Tuesday, January 25, 2011

A Rose Wreath by any other name....


     I have been trying to get back in the groove of posting on this blog.  I have been holding back because of several reasons, some stupid, such as not having step by step pictures, and others not so stupid like my son being sick for so long. 
     I even toyed with the idea of letting it die.  But I would kind of miss it.  It really is a creative outlet for me.  So, one of my goals this year is just to post and trust that if anything is not clear, you will just ask.  Many of you email me privately anyway instead of commenting, so let me know if that works for you. 
     Many times just looking at a picture will spark creativity, so I am going to just try and get my mojo back by going at it one step at a time.  Some posts will have instructions, some just a few pictures and a thought.  Hope you enjoy.  Happy 2011. 

     Dipping a toe into the blog pond today with a quick wreath I created in about 30 minutes for a friend of mine.  She is a Stampin' Up demonstrator http://www.ddstamps.typepad.com/ and lent me some goodies to experiment with.  She was doing a display and wanted to have some out of the box uses for the new products from the mini catalog.  Let me tell you...so much fun.  This was right up my alley, no restrictions other than I use their products.  I will post some of the other things I did later, but I wanted to get this one up. 
Items used.

Green floral wreath from the Dollar Store
Muslin
First Edition Designer Series Stampin' Up paper (SU)
Old Olive Card stock SU
Cherry Cobbler Card stock SU
1/4 Hole Punch SU
Scallop Circle Punch SU
Ornament Punch SU
Table Setting Die (Big Shot) SU
Old Olive Ink SU
  Cherry Cobbler Ink SU
Elements of Style Stamp SU
Cherry Cobbler Button SU

Other: Stylus, hot glue gun


I tried to give you  a close up of the flower. 
Let's break it down into steps
  1. Tear muslin into 2 inch strips and hot glue around the wreath to cover the green. I left mine a little frayed.   Tear one strip 2 1/2 inches wide and form the loop for hanging.  Glue the two ends together and then decorate with the button.  You can sew it if you like, but this time I just glued.
  2. Punch 3 ornament shapes per flower (9 total) out of the old olive.  If you don't have that punch, free hand a leaf...just think of a long heart. 
  3. Using the stylus I "carved" lines into the leaf, no rulers, you want it to look natural.  I then inked the edges/lines with the old olive and stamped the floral image background from the stamp set over the whole leaf for dimension. Continue for the next 8 leaves.  I promise it goes quickly!
  4. With the Scallop punch, I cut 6 scallops from the cherry cobbler.  Set 3 aside.  Lay the other 3 out because they are the bases for your roses.
  5. The table Setting Die has a spiral cut circle on it that you can use for the rose.  If that item is not in your toy box, simply cut three 4 1/2 inch circles out of the First Edition paper (looks like a dictionary paper.- lurve it!!!)  Then simply cut them in a spiral and ink the edges.  Don't get hung up on them looking perfect.  We are creating a flower and want it to look natural. 
  6. Now the fun begins, start at the middle of the spiral and pinch the end to form a bud.  Continue to curl and twist the paper around to form a flower, adding judicious bits of hot glue as needed to hold in place. When the flower is formed, glue to your cherry cobbler base.  Make two more flowers.
  7. You may notice gaps here and there.  This is where your other scallop circles come into play.  Simply cut them apart into petal groups and use your stylus to break the stiffness down.  You do this by laying it on a mouse pad and rub the stylus in circles on it.  You will notice your card stock change texture and curl a little.  Use a dab of glue to fill any gaps in the flower. 
  8. In the home stretch!  Place three leaves in a triangle and glue a flower in the center.  Using your 1/4 inch punch, add a few circles in the center of each flower.  I chose to break those down with the stylus as well. 
This really was easy peasy...promise! 
Hope you bring a little spring into your winter and give it a try!


1 comment:

Beth said...

Love it Kee! I will have to try it tonight!