Tech Thursday - Tool Time!

I'm always amazed at how my Sweetie does his hardware or automotive projects so fast and he makes it all look so easy, especially when he makes something for me in lickety-split time!He has all kinds of tools that can do all kinds of things, so cool! Do you buy a lot of crafting tools? I do, and it's not because I'm a shopaholic! It's because the right tools can really make crafting easier, which makes it more FUN!

 So, for today's technique, I wanted to show you my Paper Blossoms flower shaping tools.

To make as flower, you'll need to punch out a bunch of petals, sometimes in different sizes. In this case, I am making a rose, so I will need 12 large pears and 10 small pears punched out. I will also need a green snowflake for the calyx.

There are two really useful tools for shaping the flower petals before assembling the flower. First, the Molding Mat. It's a little softer and cushionier than using foamies and it's thicker than a mouse pad. See, I used both before until I got me a mat, and the mat really does work better.

But my favorite tools are the ball point tip stylus tools which help you shape and "cup" the petals , calyxes and leaves. It also softens the paper a little , making it easier to mold.

By using them on the mat, it helps them glide over the paper really smoothly and you don't have to use a lot of pressure to start seeing results.

Before, people might've gone through the paper and made holes or tears from using too much pressure.It's also easier than shaping by hand which can lead to creases you may not have wanted.

There's also a pair of reverse tweezers which is great for creating veins and bending the edges of petals. I just have to get used to the "reverse" concept.LOL!

Assembling the flower is easy. I like to use a glue like the 3-in-1 Advanced Craft Glue, it's clear and dries fast. It also grabs quickly, which is great when you're trying to stand the petals up.

Just put a little glue on the pointed end of the petal and place it in the center of  the cupped snowflake.

Start with the larger petals, slowly layering and adding more petals.

Then, add the smaller petals and curl up the last two petals for the center bud.

The fun part about making your own flowers is that you can really coordinate the paper to your project. It's also great way to use up some scraps.You can use these tools and techniques on border punches as well as other shapes when you want some dimension, let your creativity go!

Thanks for stopping by today and hope you have a GREAT long weekend!