Technique Tuesday - Making Crepe Paper Flowers...

Well, you have been waiting a few weeks for this and here it is.  Here's how to make those pretty flowers that I used at the top of the 3 Tier Pull Card that I made for a convention swap.  I will also teach you how to die them quickly and easily.

Here's what you will need:

• Creped Filter Paper
• Floral Frames Collection framelits
• Reinker (I used Crisp Cantaloupe)
• 70% Rubbing Alcohol
• Brads - will not be seen so it is a great way to use those retired brads!
• Empty embellishment container.
• Paper Piercer
• Paper Towel
• Tweezers to hold - alligator tweezers work best (not shown)

You will be using the smallest framelit so cut two strips of the Crepe Filter Paper at 1 1/2".

 Fold each strip in half.

 Fold it in half again.

 Stack the two folded pieces and cut out using the smallest flower framelit.  This project is made much easier if you have the Big Shot Magnetic Platform because the framelit will hold the stack of filter paper in place.

 Pour enough rubbing alcohol in the empty embellishment container so it covers the entire bottom of the container plus a little bit more.  The amount needed will depend upon how many flowers you are dying.  Next add about 10 drops of reinker.  Again, the amount will depend the intensity you want for your flowers.  If you think your flowers are too light, you can always add more reinker and re-dye them until you get the intensity you are looking for.

 Place the entire stack of flowers in the mixtures together.  Let them sit for just a few seconds - making sure that they are fully covered.

 Remove the flowers and place them on the paper towel.

 You can blot them gently if you want a stiffer look or can wad them up in the paper towel and squeeze them for a more crinkled look.

 Next place them on your paper piercer in the middle.

 This step is only needed if your flower is not dry enough.  Since it is alcohol and not water, they do dry very quickly.  But if you are in a hurry, just use your heat gun on the warm setting to dry them.

 Put your brad through the hole in the flowers.  You can separate them before or after you put them on the brad - your choice!  You should have 8 layers which can be a challenge to get apart so be patient.  I used my alligator tweezers to hold the bottom of the brad which I have not closed yet.

 Take the top layer and lift and pinch it together to make it stand up in the center around the brad top.  (Sorry, these pictures turned out so fuzzy!) .

 Continue with each layer until they are all scrunched upward as shown.

Finally, spread the brad ends to close the brad and start to gently open the layers until it looks like a flower!

 Here is the card that I made using the flowers in this tutorial.  The larger flower was made using 6 layers of the next smallest flower from the Floral Frames Collection framelits.  The leaves were made out of the crepe filter paper and cut using one side of the scalloped heart from the Hearts A Flutter framelits.  I dyed them by placing them directly onto the Pistachio Pudding ink pad and pressing down with my tweezers (I don't have the reinker yet).  This method makes them much more intense and takes a lot longer to dry.

Here's how I decorated the inside of the card.  This isn't a card for mailing because your flowers will be all squished but would be a beautiful card on top of a gift.

Here's what you will need to duplicate this card:
Stamps:       Papaya Collage; Papillion Potpouri
Inks:          Early Espresso, Pistachio Pudding
Paper:       Crisp Cantaloupe, Pistachio Pudding, Baked Brown Sugar, Very Vanilla
Other:       Bitty Butterfly punch, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch, Ruffle Stretch Ribbon, Crochet Trim
                  Stylish Stripes embossing folder

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams

Faux Silk/Tissue Paper Technique....

Hi Everyone!  It is Tuesday and I am back with another technique for you.  This technique has been around for quite a while but is still fun to do.  Here's what you will need for the technique:

• Tissue Paper
• Black StazOn Ink
• Markers in Desired Colors
• Glue Stick
• Brayer (optional)
• Whisper White or Light Color Cardstock
• Fine Line Image Stamp Set

 Using Black StazOn ink, stamp all over the tissue paper.

 Your tissue paper will look like this.  Turn it over.

 Color the backside of the tissue paper using your markers - I used Pretty in Pink for the flowers.

 For the leaves, I used Old Olive.  Your tissue will look like this from the front side when you are done coloring.

 Now, the fun part!  Crunch it up into a tiny ball in your hand.

 Next, carefully open it back up but not completely.  Make sure you don't tear the tissue but also don't open it so much that you stretch out all of the wrinkling.

 Using a glue stick, cover the entire piece of Whisper White or light colored cardstock.  (I used Bashful Blue - retired.)

 Place your tissue paper onto your glued cardstock, making sure that you do not smooth out the wrinkles before it gets placed down onto the cardstock.

 Press around the entire piece so you get a complete seal on the tissue.  You will find that areas crinkle in order to absorb the loose tissue.  You may also use a brayer for this step.

 Here is what it looks like with a Whisper White cardstock as opposed to the Bashful Blue that I used in the card.  It gives it a very different look so experiment!

 Here's the final card we made.  On this card, you can see a two-tone look to the flowers in the faux silk technique.  That was done by coloring with two colors of markers.

Here's what you will need to duplicate this card:
Stamps:       Stippled Blossoms & Papaya Collage
Inks:          Black StazOn, Pretty in Pink, Melon Mambo, Old Olive & Lucky Limeade (retired)
Paper:       Melon Mambo, Old Olive, Whisper White & Bashful Blue (retired)
Other:        Scallop Ribbon (retired), Subtles Brads (retired)

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams