I learned how to make the leaves last july, 2003 in the seattle area. My mom's neighbor taught me with a rhubarb leaf. I painted and shipped them home to Chicago, and spent the rest of the summer making leaves. I had @ 50 leaves on my patio to paint. I seal them with cement sealer before I paint them with Patio paint. I've left me leaves out all winter (and it's really cold here) and they look good as new. I saw a bunch of elephant ears while driving and knocked at the guy's door and he ended up giving me a few and of course I made and painted one for him. At the start of fall he called me and requested another for his son and gave me the rest of the leaves before he dug them up to store for winter. I must say I'm addicted.Last night I made my first batch of the season, 5 very large rhubarb leaves and I also took 5 large hollycock leaves and made them into a bowl shape. Can't wait to unveil them. I also planted 3 elephant ear plants for myself, giant hostas and one gunnera. I may have to bring the gunnera in and let it grow larger til next summer. It's a pokey grower. So far all of my leaves have been acquired from begging at strangers' doors. Everyone has been very generous and I always give them one in return. I've make some giant hosta leaves also and some giant crazy looking weeds. I've sold many at a holiday show last December and will try to sell them in an art fair I will be in next weekend. I've been experimenting with pricing because it''s so hard to decide what to charge. I spend alot of time painting them to get a multi-dimensional look. Wish me luck, people seem pretty intriged with them. Oh yeah Canna leaves make pretty castings and I put painted balls under them as feet and place on a table. and on and on and on. Sorry I'm so long winded, but I can't say enough about it. P.S. I wear a mask when mixing my cement. Last yaer I could feel that fine dust in my lungs. After smoking for many years, (I've since quit) that's all I don't need.

My grandfather was a herbalist, not professional,, but very knowledgeable. For stomach problems - and sleeplessness a few drops of tincture of Valerian on a cube of sugar was the remedy - and believe or not, I used it sometime now for restlessness and it works and taste just the way it did whenI was a kid. Hot compresses of vinegar water around the neck, covered with something water-proof and then a wrap of a wool-scarf was the remedy for sore throat - I hated it! That wool-scarf got so scratchy by and by! Chamomile or peppermint tea for stomach upsets. Hydrogen peroxide as first aid for cuts and scrapes - still my first disinfectant in the medicine cabinet. Comfort food; farina (cream of wheat) lightly toasted, thinned with broth (Angebrannte Griess Suppe) I still have it at times. My sister acquired pin-worms once and was treated with enemas of milk and garlic. There was a cough syrup made of hollowed out carrots, filled with brown crystal sugar, the juice was very nice, the winter cod-liver oil not so much. Spring-time Grandfather would gather the whole family for a purifying tea to thin the blood, even my father got caught in that one several times.

Thanks everyone for all the replies. I have used hydrogen peroxide allot for all my ear problems, that was recommended my the doctor. In the past I have had some success with equal parts vinegar and rubbing alcohol. This last time I just used hp and saw some ear drops at the vitamin shoppe that has grapefruit seed extract and tea tree oil from a company called nutribiotic that seemed to work well although they are it is very thick.

The group I fund raise with is KPRN Kill Pen Rescue Network. If you would like to donate to help save a horse, paypal to turneremilyb@outlook.com using friends and family option. Every bit goes toward the horse. The adopters pay a fee that helps maintain the sanctuary horses and vet bills for them, etc., but adopters pay the transportation, and any other expenses connected with their horse. By fund raising for the horse, it helps the adopters so they can absorb the expenses that come with getting the horse, like vet bills, quarantine, transportation. When I get a horse, I will go pick it up myself and quarantine it here. That is what I did with my last kill pen horse, Bane. So people can always do that. It can get quite expensive if you aren't able to do that. Bubbles was saved by Becky's Hope. There is a link to Becky's Hope in the comment following Bubbles' story. This is the horse we are working on now. A 14 yr old roan mare.