day thirty three: 47

'work with flowers - artificial or real, live or dried, picked or bought.'

my valentine's day flowers from my husband (tulips & sunflower, my favorite) were started to wilt & the pink tulip petals were falling off, so i decided i better use them! i tried to shake the pollen off the stamens to make a snail trail but a lot fell off before i could get it to where i wanted it. i think this might just be my favorite snail so far.

tip: i also wanted to include a little secret i learned when i made my own bouquets for my wedding. if you take a piece of wire & stick it down the center of your flower, it will stop it from being droopy & you can bend it how you'd like it.

day eleven: 34

'work with wire. thin-gauge wire can easily be bent by hand, so no special tools are required. you don't even have to buy wire if you have some paper clips handy.'

a few years ago i took a class called intro to sculpture & one assignment was making an insect from wire so i made a praying mantis. i actually work with this wire quite often and make letters or other small objects that i sell on etsy (http://www.etsy.com/shop/mushaboome). after i was finished i put him on top of a wire basket i have hanging on my wall for a shelf and he filled in the empty space perfectly. i was getting discouraged a few days ago but i think i'm past the giving up stage. excited for the days to come!