Fall Flowers
Welcome to a middle-of-the-month blog challenge on the Designer Crafts Connection! This time, we're playing with Smoothfoam™, one of my new favorite surfaces. Smoothfoam™ is sturdy, resists chipping and crushing, paintable (no tedious prep work!), waxable, stampable - everything you want in a foam product. On top of that, it can be adhered with just about any adhesive, including glue guns. You can get out that dinosaur glue gun from the "olden days" when that was all that we had available, and not worry about whether you are using high heat or low. Both work fine on Smoothfoam™ (but you still need to keep it off your fingers). This stuff can be cut or carved as well.
Be sure to click on the Designer Crafts Connection logo to the left to see what some great designers have done with Smoothfoam™.
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As you hop through the designer blogs,
comment on your favorite projects. Each time you comment you'll be
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I used the 2" Smoothfoam™ balls and the 6" cube to make this simple centerpiece. Here's how I did it:
Supplies
Smoothfoam™, 2" balls and 6" cube
Cardstock, assorted designs that look well together-mine came from my scrap pile (Graphic 45, Bohemia, Coredinations)
Glue Gun
Liquid Fusion
Sizzix Big Shot and Tattered Leaves (Tim Holtz's Alterations) die
Assorted Craft Paints (Pearl, Bronze)
Paint brush
Tim Holtz Distress inks (Spiced Marmalade, Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain, Ebony, Rusty Hinge)
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| Flower Detail |
Hemp twine
Floral pick (gold berries)
Floral stems
Copper and gold wire, 22 gauge
Assorted rubber stamps (swirls)
Scissors (Westcott)
Hot wire cutter
Sanding block
Sponges
Recycled Greenery
Spray Paint (Krylon)
Directions
Flowers
1. Cut four 2" Smoothfoam™ balls in half (a sharp knife will work, but a hot cutter is much easier, not to mention less dangerous). Paint each with pearl craft paint. When dry, sponge Walnut Stain and Ebony Distress Inks over the entire surface.
2. Cut cardstock with Tattered Leaves die. Sponge all leaves with Vintage Photo or Ebony Distress Inks. Sand the high points on the Coredinations cardstock.
3. Cut eight 2" circles from scrap paper.
TIP: Try to use coordinating papers so that the back will look as pretty as the front.
4. Lay circle face down on your work surface. Apply hot glue and arrange the leaves around the circle. Top each off with the Smoothfoam™ you painted in step 1, adhering with hot glue.
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| Wrap twine around the base |
6. Fold a floral stem in half. Cut a small slit in the underside of each flower, drop in a small amount of Liquid Fusion and insert the folded end of the wire into the slit. Set all flowers aside to dry.
7. To create "springs", wrap the ends of an 8" piece of wire around a floral stem. Use a pencil or skewer to wrap the wire to create the spring.
9. Spray artificial greenery with spray paint. (I used bronze to tone down the bright green. The greenery was slated for a yard sale, but I repurposed it.)
Base
1. Paint entire 6" block with cream pearl paint. When dry, use Ebony, Spiced Marmalade and Vintage Photo Distress Inks to stamp swirls.
2. Use a small hammer to gently bang up the corners and bottom and top edges of the block.
3. Use Walnut Distress Ink to sponge edges. If you prefer a darker base, sponge all of the Distress inks listed in the supply list to add interest.
Assembly
1. Insert the base greenery directly into the top of the Smoothfoam™. Arrange flowers and add gold berries and springs to balance the design.
That's it! Easy as pie.
Have a great weekend and don't forget to hop through the blog posts (and comment to win)!
I received product from Smoothfoam™for this project.
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