Keep Going!

I'm trying to "build" a couple of very young trees; one is obviously a weeping willow, the other has not been decided yet. This is kind of an experiment; I have to make fruit trees for the Apothecary Garden, eventually, and espaliered ones at that. Making a couple of nursery saplings for Boutique Pulchinella is how I'm starting.

The last time I was in the UK, we visited Kew Gardens, and also the garden around the small palace of the Mad King (George II or III?). There were lots of things growing in that garden that I knew would go well in my Apothecary Garden, so I took many photos.

These skeletons were made with 3 long painted wires, doubled over and with the ends then twined together for the start of the trunk. The wires were then cut, separated, wound together, and other wires spliced in; the bumpier joints can be hidden behind leaves. As I have to paint and/or wind floral tape around the skeletons, I decided to give them a coat of sealer first. That has to dry overnight....

The long bench for the Klompenmakerij is finally done; I had real problems putting in the braces. Because the bench is long, it needed long braces; long braces have no 45 degree angles, which is all that I have in my mitre box. That meant carving the proper angles, free-hand. And the legs kept falling off. But I persevered!

The window and door pieces for the Klompenmakerij needed two coats of green paint; I topped that off with a coat  of satin varnish. The paint I remember from my childhood was enamel, but shiny paint does not look good on miniatures. However, the satin varnish gives just enough of a hint of shine that it worked well.

I will have to punch a couple of hundred tiny willow leaves! If this experiment works, I would like to make some fruit trees, and a couple of citrus trees in wooden planters would look very nice for the Boutique.