It is National Craft Month and we are celebrating on the Limelight Papercrafts blog.  There will be a different tutorial every Monday.  This week I thought I would show you how I make smooshed flowers.  “Smooshed” is a very technical name I adopted for these flowers.

Here is what you need…

• Double sided paper
• Scalloped circle punch (mine is 2 inches)
• paper piercer
• embrodery floss
• button
• small brad (I used a 3mm silver brad)
• a foam adhesive square (somehow didn’t make it into the picture)

First, you need double sided paper.  If one side is white the smooshed flower lacks flair.  If you do not have double sided paper, you can do what I did and make it.  I cut a strip of 4.25 x 12 inch paper and folded it in half.  Then, I glued it together with a glue stick and smoothed it out with a bone folder.  Give it a few minutes to settle and then you can punch out your scalloped circles.  You will need 4 to 5 circles.  Since the paper was pretty thick, I only used 4 circles for this flower (even though I cut out 5).

Stack your scalloped circles and pierce a hole in the middle.  Doesn’t have to be perfect, just make it large enough for the brad.  Now take each circle separately and crumple it up.  This helps to soften the paper for when we form the flower in a minute.  The more the crumple, the easier it will be to mold the flower.

Once you are done crumpling, place a brad in the center of all the circles and fasten.  I have tried eyelets, it didn’t work for me so I recommend a brad.

Start folding and crumpling each layer toward the center.  You may have to be a bit rough, it is ok.  Just fold the outside in toward the center and it will crumple up.  Keep folding each layer until you are done.  Once done… now we smoosh!  I take the heal of my hand and smoosh the flower down to flatten a little.  Then I re-fluff till I get the look I want.  At this point you could be done.  But I like to add a button to the middle.

Open the flower up and place a foam adhesive square in the middle.  It works to form around the brad and hold the button in place.  I tied the embroidery floss in the center of the button before adhering.  Put the button in place and do a little dance (oh, wait, that isn’t right).  Do some last minute fluffing and scrunching instead until you are happy.  Now let’s use this fabulous flower on a card!!!

{supplies: cs- DCWV, pp – Urban Prairie (Basic Grey); stamps – Life is Fabulous kit (Unity); ink – Versafine; button – Basic Grey; nesti- Labels 8; other – scalloped circle punch (Ek Success), Swiss Dots embossing folder (Cuttlebug), string, Bazzill 3mm brad, sewing machine}

I can’t wait to see all your fabulous smooshed flower projects!!!

If you have any questions on the flowers, leave me a comment or shoot me an email.