Sassafras limited Edition
What defines the series is the use and reuse of the mold made from silicone caulk boundary on the silicon cutting mat. When it came time to decant this first of the series, the mold and mat and epoxy platter came apart easy as can be.
The series will continue until the silicone boundary doesn't work any more. I'm up to 13 at this writing, but haven't got all the photos caught up yet.
Although every one of this series starts out with the same boundary defined shape only a few are flat; most are shaped in minor or major ways.
Sassafras mold is a bead of silicone.
For this first one I used a sassafras leaf from a tree in my yard. the other vegetative components are dried flowers from my mother's collection. I first laid down a very light mixture of yellow/green in the middle; then the leaf, then red, then green, then some clear on top.
Because it can be mounted almost anywhere I can hang something, I do like hanging it somewhere the light can shine through it. After dark, it will glow for a while.
For the second one I used a branch with some leaves my mother had put in her flower press. I was pleasantly surprised when I reused the mold by simply laying it down on the mat and doing another pour. Very little leakage under the boundary when decanted.
This one does not have a sassafras leaf in it. These leaves were in the pressed flower collection my mother left behind. Since she was living in Virginia, my guess would be mountain laurel. The flowers are sometimes obvious, but the colors faded so much.
This mulberry leaf was collected here in the fall of 2014; sprayed with a bit of poly and flattened in a press. Rather than squash it down into the epoxy, or pour a lot more, I let the edges provide some texture. The ridges are coated with epoxy. I was very pleased with this pour in the bubbles department -- none. Until I got it off the mold and discovered a large bubble trapped under the leaf.
Sassafras series #3 (mulberry)
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A solo sassafras leaf this time. Trying the boundary on a different mat. A bit more leakage than last time.
When this one is spinning, it looks like someone dancing and waving at you. This one has some very large bubbles that I did some later work on.
For this fifth use of the sassafras mold, I found a wisteria root to be part of the pour, along with a large Queen Anne's lace.
sassafras series #5 is the base for this desktop mobile.
The spiraling wood thing is a wisteria root dug up during attempts to tame this very aggressive but also very pliable vine. Used a vise and some twine to twist into shape and left in basement over the winter. The small spinners shown here are optional; other items can be hung there.
Used a lot of clear in this one. And shaped it later on during the cure.
found a base for it from the same pour
Oak and maple leaves. I had previously prepared these leaves with lacquer and had earlier put some green epoxy on the veins.
Oak and Maple. Also glows in the dark for a long time.
Mostly grass heads, destined to become a vase shape.
After the pour, I realized this particular group belonged together under this stick.
I had made a bend in the mold and the epoxy flowed where it wanted to. So I trimmed this up, put it back inside the mold and added another layer.
GGot a little carried away on this one. Two pours -- the first with a loop inside using that same mold. I had had in mind to simply keep the part on the left, but too much had gotten past the barrier. So I pulled out the mold and settle around the "failed" one. This time a lot of red/oragne/yellow filling that channel was essentially impossible. Epoxy wants to flow and flowed right under.
This one ended up being a multiple layer edition with a very plain back.
The mold is holding up quite well and here I needed to make it wider to accomdate the flowers and leaves I'd colleced earlier this fall. The leaves are fragrant sumac and the flowers are those pink lilly type things that bloom in September for a week or so. The pink is gone after pressing and drying, but I can't tell at this point how well the truanslucent dried flower I had will come across.
About two hours after the pour is as late as I can go and still be able to pop bubbles and use heat to remelt the plastic where needed. The salmon color at the top is the thickened mix and it was frothy with bubbles just before I took this. There will probably still be some tomorrow morning; but mostly these are for distance viewing of about 6 feet.
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Sassafras pour 11-00008-IMG_20201201_200250
Surface not as level as should be. Turned out thin on the bottom side.
