Grungy Scrap Flowers (Tutorial)

As many of you know I have a bit of a problem when it comes to craft supplies... I love to buy them and I love to hoard them. So, in an effort to get this little (uhm... more like big) problem under control I am making 2012 the year to use what I have! Aside from the small moments of panic when I think about not buying any non-essential craft supplies, this challenge has actually been really great for my creativity! I have found myself digging into supplies that were long ago forgotten, finding ways to utilize the massive pile of scrap paper I have and also trying to craft outside my usual comfort zone. I have been feeling more free to create and experiment and just have fun doing what I love to do!

This past week I tried to re-create some paper flowers I had seen in a magazine- the kind created by cutting a circle into a spiral and then wrapping it around itself. I wasn't very pleased with the result and decided that instead of frustrating myself, I would simply go in another direction. This is what I came up with...

The great thing about these flowers is ALL the paper I used is from small scraps of Kraft paper that were- in my opinion- too big to throw away, but just too small to really use for anything else (did I mention I hoard?). I also had the chance to use a stamp I have never used before and I am super pleased with the result! I call these my little grungy scrap flowers. Here's a bit of a close-up...

Want to make some yourself? You can! They are super easy (and only slightly time consuming depending on how many you make at one time). So what will you need?

Basic Supplies:

- Circle Punches in various sizes (I used my 1", 1 1/4", 1 3/8", 1 1/2")

- Love Definition stamp from the Tim Holtz/Visual Artistry clear stamp set Purely Random (or of course any stamp you prefer)

- Memento Ink

- Distress Ink (I used Victorian Velvet, but again, any color you prefer)

- Ink Blending Tool

- Tim Holtz/Tonic Paper Distresser

- Bone Folder

- Paper Piercer

- Craft Foam

- Mini Brads (mine are copper)

- Ranger Craft sheet to work on

- Kraft Scrap Paper

First you will want to punch your circles from the scrap paper then stamp them with your chosen image(s). Using your Paper Distresser, go around the outer edges of the circles. Once that is done, use your chosen Distress Ink around the edges... I love how much this simple step adds to the visual interest of these flowers! Now go ahead and use your bone folder to work over the surface of the circles. (Do this step on the craft foam- it's the perfect surface for this affect). You will want to use some substantial pressure to start the "warping" process... the outer edges will start to curl up. (Just be careful not to apply too much pressure as it will destroy your paper). Once you have all of your circles warped to your liking, layer them in size order (smallest on top to largest on bottom). Use your paper piercer to go through all the layers in the center and then add your brad... DONE! And now you have some gorgeous grungy flowers to use for any of your paper crafting projects. The great thing about these is you can use stamps to change the theme of your flowers to fit any project you'd like! One last suggestion... if you want to make a lot of these at one time do each step on all the circles as you work rather than completing one flower at a time. It really cuts down on the amount of time you will spend on this project!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and found it informative and easy to follow. Of course I'd be happy to answer ANY questions you may have and you know I love your comments!

As always

Angela

Two For One Card Share

I couldn't even tell you how long it has been since I've made a card before a couple days ago! Thanks to a friends special request for some flower themed birthday cards I found myself happily creating these two lovelies...

For the first card my friend wanted me to make something with scenery and gardens for a friend who loves to garden, but currently lives somewhere which makes that impossible at the moment. The inspiration for this came immediately. I just recently learned how to make these fabulous little organza flowers so I thought they would make the perfect garden. The card base is from one of Tim Holtz's delicious paper stashes. I printed the sentiment out on translucent paper using my computer. I wanted something that would allow the beauty of the paper to come through while still allowing the organza flowers to be the center of attention.

For this next one, the only specification was that it be a flower themed birthday card. So of course I took the liberty to use one of my favorite techniques along with my favorite paper for this particular technique (basically any gorgeous, large print patterned paper by AC Paper)! I also only rounded two of the corners-- ones opposite each other to add visual interest. I saw this on a couple cards in PaperCrafts magazine and I thought it really added something special!

I just LURVE all the dimension you get from this technique...

Well, there you have it! A lovely little two-for-one Monday special. Feel free to share what your favorite paper crafting technique is! (Now off to fondle my Bind It All some more... we've been spending a lot of time together and I'm pretty sure it's love)!

As always

Angela