Miniature Polymer Clay and Paper Flowers,

What Fun our South African Miniature Convention turned out to be.

Those that did not manage to join us missed out Big Time.

 The quality of the various classes was certainly "World Class."

 

 The time went by so very quickly...always does when one is enjoying oneself.

 

Before convention I was so busy getting ready for my teaching 

assignment, that before I knew it the convention was upon us.

I now have a new respect for teachers after my learning curve experience, 

so much of the work goes into the preparation for teaching a class....

Thank goodness I worked at it steadily 

as I would surely have run out of time had I left it to the last minute.

 I was luckily enough to get my first choice of classes,

 so did two classes with Erika Gross an amazing woman, 

her attention to detail was heart warming!

 

This was one of Erika's classes.

12 students made paper flowers in a planter box.

This is the photograph that accompanied our notes on "How To". 

How pretty is this planter!

We were so fortunate Carol Wagnor a Fellow of the IGMA Guild in the Art of Paper Flowers gave Erika permission to teach us some of her paper flower making techniques.

What amazed me was...
The stamens are made out of stiffened silk thread, and were touched with coloured sand for the pollen.
The fern was a laser cut that Erika had designed for us.....we stippled and painted and learned so much.
We each received "a jig" to make our petunias....whoever would have thought a jig would be used to make paper flowers, it makes so much sense now after having worked with one.

I loved every minute of this class, I did not manage to finish as I wanted to make the best flowers I could manage, and this is what I have been doing at home.


All in all the various products used in our hobby is somewhat overwhelming to a beginner flower maker....but so very informative.

An Ah Ha moment for me was the fact that one can clean our paintbrushes when having used all these products.....wait for it....SURGICAL SPIRITS.
That has made all the difference to me personally.

Another product LIQUITEX Gel medium is mixed into Americana paints (which have strong pigmentation I am told) to stop the paint from peeling off the brass wire we used in making our ferns......

Thank you to the teachers that are innovative in what products they use and are then happily prepared to share their secrets in a class, makes the road to success for a beginner so very much easier and more rewarding.

On Saturday the 21st April we are going to learn to make African Violets at out Miniature Guild meeting ....I can't wait.

In the meantime I have put in an order for some paper Punches from "Hanky Panky"

We all smiled at such an unlikely name for miniature flower punches, the post office clerk should get a laugh out of that when this old lady goes to collect her parcel.