SCALLOP PUNCH POSY EMBELLISHMENT!

Do you enjoy making embellishments as much as I do?

I love learning how to make new embellishments that can be added to scrapbook pages, cards, and 3-d items...on this year's SU cruise, Pam Morgan of Stampin' Up! demonstrated a pretty flower embellishment that I used on the card below:

Created by Debbie Van Gieson Images © Stampin' Up! 1990-2008

I learned about this from  Catherine Harwood, a demonstrator who featured the embellishment with a May Day Basket she made. I decided to give it a try and just LOVE it! This technique is so easy-you won't believe it! Yet the result looks like it was complicated to make, doesn't it?

This was my swap card for my downline meeting in April. I used the following Stampin' Up! products to make the card:

Stamps: Stem Sayings, Circle of Friendship, Polka Dots
Ink: Versamark, Garden Green, Rose Red
Cardstock: Whisper White, Pretty in Pink, Celery, Rose Red & Flowers for You designer paper
Accessories: Scallop Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, Crafter's Tool Kit, Pretties Kit, Mini Glue Dots, Brad, White Tafetta Ribbon, SNAIL, White EP, Heat Tool, 1" & 1/2" punches, Flower Fusion

Did you notice I used Circle of Friendship again? I just realized that I use it quite a bit so it must have become a favorite sayings set of mine!

I used one of the green flowers in Flower Fusion, and just cut some of the flower petals, to make the leaves. I stamped the curvy saying onto cardstock, then trimmed it to look like the stem. The background is made with the Polka Dots set and embossed (love that look!).

Now to make the flower:

1. Using the scallop punch, punch 3 scallops from the Flowers for You Designer Series paper (I have also used this paper alot in projects lately!) and one punch from white cardstock.  I will really miss this designer paper if it retires from the Spring/Summer catalog (but I know there will a replacement I'll probably fall in love with too)
2. Each scallop will be cut differently, as instructed below:
   • Cut a slit between two petals of one scallop just to the center. This will become the bottom petal.
   • Cut out one section (or petal) of another scallop (like a pie or triangle shape) only to the center. This will become the middle petal.
   • For the last scallop, cut out three petals (or pie shapes), This will be the top petal.
3. The white scallop does not get cut-as the flower "sits" on this piece on the card.
4. Fold up each scallop so the two sections next to the cuts overlap-you can use SNAIL, mini glue dots or Tombow adhesive to assemble each piece.
5. Next, Catherine thought of a clever way to attach whatever you decide to use in the center. For my card, I used the Tafetta ribbon, and a flower and 1/2 pearl for the center. The "trick" is to use a brad and paper piercer from the Crafters Tool Kit. Here is how Catherine explains it: "First, slightly flatten the bottom center of each petal -- just put your thumb or finger inside the pointed part of the assembled scallop "petal" and push down a little to flatten. Use paper piercer from Crafter’s Tool Kit to pierce a hole in center of each layer. Push a small brad through the center of a 4” piece of Taffeta Ribbon -- THEN --thread the brad legs below the untied ribbon through the petals, starting with top one, then center one, then bottom one. Spread the brad legs to secure the flower and shape as desired." Isn't that clever? Love it, Catherine! I topped mine with the 1/2 pearl and a mini glue dot!

I attached my flower to the white scallop at the top of the stem and voila! There you have it! Thanks Catherine, for the inspiration and sharing the steps to this adorable embellishment that Pam created!

So-what do you think?  I will be teaching this as part of a class in June, so if you are in Northwest NJ, you just may want to sign up to learn this and many other exciting techniques! I'll be updating my class schedule soon, so check back again!