Painting Roses Red - Alice in Wonderland project part 4

Reading through the story again - I had picked out several different scenes that I wanted to try to do.  The painting the roses red, just strikes me as so ludicrous that it must be done. Well, plus I figured it would be reasonable easy for me to do with materials on hand and my skills.  If it involves making figures or too many details, well it just might never get done. Because I won't, not be cause I can't.

A large rose tree stood near the entrance of the garden the roses growing on it were white but there were three gardeners at it busily painting them red.  Alice thought this a very curious thing and she went nearer to watch them and just as she came up to them she heard one of them say, "Look out now Five. Don't go splashing paint over me like that". "I couldn't help it", said Five in a sulky tone. "Seven jogged my elbow."On which Seven looked up and said, "That's right Five. Always lay the blame on others!"

Then there is this illustration to go with it.

In my mind, I want a ladder, so that is what I am doing.  Also my tree is going to be more of a tall vine.
The illustrator took artistic license as shall I.  They are more like people with cards on their bodies than how it is described in the text.

In my stash, I had some etched brass leaves.  I have collected several of these over the years.  One or two even a kit to make a rose vine, but without the flower petals.  

This what this product looks like.  I have turned over a branch so can see that one side is plain and the other is etched with veins.
I love living in the South.  I do not care for the harsh winter found in other parts of the USA so I lovingly deal with the consequences of hot humid summers.  But it does hinder me using spray paint. The mfgr recommends to spray paint as a base coat at least, but I don't even bother with spray paint in the summer due to high humidity.  Too much effort to wait until it isn't.  I just doesn't fit with when I want to mini.  So that meant multiple layers of acrylic paint.  Thin coats of course were used and sometimes seemed I didn't coat it at all but I just kept doing it until the brass was covered.

On left can see the painted with two colors of green and a brown.  The lighter green doesn't really show here it is under the leaves.  I don't know why but I can't get away from painting stems and branches brown.  I even mix in grey or black to try to get more grey.  I checked my own rose bush - a miniature one, which has green stems.  Just couldn't do it - leaving the stems green.  So they are mixed up brown.  
On the right can see the flowers I made.  Maybe they are roses?  I used two punched 5 point petals per each.  Wet them on a paper towel, layer two together with the petals offset, then used my tiny end of the double-ball stylus to shape them pressing them into some fun foam.  I actually prefer a faux leather pad most times when shaping flowers but the fun foam maybe holds them in place longer.  Negative with the fun foam is that it does remember the holes where the faux leather doesn't most of the time.

After creating the above post but not publishing it, I did some more work on the roses.  They are all together as a rose tree as described in the text.  Can't see it in this pic, but I have attached the metal to a real wood stem to make it a tree. It is brown and matches perfectly. It was meant to be. The stem also gives me a sturdy support to stick into the foam base versus the flimsy brass.  

I have also put together 3 cards for the gardeners.  I will still need to add heads.  The cards I am using, I found a set of faces and backs as images online.  I printed them on separate pages so that I can glue the wires in between.  The plus was that I also didn't have to line up for the double sided printing. However one issue I have is that the Jack, Queen and King have faces, the lower cards do not.  So these need heads.  Which actually might make sense of why the Queen would call, "Off with their heads!" so often.  Maybe she was jealous they had them.  LOL
Next I will be painting the roses red.  Hmmm, the title of this is 'painting roses red' but I am going to make you wait for pics.  Is that mean?
Maybe I will update this post - or add another.... Off to make paint brushes and buckets for these gardeners.