Desert Blooms Tutorial

This is old information, no longer relevant to the tutorial, but keeping it here so people know why I was given suggestions on flower names!: OK....don't you just love the oh so original name of my flower?  I confess...I'm totally out of any ideas on what to name the flowers I make.  I have several tutorials I've created, but I haven't put them online b/c I just don't know what to name the flowers.


Here's what I'm going to do...I'm going to hold a flower naming contest from now on...and the winner will receive some of my handmade flowers...and maybe if I really like the name...I'll throw in a bling design too!!  Just leave me a comment with your idea for a name and I'll pick a winner one week from today (if I had more responses...I'd probably pick a winner sooner...so we'll see how this first one goes.)

Supplies needed:  Heat gun, water bottle, 2" & 1" retro punches, ink & applicator, mousepad, stylus, glue, and hole punch (just the regular office kind).  In my little container is Aleene's tacky glue...I like to apply it with a toothpick to get in the small spaces.

I punch 3 - 2" flowers and 4 - 1" flowers

The 1" will be the bud, I like to punch half a hole out of the tips and then ink them.  This creates a nice texture for the bud.

I just thought I'd sneak this pic in real quick.  I love these little rosebuds.  I make them just like the bud I'm getting ready to show you, except I use 5 - 1" retro flowers.

For the very center of the bud, I use a mousepad and stylus.  Gently crinkle the inside of the tips of the petals, then press down into the center of the flower to draw the petals up.  Add a bit of glue to the inside tips of the petals, then roll it between your fingers to make the bud.

Tip:  I will make sure that one side of each petal is on the outside of the next petal before rolling to give it a nice finished look.

On the right is the bud we just created.

The 2nd layer, I curl the left side of each petal inward and the right side outward.  Place glue on the left inward curl and in the center, then place the small bud inside and wrap it around and hold in place.

Tip:  You may want to wait and curl the right side back until after you have glue it around the bud.  You can use tweezers to pull it down, but its easier that way to get it to stay around the bud.

On the right, is the two pieces you just created above.

The last 2 layers (or if you are just making a rosebud, the last 3), curl the tips of the petals back, press down into the center with stylus to draw the petals up.  Place a tiny bit of glue on the inside of each petal and the center, then layer under the bud alternating the petals.

Here is the finished bud/center. 

Another reason I love the Aleene's tacky glue is that it dries clear!!

3 - 2"

Spritz lightly with water.  Hold the back of the petal on your thumb and press the tip of the petal over the end of your thumb for the curled back effect. 

Then, press your finger or the small end of a paintbrush into the front center of the petal, and from the backside, pinch the petal around the paintbrush.

Here's a picture from the side to see the dimension and detail on each petal.

You can press into the base of the flower to draw the petals up.

Use your heat gun to dry the flower.

Glue the 2" layers together alternating petals, then glue the bud into the center.  Here is the final flower.

Here's another view from the side.  They don't sit too high off your page...so not too much bulk.


These are the Prima flowers that I got the inspiration from to make these flowers.

I also did these flowers using a 6 petal flower punch and 4 - 1" retro punches. 

Make the bud the same as you did above.

On the 6 petal flowers, cut between the petals a bit if they are like this.  Follow the steps above.  The only difference with these is that after I shaped it, I pressed into the base of each petal to draw it up and cause it to overlap the next petal.

This is the finished flower using the 6 petal flowers.

On the bottom pink one, I did the bud a bit differently.  Instead of curling the petals backward, I used a mousepad and stylus to gently crinkle the backsides of the petals, then layered and glued them.

OK...that's my latest tutorial!  Now...name my flowers!!  Thanks for looking and have a great day!!

Stephanie