Polymer clay leaves black and white

I made the leaves for a challenge. But knowing me (and the fact that I wanted to take part in one of their challenges for months... and never did it) it is quite possible that I won't be able to make it the next days. 

But still I want to show you the leaves. There were not intended this ways but developed while creating them. I used polymer clay (Fimo classic white and translucent). I used some with tiny bits and little bit of dirt, you know, the polymer clay leftovers. I thought it is not necessary that the clay is perfectly clean. On one side the clay should be painted... and also it would create more depth into the structures and shades.

I pressed real leaves into the clay and then cut lines around it for an oval shape. They were nice... but after baking I thought something was missing... 

...so I started carving the little leaves. You see the borders? All cut with a sharp scalpel! 

You see the tiny dots where the clay was not perfect anymore? Especially with the translucent... which is not perfect translucent therefor.... but for the leaves a really good effect!

The little yellow brown spots you see here were from the leaf! Somehow they also changed the clay... you can see it in the painted leaves. At some spots the acrylic paint coloured more intense than in the rest...

Cutting the edge makes such beautiful leaves! If it just wouldn't be so much time intense work!

Several trials, some straight, some a little bit curvy...

Just a thick layer of back acrylic paint at the and and taken away before it could dry...

Now I should start working with them...