Tuesday 29 April 2014

Flowers! Card 11

Sometimes I think I am drowning in a sea of flowers. Now, that might be good if they were exciting, cutting edge flowers...soft and dreamy...or grungy and textured. Alas, mine are the more than 10 year old or more, Prima flowers, and some other older styles, that seem to multiply behind my back!

I have pinned a lot of ideas to spur me on to use them on my card creations.  Here is a link to the card I saw on Pinterest that inspired me to create this card. Pinterest card here

While I did manage to use a few flowers last year, I am on a mission this year to use them in my designs. I have decided to track just how many I manage to use...I thought that might encourage me to continue along this path. So a new little ticker has been installed at the top of my blog! I made it my goal to have a flower a day or 365 flowers re-homed onto my cards or projects....by 2015!

If I have counted correctly, there are 40 flowers on this card! I have assembled most into three layers and am counting each layer as a flower used. They are after all, 40 flowers pulled from my stash, assembled, and re-homed onto this card!  Hope that doesn't seem like cheating! lol

Of course there will not be a flower used every day...so to boost the number of flowers used to date, I planned this flowerpot of blooms card! It was great fun to make. Many flowers have three or even four layers. I anchored them with tiny brads, and managed to use up quite a few of those as well. They seem to be another item that I have hundreds of!

I was thinking of making half a dozen or so of this type of card...but after working with all those teensy blooms and the even teensier brads, my hands were too sore to do anymore. I will have to scatter making them throughout the year. I think they  make very versatile cards. They could be pressed into service for so many occasions...Birthday, Thank you, Anniversary, etc.

Here is another view that shows the depth and a bit of sparkle...it is a bit off center but I cropped out my hand so it would be less distracting!  I find if I can tilt the card under the Ott-lite, I can catch some of the shimmer.


This one is going to a lovely friend who I have known since she was a little girl. She lives in my Mum's small town and has been very kind and helpful to me, when I have been up visiting my Mum. Here is a peek at the inside...


****************This is card #11 of 50. I am on a consumables spending freeze until I have made 50 cards (Sook Wang tape and heavy weight card stock are exempt).***************

Recipe
Card Base - made from my stash
Card Stock - snippets of white and pink from my stash and a wee snippet of Kraft for the flower pot
Brads - assorted teensy brads from my stash
Flowers - old school Prima flowers you know the type...I think we all had to buy them at the time( lol
Dies - Spellbinders background die, Labels 10; Sizzix flower pot; Memory Box Butterfly & corner die
Stickles - Star Dust
Doily - from my stash (dollar store last Easter)
Felt bird - from my stash (Michael's)
Bling - from my stash
I am entering this card into the following challenges:

1. Pixies Crafty Workshop - must use snippets
2. Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - must cover card base with paper
3. The Kraft Journal Monday Challenge - Challenge 169 Pinterest inspired
4. Use Your Stuff - Challenge 133 Flowers
5. Great Impressions - Pink, polka dots, and glitter

44 comments:

Craftin Suzie (Susan Wykes) said...

A gorgeous card Maureen all the flowers look wonderful. Just make another 8 and you will have gone over your target!! Hugs Susan xx

Christine Harrop said...

Somebody is going to be so happy to receive this gorgeous bouquet of flowers Maureen. I absolutely love what you have done with it. Hugs Christine xx

debby4000 said...

Oh WOW this absolutely gorgeous and so beautiful too.
luv
Debby

Gibmiss said...

Morning....
Fabulous card... The flowers look stunning....
Hugs Sylvie xxx

Erika said...

Hi Mo, lovely to hear from you, hope all is well with you?
I love the idea of getting all those flowers used....I too have a mountain of primas that I don't use anymore...I loved the little glass jars they came in!
Great idea to get them used and I love your floral arrangement on your card, the bit of glitter a lovely sparkling touch too.

Happy crafting, hugs Erika. x

Hazel said...

Beautiful flowers. Thank you so much for joining my Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper April challenge with your lovely creation - hope to see you again soon x

Cathy said...

Beautiful floral arrangement Mo! I love the sparkle too, Cathy x

McCrafty's Cards said...

This is really beautiful Mo I love the flowers.
Kevin xx

Hettie said...

What a stunner of a card Mo. And in lilac too. Do you know I like purple and all related shades?
All that detail and loveliness are just fabulous.
Well done.
Hugs
xx

jimlynn said...

This is beyond sensational.....it's breath taking!! So beautiful and I love all those wonderful flowers and pretty colors. Great dimension too. Gorgeous!
Lynn

cotnob said...

This is a beautiful card, I love your floral arrangement with the little felt bird peeping out. Such a pretty colour combination and fabulous design.
You really should give your CD's a go, they are so simple to use and they wont break your spending freeze!
Pauline
x

Inkyfingers said...

I had to smile when I red your post Mo, it could have been me you were writing about with regard to the stash of flowers and brads (not to mention eyelets that breed in the cupboard!) I love what you did with them, and I think the texture and colour on the card is fabulous. Lucky lady to receive this one.
Hugs
Carol x

Sassy Raggedy said...

I adore how you set goals and work to reach them. Bravo...Your card is lovely. I am sure it took lots of patience. I respect you so much for your commitment...Hugs, joann

Sue said...

Awww Mo this is stunning! what a gorgeous card:) I agree I think flowers and brads seem to either breed or just appear from nowhere LOL well that's my excuse hahaha hope you are well..lots of huggles from us all here..Sue xxxxxxxxx

Kathleen said...

Absolutely stunning, gorgeous creation and what a great way to use up some flowers.
I am in the same boat and I have thrown a few away but I may have to have a go at this just to try to use a few more of mine.

Kath x

Karen Letchworth said...

GORGEOUS! Thanks so much for sharing with us at The Kraft Journal.
Karen
The Kraft Journal

Sparkly Engineer said...

These may be old style Prima flowers but this is a new style gorgeous card.

MaryH said...

Maureen, this is so lovely and your friend will appreciate all the work you put into this pretty card. Good for you on using up those flowers, and this flower pot on the oval die is just gorgeous. Love the soft colors and I admire that frog holder you've used to showcase this wonderful card. TFS & Hugs. Happy to see you on my return to the Playground. Been MIA for far too long.

Tracy said...

Such a pretty card.
Now that is a way to use up some flowers, very pretty.
I too have a lot of flowers and I hardly use them, so that is my goal this year as well..but not only with my flowers ;)

Mynn xx said...

This is absolutely amazing! GORGEOUS layering! Thanks for joining us at Great Impressions! :) HUGS! Mynn xx

ILEANA ARTUFFO said...

Gorgeous! Very nice choice of colors, the layout is beautiful and the arrangement of flowers is wonderful! You had a lot of patience to assemble all these little flowers! I love it!
Sparkling hugs,Ileana

jonim52 said...

Wow this is so gorgeous! Fabulus creation. Thanks for joining us at Great Impressions.

KandA said...

What a fantastic card. Your flower arrangment is really beautiful and the colours are so gorgously soft xx

Pia S said...

I love what you've made with your old flowers, this bouquet sure looks impressive! It's such an elegant card!

Jean said...

A gorgeous card, the flower bouquet is beautiful and the colours so pretty.
Jean x

Heidi MyLittleStampingBlog said...

What a wonderful card! You have so much patience to make a card like that AND count the flowers! Fun idea!

Bonnie said...

This is much prettier than the Pinterest card! Love this gorgeous bouquet!

Greta said...

Boy do I need to Case you! Best use of those old flowers (I have millions, too!) I've ever seen! Love the branches for the base & the shimmer & everything! Who needs new stuff?!

Di said...

I'm with Greta, absolutely fabulous use of old flowers (I also have tons of them!) - deffo one to CASE!

Hugs, Di xx

Mary Jo said...

Oh wow, that is gorgeous!!

Anonymous said...

Lovely card! You did a wonderful job with the flowers and all those little leaves (I never get the leaves looking right!) Thanks for joining our flower challenge at Use Your Stuff this week and hope to see you again.
Tammy DT

Carol L said...

This card is AH-MAZING with all of those gorgeous layered flowers! WOWSAH!!

MaryH said...

Maureen, it is official. Dies are 'investment spending', definitely not consumables. I think I will put WoLuna pens in that category too, even though the ink will run out! But hey, you justify however it works for you! Hope all is going well for you. Happy Wkend. Hugs

Peanut said...

Half a dozen?! LOL! Glad you came to your senses, my friend! This is a lovely creation .... and should remain one of a kind! Have a lovely weekend!
hugs, Asha

Shaz in Oz.CalligraphyCards said...

wow! wow, Maureen just love what you have done here .. oh and your ticker factory really tickled me too never seen them before :D Shaz in oz.x
PS thanks for popping over.

vic said...

Hi mo this is just beautiful!
Hugs
Vic x

Sue McGettigan said...

A lovely card and a great way to use up all those flowers - you can grunge them up a little if you want that current shabby look by stamping abstract script or background type images on them, and inking up the edges a little - that might help you use up even more (can you tell I have some that I'm trying to use up too?) :)

~Tammy~ said...

Very lovely, thank you for joining us at The Kraft Journal!

Greta said...

Congrats on being a Playground pick--this was definitely one of my favorites!

Sally H said...

Wow, wow, wow! This is breathtakingly gorgeous! LOVE it!

Anonymous said...

wow, beautiful card! i admire your willpower; living some distance from stores is the only way i can hold back from buying new stash. :)

Glenda Atkins said...

Stunning card, love the grey and pink together and the die cut is awesome. Wonderful built up focal point!
hugs
Glenda

coldwaters2 said...

Wow what a beautiful flower display it looks amazing Mo.
hugs
lorraine x

Pat said...

This is a lovely flowery display Mo, but I can see it would be hard on the hands though. I adore the colours and the glittery finish to some of them. x