Today is the start of the annual ECR House and Garden Show.
Freshly Found proteas will be on display at the Washi Bug Stand.
Each Protea is decorated with Washi tape from their range. In particular, we used the recently launched Candy Stripe Protea Design by Surita Brink.
Follow Washi Bug on Facebook to keep up to date with events at the show.
Each square was covered with a layer of white acrylic paint on both sides.
Once the squares were folded (See the instructions here) I printed them with a simple pattern. I made up a Collagraph plate – so named beause of the collaged materials that created the patterned print.
I used thick cardboard, and wound small string coils, which I glued on the corners. I sealed the string and cardboard with diluted wood glue. When this was dry, I brushed paint onto the colis, and then printed them onto the squares.
See some pictures here and instructions on how to make up the tree here.
This is a big week for Freshly Found.
Why?
Because we will be launching some new products at 2 amazing pop-up shops in Durban this weekend.
These buttonholes will be at both the Miss+Meisie Showcase and The i-love pop-up shop.
Mini Strelitzias and Mini Peace Lilies – Both are copies of indigenous flowers, made of recycled materials and an eco-alternative accessory for weddings and functions.
More info about the weekend’s events here
Book vases with indigenous sprigs…
My paper versions of the cheerful Vygie, the healing Cancer bush [Sutherlandia frutescens] and Peace Lily [Spathiphyllum] all of them in various book vases
Today we are going to be making up a large batch of paper boutonnieres or buttonholes. It reminded me of some we made a while ago. We had 2 weddings with a similar colour theme, and used gentian violet to dye the paper.
Gentian violet has a few medical and scientific applications, but did you know that it can be used in solving crimes too? More about that later…
It’s always fun and a privilege to be part of the excitement of a wedding. We made up the musical origami lilies for the men at delightful Barbara’s wedding. And then we had a batch of proteas for Jan’s wedding too. We’re looking forward to the pics from both. [We so appreciate the brides who send us pics.]
It was so rewarding to work with a solution of lovely gentian to dye the different papers. In my search to see how others have used this liquid lavender, I was intrigued to find that it can be used to pick up latent finger prints. So if you are a forensic investigator at heart, have a look here to see how it can be done!
I’ve been working like crazy to list all the paper flowers in the online store before leaving for the Design Indaba Expo.
The range of strelitzias are going in this morning –
Hand painted,
Natural Rooibos and red cabbage dyed,
as well as a batch made from packaging.
Using sticker backing paper, which is unrecyclable, because of its paper and plastic layer has been a challenge, as the plastic wax side resists all glue and paint.
But the paper side has been a wonderful canvas to work on. Some of the proteas have had their petals painted pink.
Christy Kiggan has worked to colour the petals of others in a different and more exciting way too. She has used beetroot to make dye, and has dipped the petals in this dye, until the colour shows right through to the wax layer. In this closeup you can see the difference between both treatments [and the faint logo on the recycled paper]
These are all part of the new Freshly Found Recycled Paper Flower range, which will be launched at the Design Indaba Expo at the beginning of March.
And this is where it has all been happening. Here’s the work table. Although it could be classified as messy, I had to take a pic . I found the colours and rhythm of the petal shapes quite pleasing.
The Agapanthus is another one of my favourite South African flowers that grow in my garden. The simple purplish blue funnel shaped flowers suspended by green stalks in a botanical pompom give me so much pleasure.
It’s been a delight to artistically represent these lovelies in recycled paper and to find out the meaning of the flower name too.
Although they are not from the lily family, they are known as African Lilies. Their name comes from the Greek words Agape, which is usually used in talking about the Love of God for Man and Anthos, which means flower. That’s certainly something I am plan to remember when I come across these stately blooms.
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