Guest Designer Tues: Embellished Paper Flower Tutorial

January has been a month of inspiration and creativity with Rita Jensen as our Guest Designer! For her last post, Rita has created this tutorial for this fun embellishment:

1. Supplies needed: Choose 3 complimentary colors of heavy paper or cardstock. I used BoBunny's "It's My Party Presents", "It's My Party" and "It's My Party Stripe" - backside from MW past catalog. Also used red netting, a feather, cording, brad from Imaginisce's "To Love and Cherish" collection, Aleene's Super Thick Tacky glue.
2. Tear a rough circle for the back in the size you want the flower to be out of one of your color choices of cardstock and ink the edges in light brown. Crinkle it up then unfold it. Cut 6 pieces of red netting a little bigger than this circle and glue to this piece at center - set aside to dry.

3. Tear another circle a little smaller than this first one with your next choice of cardstock color. Draw 5 lines with a pencil almost to the center (they do not have to be even) - this will create your petals. Tear along the pencil lines. Ink the edges with the brown ink. Take a wooden skewer or toothpick and curl your edges of your petals.


4. Tear a slightly smaller circle from your 3rd cardstock color and repeat step 3 above for this flower. Glue your two curled flowers together at the center.
5. Take your cording and make a knot at the end, trim off, make another knot about 1-1/2 inch from the first one and trim its end off. Make 4. Glue them on top of your flower by making an X with first two and another X with the last two. Cut a small circle from cardstock and glue it on top of these cords to hold them in place - let dry. Punch a hole in the center at this point (I used my Big Bite) to make it easier to insert your brad later.

6. Cut two pieces of netting to the length needed to make the size netting center you want. I used a 21" long by 1-1/2" wide piece for this 3 inch flower. Fold in half lengthwise (both pieces) and hold them together at their ends. Lay netting on your index finger and wrap it around your finger until you have used it all up. Slowly work it off your finger being careful not to unravel it. Once it is off, hold it between your thumb and index finger at its center. Put a big glob of glue on center of your flower and put your netting center you just made down on the glue. While holding down, pick up you brad and push it through the netting finding the premade hole you punched.Glue this curled flower to your back piece (first piece you make) then add your feather next.



7. Attach your feather to back with glue and cut a cardstock circle out and glue over the feather.

Now you have a fun, unique element to add to that special layout, card or project!
Thanks, Rita!