Joanne- GIVEAWAY and Inspirational

Hi I'm Joanne! I'm so excited to join you in Lindsay's Blog Party today. I wanted to do an inspiration post with you. I've been in a paper crafting phase lately, and have been super inspired by flowers. Not just any type of flowers...but handmade paper flowers.

 

Here are some of the paper flowers I've been working on. My most favorite technique involves layering circles (pictured above: bottom left, and bottom middle flower). I can't remember where I've first learned how to make them--I've seen similar versions here and there on the web. I free-hand cut three varying sized circles from contrasting papers. Free-hand cutting gives it it's imperfection and charm. I then crumpled each circle to give it a wrinkled, used texture. After crumpling, I unfolded and inked the edges for an antique look. Next I layered and glued the circles together and topped it off with a button, brad, rhinestone, or other embellishment. I also like to add random drops of glitter glue for even more texture. EASY, and FUN!

I also like using different flower punches and layering them together. There are so many cute flower punches out there on the market-- of course you can also free-hand cut your flower shapes too!

Since I'm from Hawaii, I just had to make a flower punch lei. We give leis to people when the graduate, celebrate birthdays, retirements, etc. Here's one made of recycled magazine pages, and old book pages. I strung them together and separated sections with cut drinking straws. To give them a little "kick" I wrapped the straws with Japanese washi tape.

Here are a few handmade flower links I've found and love...

3D Pop-Up Magazine Flowers 

Origami Flower

Paper Flower Video Tutorial

Eco-Chic Bouquet

And now, here's a little "FLOWER" giveaway!!!

Sign your name, and your favorite flower for a chance to win everything shown here (1 winner). Winner will be picked this Sunday :)

INCLUDES: making memories panorama flowers, pink glitter plumerias, hawaiian-style origami how-to book (includes several hawaiian flowers), 4 different sets of acrylic flower stamps, a made in hawaii hibiscus rubber stamp, hibiscus die-cut flowers, plumeria die-cut flowers, 2 packs of pink and blue flowers, k & company flower embellishments, and a whole bunch of handmade flowers made by me (including the ones shown above in the first photo).

-Joanne