pollen and paper craft

I am well underway with my natural forms module, although I'm starting to get slightly weary of it and am itching to work on other things. Aside from the personal projects I want to get done by the end of this summer I have another university brief to finish and I've barely made any headway. It's a little overwhelming.

Anyway, here is what I've been making for the past few days. After textiles at college I hoped never to draw another plant, but hereth lie the evidence of my past self denial. I suppose it was inevitable really. :I

This was my first plant creature. I think it's my favourite of the three I've made so far, possibly because my first attempts at anything are usually the ones dearest to me, even if they're colossal failures. It's built of tissue paper, wire and a tiny bit of glue.

This one was a lot simpler due to the stem and flower itself being less complicated. The centre is stuffed with a little bit of cushion padding (less might have looked better, I think) and the rest is tissue paper and wire, the same as my first one.

I used running stitch along two pieces of green ribbon and then pulled it gradually to create the rumpled stem. The actual plant is very textured. I pulled a strip of garden wire through the stitching to make the base sturdier and then added the purple tissue paper to it afterwards. Each flower will be added (with a moss, sand or paper base) to a jam or preserve jar as 'botany specimens'.

The plants reposing on our shelves in the dining room. Also shown; the amount of glass I've bought for this project, but I'll upload more of those when I've finished making what has to live inside them.

Even though I've made a good start on this project I still have to get it finished in time for Sunday, because I'll be packing for Edinburgh and won't be able to take this project with me. I have quite a long way to go yet so the lack of an extra week that I could be using for work (despite the lure of stand up comedy) is a bit untimely really. I still have butterflies to make, although I'm looking forward to those a bit more.

Alfie the hamster is currently rolling around the dining room in his exercise ball, which is comforting somehow, despite him being worryingly close to breaking out of it. It's always nice to have company when creating even if said company isn't very talkative.
EDIT: No scratch that, he managed it. The pet shop assistant insisted it was impregnable. Lies! That said she'd never met Alfie, who I'm fairly convinced is some kind of super rodent.
Anyway I should be getting back to work, just a short post to remind myself to keep on top of things. Thanks for dropping by and I'll post again soon providing I haven't crumbled into a panicky mush. <3;