Spring CQ...Osteospermum

Osterospermum, or Afraican Daisy, comes in many shapes and colors.

This picture is from the Thompson and Morgan seed catalog...not my garden. That is because it is not warm enough yet for them to look like this.
Alas, when I look out the window, this is what I see!

That is 55 degree rain.
Ah well! We carry on with the indoor garden....My Osteospermum kept me occupied over the week-end (and we did have a sun break yesterday afternoon).

I started by gluing button backs and threaded buttons onto the backs of some dichroic glass rounds that I picked up at the bead show last April for 50 cents apiece. I just knew they would be flower centers one day.

My leaves had to go on first. I used the repositionable adhesive spray to smooth them into place until I could buttonhole them down. This works great, and avoids the dreaded fusible web. Those yummy Riversilks ribbons on the left there will be my petals.

Here are the leaves in place, ready to be sewn down. Those little pins are marking where I think the flowers are going to go. The leaf fabric is hand dyed by Stacey Michell.

I don't know what you call this round plastic gizmo. The lovely Lisa Caryl handed them out to all of us students at the John Campbell school a few years ago...she said it is from the auto parts store. It is invaluable for marking circles.

Well, this is a fast forward, many hours and a few hundred petals later, not to mention the stems and all those little gold beads around each flower center.

And here's the larger view. Friendly little flowers, aren't they?
I am psyching up to do some roses next, I think....