I was lucky enough to take a paper flower making workshop with this amazing woman Livia Cetti, through The Good Lodge. I also, happen to be, lucky enough to know the women who created The Good Lodge. (I’m very lucky) They organize talks, workshops, and events that fill your cup. I always leave their presence feeling inspired and ready to walk forward. AMAZING WOMEN!
After the class I bought one of Livia’s books. The Exquisite Book of Paper Flowers. The next morning I woke-up itching to get my hands on some tissue paper and floral tape. I could kick myself because Livia was selling kits, beautiful hand-dyed paper and everything you would need to get started and I only bought the book. Dumb! You can buy her kits here.
I ordered what I needed on Amazon, the book gives you a list of materials and tools you need along with resources for the projects in the book.
And by the time my supplies arrived I also had a reason to make something. Having a reason was just the “bee in my bonnet” I needed to get me going.
Another AMAZING WOMAN I know was celebrating her 50th birthday and I really wanted to make her something special. Amy, my birthday friend, has one of the most beautiful Christmas trees filled with handmade ornaments. I’m not saying my piece will be worthy for her tree but I wanted to make her something beautiful and heartfelt that could be hung from a tree, or door knob or what have you, with Amy in mind.
Here it goes.
The Green card stock was mine. The tissue paper was from Amazon. The paper wasn’t of as high quality as the hand dyed tissue paper Livia had at the workshop. And when I tried to dye the paper I wanted to use, only one took, the pale pink. The dark purple did nothing. The floral tape was also from Amazon. Get good tape. Because some don’t stick and also slip and slide mine was not good. The wire was from the Michael’s Craft Store, average.
After you have cut and dyed your paper and created your petals, my petals consisted of two petals folded and pinched together, and prepare your wires, by wrapping the wire with floral tape. You start to build your flower from the bud up, adding each petal one at time. In the workshop I zipped through this wrapping of the wire part, but again, sub quality material made the process a lot slower. The floral tape I was using kept slipping and separating. Ugh!
But I finished in 3 days. Whoop! Whoop!
I decided to use the same silk ribbon I wrapped the bouquet with as a loop to hang on the tree. I attached it with hot glue and a vintage button from my collection. Yes I have jars and jars of buttons. Also, that blue tag says K.T. Buckels, so she never forgets who gave it to her. I’m bold. I hope she likes it.
Cheers to Amy! And all the AMAZING WOMEN I know. You fill my cup daily. I feel very lucky.
Mash-Up Life Design 