Say it with flowers!

 It's been over a month since I posted - lots been going on and just didn't get round to it.

Today I am sharing the little flower boxes I made for my colleagues in my teaching bubble, using Crafter's Companion dies and Florist box template.

I have made flowers before - and they are on my blog from early last year - but I tried some new flower dies this time. All of them are from Crafter's Companion Spring Foam Flower collection. I also used my old travel iron along with the CC Petal Distress Tool set. The flower foam is a mix of Foamiroan and CC. 

Because I wanted to put them in the Florist Box (CC template from the same collection), I wanted a solid "stem". I created the flowers in pretty much the same was as last time (see my post from last year) although I didn't bother with ink or with the ball tool. To add a stem, I used Oasis green Hobby Wire, and used hot glue to attach it to the white ends of the stamens that had been pulled through.

I then used Florist tape (I got this from Amazon), to wrap the wire from the bottom, up to the flower.

  

  

I had four flower boxes to make, so used four different dies: Vibrant Dianthus (dark purple), Elegant Ranunculus (lavender), Pretty Peony (yellow) and Wild Poppy (orange). These sets come with 2 or 3 dies for the smaller petals, and with 3 templates for the larger petals. This is OK - but I think I would have been happy to pay more to have the larger dies for speed. The all have foliage dies too, but I feel that they are really only suitable if you are using the smaller petals. You can see from the pictures below that the poppy leaf is fine, but the others barely show (and not at all in the case of the ranunculus). I used several layers of each size for the larger flowers (mostly 3 - but sometimes 2).

  

 

I then created boxes for each, using the Florist Box template and Core'dinations card. I wrapped each one with Baker's twine (this is from Creative Expressions and has been in my stash for a very long time). I lost the piece of paper I wrote all my notes on - but I vaguely recall I used 50" of twine for each. Sounds a lot, so I may be remembering that incorrectly. I used red liner tape to wrap this around the box. 

  

I used an additional piece - this one I recall as being around 17" - to wrap round, and tie in a knot at the front.

I had some leaf and alphabet charms to add on. Unfortunately, the hole in the leaf charm was too small for the twine, so I added some thread, and tied a leaf to each side of the knot.

   

I then threaded the alphabet charm onto one piece of the twine, knotted it on and tied a bow.

  

I used tissue paper to "stuff" into the boxes and then pushed the flowers in. 

 

 

I am really pleased at how these turned out. 

Happy crafting,

Cxxxx

A Lovely Day

Today's card was for my lovely sister-in-law's birthday.  I used Hunkydory Peony Dreams - A Lovely Day for both the topper and patterned card. To that, I added some pink Core'dinations card and silver mirror card, cut with Crafter's Companion Stitched Squares and Inverted Stitched Lace Scalloped Squares.  I love this palette of pink and blue!! 

Happy crafting!!
Cxx

Retro Ride

Today's share is the 30th birthday card I made  for my stepson's recent 30th birthday.

The topper is from Hunkydory's Pick 'n' Mix - A Retro Ride, teamed with gold mirror card, Kanban textured blue mirror card, blue Core'dinations and a piece of digi printed paper. I also used Crafter's Companion Stitched Edge square dies and First Edition Number dies. 

Happy crafting,

Cxxx

Art Reboot #5 Natural things

Today's prompt was to use natural things in your journal - either to stick in, or to make marks.

I had a mosey round my garden and picked some raggedy old pansies, a geranium flower and a lavender stalk. I also picked up some dead leaves, a crumbling piece of stick and a feather.

I covered the pages of the journal with paper - I am definitely preferring having something other than white to work on, and added a couple of pieces of paper.

I stuck the petals and crumbled leaves on, and used the stick and feather to paint with. 

Happy crafting,

Cxxx

Art Reboot #4 Cut some shapes....

 Absolutely loved today's prompt to cut some simple shapes out, and to arrange them in a fun way! Simple as - and really enjoyable. I picked some papers out of the box of "papers I don't really like - or have had since the Stone Age - and am never likely to use", and cut away!!

Really loving the end result!

Happy crafting!

Cxxx

Art Reboot #3 If I were a flower....

Today's prompt was - If you were a flower, what would you be. I had to think about this - and in the end I went for a flower that I love in my garden - and was planting this morning! It is the good old Busy Lizzie - or Impatiens. And the guide was to paint it in a whimsical way. 

I have always loved Busy Lizzies as, in the right spot, they need little fuss, and really flourish and produce loads of flowers. And in a way, that is me - I flourish when I am in the right place! I also think the name suits me too. I am always busy - on the go, and doing things - and can be quite impatient!

So, I said yesterday, I wanted to be less planned and use less materials - and I think I managed that. Quite whether my painting is whimsical - I really have no idea.

Back tomorrow. Happy crafting.

Cxxx

Art Reboot #2 My biggest priority right now....

Day 2 of Kasia Avery's Art Reboot, and today's prompt was "My biggest priority right now....". And we had to apply paint with an old toothbrush. 

Decided to go for bright colours today - but I do think I am being a bit too organised. Tomorrow I'll try to be more spontaneous - and less planned with the colours. And maybe less products too! 

That said, the whole preparation process did make me happy!! 😂😂

Happy crafting,

Cxxx