Once In A Blue Rose

 While no real blue rose, hybrid or otherwise, exists,...

 

Henry Field's Blue Girl Hybrid Tea Rose

Suntory Applause Blue Roses

...it does on my Blue Roses handmade card. This unusual blank, collage card features navy rose blooms. They were discarded blue ink pen doodles that were designed for a decoupage box.

Blue Roses handmade card

Rather than throw the doodles away, I highlighted them with a silver paint pen and designed the card around them.

Blue Roses card detail

I also applied silver eyelets and narrow purple ribbon. The mini-flowers and the text are stamped and highlighed with silver.

Using doodles in handmades card designs.

I don't throw away any doodles anymore, and I am doodling more now that I'm allowing my whimsical side to emerge.

Wikipedia shares that:

....A blue rose is a flower of the genus Rosa (family Rosaceae) that presents blue-to-violet pigmentation instead of the more common red, white, or yellow. Blue roses are often portrayed in literature and art as a symbol of love and prosperity to those who seek it, but do not exist in nature as a result of genetic limitations....In a book entitled Kitab al-felahah written by Ibn al-‘Awwām al-Ishbīlī, which was written in Arabic the 12th century and translated into French by J. J. Clement, being entitled Le livre de l'agriculture, there are references to azure blue roses that were known to the orient. These blue roses were attained by placing a blue dye into the bark of the roots....Nominal "blue roses" have been bred by conventional hybridization methods, but the results, such as "Blue Moon" are more accurately described as being lilac in color.

Suntory rose

While this Suntory rose was billed, by the company and the press, as a blue rose, it is actually mauve or lavender in color. The Henry Field's Blue Girl Hybrid Tea Rose, though it appears to be dusty blue, is listed as having a rare silver-lavender shade.

Suntory Applause rose

In 2011, the silvery-mauve flower, named Applause, was the closest, at that time, to the elusive blue. It was genetically modified to synthesize delphinidin, a pigment found in most blue flowers. It is lovely, but not true blue. So man cannot make a tree, and neither has he yet been able to make a blue rose.

Blue Rose Products From Zibbet, My Newest Venue

Accents and Petals: blue rose made from wood shavings

Oohlalacafts: hand-frayed and hand-stamped blue rose fabric ribbon

KirasDebut: blue rose hair pins

Berniolie: blue rose crocheted brooch

Resources:  
Henry Fields
BBC
Wired.com

Wikipedia

What If We Could Live In The Places In Our Dreams?

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to remain there?  You know.  That dreamy, ethereal, but oh-so-real, nocturnal place that you visit once, twice or more times?  Dream Places mini hand-bound journal has eleven pages that ask that question, What if we could live in the places in our dreams?

Hand-bound Journal

It began as two pieces of cardboard and was completed using hand-decorated paper, clipart, watercolor, stamping, wire, beads, embroidery floss, and other media.  I chose gold inside papers because they compliment the blue color scheme of the pages.

Gold-colored paper used to line inside covers of my handmade book.

Collage handmade journal page.

I left the back of each page white, except for motivational words, so that they would not compete with the main decorated pages.

Handmade journal page embellished with paint.

When I use adhesives and paints to embellish my paper, I like the curling that occurs. I don't try to flatten my pages because I feel it adds dimension.  The pages of this 3x5" book are nicely crinkled, making the book easy to stand up for display too.

This top view of the pages shows my "Crinkle Journal" technique.

Paper fringe used on collage journal page.

I made an easy hinged front and used a large needle to stitch the pages and covers together. I used metal washers and beads to embellish and hide the awl-punched holes.

Metal washers, embroidery floss and beads used in book making.

Backside of hand-bound mini journal.

Photocopies used in making mini journal pages.

I wrote the verse myself.  I enjoy incorporating my poetry and prose in my artwork, as well as my quotations and buzz words.

Handwriting used in collage journal pages.

This would make a nice gift for someone who enjoys dream interpretation.  Someone who likes to ask, What if, and who enjoys exploring the possibilities in life would also like this small, personal handmade book.

Cattails and birds tiny clipart on handmade journal page.

Stamping and cancelled stamps used to make journal pages.

Salvaged copy of drawing used in journal page creation.

Handwriting text can be used upside-down for interest on collaged pages.

Clocks feature throughout this mini handmade journal.

The moon is shown 7 times in my journal.

Dreaming is all in your mind, but how do you know that you didn't REALLY go there?

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Dream Places is available at my eCrater store.

(c)Sandi Holland Sandi Holland on Google+

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We Belong Together & Forever Romantic

My Forever Romantic love cards are for the emotional, passionate and excitable person. Those who enjoy romance never tire of it. They are forever seeking ways to express and revel in romantic experiences.



The starstruck pair and their companion moon, floating in the twinkling sky on my card, were made using the brown paper technique. I tore away the one-off image and collaged it to a white card using a blue cardstock background. The words Forever Romantic , the sparkling sky and the stars outlines are done with silver metallic paint pen.

As a reminder. As a declaration. As a statement of faith. Cards of encouragement, togetherness and love. This is what I mean for my We Belong Together cards to convey.

Centered on this artistic card is a copy of my small watercolor 2 Pears. The collage card is then altered, making it one-of-a-kind.

Both of these are now available in my Winkelf Store.

I have other designs for each of these divisions of love greetings.

Final 3 To The Groom Cards

Here are the remaining 3 To The Groom cards for a total of 6. In designing these cards, I wanted to make them appealing to men. Not the fluffy, frou frou type cards that women like, and tend to choose for men.

I will be reproducing all 12 bride and groom cards.

I like ransom note journaling and really enjoy searching through my stock of paperbacks for appropriate text for my projects. My favorites are old gothic romance suspense novels because the pages are yellowed, a nice aged effect.

I also make my own ransom note text when needed on my computer. Then I color or age it to suit the project.

I am always so glad when a project is finished, because I can move on to the next one.

I named these Lime Cake, Red Cake and Green Cake.

To The Groom ArtCards

I finished the design for my 6 groom's cards. They feature my handcarved art stamp of a groom's cake. These cards are similar in design to the A Man's Thoughts cards to the bride.

Here are 3, Black Cake, Blue Cake and Gray Cake.

I had a great time selecting ransom note text for each card. They all feature my hand-painted decorative paper. I'll share the other 3 in my next post. I will be reproducing these designs.

A Man's Thoughts Wedding Cards

Here are the 2 last cards in this line. Though I will still be using the hand-carved cake stamp in other artwork, I don't plan to design anymore of these marriage cards from the groom to the bride.



When I first started the design I went with a standard card of the traditional type and this is what I produced:

In evaluating it, I decided that it was just too plain and static. I could create designs like this indefinitely. This was not going to get it for me. How many silk flowers are there, pre-printed papers, metallic ribbon, white/cream embellishments? It just wasn't me. I needed something more jazzy. More funky. So I let go and these cards came forth. Cards after my own heart.

This is the eraser stamp I carved:

I've started on 6 cards from the bride to the groom. I finished carving the groom's cake stamp, which is one layer with the 2 hearts topper.

A Man's Thoughts Marriage Cards

I drew a cake, handcarved an eraser stamp, and designed these cards for a man to give to his bride. I will add a pic of a silver cake and the stamp I made.

The gold and black cakes are embossed. The red velvet cake is dual embossed with white and red. The blue cake is a cut out stamped image.

All but the red velvet card feature my handpainted papers.

I will be reproducing these designs for sale. I think they came out great. I have cut back on making cards but there are some designs that I will always offer.

Mother's Day Card

This is the verse that I wrote for this special card dedicated to mothers whose child(ren) was molested, abused, kidnapped, tortured, maimed and/or murdered. I am an advocate for mistreated children and plan to become involved with the missing and exploited childrens' network.

A MOTHER FOREVER

A mother forever

is what I'll be,

though God just loaned that child to me.

Away to Heaven

though she may be,

he's still my precious child

to me.

I cannot fathom,

don't know why

this had to happen.

And though I cry,

the sun still shines

and my child is free.

My child is where

one day I'll be.

Thank you for reading my poignant verse. I am determined to make a difference before I die.

Valentine's Cards

Here are 2 valentines' cards featuring my heart drawing, "Ventricles." I used hand lettering and the PSX Pixie Romance text stamp set in each. I carved my first pencil-top eraser rubber stamp and used the mini heart on each card. It was fun doing the quick stamping of these tiny hearts.

For Open Your Heart, God Bless Your Heart I also used a foam three-heart stamp (with moss-colored ink) on my handpainted decorative paper. My heart drawing was printed on green decorative paper, cut out and adhered to the card. Then I finished the card with chalk pastel, gold paint pen, black Sharpie and lime eyelash fiber.

For Left Ventricle, Right Ventricle...(inside) both belong to you, I used paper cutting and weaving, chalk, marker, silver paint pen, three colors of purple stamp ink and ribbon.

Happy Valentine's Day