Monday, June 17, 2019

The Summer Lilac....




Had You Forgotten.....?

While my Lovely Mother was visiting, Dear Readers, and I was adding to the tally of Lilac Blossoms, I was reminded suddenly that the Final Lilac Shrub (did you even remember that there was one still to complete?) was lagging way behind in the completion of all its myriad details. I had thought it would be just a matter of adding all the leaves necessary for a Summer Lilac Shrub. But when I looked at the stems I realized I had not even added the careful ink lines that made such a difference in the appearance of the bark texture! So, on a gloomy rainy day while my Mother was knitting and I was gluing florets to yet another Blossom, I also began to draw all those tiny lines on the stems. Above you can see the completed results... because I forgot to take a "before" picture!

I am not sure if you can see them here....
(It was a gloomy day and the lighting is harsh...)
But there they have been added!

And then I had to add all those lichens....
In likely spots... but trying to copy the bushes that are already done....
In case anyone wanted to point out how I missed
 a spot that had a lichen on the other version!

I am going to wait to add the fungus until
 I am closer to finishing those leaves... 
because the fungus are delicate
 and there are a lot of steps involved with the leaves!
But before I get to the leaves, Dear Readers, 
I must show you the nest!

I hope you will recall that there is a Robin's nest in the lilac branches!
And by now (or certainly by the time we reach full Summer...)
 you must understand that the nestlings have fledged and flown....
Leaving behind a few downy feathers in the twigs!
Can you see them?

Right there on the edge of the nest?
(My winter down coat sheds tiny pieces of goose down
 and they stick in my sweaters...
 just begging to be used for minis!)

Here you can see where I have added the nest to the shrub.
(And I have also started to add leaves....)

Another angle of the nest... perhaps you can spot the Feathers?
Well, even if you can't see them.... 
Yes, I will know they are there!

And as for those leaves, I must admit that they are going to take
 MUCH longer to make than I had thought!
This is primarily because I had gotten a bit ahead of myself
 way back last Summer with making four shrubs all exactly alike,
 before I had figured out exactly how the blossoms 
and leaves would need to be attached.
Remember how I was making all the branches with twigs on the stems?
(I will not mind if you don't remember!)
Well, I realized as I was starting the Blossoming version, 
that the leaves would need to be attached to all those stems
 before I attached all those stems to the branches!
So the Blossoming shrub was fairly easy to make and add leafy stems.
But the Summer Leafy shrub (now being constructed)
 already had dozens and dozens of twigs on those stems...
 and each twig would need a leaf added to it... 
as well as more leafy twigs.... and then more leafy stems.
There was no way around it...
 so I started to add leaves to those twigs... 

Here I have added leaves to about two thirds of the twigs.

And all the twigs are now "leafed".... 
but the branches have nowhere near enough leaves...
But before we add any more leaves.... these ones must be painted.
 Because it is hard enough to reach through the branches
 and not get green paint on the stems while they are spaced apart.

First I paint the paler green stripe down the top side of all the leaves.
Later this will be mostly covered with the darker green, leaving a thin stripe.
But next I realized I also should have painted the twigs green...
Because they are integral to the leaves... which are green.

Maybe you can see the difference here?
Some of the twigs are green and some are still gray.
(When I have added the rest of the leaves on green twigs,
 it will be apparent that they all needed to be green!)


Here is a closer view...
I know, it is hard to see the difference.
Once that was done, I could paint 
the undersides of the leaves the lighter green....

I had to hold the shrub upside-down, 
and found it easiest to paint the farthest ones first.

Here the undersides are all painted.
But that is as far as I got over the weekend.
 I did not have time to get to the darker green
 on the top sides of the leaves.

Another view of the feathered nest.....!

But I imagine, Dear Readers,
 what you really want to see is the Weekly Blossom....

Well, here is the Blossom number Sixty-something and.....
the beginning of the Sixty-something plus one!

Yes, I completed two blossoms in a week again!
(I had extra time off from work with my Mother here!)

The first one is added to the vase on The Folly mantel...

And the second one too!

Can it be that I am nearly done with the Blossoms?

Well, Dear Readers, whether I like it or not,
I have not forgotten The Summer Lilac...
And I still have a Long way to go making leaves...
It might take me All Summer!


12 comments:

  1. Absolutamente maravilloso tu trabajo,ese arbusto va a quedar espectacular y el nido es adorable,con esos retos de plumas que los pequeños pájaros dejaron atrás en su vuelo!
    Los jarrones están espectaculares!!!
    Besos.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your mantle with the lilacs bouquets on display, along with the blue and white china collection, looks Really Lovely, Betsy! And Yes I HAD forgotten all about the summer lilac shrub, but OH MY what daunting task having to make all the required leaves for it!
    And yet, you're never one to shrink from a challenge, which for you; AWAYS pays off!
    so Summer Lilac- Full STEM Ahead! :D

    ReplyDelete
  3. Betsy I'm constantly amazed at the level of detail you put into these lilac bushes! Feathers on the birds nest...

    I love how your mantle looks with the lilacs, I can imagine the room filled with that wonderful fragrance.

    ReplyDelete
  4. It might take you all summer but you will be get there as you did with the Spring shrub. I admire your realism and your talent. If I wanted to make something as real I know that no matter how hard I tried it would be far from what you have achieved. Enjoy your mum´s visit, summer and all your mini work. I am certainly enjoying your posts!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Home, safe & sound, missing you.
    What incredible detail you are putting into that lilac bush. I'm thinking ahead to when you clothe the tree house with its bark - just think of the detail that tree will require! But then, you won't need leaves. The lilacs are brilliant and beautiful. Worth the effort.
    Much love,
    Mom

    ReplyDelete
  6. Beautiful tree and nest. The lilacs in the vase are perfect.

    ReplyDelete
  7. That's right! I remember the summer lilac now! I always thought the idea of being able to switch them around was so neat!
    I love the blossoms in the vases on the mantel. What a pretty decoration while you continue to make them. Looking forward to seeing this summer bush come together :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh Betsy, you've done an excellent job on the Su,,er edition of your Lilac Shrub. It's not easy to copy the exact same shrub, as it was in spring, because in summer they look quite different as you already told us. I love the additon of the abandoned nest of the robin, just a few feather left in there after they've been flown out.
    Yes, I agree with you that making plants and flowers, especially after a good study of real life examples, takes a lot of time.
    Oh, it really must have been such a difficult job to attach the leaves and the leafy stems to this Summer shrub, because all of the branches and stems were attached already and than it's so hard to reach in between them. And now, a bit late, you even have thought of painting the newer twigs green, oh dear, I wish you lots of success dear Betsy for achieving this job :O!! The good thing is that for making another new shrub: now you know how to do it ;O.
    I love seeing the latest edition of your number sity and something in the vase on The Folly mantel, what a gorgeous sight it is!
    Hugs, Ilona

    ReplyDelete
  9. Of course I did not forget the summer edition of the lilac project! ;O) But I still have difficulties to get the information into my poor old brain that you're painting the leaves after attaching them to the tree… I would go mad! And it would not take me more than 13 seconds until I'd drop green paint somewhere on the bark.

    As always your attention to realism is breathtaking - and yes, of course you need to attach all stems, twigs, leaves and lichen in exactly the same way as you did it to the spring edition. I already noticed in picture 8 that the 5th leaf in the 2 1/2 row from the right is 0,0000942 mm too much in the middle of its twig. *buaahaaaahaaaa* But in all honesty - I'm in awe… and you're not only the Daydreamer of blogland but also the Dreamweaver weaving dreams into reality.

    And not to forget: The robin's nest with the feathers is stunning, welcome to No. 60-whatever and bravo for once more finishing even two. But don't worry - there's no need to become sentimental. Filling the vases on the Folly's mantle twice (both in big and in tiny) will not be the end of the weekly lilac blossom. Will is such a nice guy - he won't let his friend Pollyanna go home without her own lilac bouquet… not to speak of Gabrielle. And I still wonder what a certain beary lady would think about having a lilac cloud up there in the clouds… *teehee*

    Hugs
    Birgit

    ReplyDelete
  10. It's amazing to remember just how much detail has gone into each of these four seasons of shrubs! I hope Summer comes along cooperatively! The mantle arrangements are showstoppers!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wow your patience is awesome. To do what you do with so much attention to detail I would have no hair left :D
    Fantastic job I love the tiny nest.
    Hugs Maria

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hello, Betsy - I, too, had forgotten that a Summer Lilac Shrub is coming along, but I'm delighted that you're working on it - and showing the same patience and creating with the same intense detail as you did with the Winter and Spring shrubs. I'm looking forward to watching you develop the Summer Shrub. I love the downy-feathered bird's nest that will hide among the lilac leaves! The filled mantel vases are gorgeous; I can hardly believe that you're almost finished making lilac blossoms!
    Marjorie

    ReplyDelete