Haven’t been doing much in the way of minis lately…… I am still working on my florist and greenhouse display when I can. Here is a picture of the water feature that will be placed underneath and arbor between the greenhouse and the florist shop. It is made using ¾ inch builder’s foam rigid insulation board. I painted it a very dark grey, almost black, and then glued on cardboard egg carton or drink holder bricks. I then aged and dry-brushed them with a mixture of black, grey, tan, brown and a little white. Blotch it with a paper towel. I made the pond part with a piece of plastic packaging with a picture of goldfish glued underneath. I then added a layer of clear dimensional magic type finish, making a few circles where the water would be falling. I cut a little strip of thick plastic bag and cut one side into jagged shreds and glued it into a circle where my water would fall and then dotted it with the clear finish. (It looked like a crown with the points falling over) This makes the “splash”. I made little ledges of matboard around the inner edge of the pond area to sit the “pond/fish picture” into once it dried. I made the Papyrus by gluing 4 or 5 lengths of jute twine around the end of pieces of heavy gauge (18?) covered floral wire. After it dried I brushed it out with a small brass wire brush I purchased at the Dollar Store, and then drybrushed it with green acrylic paint. Some were left more brown to indicate “spent” foliage. The water lettuce plants on the left are painted and punched crepe paper. I used a pear shape punch that I purchased from Hanky Panky Crafts. I glued the “petals”with the small pear stem ends toward the center. Glue one layer of 5 then another layer over that staggering the second layer over the 1st five “petals. Turn the assembly over after it dries and curl the leaves of the 1st layer toward the center of the plant. Place a tiny irregular crumples round in the center and you have water lettuce. I dotted landscape foam (model railroad supplies) in some of the cracks of the stones. The lotus plant is from a wonderful artisan named Pim Sukerd. I haven’t seen or heard anything on her in a long time so I don’t even know if she is still making minis. She lives in Thailand, I think, and was having a lot of flooding in her house. I have tried to locate her online but have not found anything. Most all of the plants in the shop and greenhouse are by her also. Beautiful orchids and roses! I will try to get my pictures of that up, too, as soon as I can. I am including a picture of the goldfish I worked up for my pond.
