Scroll Saw Saga - Crysanthemumumum..ba dum

Video HERE

Being the first Scroll Saw project of the year - and almost 4 months since I last used it - this was probably too complex a shape to cut without having warmed up with something more simple... Oh well...

I played about with paper and a compass for quite some time before I was satisfied with the pattern - and then had a look online and found a dozen images that could have done the job... BUT I can happily say that this design is all mine!

[Pattern to follow - when I unpack the scanner!]

1. Looking through my limited stash I picked out some 4mm sheets of pre-loved ply, and a piece of 2mm ply for the top surface - aiming for about 12-13" square.
2. Using carbon paper I transferred the pattern to the top ply, then taped the wood together, I also added a few pins to anchor the layers.*
3. First I cut out the outer line and remove one layer of ply for the base, then cut around the flower.
4. Discarded one of the frame layers, then stuck together one frame, the top surface and the base.
5. I stuck together the flower layers, being careful to line up the shapes exactly. Dry overnight.
6. I carefully cut out the pieces, trying to get into the middle quite early so that the central smaller petals could be cut when there was still a decent amount of wood to hold on to.
7. I trimmed off glue squeeze-out and gave each piece a quick sanding, then fitted everything back together to make sure all the petals fit.
8. I shaded the leaves and petals with my pyrography tool then painted the petals in thin graduating colours from yellow, through ochre to red, and painted the leaves.
9. I painted the inside of the frame and its outer edge in royal purple** and then used a stamping head on the pyrography tool to create a - somewhat - random pattern. I also painted the sides of the pieces in black to create contrast, but I probably should have gone for a dark pyro burn instead.
10. After a gentle sanding of the petals I added white and gold highlights - and a few dragonflies to hide mis-burned patches.
11. When the weather improves I will finish with spray varnish.

*In hindsight I should have at least glued the top ply to one layer to give it some support and taped round the whole block to stop the bottom layer from splintering.
**Leaving the tape on the top surface acted as a good masking layer against acrylic, but it wouldn't have worked as well with a watercolour.

This is a really traditional scrolling project, and it was interesting to do something the way it was intended... I MIGHT try something like this again!