Busy Bee Update - Paper Flower Tutorial

There is so much going on around here that I've decided to postpone my trip to Florida.  I am flying down for my DMIL's birthday bash with hubby but instead of continuing south, I'll be flying right back home! I will miss seeing my friends, but I want to be able to see the maximum number of them and spend time with my son and his beautiful girlfriend and that just wasn't in the cards this time!

I am anxiously awaiting the reveals of the new CHA scrapbook collections. Some like Prima Marketing are offering sneak peaks, but I think they have backed off a little from what they did last year.  I know that I thought it was a bit of a bust to see everything online before getting to Chicago last summer.  It kind of killed the excitement of going from booth to booth at CHA and ouing and ahing! I also think that as a consumer, rather than as a buyer, I used to love frantically going around websites and blogs and what not looking for peaks from store owners and attendees!  For me, it just isn't the same when the manufacturer is the one touting their own horn.  But you may disagree!

As you may know I am also participating in Marion Smith's 31 day, 31 video and 31 goal challenge!  I don't have a prayer of winning the prize, which is the whole new Prima line, but I am having fun and discovering new things and making new friends! I am struggling mightily however trying to tame the video maker monster!  It seems that just about every video I put out has some major technical flaw!    To think that my son makes his living as a creative director at Royall Media and shoots videos for the likes of Hilton Vacation and I am soooo bad at shooting videos, well at least at getting a good copy up on you tube!!! But as they say, practice makes perfect!

Oh I was asked to do a tutorial on my flowers, which I have posted to YouTube.  Here are some pictures of the process:

You can use a punch or your Cricut to create the flowers. I used the Cricut Bloom cartridge from Walmart to do a number of flowers as well as the punches shown in the picture.

I use at least 3 sizes of flowers but if I can 4. Each flower has 9 layers; 2 at least of each of the larger sizes and 3 of the smallest. I use 3 of each size when I only have 3 sizes available. For smaller flowers, just leave off the biggest layers!

I first fold all the petals towards the center with the good side of the flower facing up. I then curl each petal under towards the outside.

I do this for all the layers except the smallest one. I turn the smallest on bad side up and then curl the petals up and towards the center. (It should look like the layer that is highlighted by a big black arrow.)

That done, it is time to assemble all the petals. I usually use a tool for the smallest center layers, so as to not push down on the whole flower.

Giving your flower the sugared look!

If you want, you can then take some Crystal lacquer/diamond glaze and put it on the petals that you would like to sugar! 

Be careful with the Diamond dust especially around little children.  It is after all ground glass. Once you've put the crystal accent on the flower, dip it into the diamond dust.

And voilà! A "sugared" flower!