Thanks A Bunch by ~ Tracey Sabella

Hi everyone, it's Tracey here to share my latest project with Donna's fabulous products. I've also included a tutorial on how I create my Bitty Blossoms flowers. They are so easy to make and can be used on any kind of paper crafting project from layouts to cards and altered pieces. I cut my paper scraps with the Bitty Blossoms dies and use spare time riding in the car or watching television to make them up to have on hand for my projects. 

"Thanks A Bunch"

Tips and Techniques

Here's a close-up of the flower cluster featuring my Bitty Blossoms Roses. The tutorial on how I make them can be found later in this post. I dabbed my flowers and the edges of the card with Clearsnap Glue Gloss, then sprinkled with Clear Fairy Dusty Glitter. I love the sparkle Donna's glitter adds to this card!!

Another view of my flowers. You can also see some of the mixed media background behind the flowers. I stamped the top corner with Donna Salazar Designs ~ Art Gone Wild, Dear Sir Stamp with Jasmine Mix'd Media Inx and then heat embossed with Jasmine MMI Embossing Powder. I spritzed with Clearsnap Smooch Spritz in Tea Party. Then in the bottom corner I used Donna's Brass Corner Stamp again with Jasmine MMI and then embossed with Clearsnap Top Boss Clear Embossing powder. Here I rubbed Petals MMI CHOX over the embossed image. 

I die cut Donna's GCD Studio Natural Beauty paper from the 6" x 6" pad using her Spellbinders Pockets and Swirls die set. I adore the design printed on the denim paper and placed the smallest pocket die so that the design would go across the top of the pocket. I embossed the pieces while they were still in the dies. Once I removed the die cuts, I highlighted by rubbing MMI over the embossed areas.

The smallest pocket die pierces holes around the design which I used to hand stitch using blue embroidery floss. 

I finished my sentiment inside the card using Donna's GCD Studios Family Jeans Chipboard Alphas highlighted with Denim Mix'd Media Ink, which I also rubbed around the inside card edge. 

Bitty Blossoms Tutorial

Supply List

Spellbinders ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Bitty Blossoms Dies

SpellBinders ~ Artisan X-plorer

Large Tip Stylus and Foam Pad

Glue

Quilling Tool (Optional)

Round Nose Pliars (Optional, but very helpful)

Step 1. Die cut one Medium Bitty Blossoms Flower with your die cut machine. I used my Spellbinders Artisan X-plorer. 

Step 2. The next thing you want to do is to cup your petals so the flower will look more natural. Use a stylus with a large tip and use a circular motion to cup each petal. Start on the small end on the right side and cup the first two petals. 

Step 3. Turn the flower over on your mat so that the back side is showing. Continue to cup each petal with the stylus. This photo shows how your flower should look when all the petals are cupped: 

Step 4. Starting on the end with the larger petals with the right side facing up, use a round nose plier to roll the first 10 petals back as shown. You could also curl the petals around a skewer or something similar. However, if you own Bitty Blossoms and plan to make them regularly for your projects, the round nose pliers will make things go much faster!! 

Step 5. For the 10 petals you rolled, go back and this time roll back each side as shown:

Step 6. Using a quilling tool on the small end, start rolling your flower. The design on the right side will be on the inside as you roll, so in the photo below I will be turning the quilling tool in a counter clockwise direction. I have found that it helps to use my fingers to help mold and wrap the paper around the quilling tool to keep it from tearing. 

Hint: If you don't own a quilling tool, don't worry, you can just roll the flower with your fingers (which is Donna's preferred method of rolling.) For me personally, I've found I can roll the flowers up more quickly using the quilling tool.

Step 7. Continue rolling with the quilling tool until you reach the petals you rolled back in steps 4 and 5. Remove the quilling tool and hold the rolled flower in place. 

Step 8. Continue to roll with your fingers to the end. Bend the glue flap into place. Release the flower and it will uncurl/loosen up just a little: 

A view of the back. You can see how the back looks in this shot:

Step 9. Pull the flap open and apply glue to it. Fold it back into place and while the glue is still wet, arrange your flower making sure the outside petals are offset. 

Here you can see a finished Bitty Blossoms Rose.

You can use Bitty Blossoms Roses individually in clusters or as flower centers for larger flowers. I have used them both ways on my card:

Thanks so much for stopping by today!
~ Blessings ~
Tracey

Paper

GCD Studios ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Natural Beauty 6" x 6" pad, Wall Vines A, Rosy B

GCD Studios ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Family Jeans Heirloom B, Family Clouds B, Family Dots B

Chipboard

GCD Studios ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Family Jeans Chipboard Alphas

Colors/Inks/Mists

Clearsnap ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Mix's Media Inx: Jasmine, Denim
Clearsnap ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Mix's Media Inx CHOX: Sparrow, Petals
Clearsnap ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Mix's Media Inx Embossing Powder: Jasmine
Clearsnap ~ Top Boss Embossing Powder - Clear
Clearsnap ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Smooch Spritz: Tea Party

Dies

Spellbinders ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Bitty Blossoms, Carnation Creations, Pockets and Swirls

Stamps

Art Gone Wild ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Dear Sir, Brass Corner
Bling
Want2Scrap ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Build Your Own Bling 1

Embellishments

DMC Embroidery Floss ~ #823
Wild Orchid Crafts Mulberry Flowers from Really Reasonable Ribbon

Ribbons/Fibers

Seam Binding from Really Reasonable Ribbon

Mixed Media

Clearsnap ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Fairy Dust Glitter: Clear

Tools

Zutter ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Distrezz-it-All
Spellbinders Artisan X-plorer
Heat Tool

Adhesive
Clearsnap Glue Gloss
Helmar ~ 450 Quick Dry Adhesive, Premium Craft Glue