During last year's market, I saw an old window. It had dried flowers in it and was covered with some type of paper. Low and behold, the owner wanted $165.00 for it. I'm not cheap by any means, except that Terry and I have this terrible habit of saying "Geez, I could make one of those myself", and we move on to the next booth where you pick up a bottle of wine, or a pound of tomatoes.
As Timon in the Lion Kings says, "It begins"...
Over July 4th weekend, we were organizing and packing up some of my sisters things for her big move, so on a whim, Terry climbed into the top of the old barn (no one had ever done it in the 20+ years she's lived there). We found some old windows, so I've decided to make my own window(s).
As Sophie and I walked the trail by our house (before the heat wave), I took my garden shears and cut some flowers, Queen Anne's Lace, Lillie's, etc. Brought them home and put them between paper and put books on them. THEN I started researching how to dry/press flowers. Most instructions say it takes about six weeks for the flowers to dry.
WHAT? So I started to read more and look for other ways to dry flowers. Meanwhile I have piles and stacks of books all over the living room and the family room and my house is starting to look like the boys moved back home. (I do love you boys!!).
Meanwhile back at HQ, I've moved everything downstairs, commandeered the 8 foot table we use for Easter dinner, the card table and Sophie's kennel for table space. I spent the weekend before this scraping paint off the other windows and putting new glazing in so the glass doesn't fall out.
Found out the windows are backed with rice paper. No one in CR sells rice paper.On the
way back from Minneapolis (and Antiques Roadshow - which is another story), BK and I stop at Hobby Lobby in Waterloo. But of course they are not open on Sundays. Go Figure.
I was getting so antsy, that I took a day and a half vacation, just to organize my piles and go to the Iowa City Hobby Lobby for the rice paper. Found out there is the stuff called Silica Gel, which you can use in the microwave to dry your flowers instantly! Eureka! ...that's the ticket... INSTANT gratification. (Apparently, I'm not a patient crafter).
The next day I picked a couple black eyed Susan's from the back yard. Followed the instructions with the Silica Gel, and ended up with instant FRIED flowers. According to the directions you are supposed to lay the flower on a half inch layer of gel, and the completely cover the flower. Cook on medium power for 1-2 minutes. When I took it out of the gel it complete;y disintegrated. Crumpled into nothing in my impatient little hands.
Over the course of the last week or so, I've pretty much tested all power levels and time lengths for microwaving flowers. If you do power level 2 and 35 seconds, they come out just a little dry so you can then put them between some paper and let them finish drying. I haven't checked them yet, but hopefully it will cut the drying time to less than six weeks.
Oh well, there are still fish to feed!
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