hypertufa hearts, moons and concrete leafs

21 years ago

Hi-

I am finally getting the hang of posting pics (I hope!!) I love these forums and have gotten so many great ideas.... thank you one and all. I've been busy this summer and here are some of my creations.... I'd love your feedback. Thanks everyone and I am keeping my fingers crossed that the pics will post (I have just uploaded pics of leafs and they don't seem to be showing, but the tufa is there and well, one leaf).

Here is a link that might be useful: hypertufa and leafs

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (18)

klinger
21 years ago
i really like your leafs, they look wonderful, how do you make them, how do you get the colors on them?? i would love to play around and try to make some i have hosta leaves and elephant ear leaves just waiting for such a project , pls share...
0
Carol__
21 years ago
Your creations are really pretty !!! I have been wanting to make some leaf stepping stones. Do you use yours as stepping stones or just decorations ?? I was worried about them breaking if I used tem in a walk way. Did you just make them out of concrete ?? Also how did you get the red veins on that one? Thanks for sharing. ......carol
0
Related Discussions
Newbie: Color and Stamp fresh concrete - products & steps pls
Q
Comments (19)
Hey Stylin --- Your "terrace" has great potential! Should be a great spot to hang. As for post pour color...no rush. You really need to allow the 'crete to cure for at least three weeks and preferrably a "full" 28 days before you stain it ,no matter whether you use acid stains or the ferrous oxide...so you have time to read up & experiment a little. Also, neither of these stains will affect the stones or any ceramics...they only react with cement. I've heard that the oxide can sometimes leave a stain on wood sometimes if it is allowed to dissolve and sit there long enough, but it is the chemical reaction with the cement in the concrete that creates the color. And roger the "strong textures"...they can mimic flowing water (think Zen Gardens), grass & tree forms or just about anything you want. It has endless possibilities & can be paired with the other techniques very easily. You can even "practice" with a few different types of trowels and a big tray of mud to see what different effects & patterns you can come up with. One option that has not been mentioned is what is known as "integral color". This comes as either a liquid or dry powder and is added at the time the concrete is mixed. It is 100% permenent, but can tend to look a little "flat" on some applications. While you often see it used to create very strong coloration, I personally think the best effects are when it is fairly sublte and just takes the "grayness" or coldness off the concrete a little. Some of the lighter and more neautral colors are great when mixed with the kind of effects you seem to be moving towards...and...stains or glazes on top of subtly colored concrete can look really wonderful. They tend to highlight any texture that's there. Anyhow...as you can see there are endless possibilities. And below is another link. This site has some pretty good color charts, but you still have to "squint & imagine" how they might look if you cut the color way back. Good news is, most contractors can provide actual mix samples in advance. Best of luck and no matter what else you do...have fun. All my best, Tango Here is a link that might be useful: Nice Color Charts
...See More
How's everyone's markets?
Q
Comments (7)
Hi there Daybees; I've been at the Wolfville, NS farm market for a year now. year round. On good days I make as much as I'd really like to make every day for the whole week, not just on Saturday morning. I look upon it as an incubator setting for my venture. Today Wolfville, tomorrow...well tomorrow the wholesale world. I had a great great day last Saturday. I was one of the vendors at the NS Association of Garden Clubs. What a wonderful bunch. ...and so willing to put their money where their mouth is. I got a large order from a art-garden shop, and an offer to lead a seminar at a national woodworking/garden tools outfit. (No, they won't be flying me to head office - I'll be at the city close to me). I priced my first planters by visiting a garden and gift centre. It's called "industrial espionage"! I wrote down descriptions, sizes and prices. Then I had my first day at the market. Pretty good sales! At the end of the day a vendor at the market, a seasoned vendor I might add, told me that I should raise my prices. I had compared my "distinctive, hand-crafted concrete" to off-shore mass produced stuff. I know everyone says never to raise your prices, but I did - doubled them - and never looked back. My DH is a salesman and technician. I watched him at a show I had in April. He approaches people who are hanging around the booth by saying "Are you the gardener in the family?" or " How's your garden doing" or "What's blooming in your garden this week?". Wow. People love to talk - those open-ended questions - and quickly they were talking about which of my planters they liked best. Have fun with this. I am! Mercedes
...See More
Leaf Imprints in Hypertufa Troughs
Q
Comments (19)
Mike, You're right about a good imprint depending on the leaf. When I make planters, if there's left over mix, I use the left over mix for test tiles. That way I can see which leaves will work best. I just tried a pit cherry leaf with two different recipes and whatever is in the leaf is disolving the casting. Sugar?? In my album, the tile and bowl shot are viburnum and a variety of the annual Dusty Miller called 'New Look'. I use a lot of coleus, salvia, basil, alternantheria, arrow wood, cotinus, some bush that grows wild in our woods, hosta--usual the dwarf variety like 'Cheating Heart' or 'Tatoo'. It hasn't been a problem for me whether the mold has a flat wall or curved. I try to work with a dry mix because a wet mix can leave bubbles under your leaves. I don't "work" the mix too much over the leaf because it can embed the leaf in the mix. Right now I'm making leaf castings just about everyday cause Fall is just around the corner. I really like the leaf on the pit cherry tree and now I'm wondering if I can seal the leaf. I'll try tomorrow. Billie p.s. just looked through that album I posted and forgot about the grape vine bowl. The leaves and vine made a great imprint but you need 4 hands to hold it in the bowl and place the mix over top of it. It was quite a wrestling match.
...See More
Leaf casting confusion needs addressing in the Hypertufa FAQ.
Q
Comments (36)
Ooops! I fogot one thing....Thank you, Louisiana Greetings, for the link to your tufa leaf photo. It's gorgeous! I'd love to know what you chose to color the leaf, as it seems to have stayed very vivid and rich. If that's off-topic to this thread, feel free to email me directly! Perhaps if I had access to something that large, the overall scale of the intentional 'defects'created by tufa recipes wouldn't seem so overwhelming to me? The hosta leaf I cast was only about 10" long, and maybe 5" or so wide, so every pit seemed ENORMOUS! LOL! Happy Tufa-ing! - Lisa
...See More
Liatris
21 years ago
I'd also like to hear how you colored your leaves, please? I love what you've done, and your hypertufa is just the look I'd like to achieve - may I ask please which recipe you use?

Pam
0
carlean_mawmaw
21 years ago
I also like your leaves and there color and the hypertufa planters I would like to know the recipe for them please thanks
0
lucyw_5
21 years ago
I know it is somewhere, but can you email me direct the directions to make hypertufa. Thanks a bunch, Lucy
0
dimples
21 years ago
Will you please tell me how to make them too please. Thanks, dimples
0
garden_mama
21 years ago
WOW, what creativity, I do not want the directions, I just want you to come live with me and make all these neat things....
0
DaisyLover
21 years ago
Absolutely beautiful! Along with everyone else I want to know which cement recipe you used, which tufa recipe you used, what painting technique, what you used for molds for the planters, etc etc etc???? Did you find it easier to work with the cement or the tufa? Did you seal the leaves with something? Was your cement a clay-like consistancy?

One really important thing I want to know is... are these all of your "first" attempts or did you have a lot of failed attempts before you got this degree of perfection?? You can tell us... we won't tell a soul!! You definitely are very very talented and artistic! They are all done so perfectly!
0
shirley1md
21 years ago
What absolutely lovely tufa objects you have made for your garden. I especially love the leaves. They are very realistic looking. How did you get the color veining to run through the Hosta & Rhubarb leaves?

Do you share your tufa receipes & painting techniques? I would love to try this out. Please contact me.
0
urdge
21 years ago
Very cool sally, like the others, I would like your instruction on this.
0
cajunmist
21 years ago
Please go to HYPERTUFA forum and post this stuff ... they will love you

cajunmist (T A M I ) tufaholic
0
nwrose
20 years ago
Where did Sallywestside go? She was here, now she's gone and we don't know how she got that beautiful viening in the leaves. Hmmm....
They are nicely done.
Come back Sally, come back...
Smiles,
D....
0
decca
20 years ago
Hi, sally, i do hope you'll come back to share with us how you did your stepping stone.
thanks
0
Bonbon_N_KS
20 years ago
Maybe Sally is on summer vacation??? I too, want to know the recipe, they are just gorgeous! Beautiful work, such detail and the colors!!! I want some, where's Sally??? Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
0
eileen_
20 years ago
Okay you guys can all have the leaves I wan the HEART!!!!

It would look so cool by my pond.

I have not tried tufa yet as I am not sure I could pick everything up after molding....isn't the cement heavy?????

Any chance there are directions for the heart????

Just gorgeous....

Eileen
0
mardee
20 years ago
The leaves are absolutely gorgeous!! I want to know how, too. The "hypertufa" forum has lots of great ideas - and I'm going to try it - after I make a few more garden totems (from "Garden Junk"). So-o-o many great projects, so-o-o-o-o little time.
0
CandyWA
20 years ago
Did any of you actually GET the instructions for making and coloring Sally's leaves? I'd sure like to have them. Sally? Are you out there? We all appear to LOVE your garden leaves.
futrwriter@aol.com
0
tarol
15 years ago
Can you supply information on sealing? What do you use to waterproof your birdbaths so that the paint will not rub off?

Thanks!
0

hypertufa hearts, moons and concrete leafs

Comments (18)

klinger

Carol__

Related Discussions

Liatris

carlean_mawmaw

lucyw_5

dimples

garden_mama

DaisyLover

shirley1md

urdge

cajunmist

nwrose

decca

Bonbon_N_KS

eileen_

mardee

CandyWA

tarol

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US