade paper on top of the design (figure G). Ensure that there are no wrinkles in the paper. Let dry.

8. After it' dry to the touch, glue on more leaves and flowers on top of semi-transparent paper. Add a thin layer of leaves and flowers, use the same colors but alternate the pattern. Make sure they are facing in the same direction. Items placed beneath the semi-transparent paper seem to be farther back than those placed on top. Brightly colored materials in the front of the picture and dark colors in the background create a sense of dimension. Let dry.

10. Let the entire piece dry then place a piece of glass on top (serves as a press) and let dry overnight. Make sure to place it in a dark area.

11. Frame the picture using the mat, picture frame and glass according to manufacturer's directions.

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