Thistle Not Be A Card With Tutorial

Happy Easter to Everyone and a warm welcome to my new followers. I can’t believe how fast this month is going in as Guest Designer over at Cheery Lynn Designs . I love sharing my crafty ideas with you all and today I thought I would show you how to make a Thistle from Embellishment#1.
When I first saw this die I thought it would make a perfect Thistle. Isn’t it wonderful how we can all look at a die and see something different in it.
I made this breadboard as a present for one of my crafty friends. It was so lovely to see her face light up when she opened it and I know she will treasure this for a long time to come.

I noticed wooden breadboards in our local Bargain Shop and just thought this was begging to be altered. After giving it a Shabby paint effect with PaperArtsy paint and crackle glaze I sanded my board all back and layered on a piece of tartan paper I had dry brushed some Gesso onto. I cut out the Chicken Wire Frame from white cardstock and then pressed some areas into my embossing ink and used silver embossing powder on to it to give a metallic effect. With the areas left not embossed I dragged the paper through some distress stain to give it a rusty effect.

I stamped my beloved little Tilda and coloured her in using Copics and paper piecing in her little Tartan pinafore dress.

Now for the magic of Cheery Lynn dies - To make My Thistle.

Step 1 – Paint a cocktail stick green.

Step 2 – Using Embellishment#1 and cardstock cut out 6 large & 2 medium in purple/lilac and 1 large & 1 medium in green and emboss all pieces in the centre so the paper curls up.

Step 3 -  Glue the medium green one on to the base of the large one and then glue both on to the cocktail stick. Gradually gluing and layering on the other pieces until you have 3 large ones left. With these ones crush them at the base and glue together. Let the glue dry.

Step 4 – Now we want to join the 2 pieces together. On to the crushed piece that is not on your stick, you want to place glue at the base and a third of the way up this piece.  Now place it in to the centre of the stick and gather all the paper up and hold together until the glue grips. Try to be patient at this stage until your glue has thoroughly dried.

Step 5 – Start to curl your edges with tweezers on you green parts and the medium die layer of purple you had placed in. This all helps to give it texture.

 Step 6 – You now want to ruffle the top part of your thistle so placing a couple of fingers around the middle to support it, bend your papers back and forward.

 Step 7 – Cut out green cardstock using your flourish leaf strip and glue a few leaves into place. The  B216 Wreath Strip would also look fab as leaves on this.

My flowers are all made using Cheery Lynn dies, painting and using distress inks on white cardstock for my larger flowers

Well I hope you all managed to follow my tutorial and have fun making a Thistle. As you can see this die is fantastically versatile, as if you look at my small purple flowers they are made from the same die and they also look great in the centre of larger flowers.

Hope you all have a creative weekend, 

Julie x

      Shop at Cheery Lynn  for: 

• B181A Embellishment#1
• B178 Flourish Leaf Strip
• B311 Chrysanthemum Strip
• FRM144 Chicken Wire Frame
• B118 Pair of Ferns
• B307 Sweet Williams Strip
• Dl102 French Pastry
• Dl234 French Pastry Doily
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I wish to enter this in to :

Stamping Sesations - Use Dies/Punches Challenge 
Crafty Hands Devon - Anything Goes Challenge
Marvellous Magnolia Challenge - Anything Goes Challenge
Fab and Funky Challenges - Flower Power Challenge
Magnolia-Liciouschallenge blog - All Things Flowery Challenge
That Craft Place Blog - Anything Goes Easter Challenge
Craft Hoarders Anonymous Challenge Blog - Pick a Stamp Any Stamp Challenge
Tildastown - April Showers Bring May Flowers Challenge