the magnolia tribute continues

Whilst sitting under the magnolia aglow in the dabbled light of the setting sun I discovered that magnolia petals are edible. A quick google search confirmed this and that they are used to make a floral wine. To my palate they taste like endive with a delicate violet like floral note. They are also quite similar to tulip petals which are lovely in salad if you grow them organically. 

The second discovery of the weekend was something my sister Zina first noticed. The fossil like imprints on the petals on our walkway and interlock brick driveway. Later that day this discovery lead to a fun game for my little inquisitive nephew. Yes the adorable lad with the magnifying glass in the previous post. He and I tried to match up the de-bossed brown colored imprints on the petals to the patterns on everyone's shoes. We could not come to discover the wearer of the most interesting patterns and think perhaps it was some of our guests at the party. If any of them are reading this post we would love if they could check their soles and see if they match. One looks like an amazing sea shell and the other has a tiny star of david. 

With this as inspiration we set out to make a few petal press pieces of our own.

First with nuts and holey stones. And then with crochet covered stones and my very own polymer stamps made with arounna and john's help when I took a letterpress workshop. Warning there are a large number of photographs. The light was really magical on Monday evening.

The next discovery was what happens when you hold one of this imprinted petals up to the setting sun.

Pure unadulterated magic.

Taking this opportunity one little step further , inspired by my favorite land artist, Richard Schilling and the piercing of the succulent petal by one of the grasses growing in our pond, here is what ensued.   

I think the garden fairies will have some wonderful new materials for their dresses this year.

           

  

 

Comments

[annri]

so beautiful! reminds me of bone china and lanterns. brilliant!

best.

[Cathyc]

how delightful, ethereal, warm.... my neighbour's front garden has been taken over by their wonderful magnolia but as it is flowering late this year the blossoms are competing with leaves and it looks so different..... beautiful photos Margie x

[Sonia]

oh Margie
you DO bring a lot of magic in my life. Thank you so much for being yourself & having that ever-exploring mind. oxoxo

[michele (maryland)]

You are amazing, again, Margie. Our Magnolias are long finished here on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, so it was wonderful to visit them again this season. I love to stand under a magnolia tree and just inhale deeply, the smell is fantastic.Now we wait for our Southern Magnolia to bloom here in a month or so. They have a very large white flower.

[Kristi]

You are just a delightful river of creative beauty.

[diane]

this is amazing Margie! so beautiful and magic!
magnolia is one of my favorite flower!

[Fiona]

How delightful. You have a very special eye.

[abby emerson]

Breathtaking! YOU are a garden fairy...

[Rachel]

so clever !

[allison]

these photos are so beautiful! the sun makes the petals glow so brightly. i love the discovery of pressing designs into petals. it takes curiosity and a sense of wonder to come up with something as delightful as that. thank you for sharing.

[Emma Angel]

Wow! You've done it again! Stunning...
x

[cpcable]

I loved the creative progression of this post. When I started reading it, I had no idea that I would end up in such a magical place.

[Julie Alvarez]

Fantastic discovery!!

[Richard Shilling]

What an absolutely inspired idea! The shell imprint held to the light is magical and beyond words!

BTW the links on Flickr don't come back to here so you might want to check.

I'm off out now for a petal sandwich!

Richard

[Caitlin]

so lovely, i love how the light shines through like firelit lanterns. so pretty!

[joanie]

Magical light indeed - the images are stunning! The hours of fun you must have had.
Regarding your previous post, I'm not at all surprised that you can talk to trees Margie and even less surprised that they respect and obey you :)

[Jane]

Thank you - how wonder-filled with beauty they are. You are truly magical.
I've followed your blog for quite some time and feel totally inspired.

[Lovely World]

I love the random prints that you found after the party. How curious the star of David. Do you like Andrew Goldsworthy? I have enjoyed his work for years, having stumbled upon one of his books in a shop one day.

[maya]

This might be my favorite project of yours, yet! I loved each step!

[Cindi Brooks]

So cool! You are such a creative spirit...thanks for sharing this. :)

[Shannon]

I would have never though to hold them to the light like that. Quite magical indeed!

[Chiska]

Thanks so much for the magical pictures. Thanks for sharing your treasures!

[Rachel]

That's a truly enchanting light effect - well done for spotting it!

[katy]

simply. amazing.

[rae]

you bring so much magic to this earth and to the blogosphere. thanks for this incredibly inspiring and awesomely beautiful post. ;)

[Julia]

That is incredible - I love the way you kept working with the petals and trying new ideas. And the light from behind is pure magic.

[maryelle]

Sigh. now I can't wait till next year when the magnolia blossoms fall to the ground. thank you so so much for providing inspiration and anticipation. you make me feel like every day is an adventure i'm excited to lead.

[Jennifer]

Once again I am amazed and inspired by your creativity and delight in life. Thank you for sharing!