Spring Wreath

 

This morning I watched Susan's Garden Club LIVE Facebook video and she challenged us to create a wreath using her die sets.

I created this wreath with Susan's Garden Club Square Wreath.  Two wreaths were die cut and glued together.  

In the center of the wreath,  Suzanne Cannon's 'Spring' sentiment was die cut using the die from her A Way With Words, 4 Seasons die set.  

A purple and white Spider mum and bud were created using the Garden Notes Spider Mum die set.  This flower was attached to the lower left corner of the wreath.

Six dogwood flowers were created using the Garden Notes Dogwood die set.  Three dogwoods were attached above the spider mum and three below.

In the background, four Garden Club Maidenhair Ferns were die cut out of white card stock and sponged with green ink.  The leaves were shaped with the leaf tool and leaves pinched to give them dimension.

Susan designed  four beautiful wreaths in her video today, with complete instructions on how each were created.  I hope you will watch her video, join in on the challenge,  and post your wreath on the 'Susan's Garden Club Budding Paper Gardeners' Facebook page.  

Pink Pansies

Yesterday I saw pretty pink and purple pansies at the store and decided to come home and create some with Susan's Garden Notes Pansy die set.

The pansies were die cut  using white card stock. A bright pink marker was used to color the petals pink.  Strokes were made from the base of the petal out to the edge so there is a white border around the petal.  A dark purple marker was used to add color the the side and bottom petals.  The petals were glued together.  In the center of the pansy there was a small yellow center.  I used a small round punch and used that small circle for the center.  It was colored yellow with a dot of yellow/orange in the very center.  It was glued in the center of the pansy.  Two pansy buds were created.

Also added to the bouquet are two Brunnera, Ostrich Fern and Ivy, all die cut using Susan's die sets.  Susan's Galvanized Bucket was die cut using white card stock and colored using Nuvo embellishment mousse.  The Dragon Fly was die cut from dies in one of the Tonic Craft Kits.  

Just A Note

I watched a YouTube Video that Louise Sims did using the Tonic Studios Just For You Tri-Fold die set.  I was very impressed with the cards she created and made a comment.  To my surprise, I received a message from Louise that I was her YouTube giveaway winner.  Thank you so much Louise -  I love this die set.

The die set can be used for many different types of cards, including a tri-fold card. But you know me, I always have to add a pretty dimensional flower to my cards and didn't use the tri-fold for this card.  I love the tri-fold and will be creating more cards with this die set.

I used the large die in the die set and die cut the 'Just' sentiment into a piece of Tonic Speciality Card Embossed Silver card stock.  This is a brushed silver card. Behind the die cut design, I glued on a piece of darker purple card stock.  This silver piece was attached to a piece of 5 3/4' Tonic Speciality Card Lilac Waves card stock.  

 Next I used the 'a note' die and die cut that sentiment out of the Lilac Waves card stock.  This die has a larger die to cut the frame.  I used a darker purple card stock for this frame.  The two pieces were glued together and attached with dimensional tape below the die cut 'Just'.  On each side of the  center piece, two narrow strips of the Embossed Silver card stock was added.

Around the 'Just' sentiment, there are die cut flowers.  The petals and leaves were raised up.  In the die set there are  additional dies for flowers.  Two of each size of the flowers were shaped and glued together to create dimensional flowers.  In the center of these flowers, a drop of pink Nuvo glitter drops was added. 

For the large dimensional flowers, Susan's Garden Club Pom Pom Dahlia and Beauty Berry die sets were used.  An open dahlia and bud were created.  Four Beauty Berry Bush branches were die cut and small very pale pink flowers added.  In the center of each little flower, a purple Prill was glued in. 

Thank you Louise for this great die set.

Fomarian Lilacs

Today I am posting a card I made for my dear friend, Eva, who lives in the Netherlands.  She sends me Fomarian and told me she would love to have a card made with Foamiran Lilacs.  I love creating this flower with the Foamiran.  I cannot get a picture with the true color of this flower -- it is a beautiful purple, just like a French Lilac.  

To create the lilac, I used Susan's Garden Notes Lilac die set and die cut a lot of the small flowers, using lavender Foamiran.  You can fold the Foamiran and die cut 4 or 5 sheets at one time.  I pressed the center of each flower down onto a piece of thin wire.  The flowers should be very close together.  Using a sponge dauber, dark purple ink was sponged over the edges of the petals, going both directions so that both the top and bottom of the petals are colored.

To shape the petals, the little flower was picked up with self closing tweezers and pressed against a hot iron for about 5 seconds.   This will cause the petals to curl in, down toward the iron.  

Once the little flower is heated, it is pressed down into an old flower molding mat to cup it.  Leave the little flowers cupped in the mat until cooled so they hold their shape.  This causes holes down in the molding mat, so that is why you want to use an old one.  Even though pressing down the flower in the mat causes holes, it can be used many more times for future flowers that need to be pressed down and held to cool.  Once the flowers have cooled, you can just brush them off the mat.

I have done something different than Susan, when she create her lilacs.  She uses two of the die cut lilac/stem die cuts to create her flower because it helps to hold a domed shape.  I found that by die cutting only one base and a 1 1/4' circle for each flower, it is easier to keep a high dome for the lower portion of the flower.  This was an experiment and I found it easier to use the circles for a higher dome, but either way, you can create a beautiful lilac.

Color the lilac base green, and the circles the color of the lilacs.  Use the large ball stylus and dome the circles.  Add glue around just the edges of the circles and attach to the base.  Allow these pieces to dry before proceeding.

I used Aileen's Clear Tacky Glue to attach the flowers to the lilac base. I found this glue holds the Fomarian well and was easier to use than the hot glue gun.  Spread about half the base with kind of a thick layer of glue, then using tweezers, start adding the little flowers.  You can move (slide) the flowers together with the tweezers to cover the base well.  

Add glue in sections and completely cover the lilac base.  Allow all the the glue to dry on the lilacs.  There will still be areas you want to add more flowers.  Add a small amount of glue to your work mat and dip the bottom of a flower in the glue, then press it down in the lilac to fill in spaces and or add more fullness.  On my card, I have one flower that is laying on top of another lilac, so I added the small flowers to the bottom (underside) portion, at the tip, of that flower.  I did not add flowers to the underside of the flowers that were glued down on the card.

The corners on the white die cut piece under the flowers was die cut using an old Marianne Designs die.  The flowers were arranged in the middle of this piece.  A purple silk bow was made and attached across the stems of the flowers.  Pearls were added for an additional accent.  

In case you missed it, I have another Fomarian Lilac tutorial at this LINK.

Bachelor Buttons

This card was designed using Susan's Garden Notes Bachelor Button, Baby's Breath, Ivy, and Bushel Basket die sets.  Susan recently did a video on her Susan's Garden Club Facebook Live page at this LINK, to show how to assemble the bachelor buttons.

The bushel basket was die cut using a brown pearl cardstock and then different colors of Nuvo Embellishment Mousse were rubbed over the surface to give it some texture.  

Two stems of baby's breath were die cut and the small white flowers attached.  The two branches were cut apart to arrange behind the flowers.  

Some ivy was die cut, colored and cut apart to arrange at the bottom of the bouquet.

Butterflies from my stash were added to complete the card.