The Finished Flower

Hello crafty friends!  It just seemed fitting to show the card with the actual flowers since I planned on continuing my tutorial from yesterday.  I'll give you a quick rundown on this card first.  I started with a dotty background and added a wide strip of coordinating striped card to which I glued a vintage lace border to the edge.  I cut one more lace border and added it horizontally towards the bottom of the card too.  I stamped my sentiment on milk coloured card and used the Labels 28 die to cut it out, but I offset the sentiment so that it left some room for my large flowers.  You don't always have to centre your wording in your dies, sometimes it is very effective not to!  I inked it with Tattered Rose lightly once cut, then I proceeded to emboss it using the Venetian Embossibility folder side B.  Remember to do this, you cannot close the folder.  Lay your die with the cutting ridge upwards away from the folder, cover with your tan mat, add a few pieces of card as a shim and then your raspberry plate and run it through your GC.  I added two of the flowers made from the Blossoms Five die set atop a messy bow made from chalk white seam binding.  Then I added a couple of swirls from the Venetian set which I inked with Shabby Shutters.  I finished it off with a black rhinestone swirl and paper pierced the edges.

A close up of the finished flowers.  These have been inked with Victorian velvet on the edges of the peach card.

To continue on from yesterday's bud (you can see it in the centre of the pic), you will need to go up one size and cut three of the dies this time.  Ink the edges on both sides with your choice of colour (I have used Victorian Velvet here)

Following the same method as the buds, cut to the centres of each of the three dies and then start to form the petals.  Turn it over and work from the back this time.  Break down the fibres in exactly the same fashion.  Do all three this way.

Turn each one of them over and push the centres inward.  Your petals will be shaped and formed the correct way now.

Proceed to apply the glue.  From left to right, this is the order that you will assemble them and the glue needs to be further up the petals for the first one then down to just a dot in the centre for your final layer.

Starting with the bud (from yesterday), place it in the centre with the split from any of the areas facing the centre of any of the petals, this will ensure that the petals are offset each time.

Working alternate petals, raise them up around your bud.  You will need your glue to be tacky at this point too.  This particular layer is probably the most fiddly one to apply, so don't give up with it.  It will look as if you haven't done it right because the petals are quite a bit taller at this point.  Do the first four and give it a good pinch around the bottom.  Then add the next three to form the beginning of the flower.  If you pinch tightly from below, it will cause the flower petals to form outward and that is what you want.

This is what your flower will look like once you have the first of the dies glued and pinched around your bud tightly.

Now for the second die layer in your flower.  Seat the flower from above in the centre of layer number two.  You have added some glue just a little way into the petal for this one so pinch it from the bottom to get it to move up and around the bud and first layer just slightly.  Remember to offset it as you set it on this layer too so your petals won't all line up in a row.

Here is the third and final layer to your flower.  Offset it as you seat your flower from above onto the final piece.  You can play with the petals a bit and pinch them into place a bit more if you like.  I hope you have enjoyed the past few days of tutorials and put these into use in your own card making projects.  All for now, Sue x