Tuesday, April 9, 2019

Snowdrops....




The First Arrivals.....

Some of you, Dear Readers, may have seen your Snowdrops come and go weeks and weeks before now, but here in the North we are finally seeing them poke their heads out of the frozen earth! They are nearly always the first flowers to emerge in the Spring... their tiny white blossoms sometimes nearly hidden by the still snowy ground.... barely visible unless you know where to look and are watching for them. I have long intended that there be a clump of them under the lilac shrub, and have to admit I was running out of Time to get them made! Last weekend was the first real opportunity to clear last year's leaves from my RL garden, and so I suddenly found myself behind on my production schedule. But rest assured, I finished the lilac blossom number Fifty-one!

And here it is in the nearly full box!

I can't tell you how excited this makes me!


And another boring batch of ten leafy branches done!
But would there be time to make a bunch of snowdrops?
And could I even find the right sized punches in my tool box?

I had to try, even though I knew I needed to be out in my RL Garden too.
Above you can see the beginnings... 
painting a crescent of green on the inner petal tips,
 and dipping the green thread into yellow paint for the stamens.
The last time I had made snowdrops, (several years ago)
 I thought they had ended up a tiny bit too large for true 1/12 scale,
 so this time I started with a smaller punch.

Here I am slowly gluing the inner petals to the threads.

Here the three inner petals are all added.

I used a ball stylus to cup the outer petals
 before separating them and attaching them to the flower stem.

Adding the petals one at a time.... 
it is a slow process because you need to wait
 for the glue to dry between each petal.

Here you can see all the petals have been attached.
But then, Dear Readers, I truly had to go out to my RL garden.... 
and when I was done out there I was Exhausted!

So the beads for the tops of the blossoms were added later.
And I really wasn't sure I could finish the snowdrops this week.
But I tried anyway... painting a tiny bit of paper
 for the "hoods" at the tops of the stems...

They have stripes painted on the outer side, 
and tonal shading on the inner side...
not that anybody will be able to see the inner side when it is attached..... 
(but I will know it is there!)

The hoods get folded around the top of the stem
 where the blossom joins the thicker stem
 (already glued together here).

Here all the stems have their hoods attached.
 The blossom emerges from this hood as the flower blooms.

And adding a pair of strappy leaves to each stem.
In RL, these leaves are a bit thick...
 and I have not been able to make them appear that way in mini.
And I was rushing to try and get these done... 
to see how they would look in the Folly Garden...
 tucked under the Lilac shrub...

I only got four completed before it was late and I was tired.

But here they are!

Nodding their little heads...
(it just reminds me how many details are still needed here...
 those bricks need dirt and aging....
 there needs to be some moss....
 the lilac suckers are still not done.....)
But the snowdrops don't care! 
They have arrived, and that means
 it is truly Spring in the North! 

It sure is challenging to get good pictures of these little guys!
And tonight, Dear Readers, 
I added a couple more blossoms... 
because that clump was too sparse.

And there are still one or two more buds to add....
But I am running a little behind schedule here.....
Spring has arrived.... the Snowdrops are in bloom!


28 comments:

  1. The snowdrops look wonderful. And the lilac bushes are going to be so amazing!

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    1. Thank you Sheila! I hope the lilac bushes will meet my expectations! :) (I'm getting nervous!)

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  2. Hi Betsy, your snowdrops are just lovely. So dainty and elegant as they nod their little heads. Thanks for the great pics and tutorial. We are heading into autumn in Adelaide after a very long and very hot summer, so the thought of cool weather and snowdrops is really quite refreshing.
    Anna

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    1. Thank you Anna! I wanted the clump to be more "full" but am having trouble deciding how to make it "temporary" ie. removable! So far it is just a bunch of stems poked into the foam...! I hope you get some cool Autumn weather soon... we are looking forward to warming up! :)

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  3. I think that your snowdrops were the Ideal solution for under the lilac shrub and I'm glad that you took the time to not only make them but also to get outside and into your RL garden for a while, which is Always good for the soul!
    Making the clump of mini snowdrops was a project which you were able to complete; and they look like they've grown there naturally and that feels good too! :)

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    1. Thank you Elizabeth! The snowdrops are not as "clumped" as I wanted them... but I am still working on them... even though the season rushes past! The lilacs will have to bloom on time... I hope my RL garden allows me time indoors too! I would not be working so hard on the mini one if I did not love the RL one so much! Yes.... it is so good for the soul! :):):)

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  4. How lovely are the little snowdrops! Seems they were quite a complex project - well, they are worth it!
    I can't wait to see the lilac blossoms attached and the shrub all blooming!
    Where did you get such patience?
    Not from me!
    Much love,
    Mom
    xoxoxoxox

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    1. Hi Mom! Yes, those tiny blossoms are quite complex... it took longer than I estimated to make them! (And they are not perfect yet....!) But I really Really didn't want to skip over them! Yes... Patience I have.... :):)

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  5. It's just awesome to see the layering of detail in The Folly Garden and to imagine what each season's surprises will be! I love the delicate little snowdrops and the nearly full box of delightful lilac blossoms! I imagine the real life garden will be just as inspiring to look at in the coming weeks!

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    1. Hi Jodi! I am still wrestling with the one piece at a time dilemma.... my snow drops might be done... but the moss is not... nor the "suckers" or the fungi.... so it will still be a long time before I feel "Done" with this project! :) But I am so focused on getting the blossoming shrub ready for this season..... I think I can... I think I can...!!! :):) The RL garden is a welcome distraction... I Love it so much and it feels so good to know Spring has "Sprung"!!! :):)

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  6. I think the tiny lilacs look beautiful!

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  7. These tiny snowdrops are lovely and they look so cute there tucked away under the Lilac shrub, Betsy, great work!
    What patience you have for making lilac blossom number fifty-one and another bunch of leafy stems, I admire you so much for your perserverance.
    Hugs, Ilona

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    1. Thank you Ilona! At my old home I had snowdrops spreading under the Lilacs... it is such a good place for them... I could not imagine leaving them out of the mini garden! :)
      I am really hoping the lilac shrub will be done in time... and look good too! We are getting so close... I will not give up now! :):)

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  8. Lovely tiny snowdrops! It will be a pleasure to see the lilac bush in full bloom.
    Hugs,
    Drora

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    1. Thank you Drora! I am hoping the shrub will live up to the expectations! We will see! :):)

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  9. The snowdrops are truly lovely Betsy and very realistic. This is going to a beautiful garden when you are done.

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    1. Thank you Shannon! I am trying not to think about the "rest" of the garden at this point! LOL! It will not be done soon! But the Lilac bush... I am really hoping it will look right when I get it done! :):)

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  10. Love you snowdrops, they marvellous!! And thank you for showing us how you made them. Big hugs.

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    1. Thank you Alexandra! I am so glad they are there... I have been looking forward to them for so long! :):)

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  11. Hi, Betsy - Snowdrops beneath the lilacs! That is so perfect! Your tiny blossoms look realistically fragile and delicate - and so springlike. I can hardly wait to see the lilac shrub blossom out above the pretty snowdrops. (Welcome to lilac blossom #51.)
    Marjorie

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    1. Thank you Marjorie! I am so glad I took the time to make them... I have always wanted some beneath the lilac shrub! But you will not see them once the lilac is in bloom! (This is why there are four shrubs.... I could not imagine a lilac in bloom with snowdrops still there... the seasons must be "correct"! LOL!) The blooming lilac will have its own accompaniment.... eventually if not this year! :):)

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  12. The snowdrops are beautiful. They look like they should be there :) Thank you for showing how to.
    Hugs Maria

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    1. Thank you Maria! I have always felt that they should be there! I am so glad you agree! :):)

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  13. What a wonderful addition - snowdrops are for sure wonderful companions for your winter lilac. Yours turned out very beautiful - but it's also realistic to have them at a shrub's foot where they can get enough sun through the naked branches and be protected throughout the year from hard-working gardeners and their garden tools. Wonderful work - and bravo for still keeping up with your lilac-leaf-schedule… and of course welcome to No. 51! Btw - in my part of the world the snowdrops are coming out of the sky at the moment! *censored comments* April does everything to prove his reputation and sends us big flakes of that damn cold white stuff. Luckily it doesn't stay on the ground but nature is already so much ahead… *sigh*

    Hugs
    Birgit

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  14. Dear Birgit, I am so sorry you had to see "snowdrops" dropping from the sky! (We had the same thing the night before that post!) But at this time of year they don't stay for long, which is a Great thing! And I know you are a True Gardener (besides from the evidence of many Beary Events outdoors on your blog :)) but also because you know the best reason why snowdrops and lilacs are such a great combination!!! Yes, they stay undisturbed for generations in such a spot! And that is the case with this Old Neglected Garden at The Folly.... I am sad to say the neither Arthur (the previous tenant) nor Will are much in the way of Gardeners! So the landscape is a bit overgrown... or it will be when it is "Completely Done".... sometime in the next dozen years or so.... perhaps! LOL! I am hoping the leaf schedule will actually produce enough branches in time... but remind myself that the blossoms are the important part...!! :):):)

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