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Oct 30, 2011

Tutorial for Roses using EK Success Retro Flower Punch

Rose Tutorial using the EK Success Retro Flower Punch


Hi Everyone, I hope you will stay with me through a mountain of photos to get this done....it makes it easier for you to see what I have done, and hopefully you will be able to make a lovely rose!!

 Using the medium punch (3cm dia) cut 9 flowers.

 Separate into 3 piles.  These will be bottom layer, middle layer and the bud layer (top)
 Starting with the middle layer, fold the first petal towards the centre of the flower and then straighten back out again. Repeat with all 5 petals.
 Now taking a bone folder (scorer, anything you have is fine, I find this works for me).
 Put the edge of your tool under the petal at the join to the centre and drag towards the outside edge of the petal.  (Same motion as your would use for curling ribbon.)
 You will have a nice little curl on your petal.  Repeat with all petals.
 There you go, see how it lifts the petals at the centre and makes them drop down at the edge?
 Now put your finger at the outside edge of the petal and make that curl even more defined. Press it down to curl it more.
 Like this, but don't bend it right over and put a crease in him.
 Just like this, and then repeat with all 5 petals.
 There his is all done.  Now repeat this with another 2 flowers.
 Now we will work on the bottom layer. Take 3 flowers for this.
 Now holding the flower in the centre, place the thumb and forefinger of your other hand on either side of the outside edge of the petal and squeeze together until you squeeze a creased point on the outside of the petal.
 See how this is for the lower petal? Repeat with all 5 petals and the 3 flowers.  Now you have your bottom layers done.
 Now for the bud top of your rose.  Take 3 flowers and a pair of tweezers, straight or offset, whatever you have.  Hold the petal of the flower as above.
 Now squeeze the petal around the tweezers. 
 See how it retains its curl? Now repeat with the other 4 petals and the other 2 flowers, so you have 3 like this.
 Now you will have 3 flowers that are pinched to a point.  Three Flowers that are curled down at the end, and 3 that are curled inwards.
 Now taking the 3 pinched to a point ones.
 Glue one on top of another, offsetting each petal so that you see the lower one between the upper one. 
 See how you can see all the petal of both flowers?
 Now add the third layer, offsetting it again.
 Do the same with the middle layer flowers, (the curled down ones)
 Sometimes it is easier to press down with something.  I find my fingers are a little big at times.
 Now add the middle stack to the bottom stack and hold together until the glue takes.
 This is what you should have by now.
 Now take the bud parts, the 3 top layer flowers.  I have used Glossy Accents, but I usually use white glue.  You will see that I have coated each petal for this.
 Now fold the petals up, I try to have the circle of petals going in the same inside to outside direction, if you look closely you will see what I mean, but it does not matter if this is not so, it will still work.
 Now bring your bud tighter by pressing it closed or rolling it in your fingers. (Whatever works for you)
 And tighter still.  You will need to hold this one for a while.  I have not worked out a holding system except for between my fingers.
 Done that one, now for the next.  Add the glue again to the centre and the lower parts of the petals.
 Pop the little bud in the centre.
 Now fold up the petals.  Again you will have to hold it till the glue takes.   Then add the 3rd petal in the same manner, but not as tight.
 Now this is the bottom and middle layers.
 Now carefully lift the petals to 'fluff' it up a little.
 Glue on the bud part.  Isn't it beautiful???  Now I take a paintbrush (a disposable lipstick brush) and some watered down white glue and paint my rose.
 Then carefully sprinkle some clear (you know the one that takes on any colour under it) glitter.
There ya go, he is so cute.  Lisa I hope you like this.

Lisa is my friend from SCS.  She is Canadian and I love her.  She gives me such wonderful praise for my work and she does such beautiful work herself.  She is an inspiration.  Why not go visit her blog Crafting Cottage it is well worth the visit.

Now here is a card I did with these roses, and I even made a small one with the small punch, but only 4 or 5 layers.


Now I hope you make some roses for yourself.  Email me if you need more help.

LoveLaurenxx

Alphabet Challenges

This is my Q for Queen of Hearts Card for the Alphabet Challenge on SCS, I try to play along each week but sometimes I just plain don't get it done!!






I used my new Queen of Hearts embossing folder and Amuse border scallop dies, aren't they just wonderful, I got those from my friend the Forest Ranger, thanks for that!!

Oct 27, 2011

Embellishment Making....

Hi Everyone!!

This would be my favourite part of papercraft, the making of the little embellishments.  I just love making things myself and really love the journey rather than the destination.  Strange that.


 These little guys are just gorgeous, love my Oriental supplies.  Usually I am so hesitant to cut any of my Yutzen papers, I just love looking at them and touching them, they are so beauiful and the feel of the papers is so special.  But my friend Paola is having an all things Oriental Swap so I decided I needed to cut!!  I will be doing a tutorial on how to make these little guys soon.


 Stickpins are my newest passion and I have about 50 made ready to use.  These ones are for a swap with Sam, she started this addiction.  I cannot make a card lately without a pin on it somewhere!!


Lace flowers are so very delicate and pretty.  These are made with scraps and smallish pieces of lace and ribbon, etc.  Pretty aren't they?


I saw some Prima raffia flowers and thought 'I can make those'.  Well these are not like the Prima ones at all, I cannot believe I thought I could make them like those.  But these are pretty, and so easy to make.

Now you know what I do between making cards.  I love to have loads of supplies and this passion helps me have heaps on hand.

Have fun and play soon.

LoveLaurenxx

Oct 26, 2011

Spellbinders Rose Creations

Oh Hello Everyone!!

I have been having fun making roses with the Spellbinders Rose Creations set of dies.  I am loving the results, so realistic and beautiful without a lot of work to shape them.  I would never have thought it would be this easy to create them.



I just love the black and white DP that this is made with and the sprinkle of Stickles on the petals has made it so very special.  Lots of petal curling and embossing to get the shape and I did have to play with quite a few petals before I got the desired result.


 To make this card I took off the outside 2 petals of the rose, to make it smaller and it worked really well.  It gave me plenty of room to put the ribbon and bow on, as well as the beautiful butterfly from the Fanciful Flight set.  Of course I had to put a stick pin in there!!



Another rose for a special card to say hello.  Made with DP from my scrap stash, a couple of borders, a diecut word, some ribbon, a bow and of course another pin!!!  I am getting a bit predictable, and embellishments keep finding their way onto my cards.

This card has been entered into the Challenge Stripes and Polka Dots at  Southern Girls Challenge Blog!

I must admit I am addicted to flowers, ribbon and stickpins.  My Big Shot would be my abslute favourite tool and everyone knows I am a tool junkie.... technique junkie..... embellisher....

Oh well hope you get some time to create something special real soon.  A couple of my friends have been bitten by the flower making bug and they are doing really well!!

LoveLaurenxx

Oct 20, 2011

Victorian Style Card and Bookmark

Hello Everyone,

I love Victorian or Vintage cards and bookmarks.  It is all sepia, pearls, lace and wonderful papers, reminding me of an era of elegance and style, times gone past, Gone With the Wind, Jane Austen and my gentle, elegant Grandmother.

 Oh I love these Victorian girls, so cute, so sweet and perfect for this card.  Wide lace over a background of two types of DP.  A focal embellishment made from ribbon, leaves and a traditional rose and a Chinese rose in reds with pearl string added.  The sentiment is encased in a file name plate and embellished with decorated pins.

The bookmarks are decorated back and front, with lace and flowers.  The bottom has ribbon between the layers with strings of pearls that match.  Beautiful DP has been used as a background and the bookmarks are distresses with ink.  I needed a vintage bookmarks for all the classic novels I read.  Just seems to fit.

These two projects were made for the Victorian/Vintage Card and Bookmark Swap hosted by my friend Yvonne on SCS.

Hope you enjoyed them.  Get inky soon.

LoveLaurenxx

Oct 19, 2011

Tutorial for Rolled Chinese Roses...

Hello Everyone,

I promised I would do a short tutorial on these beautiful flowers so here goes.

These are really easy and oh so beautiful!!  I love putting them on everything right now.

Chinese Roses
I have used Marianne Designs die Chinese Roses, as it has the leaves that can be embossed too.
Run the die through the die cutting machine. I used Bazzil Basics cardstock which is quite heavy.
 Separate the die cut.
Then I used a quilling tool, slotted point needle tool.
Starting from the outside of the flower.
Place the cardstock betweent the 2 prongs of the tool and start turning towards you.
Keep rolling towards you.
Keep rolling until you reach the centre of the flower..
Keeping the flower on the tool, put some glue on the centre of the flower.
 Press the coil of flower to the glued area and hold for a short time.  The glue I use is fairly fast drying and available at Go-Lo here in Australia.
 Woo hoo a rolled Chinese Rose!!  How clever is that??
I use Distress Ink with a sponge held on a clip tool to burnish or colour around the edge of the rose
This saves getting a lot of ink on fingers, although I still do manage to get some.

Here is another pic of the roses.





And a card with a rose on it.





Hope you get to make some soon, they really are very beautiful and so easy!!  Now I am off to make more with very different papers, prints and plains.

Thanks for reading me!!.

LoveLaurenxx