My Regional Swaps Revealed!

Well here they are - my first ever swaps! I must admit to being quite proud of them and I was rapt with the feedback I got about them at Regionals today - I'll talk more about the Regionals in the next day or so - I need to download and sort some pictures and get over the fete tomorrow first!!!

Recipe Ingredients -
Stamp sets - One of a Kind, Artfully Asian, Boho Backgrounds
Cardstock - Regal Rose, Rose Red, Certainly Celery, Very Vanilla, Whisper White
Inks - Always Artichoke, Regal Rose, Bravo Burgundy, Rose Red
Ribbon - Always Artichoke grosgrain
Punches - Tag, Boho Blossoms
Other Bits - 30 gauge green wire, Dimensionals, Dazzling Diamonds, 2 Way Glue, SNAIL, Crystal Effects, 12mm Double-Sided Tape

Here are the step by step instructions to re-create these for yourselves......

For the flowers stamp 1 set each of Regal Rose, Rose Red and Bravo Burgundy using the 3 flowers stamp from One of a Kind onto Whisper White CS. You'll also need 1 extra small pink flower. Punch out using the Boho Blossoms Punch and set the largest flower aside for another project. Also punch out some flowers from plain Whisper White CS. Cut the wire into short lengths, turn the top over to help the wire stop sliding out of the flower. Sandwich the wire between 1 stamped flower and 1 plain flower using Crystal Effects as your glue - I originally used SNAIL but the flowers tended to pop apart. I haven't tried the Crystal Effects but a lovely demonstrator at Regionals today suggested it would solve my problem. I had 1 of each size and colour wired up, and one spare small flower - this is put on last using Dimensionals. Use a little 2 Way Glue on the flower centre and dip into Dazzling Diamonds - set aside for later.

Cut some Very Vanilla to 4 1/8" x 2 15/16" - sorry about the measurements, I tend to cut to suit me and measure later - it sometimes ends up with these strange measurements!!! Stamp the flowers from the Boho Backgrounds set onto Certainly Celery using Always Artichoke ink. Cut 1 vase top out of the stamped CS using the Tag Punch. Cut 1 vase base out of plain Celery CS using just the top of the Tag Punch. Sponge Always Artichoke around the edges of both pieces.

Attach the vase base to the Very Vanilla CS as a guide. Cut 1 tag out of a post-it note and trim a few mm's off the top of the vase so your stamping doesn't stop short of the vase top. Stick the post-it note vase top in place
on the Very Vanilla.

Using the fern-like leaf stamp from Artfully Asian stamp 3 times in Always Artichoke using the post-it note as a guide.


Colour in one of each of the leaf sections that cross over each other - this hides the messy cross overs as well as adding another dimension to the backgound.

Add 2 pieces of double-sided tape to where the vase will be. This helps hold the flowers in place as you position them.




Arrange your flowers making sure the wires are laid side by side - you don't want too much bulk under the vase. Once you are happy, attach the vase with SNAIL and pop the unwired flower onto the top of the vase.

Tie a knot in a small piece of Always Artichoke grosgrain ribbon and attach to the vase to hide the join.

Layer your floral arrangement and it's base onto 3 3/16" x 4 7/16" of Certainly Celery, then 3 1/2" x 4 3/4" of Rose Red, and finally onto the top part of a Regal Rose card that has the sentiment from One of a Kind stamped onto the bottom right in Bravo Burgundy.

I hope you enjoyed checking this out - please let me know if you give it a try, I'd love to see what you come up with.