Cosmos, Cyanotype and Tea Bag Art

Using flowers from the garden, a clean tea bag, and cyanotype chemicals makes the perfect art journal page.

Before and after the freeze

It’s been so hot all summer that these cosmos didn’t bloom until November. They just appeared in my garden beneath the oak tree. I planted wildflower seeds in the spring but I guess it got hot too early here in Oklahoma for them to bloom.

I was surprised to see them but thrilled! I watched them wave in the breeze for a couple of days and loved it.

I cut a couple of blossoms to press and save for my art. I hesitated to cut more than a couple because I was enjoying them so much.

Then the freeze came.

You see in the video what happened.

I’m glad I cut the couple of blossoms that I did because I saved them from the freeze and have them to use as masks in my cyanotype process art work.

The Art Work

Cosmos pressed and dried with cyanotype process

I used my dried and pressed cosmos as masks on my tea bags with my cyanotype process.

Are you drying and pressing flowers to use in your work? I would love to know what flowers work for you.