We have some dear friends who were married this month, and they needed a special card:

• Sweetly Said and Creative Elements stamp sets
• Wisteria Wonder, Concord Crush, Pear Pizazz, Shimmer White and Whisper White card stock
• Wisteria Wonder and Concord Crush Classic ink pads
• Blossom Builder and XL 2 Step Bird punches
• Big Shot and Fun Flowers L die
• Stampin’ Sponges
• Vanilla Smooch Spritz
• Champagne Mist Shimmer paint mixed with rubbing alcohol in a spray mist bottle
• A retired brad (oops, my bad)
• Mini Glue dots and Tombo the wonder adhesive

I love making these flowers (I know – surprise, surprise).  But they really add something special to a project!  They’re a leeeetle bit tricky to get into an envelope, but I’ve even mailed them using a larger padded envelope (#116911, #2.95 for 3).  This was a hand-delivered card, so I put it in a Medium envelope and gently closed the flap.

I really love that Creative Elements stamp set too.  It always seems to supply the right image when I’m looking for something…you know, that kind of looking when you don’t know WHAT you’re looking for but you know you’ll recognize it when you find it?  That kind of looking.

The paper in this flower has been mashed into a completely new substance.  It almost feels like raw silk when I’m done mashing it.  Once I get it like that, I mist it with the Champagne Spray until it’s pretty damp, then shape it and set it aside to dry.  When it’s dry, it stiffens up a bit and holds its shape.  I don’t know how that works, I just know it happens.