And Still More Leaves....

So Little To Show.... But The Promise of Spring...

I am Sure you will be screaming in frustration, Dear Readers, when I tell you that the Lilac Shrub is still not covered in blossoms. I know, it is taking forever to assemble all the parts of this soon to be Glorious blooming Lilac bush! And I will reassure you that I am Not screaming in frustration, but am jumpy with excitement that we are Almost there! But I cannot bring myself to show you even a glimpse of the shrub in progress.... I just don't want to spoil the "reveal" of the completed bush. But I can show you another little detail that I realized was necessary to add in order to complete the blooming shrub. Above you can see the beginnings of leaves which need to be added to the stems of the single blossoms. They need to be glued and painted before attaching them to the already finished blossom stems. That way there is less risk of damage to the blossoms. I have only made this sample bunch because I don't know just how many I will need in the end!

I painted them the same way I painted the rest of the leaves...

first a stripe of pale green down the middle of the top side

and then the undersides are painted in the same green.

Then the top sides get the darker green painted up to the middle,

 leaving just a thin stripe of the paler green showing for the center rib of the leaf.

Then the leaves are twisted around the blossom stem and glued securely.

(This means waiting while the glue dries!)

And when it is dry, you can shape the leaves

 as I showed you in the last post....

So the stems are pointed upwards and the leaves fold downward.

Now this blossom is ready to attach to the shrub!

And lest you think I have been doing nothing, Dear Readers,

 I will tell you that the ninety leafy stems I had completed last week

 have all been glued to the shrub!

And I have made ten more leafy stems this week,

 bringing my total to 100 leafy stems!

Here are the last ten ready to be attached to the shrub!

But I am realizing that my original estimate

 of needing 120 leafy stems was probably accurate.

So I will be doing my best to make 20 leafy stems this week.

Because I Promise you Dear Readers,

 that Next week this lilac will be in Bloom!

 

And just so you know,

 Mother Nature is still not ready either!

Here you can see my RL lilac shrub

 with its tiny blossom just barely started from the bud.

The lilacs rarely bloom before May in this part of the world,

 and we are having a slow start to Spring.

Yes, there are Still more leaves to make, Dear Readers,

 and the blossoms to attach as well,

 But I just can't tell you how Excited I am

 about the Promise of Spring!