Flower Tutorial ~ Making Water Distressed Cardstock Blooms!!

So recently Chloe hurt her foot (I think she might've broke her baby toe)....she's on the couch, bored, with her foot up on the ottoman. So I thought I would pull out some cardstock (if you girls are anything like me you have tons of scrap cardstock!) and a few flower punches and a bottle of glimmer mist and try out a new bloom making technique with her.

I've seen this done with all sorts of different punches, die cutting machines etc. but the basic idea is wetting your cardstock pieces with paper to give it a more crumpled vintage look. I simply used 2 different sizes of my Retro Flower Punch to create the ones I made here. So for those of you who haven't seen this technique yet I thought I'd share the steps here.....I kid you not, these are addictive!!!

Step 1 ~ Punch 3 Large blooms out with your flower punch or die cutting machine. Then punch out 4 smaller ones. (My large flower punch is not the largest in the group of Retro flower punches, there's an extra-large punch too but I used the large and medium) ....You can use all the same colours or as I did above use a couple of colours that compliment each other......

Step 2 ~ For step 2 all you need is a spritz bottle of plain water or a glimmer mist if you'd like some shimmer. I couldn't find my water spritzer so I grabbed a Glimmer mist I had on the shelf that has clear water in it with some pearl glimmer in it. But just plain water works just as well. Lightly spray them on both sides, they do not have to be really wet, just slightly damp. (you could also tint the edges of the blooms with some chalk in before you spritz for an added color depth).....

Step 3 ~ This is the fun part! Just gently crumple them up! They will look like little crumpled up balls of paper.....


Step 4 ~ Now gently undo the petals letting the crumple shape stay in the petals. Leave one of the smaller pieces in a tight bud for the center. They will look something like this.....


Now glue the pieces with a little dab of glue in the center one inside the other, making sure that the petals on each layer alternate with the layer below it......the result is the bloom you see at the top of the page.

You can also slightly twist the petals when they are damp for another more distressed look to your bloom.....here is a picture of a purple bloom Chloe was working on. She lightly twisted each petal after she opened up the crumpled ball (just use your fingers to twist the petals)......


Here are a bunch of blooms Chloe & I just finished making!! Play with different color combinations and inks for different effects! You'll also get different looks by using different shaped punches! There are no rules to make these, any punch/die cut will do and and number of petals on the punch. Chloe made some with extra layers for some really fluffy looking blooms too!


Option #2

Okay! ....this is for you girls who don't have a flower punch! or any type of die-cutter!!! I tried this technique by just cutting out a few circles with a pair of scissors.
Step 1 ~ Cut out a large jaggedy edge circle out of some cardstock. Then cut out 2 more slightly smaller circles. Then I chose a lighter shade of cardstock and cut out 2 more smaller jaggedy edge circles.....


Step 2 ~ Create a slight petal design by cutting small 'V' slits into the edges. I start by making one slit, then I do one on the opposite side. Then I cut 2 more between the 2 I just made. This will give you 6 petals (ink the edges for more depth to your bloom).......


Step 3 ~ Just like above spritz both sides lightly with some water. Then bringing the petals up from the center give them a good scrunching!! .....


Step 4 ~ Open them up and let them dry, they will look like this.....


Glue them all together with a dab of glue in the centers, leaving the center one tight (or you could put a pretty gem in the center for a different look) Here's how mine came out.....


And for you girls who worry about clunky things on your l/o that don't sit flat enough....check this out how nice and flat it is (and believe me, when these are dry, they really hold their shape!)......

So, no need for fancy punches!! this technique can be done with a pair of scissors and water! I had a lot of fun using this technique on some of my upcoming l/o's for my design team work for MCS. I'll be posting the layouts on the 5th, hope you come back for a peek!

~Gabrielle xxx