This was an exciting week of work on Tasha's Kitchen because I was finally able to begin working on some of the accessories! Hooray! I thought since I had one last exterior task - filling the flower box, that starting with the mini plants and flowers made sense.
Every home chef loves fresh ingredients, so it's pretty handy when you grow fresh herbs right in your kitchen. I had left over leaves from SDK Miniatures Herb Kits that I'd gotten when I did the Storybook Cottage's kitchen. I colored them with several shades of Ranger Alcohol Ink and then glued them to 30 gauge floral wire.
I had some tiny and cute Braxton Payne terra cotta pots but thought an herb tray would be a nice way to display them. I couldn't decide between making a set with it's own uniquely shaped pots or using the terra cotta pots and making just the tray. I decided to design and print both kinds!
In the end I went with the terra cotta in the Herb Tray to introduce more color and texture into the kitchen. Blue and white will only take you so far. :O)
Not sure yet if I'll paint the tray, glaze it or leave it be. What do you guys think?
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| Mint, Rosemary, Oregano, Basil, Parsley, Sage |
The final detail I worked on this week has another family story behind it. Since about 2012, Brent's (Tasha's Fiancé) dad Shawn has lived nearby and become a regular member of the family, attending holiday gatherings and the like. He is so sweet, and so thoughtful and never arrives empty handed. One year, he brought me a beautiful orchid. Now, you'd think I would have been so happy but I was petrified! Me + Plants = certain death! I was so worried that I was going to kill Phyl (that's what we call him)! But luckily, Tasha agreed to take Phyl, learn all about what he needed and keep him alive. She has done this beautifully for years now! Here's the most recent photo...
Isn't he pretty! Well, Tasha's kitchen project just wouldn't be complete without a mini Phyl. SDK didn't have a Phalaenopsis orchid kit, but Mary Kinloch did! It came with a laser sheet of the three kinds of petals that it takes to make the orchid's blooms. The instructions tell you what other supplies you need such as floral wire, embroidery floss, matte gel medium and Japanese rice paper for the leaves. I also looked at photos of orchids online to try to make mini Phyl look more authentic.
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| Sample Orchid Found Online |
I hope all of you were able to get your hands in some soil this week, too! Whether the mini kind or the real thing, it's wonderful to enjoy a little nature!
Back next week with more accessories! Yippee!!!
xo xo,
Jodi
Like the terra cotta pots the best and the orchids are really good. Haven't done flowrrs in a while. It was quite a long time ago i made 300 white lillies for an Easter scene. Was good. Kind of flowered myself out! Lol
ReplyDeleteThanks! I know what you mean about flower burn out. But the small batches are a lot of fun and can be so relaxing!
DeleteAmazing. The potted herbs will be the finishing touch. Love SDK and Mary's kits. I've been looking for an orchid, so I'm glad that you reminded us of her eBay source. The plants give the kitchen that special touch that makes it come alive. Jealousy really isn't a flattering trait, but I have to admit that your 3-D skills and projects are enviable.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ann! The way you are mastering the Maker, you could do great things with a 3D printer! I am just making things as they come up and are needed for projects, rather than making the 3D printer a project itself. That means accepting a slow learning process, but I like to enjoy my hobby and not have it turn into work. So, little things at a time. :O)
DeleteHi Jodi. I love plants, and the ones you have made for Tasha´s kitchen are beautiful. The flowers on the box by the window make a very nice combination and go together nicely. It´s a great idea to display some fresh cuttings in the kitchen, the hydrangea stems look very real to me, great touch! The herbs tray is also a great idea, I like that you went for the terracota pots, contrast sometimes gives that wow factor, well, I am one of those who get a bit itchy when everything matches perfectly, I need a little bit of madness lol, not that yours is madness, I just think is a very nice touch of colour. And finally I want to say that Phyl turned out to be beautiful and wonderful!! Smashing job! I love orchids and you mini Phyl is gorgeous. Tasha will be delighted.
ReplyDeleteThanks Alex! It is definitely a challenge trying to stick to a design concept rather than just filling a house with individually fun things I like. Finding the balance will be my goal now that I am at the accessory stage. That and giving Tasha enough interchangeable accessories to start off with that make it so she can transform the look of the kitchen when she needs a play. :O)
DeleteYour plants are ALWAYS beautifully done and your floral arrangements LOVELY-Well Done Jodi!
ReplyDeleteThanks Elizabeth! 💗💗💗
DeleteJodi, I love the additions of the fresh herbs in their pots on a tray and the flowers, they all look wonderful!
ReplyDeleteThe orchid Phyl is of a beautifyl specie, and as you I have no green fingers in RL, so I can imagien how you felt after receiving this orchid. Gladly you had Tasha at hand ;). But any way, your mini orchid turned out great.
I've been working in my RL garden since a few weeks, now everything can grow and bloom and the care for it has miniliized until the next job, because gardening never ends ;O).
I hope enjoyed also a little of Nature...?
Stay safe, take care, dear Jodi.
Hugs, Ilona
Thanks Ilona! The mini planting was a fun job as opposed to the real life gardening that comes with the warm weather!
DeleteI am sending my love for you with your yard work! I have enough established trees and shrubs in the front yard that now just need minimal maintenance each year. I enjoy flowers, but not enough to become a slave to them in our very short nice weather time of the year. :O) I am determined though that one day I will have a couple of raised beds in the back yard and at least grow some vegetables! My farming grandparents are probably looking down at me from heaven wondering where they went wrong, lol!
Me encanta la maceta de la ventana, es maravillosa.
ReplyDeleteTodas las flores están fantásticas y tu mini Phyl ha quedado precioso.
Con el entusiasmo que nos hablas de próximas semanas cualquiera diría que has disfrutado poco. JAJAJAJAJ
Un saludo
¡Gracias Marian! ¡Voy a disfrutar las próximas semanas finalizando los accesorios! ¡El cumpleaños de Tasha estará aquí antes de que nos demos cuenta y luego tendré que decidir el próximo proyecto!
DeleteMe parecen fantásticas tus hiervas en los tiestos de terracota, así con la bandeja blanca me gustan pues hacen muy finas resaltando los tiestos. Tu jardinera en la ventana geniales y si es su color favorito no cabe duda que la encantarán.
ReplyDeleteComo no tengo jardín me he conformado con plantar unos cuantos tiesto en la ventana, me encantan las flores y las tengo preciosas. Cuídate,besos
¡Gracias Rosa Maria! ¡Me gusta tu idea de tener unas cuantas macetas de flores para cuidar y disfrutar! ¡Mucho mejor que el trabajo y los gastos de un gran jardín!
DeleteLa bandeja y las macetas han quedado preciosas, y me gusta que contrasten en el color.
ReplyDeleteTus arreglos florales han quedado genial, me gustan mucho las flores azules y la mini Phil preciosa !!!
¡Gracias Eloisa! ¡Es genial tener una razón para probar nuevos tipos de flores que no había hecho antes!
DeleteOh I love your herb trays...those will be so pretty! Personally I love how turquoise looks with terracotta, but I know whatever you choose will be wonderful.
ReplyDeleteMini Phyl looks awesome. I'm with you, can't keep a plant alive. Thankfully the mini plants don't die!
Thanks Sheila! I was actually considering giving Tasha a set of aqua/turquoise options to change the look of the kitchen! Unfortunately, I am having an issue with the color on my PC screen being vastly different than what prints on my printer is some colors. It's always something to resolve!
DeleteYes - thank goodness we can enjoy the mini plants and not have to remember to water them!!!
Me encantan las flores que has hecho. Muy bonito el contraste de la jardinera exterior. Tu orquídea es preciosa.
ReplyDelete¡Gracias Isabel! Es un desafío trabajar con tanto azul en este proyecto, ¡así que ponerse rosa con Phyl fue un placer!
DeleteThe flowers are lovely, both the ones in the window box and the ones for inside the kitchen. Both types of pots for growing herbs are perfect, that would be a tough decision. I do like the ones you chose; if they were mine I would paint the tray a weathered gray wood. The kitchen gets more charming every week!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sherrill! I love the weathered wood idea! I'll have to play with it and see if I could pull it off!
DeleteHi Jodi! I see you are once again working your magic on flowering plants! The blue of the delphiniums is gorgeous! And paired with the hydrangeas they are the perfect complement to this project! As for "Phyl" (or "Phil-Jr.") you did a great job! I have Phalaenopsis orchids in my house and I can vouch for the realism you have achieved! I look forward to seeing "Phyl-Jr." in the kitchen! As for the plant trays... I like the trays but think they should be painted.... and I would be inclined to "pretend" they were "stone-look" plastic (so they truly protect the surface they are sitting on!) :) I know it sounds weird to paint plastic to look like "stone-looking" plastic! If it was going to be a ceramic tray it would need to be glazed (so that water didn't permeate and destroy the windowsills!)in which case I would go with either cobalt blue glaze or the traditional blue and white china look. (Well, you did ask! Lol!) I can't wait to see what yoou are "cooking up" next!!! :):):)
ReplyDeleteThanks Betsy! It is great to get a nod from a real orchid grower! I love the idea of a glazed cobalt ceramic tray! I don't think it sounds weird at all. I am definitely going to play with that idea!
DeleteJodi, que maravillosas plantas has realizado! La jardinera de la ventana es una combinación de especies perfecta. Me encanta el pequeño brote de hortensia en el agua, con el tallo engrosado es mucho más realista!
ReplyDeleteY la pequeña colección de aromáticas es un sueño para toda cocinera! amo el contraste de color con las macetas en terracota!!!!
Y mis felicitaciones por la pequeña réplica de Phil, es fantástica!!
Estoy deseando ver que nos mostrarás en el próximo post!!
Besos.
¡Gracias Pilar! Ha sido un desafío divertido con las flores azules, y la orquídea fue especialmente desafiante, ¡pero estoy muy feliz de que la primera saliera lo suficientemente bien como para regalar!
DeleteYour wonderful plants and herbes look so real.
ReplyDeleteThanks Faby! Those alcohol inks really give the leaves and petals a realistic quality that is much harder to achieve with acrylics!
Deletetodas las plantas son preciosas, te felicito!
ReplyDelete¡Gracias Carmen!
DeleteOh, what a wonderful post! ;O) And thanks for giving me a good laugh! So flowers shriek in panic and fear when you're getting in sight - it's the same for me with indoor plants, the only ones I still dare to buy without feeling guilty for plant murder in the first degree are kalanchoe (Flaming Katy) and - sorry - Phalaenopsis orchids. I water them one day per week in my sink to avoid standing water and this way we get along quite well with each other... *LOL*
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful detail to add Mini-Phyl (but I also love Betsy's Phyl Jr. *smile*), these are the special touches which make your work so outstanding and in this case so very personal and touching.
Speaking of personal - the window planter with the blue flowers you've chosen turned out awesome. And the additional hydrangeas in the vase - so beautiful. When you told how you made them I had to think of Betsy and her famous glue trick... it's always amazing what a little glue can do. And it's also amazing what you and your 3D printer can do together - both versions look gorgeous but I too would have chosen the tray with the terracotta pots. Although you have a clear color scheme for Tasha's kitchen in my opininon it's only realistic to have additional decorations made from other materials and in different colors. I suppose I would give this the appearance of shabby white wood... as I always say, there's no need of being afraid of painting plastic. *LOL* But you are you and you will come along with your own stunnig solution. Have fun - and be kind to Mini-Phyl. *teehee*
Hugs
Birgit
Thanks dear Birgit! And yes - outdoor flowers wilt and crumble in my presence and plead with God that they don't end up in my shopping cart! The only things still alive in my yard are the shrubs that are near the sprinklers because they are on a timer, lol! I used to grow pothos in my house years ago - even rooted them to give to my friends! But I am afraid the angel who used to whisper in my ear to water them got promoted out of my service and soon I was forgetting them, too. :O( My heart could not abide the guilt and that is when I decided that the only plants and flowers that were allowed under my care were the silk variety that only need occasional dusting. ;O)
DeleteI am so glad you like wee Phyl Jr.! And impressed that you grow phals successfully, too! Tasha swears that mostly what she does is toss ice cubes into the pot, but I believe you both have some kind of magic!
Yes - Betsy's glue trick is a perfect way to describe exactly how the "bumps" were made! That is what I used to build up the little buds, too! Glue is a multi-purpose material around here, too, and I find the wood glue variety makes the best caulking to fill in cracks and imperfections!
I love the idea of shabby wood, and I also love Betsy's suggestion of a glazed pottery look! It's going to be fun when I get the chance to play around, though my days have been crazy busy with other life things and I may not even have a post to share this week!!! No mini time for me until at least Thursday!!!
Hope you are finding lots of time for all of the things you love to do and that mom is getting better and better!
Hi Jodi,
ReplyDeleteThe alcohol inks seem to give the leaves very realistic look. It was new to me use them in painting leaves. The terra cotta pots are perfect for the herbs. Your orchid is very beautiful and realistic, too.
Thanks Sirkka! I think you will find that the inks are great fun to use and very versatile! I recommend getting the blending solution in the same brand. This allows you to cut the concentration of the ink and get several more shades from the same ink color. Have fun!
DeleteBlue flowers are also my favourite, even though there are so few. Your window box planting is superb and the cut stems are just perfect.
ReplyDeleteDid you try UV resin yet? The stuff that they use for nail art. The advantage of that is that you don't need to mix the components and there's no hurry because it won't cure while you're still working. Once you're happy with the arrangement, you stick it under a UV lamp for a minute or two and it's done. In a clear vase that would work very well. If you don't have a UV lamp, you can also just put it in the sun for a while. It will take longer to cure but it will definitely work. I can tell you this from experience because I forgot a jar of UV resin on my work table where the sun shines in the morning and three days later it had cured right through the dark container.
The terracotta pots were a good choice. I would paint the tray for the herb pots. Add some water stains and grunge on the inside, and dry brush over the lettering on the outside.
Mini-Phyl is so sweet! You really have a knack for plant making, Jodi.
Thanks Megan! And thanks so much for reminding me that I have UV resin! I use it so infrequently tat it never even entered my mind as an option! It's good to know also that the UV light can penetrate through a dark container, but a bummer you had to find out that way! That stuff isn't cheap!!!
DeleteI like your idea for the herb pot trays! I will save the grungy idea for a future project, for sure! I find that I really do enjoy the flower and plant making, especially if I am only making a few!
Have never done flowers - they look so tedious to make. Love the terra cotta pots and the white tray beneath them with the words 'Fresh Herbs' is adorable. I really do not know how you make such adorable things. So gifted you are!
ReplyDeleteMini many huggs,
Conny
Thanks Conny! I used to hate doing them, but I've learned over time that I really enjoy the process. There is a definite path from beginning to end with little guesswork, so you don't find yourself sitting there trying to figure out what to do next. I think you'd enjoy it and the SDK kits are a great way to start!
Delete