'Flower Power'

It's time for our next challenge over at ATP Exchange and our host this time is the talented Julia whose chosen a wonderful theme close to my heart, in her words......January is often a very grey and dark month. With this in mind, I'd like to brighten things up a little and bring some summer fun into the winter. Using a Mixed Media style, I'd like you to make some handmade flowers and use them on a project of your choice. Remember we are a Mixed Media challenge and and stamping must be included, but no digi images please.

I have to be honest and say I'm not a crafter who can make Christmas cards in the summer so I can't get away from the fact it's frosty and cold outside.....My hands strayed to cool blues.....but I think a sunny winters day can be just wonderful, so that's where my inspiration came from.

I had some beautiful Prima scrapbooking paper from the Artist Trading Post which I cut some 1.5 and 2 inch circles out of. I added some stamping with a flourish in blue Brilliance pigment ink and 'splats' in black archival (Stampers anonymous and PaperArtsy Hot Picks stamps).

The garden greens diecuts are painted with fresco then text stamped with ESN11 in Brilliance again. 

I then painted a coaster with space cadet fresco paint, applied PaperArtsy crackle glaze, the top layer is antarctic fresco.  

To make the flowers, I cut a spiral out of the circles and then you roll the spiral up from the outside in. The 'squashed' flatter flowers are the ones I usually make and involve you creasing or curling the edge of the spiral before rolling and securing with glue. 
I decided I wanted to try the rolled rose version by Jenny Atkinson of Live The Dream  ....a non squashed version.....Jenny makes the most fabulous flowers!

Having followed her tutorial and distressed the edges, I added glamour dust to the edge of the coaster and the card as well as frosting the roses.

I used clear rock candy distress paint on the leaves to continue the frosty effect. 

I then started to assemble the elements on the coaster. Finnabair mechanicals were layered up with the roses. The loops were made from 2 loops of wire wound around a handle then twisted and brushed with Treasure Gold in Sapphire. 

The card base has been splattered with the two colours of fresco paint I used and some further stamping with the text stamp. The shape of the flowers reminded me of spring bulbs bursting forth out of snow, so the arrangement is a cross between that and a posy..... not sure how I'll get it in the envelope though!

I hope you'll hop over and see the wonderful creations from the rest of the DT...we're really looking forward to seeing your creations incorporating handmade flowers for the challenge. Don't forget there's a £10 gift voucher for the chosen winner. Thanks so much for stopping by and happy crafting. Ruth x