The tree alone took three days because it is very finicky and seriously labour demanding 
I used my Cry Baby keychain as a cushion to shape the petals and it basically became my tiny crafting assistant 
I have no idea how many petals I used but it is easily in the hundreds. My fingers definitely filed a complaint 
I used this fun technique to make the leaves 
They are mostly for accents but they add such a nice touch, and I tried to pack as many petals as possible into the back area for that full cherry blossom look
I do wish I could manipulate the orientation of the branches better once it was on display, but it is okay. Some angles look fuller than others and I kind of love that it feels more natural that way 
Real trees are not perfect either
I had a warped piece of wood and could not figure out what to do with it, so I pulled out my DeWalt glue gun and went full DIY mode 
When the glue dried, the wood straightened right up. Problem solved 
Who needs a workshop when you have a glue gun
I used Trade Secrets to stain the wood instead of acrylic paint because I wanted the wood grain to show through against the gold details 
I used the same gold pen and I love how warm and elegant it looks together 
I was also able to acquire another Nanci figure who plays the same Guqin instrument, so now they are happily playing together under the spring breeze of the cherry blossoms 
This build taught me patience 
focus 
and how much joy there is in slowing down and creating something with your hands 
Every tiny piece reminded me that good things really do take time 
It pushed me to trust the process even when my eyes were tired 
and my fingers were covered in glue 
Thank you so much to everyone for the encouragement and support 
Thank you for cheering me on through every tiny detail and every late night crafting session 
This one was truly made with love 
Now if anyone needs me, I will be resting my eyes 
and pretending I am sitting under these cherry blossoms too
Now back to the wheel and on to the next 
I honestly dread making plants so I can only imagine how long that tree took for it to turn into a masterpiece! 
After 3 days of gluing blossoms I think you can’t see any blossoms anymore 
but all the hard work was definitely worth it, the end result is fantastic
all that hard work paid off because your finished build looks beautiful 
I put so much love into it and that tree almost took me out lol 
