Shabby Sunflowers with Gwen Studios Ribbon

 Happy Fall!

Besides pumpkins, sunflowers are my favorite fall decoration.  Here are some Shabby Sunflowers made with Gwen Studios ribbon.  

Shabby Sunflowers

I like the look of raveled edges, so I thought I'd try that with the Gwen Studios grosgrain ribbon.  It worked!

To make a sunflower, you'll need:

Print cotton fabric for the center (5"square)

Sewing thread and needle

Small amount of stuffing

12" of 1 1/2" grosgrain ribbon in yellow or orange; 9" of 3/8" ribbon to match from Gwen Studios

Bamboo skewer

Green paint

2 1/2" terra cotta pot

Moss

Twine for bow

Buttons (your choice)

Felt in green or brown to cover back of flower

Hot glue and glue gun, scissors, paintbrush

Instructions:

Trace and cut a 4 1/2" circle from print fabric.  Sew a running stitch around the edge and gather.  Add a small amount of stuffing, pull up your threads and tie them in a knot.  Trim.

From 1 1/2" wide grosgrain ribbon, cut twelve 1" pieces.  Trim to a petal shape and fray the edges with your fingernail.  Make 12.

Paint the bamboo skewer green. Trim the skewers to the height you like.  I like to make them different heights.

Glue petals around back edge of fabric center.  Glue stick to back of flower.  Layer and glue buttons to center of flower.  Glue a circle of felt to cover back.  

Here are the sunflowers without the buttons, which I also like. Other options:  sew a button in the center to give it more dimension; add small buttons in a ring or randomly.

Glue narrow ribbon around top of pot.  Add stuffing to pot.  Push stick into the center and glue.  Glue moss over the stuffing.  

Tie a twine bow to the stem.

You can find Gwen Studios ribbon at Michaels and Walmart.

Thankful Heart - Designer Crafts Connection Blog Hop

Hi Everyone!

Welcome to another first Monday of the month Designer Crafts Connection Blog Hop!  This month we're creating thank you gifts.  I've created a Thankful Heart plaque that you can give as a gift or use to decorate the house for Thanksgiving or all through the year.  You can make this as a family or with a group.
 

Thankful Heart 

I've made it a reminder of a few of the people and things for which I am thankful.  You'll have your own things for which you are thankful so you can individualize the heart with names of loved ones or other words you like.

For this project, you'll need:

8x10 canvas
DecoArt Americana acrylic paint in Jack-O'-Lantern Orange and Milk Chocolate
Off-white cardstock and a word processing program/computer
Raffia-covered wire, about 1 foot
Small dry sticks
Tacky glue
Paintbrush, pliers, sponge

Instructions:

1.  Mix some orange and brown paint and paint the canvas.  Leave the paint streaky and uneven.  While the paint is still wet, press the sponge on the paint using different angles to create more texture.

2.  Using a word processing program and your computer, make a sheet of words describing things or people for which you are thankful.  Space them so that you can tear them apart.  Change the fonts and sizes on some of the words for interest.  Print them out on cardstock and tear the words apart into different shapes.  Thin the brown paint and randomly paint the words.  Let dry.

3.  Break the sticks into pieces to make the letters for the word "Thank".

4.  Using the pliers and your fingers, shape the wire into "ful".  For kids and seniors, use yarn instead of the wire.  Write the "ful" in glue, then follow it with yarn. 

5.  Glue the word "Thankful" as shown or as you like.

6.  Glue the paper words into a heart shape.

That's the basics, but as usual, you can change the project around to make it as individual as you are! 

Thanks for stopping by!  

Terry

Southwestern Cross

Hi Crafters!
It's our first Monday Designer Crafts Connection blog hop, and we're starting the year off with Home Decor items.  It's the perfect time to add a new accent to your home, and I'm sure you'll find a few you'll want to try.  Follow the blog ring by going forward or back with the big blue button to the left of this post.

My home decor piece is a Southwestern Cross.  It has a natural look with faux stucco and raffia-covered floral wire and will fit in with a den, office or family room decorated in wood and stone. 

Although it looks like stucco, the base is a unique construction of Smoothfoam(TM) and a paintable texture paste from DecoArt(R). 

First cut a cross from a Smoothfoam(TM) sheet.  The dimensions on this cross are 6" wide by 8" high with 2" wide arms.  After measuring it, use a serrated knife in a sawing motion to cut it out of the foam.

Using a palette knife, cover the foam cross with DecoArt(R) Dimensional Effects(TM) paintable texture paste.  It's like frosting a cake (only easier!).  You can work the paste for awhile to get the texture you want.

When the paste is dry, paint it with Georgia Clay or the color of your choice.  When that is dry, make a wash of Peach Sherbet and paint over the first layer.  To make a wash, thin the paint with a little water.  Let dry.  These paints are from Americana(R) by DecoArt(R).

Cut two lengths of the florist wire about 7" long and two 4" long.  Loosely twist the two longer wires together.  Twist the 4" pieces together about halfway, slide it over the 7" twisted wires and finish twisting the wires.  The floral wire is from Joann's. 

Glue the wire cross to the foam cross with tacky glue.  Cut felt to cover the back and glue it to the cross.  Glue on a ribbon loop for hanging.

Happy New (Crafting) Year!
Terry