Birthday Flowers for Lis

Hi! One of the greatest of Life's pleasures is creating a special gift for a friend. It brings a Creative Smile to our hearts as we work on it, and a Creative Smile to the recipient's lips when they open it. Lis and Lisa were my inspiration in making Lis' birthday gift:

(complete directions for bag and card are at the bottom)

Lis, because she is an avid recycler, happy gardener, flower lover, and prolific paper crafter, and Lisa, because she is in love with altering silk flowers, and drawing others into her creative vortex.

The gift bag is a reclaimed, coated white gift bag spritzed with Ranger's Blending Alcohol, and then spritzed some more with 3 reinker colors. Move the colors around as needed, and allow 30 minutes to dry thoroughly. (I spritzed each side separately, allowing a side to dry before beginning the next one). When dry, Creatix Pearl Lime acrylic paint was sponged on top of the inks to pop the colors and give that pearly finish.

The silk flowers were originally part of a bush obtained from Michaels. After removing the hard rubbery plastic backing, the petals were shaded with chalk, and put back together with brads. Flowers on the bag were adhered by punching a hole through the bag, and sticking the brad post through it, flattening it open on the inside of the bag. Pretty tissue papers hide the interior brad prongs.

Labels Five & Eleven Nestabilities were used for the sentiment. Sentiment and Embossing Powders are from Sparkle N Sprinkle.

It's fun embellishing the brads as well, using embossing powders and a heat tool. Hold the prongs of the brad with a tong to protect your fingers. Heat the brad top and quickly dip into embossing powder. It should automatically melt. If touch up is needed, just heat a little bit, and dip again. Heat set if necessary. Multiple embossing powder colors may be used to create interesting effects. VersaMark or Embossing Ink may also be used if desired before dipping or pouring embossing powder. Then heat set.

Color Box Sunflower Yellow pigment ink was used as direct-to-paper for the dry embossed background.

Lastly, the flower stamp was inked with Sunflower Yellow pigment ink and embossed with Sparkle N Sprinkle Dandy Dandelion EP around the edges of the card.

How lovely being inspired by friends in creating the gift and its wrapping.
Thanks for stopping by!
hugs,
Donna

Gift Bag and Birthday Card

Stamp Credits:

Happy Birthday To You 1237-234A

Primrose 1242-234B

Wild Geranium 1241-234E

Other Supplies:

Gold Coast Embossing Powder EP364

Dandy Dandelion Embossing Powder EP178

Brushable Glue 540

Pink Chalk

Labels Five Nestabilities

Labels Eleven Nestabilities

ColorBox Sunflower Yellow pigment ink

Cardstock: White, Ivory, Black and Yellow

Coated White Gift Bag

Silk Flowers

Alcohol

3 reinker colors (Magenta, Cyan, Yellow were used) placed in spritzers

Pearlized Chartreuse Createx Paint

Embossing Folder

Brads

Corner Punch

Dimensional Tape

Gold Krylon Pen

Instructions:

Flowers and Brads:

1.    Take apart silk flowers, removing the plastic stems which hold them together. Using chalks or pastels, enhance colors of flowers. The entire flower may be utilized, or just a few layers – whichever best meets your needs.

2.    Choose desired shape of brad. Holding the prongs of the brad with tongs, heat the head of the brad with embossing tool. Heat well and immediately dip into Dandy Dandelion EP. Allow to melt on brad. If it doesn’t melt all the way, heat set it. If more EP is desired, repeat steps of heating and dipping until desired effect is reached. Set aside to cool.

3.    Brads will ultimately be placed through the flower layers, and then onto bag or card.

Bag:

1.    In well-ventilated room (or wear a mask), spritz Ranger’s Alcohol Blending Solution onto one side of bag. Immediately spritz yellow reinker, then cyan and finally blue. Allow colors to blend and pool for a moment, then move some of the colors around with a sponge, or absorb excess color. Set aside to dry. Continue around each side of the bag until all 4 sides are complete.

2.    Pour a little Createx Paint onto sponge and smoosh across one side of bag. Set aside to dry. Continue around each side of the bag until all 4 sides are complete.

3.    Punch hole into bag. Insert decorated brad through flower layers and bag. Open prongs on inside so they are flat. Flower will stay in place.

Card:

1.    Fold ivory cardstock into size desired for card.

2.    Cut black cardstock 5/8” smaller than card front. Trim with corner punch if desired. Set aside.

3.    Cut white cardstock ¼” smaller than black layer. Run through dry emboss folder and antique with Sunny Yellow pigment ink. Set aside for ink to dry.

4.    Around edges of card base, randomly stamp Wild Geranium images with Sunny Yellow pigment ink, and heat emboss with Dandy Dandelion EP.

5.    With Labels 11 die, cut & emboss white cardstock. Ink “Happy Birthday to You” in Sunny Yellow Pigment ink and heat emboss with Gold Coast Cosmic EP. Using Primrose image, randomly stamp around edges of die cut with same ink, heat emboss with Dandy Dandelion EP. Edge with Gold Krylon Pen and set aside to dry.

6.    Cut yellow cardstock with Labels 5 die. Edge with Gold Krylon Pen and set aside to dry.

7.    Chalk flowers on label piece to match silk flower. With dimensional adhesive, layer it onto yellow die cut.

8.    With Brushable Glue adhere white dry embossed layer to black layer, corner punching if desired. Punch hole through both layers and insert flower via brad prongs. Flatten the prongs securely on the back.

9.    Tilt the layer and adhere to ivory card base with Brushable Glue.

10.  Attach sentiment layers with dimensional tape.