How many of you are passionate about flowers and/or gardening? How many of you can no longer garden the way that you once did? It has been too many years now since I have been able to climb all over my hillside gardening. Before my hip injury I was passionate about my flowers and covered my hillside in beautiful perennials. Some still remain, but they are not in the same "shape" as they once were, so perhaps this is the reason paper flowers appeal to me so much. I can make these in my craft room without squatting AND at any time of the year :-D
One of my greatest blessings in life has been the friendship and bond I have had the good fortune of developing with Susan! It is such an honor to have her join me for today's lesson in paper flower making. Susan has pioneered the art of paper flower making for the past 15 years. Her work is such an inspiration and it is always so much fun to collaborate with her on projects!!!
This beautiful cake box is the project we worked on together for this month's newsletter. We hope that you enjoy the video we created to share with you today and that it empowers you to give flower making a try. In this video Susan will teach you how to create the beautiful lilies showcased above and below, sharing many wonderful tips throughout. Please grab your favorite drink and settle in for this 45 minute class with Susan as she shares many of the fabulous techniques she has innovated to bring this art form to us.
Please note: To view the video please click on this link --- Easter Lily Cake Box Video. If you do not see controls for the video, change the size of your viewing window to a narrower width and the controls will appear.
Step-by-step written instructions for creating beautiful lilies are included in Susan's first book The Paper Garden. I cannot begin to tell you how helpful her books have been to me as I learn to create beautiful blooms! If you are a visual learner like me you will also find this book a wealth of information.
CREATING THE CAKE BOX
Now that you know how to make the flowers for this project I am going to share just a few basics regarding the construction of the cake box.
I prefer to attach my decorative paper to the Craft-a-Board before die cutting the pieces using the 3-D Cake Box Die. By affixing the paper to the Craft-a-Board with Be Creative (Sookwang) tape I am assured that I will have a perfectly covered project.
To create today's project I used Lilybee's 12x12 paper. For the scalloped top and base I applied decorative paper to both sides of the Craft-a-Board before die cutting.
For the cake sides, decorative paper was applied to only one side of the Craft-a-Board. Being careful to position the paper so that the decorative side is cut all the way through, and the Craft-a-Board only scored, is important. To do this place the paper, decorative side to the die, and then send the die through your Vagabond or Big Shot using the crease pad. This will give pieces as shown above and below.
Carefully bend each piece along the score line before attaching them together to get a more uniform look.
You will also need to cut and score three pieces of cardstock to hold the cake pieces together. Using a strong adhesive affix the cardstock to the die cut pieces on the back or Craft-a-Board side as shown above.
Attach each piece one at a time.
When you have all three pieces attached, form the piece into a circle, affixing the last edge.
Next you will need to attach the base - the piece with the four tabs. I find it easiest to insert this piece from the top. Push it down through the center until it is firmly positioned in the bottom of the circular piece. Using a pair of needle nose tweezers insert a Glue Dot behind each of the flaps and affix these to the cake tube.
To adhere the scalloped top and base I prefer to use Ultimate Glue. The base is easy to affix due to the large surface you will be attaching it to. Apply Ultimate Glue to the base of the cake and position the scalloped piece holding it in place for a few seconds until you feel it is firmly in place. The cap or top is a little trickier. I run Ultimate Glue all the way around the top of the circular form and then position the scalloped top in place. The glue allows you to move it slightly until you have it in the desired position, then hold it for a few seconds until the glue grabs hold. Allow to dry for at least 30 minutes before continuing your work on the base.
To add interest to my cake base I attached a strip of white silk ribbon and then added pearls to either side of it. I also ran a strip of pearls around the top.
I wanted to include just a few close-up photos of the finished project so that you could better see the detail on these beautiful Easter blooms.
The lily was one of Susan's first punch designs back in 2006. Sadly there are others who have taken Susan's work and called it their own, but the truth of the matter is that these designs, the techniques and wording, are copywritten by Susan --- I am so proud and honored to share her designs with you. With Easter right around the corner and spring knocking at our doors it has been a thrill to be able to share this beauty with all of you. Thank you so much for joining us!
We also have something special to give to you today! Leave a comment below for a chance to win an autographed copy of The Paper Garden, as well as the three punches used to create these beauties! You have until midnight Sunday, April 17th to leave your comment and be eligible for this random drawing.
ink: Copic Markers -YG00, YG63, YG95, YR14, Y15, Y17
paper: Lilybee Designs 12x12 Picket Fence and Stationery Designer Paper, Craft-a-Board
accessories: Punch Bunch punches - Mega Lily, Large Alta Flake, Mega Big Sky Flake, Small Caladium Leaf, Small Birch Leaf; Punch Bunch Papercrafting Tools and Magnum Power Punch Aid; The Paper Garden, Sizzix 3-D Cake Box Die, Faber-Castell PITT Pastel Pencils - #104 and #170, Flower Soft - Earth, Toffee, Russet Red, Sunshine Yellow; 12" strip White Pearls, 1/4" White Silk Ribbon, Be Creative (Sookwang) 4 1/2" Tape or Sheets, The Ultimate Glue
WOW!! I am amazed at how realistic these flowers look. Beautiful!!
Posted by: wholesale hats | August 12, 2011 at 12:06 AM
It is truly amazing how real these lilies look. What a creative mind she has. Too bad people don't give credit where credit is due.
Posted by: Melodye Cunningham | May 10, 2011 at 10:15 PM
This is just gorgeous. I honestly thought the flowers were real! It is amazing what you can do with paper and some punches. I'd love to try this out!
Posted by: Sarah Hogg | April 20, 2011 at 07:59 AM
Thank you. I've now managed to watch the tutorial via You Tube and it's amazing. Will have to check to see if I've got the punch :0)
Posted by: Pam (PeeJay) | April 18, 2011 at 04:02 PM
Loving the post but I'm having trouble watching the video. I've got no controls, don't know how to adjust width and it stops playing part way through and at the same spot every time and I've been trying for the past 2 days (should have put comment earlier - might have won the goodies - lol!). Even what I've found on Youtube finishes after about 13 minutes and there's no continuing video. I'd love to watch but seems I can't. I've got Susan's 2nd book and all the punches that I need to make every flower in it. Would love to have a go at this one as well.
Posted by: Pam (PeeJay) | April 18, 2011 at 01:49 PM
Thank you so much for the chance to win and for the video. I love the box with the lilies and would love to try to make one.
Anne
Posted by: Anne Smith | April 17, 2011 at 08:19 PM
Thank you so much for sharing how you made this beautiful cake box. I would love to win the book and the punches - thanks for the opportunity to do so!
Posted by: Dorothy | April 17, 2011 at 06:05 PM
I love the variety of all of the flowers you have made with these punches. My wish list is really big!
hugs,
Gini
Posted by: Gini Cagle | April 17, 2011 at 02:24 PM
The flowers are just absolutely gorgeous! I really cannot believe they were made out of paper. They look like I just picked them from my garden. Thanx for sharing.
Kim
Posted by: KimMJ | April 17, 2011 at 12:15 PM
Ellen, the video won't go all the way through for me. It stops about half-way.
Posted by: Rose Mary Martin | April 17, 2011 at 11:47 AM
Wow! What beautiful lilies and all done with punches. I would love to win those. Thanks
Posted by: Christar | April 17, 2011 at 08:13 AM
WOW! What a beautiful creation!! I would love to win and be able to try my hand at making these, what a wonderful mothers day idea for my mom!! Thank you so much for the video too!!
Posted by: Sherry | April 17, 2011 at 08:10 AM
Gorgeous flowers! Thanks for a chance to win a copy of the book and the punches! I already have a person in mind to give some Lilies to..Have a fabulous day and thanks to Ellen for featuring Susan Tierney Cockburn and her amazing work!
Posted by: Shelley Smith | April 17, 2011 at 07:52 AM
Still trying to figure out how to open the video...not sure what yuou meanby a narrower width??? Looks like everyone else figured it out and I am the only stupid one...lol!!
Posted by: Diane Hover | April 17, 2011 at 06:02 AM
This is so beautiful. Thank you for sharing the techniques with us.
Posted by: joann | April 17, 2011 at 03:48 AM
oh my...the flowers are so beautiful and creatively done! Love to this amazing book!
Posted by: heaney | April 17, 2011 at 03:03 AM
These are so pretty. They definitely are my kind of lilies ... No smell! I love the look of lilies but my allergies keep me from enjoying the real thing up close and personal. These look real so they are perfect.
Posted by: NWFlamingo | April 16, 2011 at 09:32 PM
love how real these flowers can be--like the flower soft on the stamens
Posted by: Kristin | April 16, 2011 at 06:20 PM
The flowers are gorgeous and look beautiful on the cake box--thanks for the video.
Posted by: Sue D | April 16, 2011 at 06:12 PM
Susan, the lilies are GORGEOUS! As always! I remember you taught us to make those lilies in your very first class!! And Ellen, love the cake box and how you decorated it. Everything you both did is stunning!
Posted by: KathyN | April 16, 2011 at 06:06 PM
Those lillies are beautiful, they look so real. Thanks for the chance to win.
Posted by: Emily Cossins | April 16, 2011 at 05:18 PM
WOW absolutely love the box and the lilies are fabulous!
Posted by: Jeannette aka Jnett | April 16, 2011 at 09:09 AM
I have been lucky enough to watch Susan work and learn from her in demos. It has been awhile since I've made her flowers and this is a good reminder to go back to that. It's time for a new spring bouquet!
Posted by: Bev Beard | April 16, 2011 at 08:25 AM
Truly amazing and excellant pics...Thanks ladies...Deb
Posted by: Debbie Engliish | April 16, 2011 at 07:47 AM
Thanks for sharing all this wonderful wisdom with us. These flowers are truly art inspired by nature.
Posted by: Susan S. | April 15, 2011 at 07:28 PM