Blossom Sugar Wafers

Life has been slowly coming back to some semblance of normal. Our computer has suffered a few glitches in the rebuild, then a few days with our U-verse lines down. My work schedule is becoming routine, and I finally feel like my creative soul can peek out once again. While I know I have a few projects planned out (still hoping to do a matching line for Dear Lizzy) I'm mostly starting with whatever moves me, just to get back into the swing of creating. I have a few new Button Blossoms in the shoppe tonight.

A New Year

Things seem different this year. Even as it starts I know some things have changed. One of the big things for me is that the Year of Color blog is over. I was able to focus much of my art from inspiration led by the blog. I was also able to participate in several outstanding swaps through it. I hope to be able to find more swaps to be a part of, but it seems I'm always finding them AFTER the deadlines. I also still need to finish one project from Silver Bella last November, and I was inspired and motivated even from sign ups late spring. Hopefully this will return when I see the class list for this year, I truly hope to be able to participate again!

But with the lack of mixed media focus, my attention has once again shifted to the scrapbook paper arena. Basic Grey has always been a favorite line of mine, and I've been able to dabble in color chemistry on two new collections based on "Nook and Pantry" and "Origins". Of course I started with ribbons! I also loved expirmenting with dyeing paper flowers, dictionary papers, and crepe. Both lines are now in my etsy.

Summer Apricot:
Moss:

Leave me a post telling me about your favorite pieces, or what lines you'd like to see next and I'll draw a name next week Friday (Jnauary 29th) for a free set of Summer Apricot ribbons and Paper Botanicals!

Christmas at Sleepy Hollow

Sleepy Hollow Botanical Gardens have done it again! Their magical gardeners have performed their wonders in creating these new hybrids of the peppermint variety, perfect for the holiday season. These particular specimens come from their most hardy bushes, the Ribbon Candies.

These magnificent selections will be forthcoming in the etsy shoppe! Once again we thank Eileen and Star of Star's Fault for their lovely tutorial found here.

Sleepy Hollow Botanical Gardens

Before Ichabod Crane lost his head, he was known to spend his Sunday afternoons roaming Sleepy Hollows Botanical Gardens. He liked to observe some of the more rare specimens created by the Gardens caretaker...

Some of the experiments were collected and labeled for preservation...

Rumor has it Alice Cullen used Sleepy Hollow Botanical Gardens for a certain special event...

(These beautiful specimens were adapted from Eileen and Star at Stars Fault, who shared their fabulous tutorial here)

Little Charlottes

Wow, two posts in one day, after such a dry spell. Hope you aren't fainting. This post is mostly just for pretty pictures...

... Little Charlottes will make their way soon to the shoppe!

Bombay Flower Tutorial

My first tutorial was very enjoyable, so I'm adding another. This one I call Bombay Flower after the first one I made with it's pretty feathers. Supplies needed: Pretty papers (double sided is nice), adhesive, circle cutters for cutting and tracing, pencil, paper punch, embellishments (I'm using a white flower, green leaves, bit of chalk)

First cut a five inch circle.

Next, trace a 1&1/2 ince circle in the center, this can be drawn on either side of the paper. Here I drew it on the outside, which will then show in the back. On the pink flower I drew it on the back side and it became glued over (probably the better choice).

Cut into your circle only up to the pencil line, tring to keep the "petals" the same width from outside to center.

Turn paper so you are looking at the "inside" of the flower. Placing glue on the pencil line (or just inside the cuts) start to bring the outside of the strips to the line and adhere down. I found it easier to do every other to start with.

Glue remaining strips down.

Punch a coordinating sheet of paper for the center- I chalked mine up a bit.

Using your fingers, press the outside of the petals lightly to "fluff" them up a bit.

Add your embellishments! On the pink I coated the center with glitter, a few buttons, and feathers (they can be ironed if they have too much curl!) . Try layered papers, buttons, felt or whatever is your favorite!

Thanks for letting me share!

Round Flower tutorial

I had posted this pink posy earlier on Scrapshare, and now I'm delighted to present my first blog tutorial! Materials need: two or three different papers (I used scrapping papers here- use what you love!), leaves (with or without wire), paper flower, brad, stamen (the white thingies with the pearly ends), glitter, glue. Circle cutter and paper piercing tools also.

Start by cutting three different size circles. Mine are 3, 2&1/2, and 2 inches.

Next, roll up the sides with your fingers (what, you didn't really think I had wings, did you?). This will be very uneven. If you don't like the rolled look, you could also tear very near the edge to give the circle some texture, or do nothing at all!

Here are all my circles rolled up.

Layer the circles, largest to smallest, and use your piercing tool (or a needle) to puncture the center.

Push the brad through the paper flower, then through all the circles. You may want to loosely fold back the brad ends to help the flower lay flat while you apply the glitter. Don't press them all the way yet.

Using whatever technique you prefer, apply glue to the rolled up portions of the circles (here I chose only to do the smallest and largest circles) and to the paper flower. Then sprinkle on your glitter! (or use Stickles)

Lastly, slightly lift a petal of the paper flower and put on a dollop of glue. Slide your stamen under the petal, and under the brad (this is why you left it a bit loose). Then tighten the brad completely. You could also do this step before you glitter, if you also want to apply the glitter to the stamen.

Depending on what type of leaf you are using, apply to the backside of the posy. On my pink posy I used a wired millinery leaf, wrapping the wires around the brad shank to hold it on. For the yellow flower, I simply used glue dots to apply the leafs (from Prima)

Voila! Use your pretty creation in your scrapbooks, collage works, home decor, and enjoy!

Fini!

I had a huge list of small projects that I really wanted to finish. Got to a number of them last week while waiting for my next big etsy inspiration. First off is my hot cocoa banner, using the pieces I shared with you a few months ago, plus other letters made by dear friends of mine.

Hot!
Cocoa! My husband thinks the garland looks like marshmallows. Guess that works out perfectly! (Although I bought it cause I thought it looked like snow!)

Then I played with some vintage paper and glitter to come up with these pretty flowers. Look for tutorials soon!

Lastly, I had purchased a small planner to carry around, but alas, having waited til mid January I was left with not many pretty options. So being already covered in glue, I painted the paper insert (it originally had coffee mugs!) and glued and sewed on some music paper, digital images, blue swiss dot and pink crepe paper to make this one of a kind piece.

Course the paint made the paper a little stiff and it won't lay flat yet. (By the way, the small words say "artsy queen".

I have a few more projects on my list, but onto that tutorial!

Playing with glue

Been busy playing with crepe and glue again. I've been so inspired by all the flowers and rosettes I've seen on blogs and etsy I tried a few of my own. The little orange posies on the vintage book pages are very close in design to the pretties made by Eve
The crepe flowers are a combination of types I've seen from many artists and the ribbon flowers are my own design. And they use a LOT of glue dots. I vow from now on to never run out of glue dots, Zip-dry, and crepe paper.