Susan's Garden Peony - My Tutorial

I have had a lot of requests to do a tutorial on how to create a peony with the new dies from the Sizzix "Susan's Gardens" set.  Susan does have instructions in each package, but below is my version of how to create this beautiful flower.  First I will tell you about the card before going into the tutorial.

I used the eBosser "Delicate Dots" embossing folder for the background. The corners are the Joy! Crafts 6002/0135 Noor! Design corners.  I die cut the Marianne Design Anja doily out of white card stock and die cut the "angle wing" in pink.  The center was also die cut out of white card stock.  The little butterfly is from the Cheery Lynn Mini Butterflies die set.

Tutorial for creating the Peony with the Sizzix Susan's Garden Peony dies.

I started out by die cutting 8 each of all the flower petals.  I would rather have too many petals prepared for a flower than to have to go back and die cut and condition more when I am working on a flower.  This particular die is larger than most of the flower dies and you can cut several layers at one time.

This picture shows the process in creating each layer.  This is the largest petal being glued to a "green" base.  Alternate the petals as you glue them in.  The base is green on this layer because it is the bottom of the flower.

This is how your flower will look when you have all six petals of the bottom layer of the peony.

On the layers that I create for the middle of the flower, I like to use the same color "base" as the petals so that it doesn't show.  This will be the second row from the bottom.

Here are the bottom layer on the left, and the next layer up on the right.  You can see that I glued the petals in closer to the center of the base to create a slightly smaller layer, on the layer on the right.

Here are the bottom three layers completed. 

Next you will glue the three  layers together, adding glue just in the very center on the bottom of each.  Press them down in the shaping mat with the stylus to get them to cup and to help them stick together.  The loose petals are the next size up (or smaller) petals.  These will be individually glued into the center of the "so far" assembled flower.  You don't need to add them all at this point.

To create the very center of the peony, I glued three of these petals together in a fan shape. You can see that in the top of this picture.   I created two  sets like this.  I then added glue to the base of each, and put them in the center of the flower.  You want to slightly overlap the ends (side) so you have a bud type center.  Now you can go back and start gluing in any of the loose petals where you feel you need a little more fullness.  

To complete the flower, you need to shape all the petals once it is dry.   This is additional shaping from what you did in the beginning.   I shaped my petals to bend down (you can see that in the first pictures, but decided I wanted them all to bend up.  Because they were kind of "cupped", when I put my fingers on them, they would bend the other direction and I ended up with the all the petals bending up.  They are easier to manipulate when they have been conditioned in the beginning.  I used the round nose pliers to shape and bend the petals to look realistic.  

The leaves were shaped with the leaf tool and pad in the Flower Tool Kit.  I added some shading with a slightly darker green Distress Ink.  At the very end, I decided I wanted a variegated peony so I brushed on some White Distress Paint. 

This is a very easy flower to create.  Once you get all the petals attached, let it thoroughly dry, then be sure to shape the petals to your satisfaction for the realistic look.  I know you will have fun with this.

Thank you for visiting my blog.  I hope this information is helpful.  I am leaving this morning on a trip, which I will tell you about later, so I will be not able to answer any questions for a few days.

Products used:

Sizzix, Susan's Gardens, Peony (658423)

Sizzix Susan's Gardens, Flower Tool Kit

eBosser "Delicate Dots" embossing folder

Marianne Design "Anja Doily" die set (LR)236)

Joy Crafts "Noor Design Corners" (6002/0135)

Round Nose Pliers

953084