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Mossy steps and fall leaves
I never knew landscaping could be so much fun!!! I think I'm going to have to make a mini garden at some point in the future. :D
Using Aleene's clear gel tacky glue applied with a toothpick, I glued Fine Turf, Burnt Grass by Woodland Scenics to the stone steps to serve as moss.
I love the subtle quality of this material on the painted stone. I didn't go overboard with it, figuring I can always add more but it's not so easy to remove the excess.
In one of the holes I had made in the steps, I glued two Extra Long Autumn Tufts "Silflorettes" and three Autumn Tone Goldenrod Weeds "Silflorettes" by MiniNatur. There are more details on these in my landscaping materials post.
This whole process is messy, but I don't know if that makes me love it even more. :D I'll add the moss to the top riser and front pedestals when I finish the foundation. It, too, will have moss detailing.
I tried another experiment, too. I want autumn leaves around in my scene, but I want them to be realistic. I ended up using regular printer paper, markers in various reds, browns, oranges and yellows, and a Fiskars leaf corner punch to get some great results.
I cut strips of paper wide enough to give me two good corner punches. I colored the paper on both sides with the markers and let it dry almost completely. I then went over the paper a second time with the same color, again on both sides, and let it dry completely. I wanted a variety of colors as you can see. :]
I also made two strips of browns only.
Using all three leaf shapes, I punched out leaves from both corners at the end of the strip and then cut the paper above the holes left behind. I then punched the next section and so on. The markers had curled the paper a bit, which added some nice texture to the punched leaves.
Nice little pile of leaves with good variegated color and thin texture. :D
I have more in store for these leaves to add to the realism, but it's a good start!
Update: click here for the finished leaves.
17 comments
The moss, the leaves….so pretty! I love how it looks!
I don’t know what the next step for your leaves is, but I wanted to share this link with you. =)
http://tweetypetieproducts.blogspot.com/2010/10/tutorial-miniature-leaves.html
Thanks for the compliments and the link. That’s a very interesting method. I thought about using real leaves but decided against having anything that might ultimately break down and become brittle.
I did a project a couple of years ago with miniature leaves. I had very good results with punching little leaves out of real maple leaves I picked up in my back yard. I lined up the punch so that the small veins in the sides of the big leaf became the big veins down the middle of the mini leaves.
There’s a pretty good picture here (the kitchen utensils in the picture are half scale and weren’t used in the same project as the leaves).
http://iseeblue.typepad.com/iseecerulean/2009/10/kitchen-stuff.html
I love the mossy steps, nice job!!!
Well gosh…by the time I got done typing you’d published the first two comments. Nevermind!
I love your mossy stone steps and I think you have added just the right amount, the leaves add an extra touch of realism too.
Thank you! Keli - using real leaves really is a fine idea. 
I think I bought it from Barnes & Noble online, but they don’t seem to have it now. I think it’s an older punch and they may not be making them anymore. But, you can find them for sale if you google it.
The “moss” looks wonderful. And a great idea to paint the strips of paper before punching.
Totally drool worthy, dear friend. 
I adore what you are doing here.
Maaaahhh-valous. Simply, maaahhh-valous. 
I do so love visiting your blog and seeing what you have done ~ it gives me lots of ideas LOL
I made a miniature patio garden for my mother-in-law’s 80th birthday and thoroughly enjoyed it:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7159233@N03/4540126139/in/set-72157621545216973
I love that stones and mossy effect. This is very successful.
Thanks for the toothpick tip. This sounds a great way to make sure you get moss exactly where you want it.
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