Sunday, November 10, 2013

Mandala Monday: Faking It

I'm once again joining Dawn for Mandala Monday.  You can find her and her stunning mandalas at Girl Unwinding.

But first, I want to take you back to last Mandala Monday, where I showed my front yard 
and how nasty it looked.

I even used my zoom lens which showed the yard from the rose bush to the street.
 After reading a comment from Monica about the big chill that would soon descend on this area, I decided to forgo TV buying and clean up my front "flower bed," too.  Yes, it's the same yard, and it took two days (Saturday and today) to clear it properly.  This photo is from Saturday.  Don't you just love all that natural mulch?  Why rake leaves and bag them, then buy mulch and fertilizer in a bag, when you can mulch and fertilize your yard with your mower and have all that extra money to spend on new things like. . . . . . . . . . . . . a new TV, for example (grin).

After the massive clean-up in my front yard today, I headed to my basement studio looking for something, ANYTHING I could use to design a mandala.  It hit me that I had some beautiful flowers and leaves.  And they were all basically the same size, too.

That's how this mandala came to fruition.

The lighting is a bit off in the basement, so each time I moved, I picked up a different light spectrum.

Even my lovely new camera couldn't keep up with the changing colors, although I tried to make some amendments and color corrections in PhotoShop.

By now you should have guessed that these are "silk" flowers.  I hope Dawn will approve, since I know she's really into natural mandalas.  Unfortunately, after the massive clean-up, there's nothing natural, except dirt some very rich soil and newly made mulch to use in my mandalas.

This is Day 11 of AEDM
and I'm also sharing it with both Leah and Dawn at Girl Unwinding.

BTW, I'll be posting a bit early for T tomorrow.

17 thoughtful remarks:

Dianne said...

I love your flower 'bed!' Lovely mandala too...sometimes you just need the colorful lift that silk flowers offer out of season!

Krisha said...

WOW! Your yard looks great. Beautiful Mandala too.

Janet said...

Like I need one more thing to do, you've got me thinking about what I could use to make natural mandalas! AND making me feel guilty that I haven't done my fall garden clean-up yet! Heeheehee!

Vicki Miller said...

Oh, I actually thought they were real.. They could pass as real. But the important thing is that you made the mandala, isn't it? Is the gold disk foam? or a vase?

Sharon Fritchman said...

Your photos are absolutely beautiful! And your Mandala is so creative and pretty! I love the way you used natural things to make yours!!!!

dawn said...

Hello Elizabeth, so glad you made it for Mandala Monday. That's great your yard is cleaned up, takes a lot of work. We can't do much in our yard still, the wind has been crazy and the grass is still too wet and soft for mowing. The sun doesn't come and stay for long lately. sigh.
I had to go back in time for my mandala.

I love yours, the gold is so pretty and all the different lighting is so cool. I thought they were real too. This is a great way to make a mandala, with winter coming we have to use some imagination and out side the box ideas. Beautiful!!
I might be a tad late for T on Tuesday. I used to do mine on Monday' nights but have joined a bible study and it's too late by the time I get home.
I do have my Mandala post up now though.
Great job keeping up still, love seeing what you will post each day.

dawn said...

Forgot to mention....

I LOOOOOOOVE your post below!!! SOOOOO awesome what you did with the leaves, LOVE IT!!

Unknown said...

I thought the flowers were real :) Pretty mandala and your yard looks super! xo

Anonymous said...

Great minds think alike in that my husband spent the weekend mulching our leafy yard, too. Not that it did much good to look at it now. We are surrounded by oaks and maples and pines so it is an on going thing until every last leaf has left the building, so to speak.

How dare you make a mandala out of silk flowers. I'm leaving. Hahahaha, just kidding. My natural mandala hiatus will start as soon as the weather makes it's final turn around the bend. Then we will see what we see. I love that you found some beautiful sun flowers and daisies to make into a mandala for us today and served up on a golden platter, well. . . .
Happy Mandala Monday!!
~Dawn

Darla said...

Wonderful fall feeling mandala

Darla

Jo Murray said...

There are times of the year when real flowers are hard to find. Your lateral thinking is definitely the way to go.

dawn said...

I just read your comment on my blog, first thank you for the visit and birthday wishes and enjoying my mandala.
Second, you are so funny! I'm sorry I had you looking for my link at AEDM, I didn't get it there till just now. I only had a few minutes on computer this morning and made sure to come by here and not go there till later. Now that I'm reading my bible in the morning it's making my computer time disappear it seems. Trying to find a happy balance.
Ok, about posting early, maybe I will do mine that way too. I have a few blogs to read then will see about writing up mine too.
Laughed at your comment on Dawn's blog, she might kick us both out soon since our yards aren't as full as hers. I wish we both could go visit her and see that awesome tree filled yard she has.
See you again soon!

Anonymous said...

That was alot of work, I know too well and I just look sometimes and walk away.....great Mandala. xox

Karla B said...

Lovely Mandala, my friend!

Halle said...

Love that copper tray!! The silk flowers are too...it's ok that you aren't using fresh!

Carol said...

Beautiful Mandala! Feels good to get the yard cleaned up doesn't it? We did that on Sunday too .

creatorme said...

Wow you worked hard over the weekend. That beautiful "sunny" mandala is just wonderful.