Thursday 3 September 2009

Flowers for Africa!


Is it only on this continent or is that a worldwide expression??? When there is a lot of something we say "blah-blah{insert item name here} for Africa!" Get it? Well after I've shown you this layout I'm going to show you MORE flowers that you can MAKE...hence the title "Flowers for Africa" see???!!! Who can tell I'm going through my "shaped paper phase?" & definitely my shaped-paper stash too! I'm really enjoying black bazzill & white bazzill at the moment as the base of many of my layouts. This pretty pink shaped paper is Making Memories I think. The 2 scalloped strips along the base are {top} Basic Grey Urban Prairie {I sure did s-t-r-e-t-c-h the one sheet I bought ;-D} & Making Memories Passport. Pretty cool how they go together I think...

I love the single white flower with the tiny pink bling centre - just shows that it is not always neccessary to layer things up...Am really going to miss my K & Co. butterflies when they run out...got them in my Cocoa Daisy kit but haven't seen this paper here in South Africa yet...months later ;-( The alphas are American Crafts Umbrella Thickers & the "cute" badge is also American Crafts, bought locally ;-D

Every so often I print my photos in black & white if the outfits & background clash for example, as was the case here as we were in a hotel at the time & these shots were very impromptu, on our way down to breakfast! All the element stickers are from the one BG Urban Prairie elements sticker sheet I bought a while back. Almost finished it now I'm sure you'll be glad to know! ;-D

And here is the "piece de resistance"...my layered up flower! No new Prima here in South Africa in the last 2 years so I am having to become VERY inventive LOL...I started with a cream flower bought at Mr. Price Home {then pulled apart - think we all do that here???} but inked it heavily with dark brown then put a pale blue cheapie one on top of that {Hobbyex last year...the horrible cheap ones they were selling there} then added a jelly one & on top of that the sticker one from my elements pack. Rather chuffed with it...

And here are the flowers I promised to show you! I DID NOT make any of these - I downloaded these images off the internet. Here this one is made by drawing the flower first & layering up several of them. Looks pretty simple to do...I have a tutorial for you of this courtesy of Heidi that I'm sure she won't mind me sharing with you but that will be for Friday's post. {LOL - hope you don't mind Heidi?!} & Heidi's ones look even better than this so come back tomorrow for a "How To".

This one I found particularly interesting...made from old dictionary papers. I have several old books that I rescued from the recycling that I keep ESPECIALLY for this type of thing so definitely going to give this one a go at some stage...Perhaps less cutting & more folding for me though.


And below is super-easy with fabric. I am saving all the tops, etc that my girls grow out of so that I can give them new life in the form of a fabric flower! For those of you who don't know how to sew this is really easy! Cut your fabric into a strip just over DOUBLE the size you want it to be when finished. Fold in half then stitch BIG stitches against the 2 raw edges (not the fold) then PULL & your little flower will gather nicely before your eyes ;-D Then you need to sew over & over the centre to secure it & tuck the ends into each other so you can't see the join - you should be able to just fold these under & not even stitch as you are never going to put this in the washing machine! Lastly add a button on top {or a brad, whatever} & sew or glue it on top to finish your flower off nicely & hide all your stitching. Also a very cute look I think!


And lastly a really pretty tissue paper one too...so how's that for inspiration?! I have found some fab tissue paper at CNA, Woolworths (Polka Dots) & the Crazy Store (metallic crushed). Now I just have to find the time to try my hand at making these beauties! Prima where are you when we need you???!!!

8 comments:

topkatnz said...

WHAT??! you're gonna copy my whole blog post??!LOL that'll be a laugh - waiting to see what spin you put on that one!

Diana said...

I have never heard that expression before. Now I want to try and use it!

Michelle Ramsay said...

Stunning flowers and lovely layout!!

Shayne said...

Gorgeous flowers. Love the layering. Did you see the felt flower tut on AE yesterday - want to give those a bash too.

Jacqui said...

If anyone can make the flowers it's you - can't wait to see what you come up with!

Desire Fourie said...

Love the layout Helen. Very unique to your own style.
Sjoe its not long ago that I peeped here and already you have done 12 posts since then. You are a serial blogger gal.
Hugs
Desire

tania said...

Yes, go try them out and show us too!!
The ones I know simmilar to those ones, you cut cardstock circles, the size you want the flower, another circle of the tissuepaper large enough to cover the cardstock, you can iron it flat and take the cardstock out, to make it thinner, and then tuck it togehter in the middle by handstitching it.Thanks for your comment and wellwishes for Megan:)

Ella Swan said...

Thanks! Good think I have Heidi's tutorial to post because I am exhausted today. I have been studying the Black Plague for my one son's oral with him for hours then cooking dinner for everyone, then taking him to soccer & home to cook dinner then making up 2 posies for Casual day tomorrow. I had to be pretty inventive seeing we don't have one flower in our garden & I wasn't going to pay R100 for a bunch from Woolworths. So they turned into more of a papercrafts display with ribbons & beads added. Now I am off to fall on the bed LOL...