Wednesday 11 January 2012

WOYWW - 136

Another Wednesday - and not much going on here really:
A little heap of papers at the back from where I left off making a card last night, some clean stamps waiting to be stored away. Stamps that have been cleaned with baby wipes and left to dry on Rock-a-blocks, pokey tool and something I'd been speaking to Sarn about yesterday. Grin, by speaking, I really mean emailing of course - the subject was those Marianne Rose dies.

I was wondering how to fasten/glue them once made up - in fact I later found brilliant instructions on Jules blog 'Always With A Heart' - knew we should have checked there first!! And that's probably how I came to get the dies in the first place.

But, all the 'electronic talk' of roses reminded me of the red rose that I found whilst tidying a desk tidy this week (does that make sense?!) you see at the front of my cutting mat, above. And here's how I made it - waaaaay back in mid-2010 when I'd not been blogging long and had just one follower :) This is not my own idea, I'd found it on the internet but even back then I couldn't recall where - so there's not a snowball's hope now, otherwise I would most definitely give credit for an idea which I found worked really well! The rose is about 1.5" - 2" across when it's finished.

I nipped into our local Hospice Shop and found a French Dictionery for the grand amount of 75p. This is what I did:

1. Tear out a couple of pages per rose. The dictionary was quite battered with a chunk of pages missing so I didn't feel too guilty about attacking it!
2. Spray the pages with Memory Mists - I used Pale Ale and Strawberry Daiquiri. I'd had the Mists for ages and had never used them before so it came out a bit blotchy but still worked in the long run. Of course Distress Inks would work well but I hadn't yet ventured into those :)


3. Once the pages are dry (they took forever due to my heavy handedness!) then punch out two flower shapes (yup, just two) per rose using a large Woodware 6-scallops punch. With patience you could always make a template and hand cut some of these.

4. Then snip petal pieces out as shown in the piccie - I concentrated on the Strawberry Daiquiri rose for now.



5. Now it begins to take shape - overlap and glue the petals as you can see in the piccie - good old fashioned paperclips come in handy at this stage. The two small centre pieces were sort of rolled together after I'd taken this piccie. The bottom end of all pieces should then be snipped off so that the rose will sit flat.

6. Finally, the rose was assembled working from the outside in using Hi-Tack glue to hold the centres of the layers together and curling the petals round a pokey tool as I went.


7. Et voilĂ , c'est fini!

Looking back at this - maybe the Marianne die isn't so daunting after all :))

The sharper eyed might have spotted the mahoosive bottle of cod liver oil capsules also on the desk. I kept forgetting to take them until my OH pointed out that there was one place I'd always spend time at each day - working so far, unless the bottle gets buried under a load of paper and stuff!

To find out what our leader Julia has been up to please go here, I've just read Julia's solution for unmounted stamp storage and I'm still with her on that one but once again I lost an unmounted stamp this week so summick just has to be done! At Julia's you'll also find links to loads of fascinating desks and perhaps dining tables, floors, trays etc. with tales of what others are up to today. Happy WOYWW!!

Di
x

35 comments:

  1. Love those flowers Di. I made some a while back and have them stuck on the front of one of my little sets of drawers :-)
    Hugs,
    A x
    PS Don't forget to pop over to my blog to make your guess and join in the celebration fun if you haven't already.....and good luck

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  2. Hi Di

    So I get the blame for your spending again!!! LOL!!!

    You will love the die .. .. much quicker than the tutorial you have posted .. .. but then again a completely different look.

    I still do both types.

    Love your tutorial by the way .. .. great finished rose .. .. perfect for snippets ;-)

    Never noticed the cod liver oil tablets .. .. only have eyes for craft stash LOL!!!

    Have a great day.

    Love Jules xx

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  3. Happy WOYWW Di.

    Super tutorial and VERY pretty result. What a great idea to go and find a FRENCH dictionary! Brilliant!

    xxx

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  4. Lovely flowers and like you I've seen this elsewhere, but can't remember for the life of me!!! Hope to see the Marianne flowers soon! K x

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  5. Oh the rose dies look like a 'must have' (I must investigate) - love them - thanks for the peep at your workspace today (Hazel, WOYWW 67) x

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  6. I love making my own paper flowers too, Di, they are always nicer than bought ones aren't they? The TH Tattered flower die makes beautiful ones using this same method if you haven't tried it.
    I have that marianne die and use a good dollop of wet glue to fix them although you have to hold them for a few minutes!!
    Happy WOYWW
    Hugs Lisax

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  7. Fab rose Diane & I luve the use of the French dictionary, what a great idea xx

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  8. ooo I love this rose! I have the same die as you have here, and I found it REALLY fiddly! Eileen showed me a good way of doing them, and with hers and Sarn's help I managed to make some, but they are a bit tricky (for me).....xx
    Very tidy desk hon..xx

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  9. Love the rose, super tidy desk,I have the same die and find it soooooo fiddly!! x xHugs May x x x

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  10. I love that rose tutorial. As someone who doesn't have dies/stamps, I could actually have a go at doing that with ordinary stuff I've got in the house! Thank you :)
    Hugs, LLJ #26 xx

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  11. Hello Ms. Di!

    I actually woke up at 12:30 a.m. to link up and was still at 40something!

    Thanks for the explanation of what shims are.... hee hee. I kept thinking of the wooden ones you use to straighten out a table!

    The flower tutorial is great and the finished product is beautiful!!! My library has books for free that I rummage about and have found several french books and a couple of german ones. I love the text on the german books. Shall I try to score one for you and keep it until your visit?

    Hugs,
    Kay

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  12. Iv'e made these roses but not thought of using ditionary paper for them. Good idea. The Doc is feeling a bit sick today and Wimpey is looking a bit green around the gills.Hope I didn't muddle their plates up!!!!
    Hugs Mrs A,

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  13. I do love those roses and have made them in allsorts of papers, cards etc. Nice once dipped in the meltpot too!
    Haa Haa for DH suggesting where to put your tablets! You could always alter the pot too!
    Do you get on with those rockers? I have the same ones and dont get good results so they stay in a box - unloved and unused!

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  14. I did have a go at making those flowers but mine didn't turn out as good as Annie's (is there anything she can't do!!!!) I am back making my little dresses today - its quite theraputic - think I could do one with my eyes shut now - lol. x Jo

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  15. Di,

    Will do - look for german books. Sometimes there's also asian books - you interested?

    Any other languages you'd like me to keep an eye out for?

    Kay

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  16. Love those flowers!! Just got home from work and found the loveliest parcel waiting for me... Wonder who that could have been ;-) maybe you should read my blog and see xxx

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  17. Oh Wow Di, Your so creative!! those flowers are amazing and from ripped out pages ......brilliant idea:) Sandra H

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  18. I used my first Marianne die not too long ago and was disappointed to find that I needed to pick at it with my pokey tool for a long time to get the paper out of the die. That made me reluctant to buy more those dies. I hope you have better luck.

    I love your flower tutorial. I am going to have to try it. Great idea to use the paperclips to hold it while drying. Shhh.... don't tell. I'm going to "borrow" some from work so I can try your tutorial.

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  19. Your desk puts me to shame, you should see the state of mine, no, there again best not. I too have cod liver oil capsules in my craft room.

    Your rose is stunning.

    Kath x

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  20. Love those flowers! They came out totally awesome! You rocked it! Thanks for the tutorial. You made it look super easy. I will definately need to try it. -Amanda 34

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  21. Those flowers are so pretty. I don't have the die, and because of UIU I can't buy it this year, but maybe I could do the same thing with the Silhouette. In fact, I could get it to cut the shapes into their separate pieces. I will do some bread rolls next time for the playground. I just love the smell of fresh bread. xx Maggie #105

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  22. Hello Di, I have the other, straight edged, rose die from Marianne and like it but I've also made similar flowers to your rose using a template - but I do think using pages from a book gives it a certain je ne sais quois :)) Like Maggie, I've taken the pledge so won't be buying the Woodware punch anytime soon ... oh the hardship :) Elizabeth x #96

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  23. ERM!!! Well Mines tidier than yours!!! nerh!! lol, love doing flowers that way, really pretty arent they?

    Happy WOYWW

    Lou P

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  24. I would love to have that Marianne die, it was sold out everywhere last time i was in England unfortunately. Lovely flower tutorial and great idea using the French dictionary, although I would have thought a German one would suit you better knowing your background!!

    Hugs
    Brenda 103

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  25. That is so pretty! I'll have to try it some day!

    Katie (159)

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  26. Di, I love that flower and great tutorial as always! Very clean desk my friend...almost too clean (just jealous). Didn't see the pills and don't wanna look either. Brings back memories of when my doctor told me to take a spoonful of that stuff so I would go into labour. He was going on holidays and thought if I deleiverd the baby before he left if would be good. I took the stuff and could have barfed (ALL DAY LONG - EWWW) Never went into labour as he had hoped. Thanks for the visit today, Happy WOYWW

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  27. I love the flower. Would like that die as well. Anne x

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  28. Hi Di!

    Sorry I haven't been around for a while, but I am back now - I also have that die but I love your rose tutorial and will try to make one - usually make the less complicated ones but a challenge is always good!
    Lots of hugs,
    Cardarian

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  29. Hi Di, lovely flowers, I use the same techniques and have them on cards, tissue boxes, photo frames and on and on!!!! Not tried using disctionary pages tho lol

    Happy Woyww Debs x

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  30. the flowers look just fab - you'll be addicted now - love them too! Thanks for the peek in to your crafty space...Sarah at 6

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  31. I love this flower idea - glad I am not the only one who struggles with ripping pages out of a book. Thanks for the idea for the colouring of the wedding ideas I will definitely be doing that and would not have thought of it - so a BIG THANK YOU x

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  32. Great flowers and tutorial Di, love them. Sorry I'm a day late, but lovely to see a nice busy desk!
    hugs
    Enfys

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  33. Put those capsules on your chair each night when you finish arting and they'll be easier to remember...maybe! Love the flower tutorial. Thanks!

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  34. Great rose flower Di, I too made some a while back using a heart punch/die, they really are so effective :)

    Sorry I am late this week but I hope you had a fab WOYWW and also have a great weekend, Luv Karen xx

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