Meet Guest Designer, Donna

Recently I held an online crop on the Fiskars Fiskateer website. Fiskars Ambassadors are known as Fiskateers. Fiskateers is more than a message board; It is a movement of those who love and use Fiskars products. If you have not joined you should check it out for yourself. Stop by www.fiskateers.com to tell them Groovy Deb sent you. You can get more info about participation...

In the meantime let me tell you about meeting Fiskateer Donna. She made some incredibly beautiful flowers that when I saw them I was awed! I know you will be too since they are so feminine and would make awesome embellies to any scrapbooking or craft project. Let's see what Donna can share with us about herself and the flowers...

1. Tell me about the start of your art, how did your crafting begin?

I would say I started crafting after I was married. I told my Hubby one
day that I really liked a macrame hanging I saw and instead of buying me the hanging, he bought me all of the supplies to make the hanging. I have been trying new crafts every sense.

2.Do you have a favorite technique that you use in crafting?

Stamping, I can't say I am great at this, but a scrapbook project just doesn't feel done until there is something stamped.

3.If you did not shop for one year, would your craft space be emptied or would you still have product?

With all the crafts I have tried and the product to go with them my crafting area would be stocked a year or more LOL!!!

4.If you could make an outfit from one scrappy paper line which would it be from?

Once upon a time, by Die Cuts With a View (click here for a visit there)!!! It is one of the first lines I started to play with and my scrap area isn't complete without some of it sitting around.

(p.s. I know the feeling!)

5. What makes you a Groovy Chick?

I guess I would have to say that what makes one a groovy chick is stepping outside the box and asking what can I learn next.

Thank you Deb. Donna



Paper Flower Book Tutorial

I made this book off the concept of Donna Salazar’s paper flowers; I loved them so much I decided not only to replicate them I wanted to add my own unique touch.

Here is picture of the supplies I used, but be creative when choosing the material for the various layers of flowers. I like to use newspaper, old book pages, doilies, napkins, and even fabric. I have also made these flowers using wrapping paper from my daughters wedding; it was a beautiful way to preserve a memory that normally would just be thrown away.

To start with I used a square of distressed cardboard box, simply peel away the thin outer layer to get the distressed look and lightly ink with a brown to give it dimension. For my paper flowers on this book I used dictionary paper, paper caper, paper towel, tissue paper, and one paper doily. Cut the various materials out into same size circles, I used three and a half inch circles for the two larger flowers. The smaller flower is made by using three inch flower punches, you can make the flowers any size you wish but you just need to make sure your circles are the same size for each flower in order to achieve this look.

I use a cardboard box to glimmer mist my materials in and I simply mist them until they are the color desired.

On a small scrap of paper place a hearty dollop of glue.

Layer your circles in the desired order then fold them in half and in half again creating the quarter fold. Snip off the end tip and then open flower back up and lay down with the middle hole in the center of the dollop of glue...

Now that your flower is on the glue use your fingers to press the flower into the center to give the ruffling effect and this will also work the glue into the layers giving it more stability. After your flower has the desired ruffled look let glue dry then punch a hole through the center of the flower, I use brads or buttons to give the flower a center and it will hold the various layers together.

After you have the flower complete trim around any excess backing paper you used when gluing so that it doesn’t show through, then attach to cover of book with glue dots.

I hope you enjoyed making these flowers as much as I did!

Thanks to Donna for sharing her art and a bit of her life with us today :)

Deb♥