Cherry blossom time

For this spread in my Challenges altered book, I'm once again joining Jo from Let's Art Journal who is our host this month at Art Journal Journey with her theme Hello Springtime.


Today we are celebrating the Cherry Blossom Festival around the tidal basin in Washington, D.C., which is our nation's capital.  These cherry trees have an interesting history.

Here are the words describing their planting and the history behind it.  I copied the information from arlingtontours.com in case you can't read it or in case you need to translate it:

The Cherry Blossom Festival, which runs every year from March to
April, commemorates the gift of approximately 3,000 cherry trees
from the Mayor of Tokyo to the United States in 1912. The gift
celebrates the friendship between the Japanese and American
people. The Cherry Blossom Festival, located mainly around the
Tidal Basin, attracts hundreds of thousands of people to D.C. each
year. Peak bloom occurs when 70% of the Yoshino Cherry trees are
open. Most people are familiar with the beauty of the cherry blossom
trees; but few know the history of how these trees came to surround
the Tidal Basin. That story starts with an individual buried at
Arlington National Cemetery.

Often overlooked and forgotten are the first President and First
Lady to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery President
William Howard Taft and his wife Helen Nellie Taft. In 1909,
Mrs. Taft received a letter from Mrs. Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore, a
local author and member of the National Geographic Society,
detailing a plan to plant cherry trees around the Tidal Basin. Mrs.
Taft responded to the letter by agreeing to the overall plan; but she
suggested some minor changes to the layout of the trees around the
Basin. The Japanese consul was told about the plan and offered to
donate approximately 2,000 trees. In 1910 the trees arrived in
Washington DC and the Department of Agriculture discovered that
they were infested with insects. A few days later President Taft
agreed to have the trees burned. The mayor of Tokyo and others
from Japan decided to donate another batch of cherry trees to the
Capitol. In March of 1912, approximately 3,000 trees arrived in the
District.

Mrs. Taft and the Japanese ambassador's wife planted the first two
saplings on the northern bank of the Tidal Basin. Those trees still
stand today with a small plaque commemorating the event. If you
want to avoid the crowds at the Tidal Basin, come to Arlington
National Cemetery to see a variety of Japanese cherry trees
including: Yoshino Cherry, Akebono Cherry, Weeping Cherry and
other blooming trees like magnolias, dogwoods, red buds and
Japanese crab apples. And while you are visiting, don't forget to stop
by section 30 to thank Mrs. Taft for her role in bringing the cherry
blossom trees to Washington D.C.!

Copied in whole from
https://www.arlingtontours.com/dc-cherry-blossom-history

This is an amazing sight to see, and of course,

it definitely signifies spring.

Faux cherry blossoms dot the page.

For this two pages spread, I began with black non-archival construction paper as my substrate.  It measures 9" X 12" (22,9 X 30,5 cm) and covers all but the very top of the two pages. I cut a page from an old calendar so it would fit on the pages.  I colored some copier/printer paper using water soluble crayons, then cut flowers using two punches shown in the first photo.  Finally, I found the history of these trees on the internet and copied the information using my laser printer.  I then adhered everything in place using heavy double-sided tape on the construction paper and calendar page (because the slick calendar paper is so thin, it would have buckled under the moisture of any wet glue) and glue dots to hold the faux cherry blossoms.

I'm so happy you decided to join me today and I hope this history of the cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C. was as interesting for you as it was for me.  Please also join me at Art Journal Journey.

UPDATE: I'm finally back online!  Can hardly believe it!!!!!