Lyn
There's a little patch in my garden where rudbeckias push up through a lacecap hydrangea...
...pretty enough to inspire a picture isn't it?
So I formed four circular layers (16"/41cm diameter) of assorted greens of merino wool to make the base. I topped it with yellow, pink and lilac loose fibres where I wanted the petals to be, and I used nepps for the centre. I then cut petal shapes from yellow/orange and blue/pink silk then placed them on top before wet felting it all together.
When it was dry I applied acrylic paints to the petals and the felt directly around them. It's difficult to paint felt with a brush, so instead I used cocktail sticks and a bathroom sponge that I cut so that it had a short, sharp edge to use.
I like the texture created by the puckered silk and the acrylic paint!