Flower fun *tutorial*

I love making flowers and hair bows for my girls.

When they were young they never left the house without their hair being perfect. As they aged they cared less about their hair & even less about those flowers and bows.


Finally things have come full circle and they of course care VERY MUCH about their hair (at 12 & 16) and hair accessories have come back into fashion! Bows, clips, headbands, etc....

This is a new style of "flower" I learned recently in a class from the very talented Adair.

You begin with 8 large circles (I used scalloped circles on these pictures) you will also need 8 of the smaller circles and a layer of lace or tulle.

Taking one stack of circles at a time cut into them from on edge to the center (just a straight slit). Beginning at one edge you accordion fold the circle until it become a wedge shape - folding approx. 7 times, making 8 layers. I use hot glue to secure each until I am ready to attach them. Complete this step with both the large and small circles.

Once you have all your pieces folded and secured. You will begin to form a circle with the large circles gluing 2 together, then a 3rd, and as you add the 4th...you should have 1/2 a circle. They don't (and often won't) line up perfect, no worries....that will be covered up.

I then use a drop of hot glue to attach the layer or tulle/lace and set it aside as I build the smaller circle in the same way. Again building a circle and gluing it down to the lace/tulle layer.

I finish mine off with buttons, stones, knots and any other little items I find that match and look cute. My girls loves them and I've made quite a few for their friends too. I just glue alligator clips to the backs, but you can also add bar pins to wear them on a lapel or bag.

Quick and Easy mini album

This weekend I finished up this little album of out summer water park fun. Each section 2 pages/4 front and backs is made from a single sheet of cardstock.

I lined each flat page with a coordinating printed paper (this was BoBunny line Sun Kissed) using different edge punches to make each unique. I did triangles on each pocket page, also adding edge punching or corner punches. I used small tags to journal on and placed each in a pocket and attaches buttons or ribbons to the tag hole for easy access.

Making the pages are pretty simple...

Take a full sheet of 12 x 12 paper and score it at 6inches on each side. This will resulting in 4 - 6x6 scored squares.

Second cut one scored line from the edge to the center of the four squares (see dotted line)

Next using a ruler, score from the corner of the new cut line, to the corner diagonally from it, this will form 2 triangles on each of the flaps.

Alone that scored triangle line, crease the cardstock, forming a triangle. Using your tape runner or adhesive of your choice, glue the flap down to make that triangle double thick.

Next you will form the pockets. On flap #1 add adhesive along the triangle/pocket edge that will lay closest to the center scored line, that will be the fold in the page. Keep the adhesive as close to the edge as possible so you will have plenty room to use that pocket. On flap #2 you will do the exact same thing, but this time folding the flap backwards to the other side. After gluing it down, you will have one pocket on each side. This will be 2 pages, each side consisting of 1 pocket, 1 flat side.

The blue represents your pockets/flaps. But this is as if you can see thru the cardstock to see each sides pocket.

Banner Tutorial

After my recent post of banners, I had a few requests for more details...so here we go!

These banners were made via swaps with other scrappers, but could easily be done but one person with lots of creative juices flowing {lol}

The tags were sheets of 8.5 x 11 cardstock cut in half to form 2 - 4.25 x 5.5 Tags. I notched my corners 1inch in and 1inch down.

You create one tag for each letter in the word or phrase you want to spell on your banner. These were Happy Halloween - so 14 letters, plus one to start the banner, one to separate Happy from Halloween and one to end the banner. That made for 16 tags in all...thus 16 people signed up for spots in this banner swap. Each of those 16 people chose from the list of letters & dividers needed and created a tag and repeated it 15 times.

I've created several of this type banners on my own, but it does take awhile longer and I tend to stick to shorter words, as it can be challenging to come up with that many decorative ideas in one session. If you start early and have some real time to put into it, you'll have a wonderful banner you can use year after year.

I store these by folding them accordion style and placing them in gallon Ziploc bags.