2 Different Flowers From The Same Set Of Punches

Hi everyone, Jenifer here today posting for The Paper Variety!
I love all things flowers, I mean SERIOUSLY love, tham I cannot get enough, If Prima's
weren't so expensive I think I'd throw some in my bath water for looks, lol! But who has that
kind of money?!?!? Today I'm gonna show you how to make TWO handmade flowers using
the same punches! These work great on a project alone, mixxed with one another, or they work
wonderfully mixxed in with store bought blooms!

Flower #1

Supplies For 1st Flower
 large azalea punch (or something similiar)

medium azalea punch (or something similiar)

small azalea punch (or something similiar)

spray bottle with water (you could get real fancy and use glimmer mist for this step)

a heavy duty adhesive

heavy weight or cardstock paper

STEP 1

Punch out 2 of each size of flower

STEP2

Lightly mist 1 flower at a time using your water bottle.....like I said if you really wanna get fancy

glimmer mist works well for this too! I doesn't need to be soaked, just lightly wet....it won't work if it's

to dry though.

NOTE: You'll wanna work on one punched flower at a time. I like to start with the largest flowers first

so they have a lil dry time while you finish the rest.

STEP 3

After you mist your flower, you want to gather the flower petals upwards making it sorta like a cone

shape. Then roll in around in your fingers a few times apply prssure, but don't do it to the point you tear

your flowers up.

STEP 4

Once you've done this open it up it up leaving it in a somewhat upwards sp that it has some dimension. Set it

aside to dry and reapeat steps 1-4 on the rest of the flowers.

NOTE: On the 2 small punched flowers, leave them mostly closed up after you twist them, just open slightly.

STEP 5

Once all your punched flowers are dry dab some adhesive in the center of each and adhere them in this order

large

large

medium

medium

small

small

And there you have it flower #1

Flower #2

Supplies For 2nd Flower

large azalea punch (or something similiar)

medium azalea punch (or something similiar)

a pair of school scissors

bling, button or anything you want for the center

a heavy duty adhesive

heavy weight or cardstock paper

STEP 1

Punch 2 large and 2 medium flowers

STEP 2

This is totaly optional, I just find it easier to complete step 3 by doing this.....but if your using a somewhat different

punch you may not need to do this.
I made the space in between the petals slightly larger just by cutting it a little deeper and wider.

Here I have 2 petals cut out and the other 3 original just to show you the difference. Like I said, optional, not required.

STEP 3

Use the scissor distress technique around the edges of all of your flower petals.

TPV Scissor Distress Technique Link

STEP 4

I like to fold each petal at the begining near the center of the flower upward, leaving a nice crease to help it have some dimension. I also fold each petail in half, also leaving a nice crease. Don't leave the petals folded though, you will need to open it back up, this is just to give some realistic dimension to your flower.

STEP 5

Adhere each punched flower in this order once you've completed the steps above:

large

large

medium

medium

STEP 6

Adhere whatever you choose to use for your centerpiece, if your adhesive doesn't create a strong bond, you may wanna use a dab of hot glue instead.

And there you have flower #2


ALL DONE

TIPS

When working with dimensional flowers on your projects, you need to use a REALLY strong bond to keep them adhered. If you do not do this they will pop off later down the road, hot glue works great!

As for storing dimesional pages.....there really is no way to avoid a little smush unless you are placing your project in a shadow box frame or something of the like. But to limit the amount of smush your project receives once you place it in an album, you should store the album upright not lying on it's side. This reduces some of the pressure and weight put on the pages. There will still be some smush especially if you are forced to squeeze the album shut tight to make room for other album storage.