Monday, April 15, 2019

Fifty-two Weeks....!




And a Few Little Details....

It has been Fifty-two Weeks, Dear Readers, give or take a few days, since I embarked on my Blossom-a-week project for the Lilac bush! And I am ever so Happy to be able to say I did it! I made one (or two) a week for Fifty-two weeks! And now I have a box full of lilac blossoms which will soon cover the Spring blooming lilac shrub for The Folly Garden!

See? Here is the box with almost all the blossoms 
(remember that I had attached four of them to the shrub
 before I realized I had better complete other details first!)


And here also are this week's batch of ten leafy stems..... 
which makes the tally somewhere around eighty leafy stems..... 
only forty or so to go!
And since I am now on the brink of launching the stem attaching program.... 
I thought I had better take care of a few of those other Tiny details first...

Such as finally adding the fungus
 (which is very delicate and so it should be added last...)

to the bare stemmed Winter shrub.

Here you can see it closer... 
the fungus are on the dead stump at the back.
And I also added a few of the "sucker" stems.....

Which you can see in this overall view.
At this point I am just trying to make this shrub match
 the one that has the snow on the branches.
I am fairly certain that once the blooming lilac is completed 
I will be adding a whole bunch more suckers to the front of the bush.
But I want to complete the blooming one first!

And Another Tiny detail that needed to be done first Dear Readers, 
was preparing the nest for the Spring Blossoming Shrub!

I made a few Robin's eggs from sculpey
 and painted them Robin's egg blue!
I think they are a tiny bit too large....
 but they will be mostly hidden in the foliage...
so I am going to use them anyway.

And then the nest needed to be attached to the shrub.....

This always requires a surprising amount of delicate twigs and glue
 to fill the space between the branches...
(I really don't know how the birds do it!)

Now the nest is ready and waiting.... 
the birds cannot be far away...!
But I promise you I will not be showing them any time soon... 
because I will be busy working on the branches!

And even though I have reached my goal 
of blossoms for the shrub, Dear Readers,
 I will still be making blossoms for a while... 
because there need to be a few for bouquets!
And yes, there might even still be
 a Detail or Two added to the Winter shrub....
After all, it is still a few weeks until the Lilacs will bloom!


13 comments:

  1. Let me be the first to comment!
    How wonderful to be so close to completing a year-long project. You have been faithful to your task.
    Maybe the nest is for a slightly larger bird? Jay? woodpecker?
    Can't wait to see it all assembled.
    Much love,
    Mom

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  2. Hurray, for your persistence, fantastic that you never gave it up!! I think it was also your love for Lilac Blossoms, and I'm so happy for you that you made it!! You can be so proud of them: they look absolutely gorgeous. I can't wait to see them attached to the shrub.
    Robin's nest is a lovely detail, it's great work.
    Here, in The Netherlands, spring begun way too early, in February, so our lilacs are about to bloom, or are in full bloom already. With the Easter days (we here have two days of Easter) we can go out for a walk, or a bikeride, between the lilac shrubs and their lovely scent ;).
    Happy Easter to you and your family, dear Betsy!!
    Hugs, Ilona

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  3. It must feel very satisfying to reach your goal. The robins' nest is a beautiful detail and the eggs are adorable,
    Happy Easter to you and yours!
    Hugs,
    Drora

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  4. Happy Lilac Blossom Anniversary Betsy!

    I really love how the bushes are turning out. This is such a wonderful project.

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  5. So great to see so much progress Betsy! I love the little blue eggs in the nest what a cute detail. I can start imagining now how gorgeous this tree will be in the front of the house. Swoon!

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  6. Hurrraaaa what an achievement - a box full of blooms just in time for your spring!!!
    I will admit, I had to rely on your hint and look for the fungi twice, but now that I have found it, the scrub just would not be the same without it.
    Anna x

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  7. Congrats on making so many lilac blooms :) I love the tiny nest and eggs a perfect little detail. I am looking forward to the bushes come alive in bloom.
    Hugs Maria

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  8. What an incredible accomplishment you've created in just a year's time! It must feel so great to look at these labors of love and see that you have just about all you'll need to assemble and realize this dream! I am so excited for you and to see the photos of these shrubs in their various seasons sitting proudly in The Folly's wonderful garden!

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  9. This is scandalous!!! You should have a word or two with those robin parents - how can they dare to leave their nest alone?! Unprotected eggs in the spring cold?! Shocking... the birds of today… tssss… *grin* But speaking of the birds - I can only agree with you… those little feathery guys are miracle beings. It's incredible what they're able to do... build nests with just a beak and claws… fly incredible distances without GPS every year… and some of them are able to contribute to the most wonderful sounds the world can offer. But not only the birds are miracle workers - you are one too. It's fantastic to see your stunning details being attached now in place. The excitement is rising for sure - all your endurance, work and effort will pay off soon. It's incredible that you've managed to stick to your work scheme for such a long time... but on the other hand… if anybody is incredible than it's you! So welcome to No. 52 of the splendid, beautiful lilac blossom family. Welcome also to the poor neglected nest (*grin*), the fungi, the suckers and of course the leaves. It will be a feast to see them all together in full bloom. And although spring is already there it will last a little longer still. Around here our lilacs are still preparing their buds. Hmmm… what about a motivational poster: Keep calm and carry on to make lilacs! ;O)

    Hugs
    Birgit

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  10. Ah so sweet Betsy; adding that robins nest and the fungi on the dead trunks was another stroke of genius! I am already envisioning all of the glorious colour of the lilacs against the colours of the Folly, and I can hardly wait!!! :D

    elizabeth

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  11. An ever more real tree with the fungus and the nest. The blue eggs are fantastic.

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  12. Hi, Betsy - This is such an incredibly realistic tree, even with only the bare branches! I love the dead stumps alongside the living branches, and the creative addition of the fungus and the bird's nest make this a miniature masterpiece. And to think that you haven't even added the 52 blossoms yet! I can hardly wait for lilac blossom season to see the whole thing. I admire your perseverance in creating all those blossoms throughout the year - congratulations on meeting that long-term goal!
    Marjorie

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  13. Hi Betsy!
    It have been a hard work but it's worth it. The tree is beautiful!
    Happy easter!
    -piikko

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