Shabby Chic Flowers

I joined a swap at Club Posh.  It isn't due for a while, but I got to thinking about it yesterday.  I need to make 6 A2 cards with the Shabby Chic ok.  Hat isn't too much of a stretch for me because I love the look.  Each card needs to have a flowers ribbon, a bow & a button.  Fine, Fine, fine, what a button?  I don't work well with buttons.  I did one card with a faux button on it & it was ok. Ii can do a faux button, so we'll see how that turns out.  I've been over at you tube again.  So, whats new?  Right.  It has lead me to a new addiction http://www.ustream.tv/  They have no time limit on the videos!  People are doing actual classes over there.  I've been watching FollowingThePaperTrail (Laura who is followthepapertrail at you tube) and NsSnowAngel at U Stream.  NsSnowAngel did some really cool flowers.  So I made several of her flowers for the swap card.  I used all paper scraps and limites supplies I had on hand to make them.  I wasn't familiar with the Diamond Dust before i started seeing it on You Tube.  It's not really a glitter.  It chunks of plastic.  They look like sanding sugar you put on cookies & cakes.  I found mine at Michael's in the adhesive area. I got my jar with the 50% off coupon & paid $4.50 for it!  What a great deal.  They are fun and easy to make.  Here's my version.  

I have a close up view of them at the end of this post.  They're just so pretty.

Here is what I used.  Diamond Dust, Rhinestone brads (or any brad, I used sage green), Glimmer Mist (I used Pink Azelia & Moss Green), Shimmer Spritz Sparkle (I got it at JoAnn's.  It's made by Tsukeneko & comes in packs of two in Mini Misters.)  Crystal Lacquer, Vintage Photo Distress inkpad with a dauber, Mat pack & paper piercing tool.  Light colored scrapbook paper scraps.  I used some old Anna Griffon papers. Then you want some way to cut out your flower shapes.  I used a flower from my slice.  You can use punches or your cricut.  You can even cut them out yourself.

Here are my flowers.  i know they're hard to see, but I wanted you to see how I cut them out.  I used the Basic shapes cartridge from my Slice Machine. I cut three flowers in 2" & two in 1".  This is where you can really have fun finding the perfect shape & combination fo flowers for your project.  Mine are all the same for the swap, but I plan to try different one's later today. 

Anoter not so easy to see picture, btu  thought I shouldn't leave it out.  Spray your flowers wirh glimmer mist, or something similar.  I then sprayed them with a layer of the Shimmer Spritz over the wet flowers.  You can leave out this step & just use water.  Maybe you have Perfect Pearls, just add a few pinches to water & make yout own mists.  Whatever works for you, just get them wet.

Nowyou want to roll your flowers up into little balls.  Do this step while they're wet.  Then dry each one with a heat tool.  I like to hold each one with my paper piercing tool.  They will shrink from the heat.  Be careful, they can burn.

Carefully unpeal each flower  heat until they're completely dry. .  Here are the one's I used to make each flower.  Use your mat pack & paper piercing tool to add a hole to the center of each flower.  Use the dauber & Vintage Phote Distress ink to add some brown to the edges & raised areas.  Now you're ready to put them together.

I added the flowers to the brad one at a time.  I put a little drop to the back of each flower to hold them together.  They moved around when I didn't so this step.  I applied some drops of the crystal lacquer to the petals & applied some Diamond Dust.  Here it is all finished.  JIL