Guarding the Greens....

Who knew? Zar is planting the dandelions on purpose. It seems he likes the greens to eat...Personally, I think he needs his head examined. My dad used to pick them and cook them when I was little and they were way worse than spinach.

So...I was forced at gunpoint to make more this morning. If you are a fan of dandelion greens follow me! They are simple to make...Kind of.

The leaves are cut out with the tiny scalloped edge sissors by Tessie's feet in the second photo.

I turned them pointy side out and cut a bunch of curved slits in the paper...Then I flipped the paper over and cut the other side of the curve. I didn't measure because I didn't want them all the same size.

I cut short pieces of green wire for stems. Then I did some small quilling flowers in yellow. I won't detail this step. There are quilling sites all over the net to show you this step....And I think that they are a bit big. I may try something else for smaller flower heads. I am not sure what yet.

The puff balls are simply a small piece of cotton batting rolled between my fingers and stuck to the end of the wire with glue. I noticed that a couple of them could still use a bit of trimming.

I got Tessie to curl the leaves by running a ball stylus the length of each one.

I simply did it on the cork surface that I put on the new workboard.

The next step was to put a little puddle of glue on a piece of card stock. It is easiest if you use fast grab because you want the leaves to stand up in the puddle.

I stuck five or six of the leaves in a circular pattern. Three in the center, curled outwards and then a few more outside of those. It is handy to have a pair of tweezers to manipulate the leaves.

I then stuck one or two short pieces of wire in the center, with either a flower or a puff ball on the top end.

I let these dry thoroughly. Then I carefully cut under the glue with an Exacto knife, releasing them from the card. That way I had a whole plant to put in the scene.
I instructed Tessie to plant them outside the "Office". She shares my opinion of dandelion greens...It was not easy convincing her to do the planting...There was a great deal of muttering under her breath as she did so.

She kept threatening to dig them back up and throw them on the compost heep...I told her, "Zar doesn't have a compost heep."

She replied, "He will when I get finished here! Just let me at them!"

Zar took up his post, guarding the new plantings. Tessie took up her post on the other side of the walk, pickle fork in hand. I am walking away. Sooner or later one of them will lose interest. I am betting on Tessie. Digging thost things up is too much like work that she isn't obligated to finish.

At least Zar won't have to worry about her stealing his crop....Distroying it maybe.....Stealing it, no way...

I am going back and work on some more plants for the garden and let them fight it out.

See you tomorrow.