Fred Corrigan
Special to “The Express”
Ten months ago, I started to collect and press flowers. This is the ancient art of drying blossoms and then using them to create items of art.
This venture was inspired in loving memory of my wife G. Ellen who loved gardening, flowers, and sharing love and respect for everyone.
I’ve created many items, but now I hope to show how pressed flowers can bring joy to others.
On the bedspread, are a number of flowers, flower petals, ferns, grasses and leaves laid out between two sheets of newspaper. I’ve opened up some of them to show the dried pressed flowers. Most of these have been pressed for months.
Now, after spreading them on the bedspread, I take different pressed items, put them on a cardboard palette and now the designing begins.
I’ve cut a piece of white paper to fit the diameter of the glass jar.
Then I place flowers, ferns,blossoms and leaves on the paper to create the design.
Now, applying mod podge with a foam brush, I start to lay the pressed flowers onto the jar. Once everything is in place, this jar is allowed to dry. Once dry, I will apply three more coats of mod podge to seal the flowers to the jar.
Now, all that is needed is a TEA LIGHT to complete the Pressed Flower Tea Light Jar.
Each jar is an original work of art and is available at the Halifax Farmers Market from the G.Ellen’s Flowers display.
This is only one of the hundreds of items available from the many vendors at the Halifax Farmers Market.
Come, bring the family and enjoy the fun from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.