Vitamin C... A Daily Dose of Creativity: punches

Showing posts with label punches. Show all posts

Singing Flowers

by Kim

I had some fun this afternoon making some musical paper flowers for Wonder Woman's birthday. She likes a quiet, understated birthday, and I thought these might fit the bill. She loves music!

I used:

off white card stock
an old hymnal
a round, scalloped paper punch
hot glue gun and glue
small shank buttons
craft wire (mine is green, but use what you have)

First, I sat and punched a pile of round shapes. For each flower, I made 2 off white cardstock, and 7 hymnal punch outs.

Leave the cardstock punch outs flat. Fold the paper circles in half and then as you see above.

Put a pea sized dot of glue in the center of a cardstock circle. Place 4 folded papers on it, points in the center. Place another dot of glue in the center. Place three folded pieces as a second layer, points to the center. Glue a button in the center.

Cut a length of wire, glue it to the back of the flower. Glue a second cardstock circle to cover it. Make as many flowers as you wish, on different length wires.

I filled a jar with beans and tucked the flower stems down in. Use any vase. If you have one with a smaller neck, it won't need beans.

Take your Vitamin C!

3 Things I Don't Punch Everyday and Some Projects With Them

by Kim

This was a challenge to myself to use three materials that are not in my everyday range. They might be in yours, in which case, I would love to see what you make with them!

I have been very punch inspired lately, going in all directions. It started with decorating artist canvases and moved onto lighted wall art. Then I was inspired to see where else punches could go.

Paper punches are designed to punch paper and for the most part, we use them on scrapbook paper and cardstock. I used the same scalloped round punch for each of my challenge projects. Scallop punch in hand, I walked through my studio, house, and garage, sticking things in the punch to see what might work.

These are the first three materials that jumped out at me, and the simple projects I did with them.

I offer quick instructions. Maybe they will entice you to try them... or take your own paper punch around the house testing.....

A textbook nobody would buy back.

Punch 8 textbook flowers and one white cardstock flower.

Fold each textbook flower in half and in half again.

Put a dab of hot glue in the center of the cardstock flower. Place 4 folded pieces with points in the glue. Repeat with remaining four flowers, offset from the first layer.

Glue a button or gem in the center. Glue a pinback or magnet to backside. These are practically free to make!

Window Screen

Punch out 4 or 5 flowers of screen and one of red cardstock.

Stitch all layers together with a button in the center. Bend up some of the screen flower edges. Excellent texture!

Use for any decoration. I like it dressing up this small gift box.

Freezer Paper

Punch out five freezer paper flowers. Iron them (shiny side down) to the leg of a pair of jeans. Place duct tape (mine is white), around them forming a box of denim with 5 paper flowers inside.

Cover the exposed denim with bleach from a Clorox Bleach Pen. I used the widest tip on the pen, and brushed from the paper onto the denim to keep the edges crisp.

It takes awhile for bleach to work on denim. I let mine sit overnight before I removed the tape and the freezer paper flowers.

Squiggle around them with dimensional fabric paint. I used white, but a color would be interesting too.

As a crafter/designer, I am required to use both right and left brain to complete a job. A good project needs clear instructions (left brain), but a creative, innovative project (right brain) starts the process. When I get deep into the left brain activities of writing, invoicing, mailing, etc, I find a challenge a good way to keep the right brain exercised. Even a simple challenge is a terrific way to stay fresh.

Have you challenged yourself lately?
Use your Vitamin C!

Faux Enamel Flowers

by Kim

I love retro enamel flower jewelry. The bright color and bold design appeal to me, not to mention the shine. My own crafting style tends toward all three of those things, and I am a jewelry designer, so....perfect fit! Nice metal, retro flowers are not easy to find, nor are they inexpensive. So, what does a smart crafter do? She makes her own faux version of them, of course!

A little sidebar: I enjoy combining materials and techniques because I have such a varied past as a crafter/teacher. So, my projects almost always involve combinations of painting, jewelry making, papercrafting, stitching, and whatever else is on my mind at the time. Here is a charm bracelet made with a simple 1" round punch. It is never boring!

Making your own faux enamel flowers is quite easy. And fun! Here is what you need:

heavy paper: I used both 90 lb. watercolor paper and posterboard. They worked equally well.
cardstock: solid brights
Fiskars punches: I used a 1" circle lever punch, a heart squeeze punch, 2 sizes of oopsie daisy squeeze punches, and a large scalloped circle squeeze punch
Plaid's Dimensional Magic in clear
Mod Podge for paper, or your favorite paper adhesive that will hold with moisture
white acrylic paint (optional)
small flat paintbrush (for Mod Podge)
buttons or gems for flower centers
hot glue gun and glue sticks
wire cutters (if you have shank buttons)

Try this:

1. Punch shapes. For every watercolor paper shape you punch, punch two color shapes the same.

2. Using Mod Podge as glue, sandwich a white piece between two color pieces. Brush on a light coat that completely covers the shape.

3. Make dots or stripes on layered pieces with acrylic paint if you wish. I used the end of the brush handle on the heart and a pencil point on the daisy. Let the paint dry before the next step.

4. Lay all shapes on a flat, level surface. Cover each with a coat of Dimensional Magic. Apply straight from the bottle, no brushing is necessary. Let the coat dry 6 hours or so.

5. Assemble flowers by glueing pieces together. You can roll petals up or down before you apply Dimensional Magic.... or now, after one coat. Gently manipulate the paper for dimension.

Apply a second coat of Dimensional Magic on the front. Let dry. Also apply a coat to the backside of the flower. This makes the flower very sturdy.

6. Glue gems or buttons in the centers of the flowers. I used some gorgeous Blumenthal Lansing buttons. Snip the shanks off with a pair of wire cutters before glueing them down.