You know what I love...?

...flowers! Real ones are fab and oh so beautiful, but those little paper ones from Prima just send me over the moon! If I had to chose between a dozen long stemmed red roses for Valentines Day or a dozen crazy cute containers of Prima paper flowers, I would have to go with the paper ones. They are usually cleverly packaged in some sort of adorable reusable container...plastic or metal pails, vintage looking glass jars, small metal tins, the list goes on. The packaging is just as wonderful as the little paper floral treasures waiting inside and they always make me smile :D My obsession with these botanic beauties got me thinking...could I create something similar? Sure, I have made paper flowers, but usually just enough for whatever project I happen to be working on at the time. This time, I wanted something more.

I started this project with a very humble craft box that I picked up from Michael's. I refused to buy new patterned paper while I was there knowing full well that I had probably over 1,000 sheets sitting in storage tubs at home waiting for some love and attention. The paper selection process proved quite daunting. As I mentioned in my earlier post, details grab hold of me and don't let go. Hmmm, not off to such a great start with that first resolution, am I? After much agonizing, I managed to select some paper to cover my box. Covering the outside was simpler than I had anticipated. Next I lined the inside, which was not so simple and was actually a huge pain in my crafty butt, however, I managed to get it done. After I finished the inside of the box, I was in no mood to cover the lid, so I cheated by wrapping some pretty lace around the sides and attaching some panels to the top.

Next, I started on my flowers. Believe it or not, I knew exactly what paper to use for them. Aha...! Maybe I'm doing better with that first resolution than I thought! Using my Cuttle Bug and Nestabilities Flower Creations 3 dies, I cut out enough petals for 24 flowers. Once they were cut, I took each petal and crumpled them repeatedly with my hands to give them a tattered, shabby look. I used a fairly thick paper for these so that they would hold up to my abuse :) Next, I rimmed each petal with Vintage Photo Distress Ink in order to add to their vintage appearance and give them a bit of definition between layers. I attached the petals using a dab of Diamond Glaze and then topped each flower with a clear gemstone in the middle. I decided this little box of flowers will make a special gift for a cardmaker or scrapbooker, so this one is going to my mom :D

I am really happy with the way this project turned out, but it makes me appreciate the convenience of being able to buy the lovely Prima flowers right of the shelf :) YAY, PRIMA!!