How to Make a Paper Violet Flower

I thought I would post a stand alone tutorial on how to make a paper violet flower. The video gives tips for cutting the template as well as offering an idea or two about how to get creative with your flower petals.

paper violet flower

Don't you just love the idea of a pressed paper violet? I think there is something kind of romantic about it because it transcends the rules of reality. Then again, that's what art is all about.

paper violet flower template

Here's the violet template in plain and simple format. I would love to see what you create. Of course, a credit back to me as the source is appreciated.

Note: If you have already viewed the April corset video you can skip this one. This video is simply an extract of the portion of that video pertaining to the assembly of the paper violet.

May Corset Inspiration

I'm always on the lookout for something just a little bit out of the ordinary as far as inspiration for my paper projects go. I mean, who wants to settle for tired and mainstream when you can have unique and unexpected?

via corsets and lingerie on Pinterest

A slight deviation from the ballet tutu in that only the sides are flared out. The panier style similar to that worn under skirts by ladies of 18th century Europe makes this a tasty morsel of a corset idea. It's definitely got a unique charm!

Little Miss April Paper Corset

Light and airy, little Miss April comes on with all the subtlety of a spring whisper. As she tip toes her way through my thoughts I am reminded of life's more ordinary pleasures.

april paper mâché corset

Warm rainy mornings, bird song, rustling leaves on a breezy day, a shooting star on a clear evening, the pleasing sights and sounds of pure nature that I love so much. Miss April embodies all of these and more.

april paper mâché corset back

The edges were left rough, tissue paper was used which gives the pice a little bit of translucency and twirled paper was added as greenery around the bottom. She is indeed a delicate flower.

Corset Diaries VIII: April Corset Template

Corset Diaries for the April corset comes with a change in the template offering this time. I've created two styles for you to choose from. One is free and the other is not. The free template appears below. To find out what you're missing with the other template, visit the Kell Belle Boutique.

corset diaries template for April

The diary pages are meant to be beautiful additions to your journals in a Practical Magic kind of way. Remember the book of shadows the aunts kept in that movie? That was my inspiration for the second diary page found in the boutique.

The inspirational video for assembling the April corset includes instructions for putting your paper violet together and hopefully offers some ideas about what you can do with the petals instead of making the whole thing the same color. Enjoy the new offerings this month.

How to Make Sugared Violets

It's true, I'm not quite finished with my series on violets so why not extend into May right? I've never had sugared violets but they sound absolutely decadent and they are easy to make if you can find enough violets to make it work.

via Spa Goddess

wikiHow describes 4 different methods for making sugared violets so it's easy enough to pick the one that appeals to you most. These can be placed in a little jar with a pretty label and given as gifts or serve with cake and tea. Tis the tea party season. Enjoy! :)

Paper Dresses and Corset Trousseau

There I was, minding my own business and pinning away to my little heart's content when the most adorable little doll trousseau just jumped out in front of me. This box looks to have sold on e-Bay because I can't find the original source.

poupee modele doll trousseau

Click the image to make it larger so that you can truly appreciate the detail of these little outfits. I'm sure you know where I'm going with this. Can you envision paper dresses and corsets in something like this? The idea of it is pure sweetness.

I'm not a Side Show Freak

To the serious practitioner of the intuitive arts, divination is not something we take lightly. While it certainly can be helpful at times to work from an attitude of playful, light heartedness when engaging in any kind of creative or intuitive pursuit, our intent is to use our gifts to help, give guidance, hope, peace, comfort and sometimes closure to those we serve.

the intuitive power of the High Priestess

In addition to developing my intuitive gifts (and we all have them) through a psychic certification program, I am also learning to apply my psychic awareness to reading tarot cards professionally. So here's the deal. I'm interested in finding out how many of my readers would be willing to take me up on a free, one card tarot reading. Simply head on over to the poll located in the top right sidebar and cast your vote. I'll let you know the results next week.

Pretty Paper Flower Tutorial

When hunting for paper craft ideas I always find it difficult to pass up a pretty paper flower tutorial. We celebrate mom this month and since the weather is not too hot and not too cold it's a perfect month to host your tea parties.

other styles offered in this flower tutorial
via Ideas Mag

Move over Martha Stewart because Ideas Magazine has put out a paper flower tutorial complete with petal templates that walks you step by step through the paper flower making process. How gorgeous would these look on your party table? Enjoy!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

I'm not Mexican nor does that heritage exist anywhere in my ancestry but who doesn't love a great reason to eat yummy food and drink tasty margaritas?

via GipsyParlour on Twitter

Here's hoping your celebrations are happy and fun. In keeping with the vintage theme, here's a bit of vintage Cinco de Mayo ephemera.

Happy May Day!

Today is the first of May and traditionally one would place fresh flowers on the neighbor's doorstep, knock or ring and then run away so as to remain anonymous to the recipient.

children's party dress - Graphics Fairy

Instead of flowers I offer you a little May Day cheer from the Graphics Fairy. This is an adorable little Victorian style party dress that I imagine would have been perfect for dancing around the May pole. Enjoy!

How to Make Violet Liqueur

Violet liqueur, how decadent does that sound? I thought I would end violet month with a recipe for violet liqueur you can easily make at home using readily available ingredients. Well, mostly readily available. You might have to dig a little (pun intended) to find enough violets for your concoction.

via Chariot's Run - making violet syrup

Whilst searching for recipes, what I discovered is that making cordials and liqueurs can be about as individual as the person making them. This means that this is going to be, in part, an exercise in personal preference discovery but the final outcome has the potential to surprise and delight you.

Violet Liqueur Recipe: 

1 Cup Fresh Violet Blossoms
1  1/2 Cups Vodka
1/2 Cup Simple Syrup

Let your nose be your guide as to whether or not more violet flowers are needed

Wash and dry your flowers cutting off stems and leaves. Place the blossoms into a clean, sterilized mason jar and pour the vodka over them. Cap the jar and let steep for 2 - 3 weeks swishing the mixture around about every other day.

via Amazon UK

Strain the liquid through a strainer first to separate the flowers and then through a coffee filter to filter out any dirt or other particles.

Add the cooled simple syrup

Simple syrup is made by boiling sugar and water together. The water in the recipe can be adjusted according to the desired thickness as follows:

Thin Syrup: 3 Cups Water to 1 Cup Sugar

Medium Syrup: 2 Cups Water to 1 Cup Sugar

Thick Syrup:  1 Cup Water to 1 Cup Sugar

Read more about how to make simple syrup and how you can be creative with the addition of other flavorings. Vanilla might be an excellent choice to add to your violet liqueur. Your liqueur can be poured into a pretty bottle with a personalized label perfect for gift giving or use as a party favor. Enjoy!

Sources: Green Products Global Blog - violet liqueur recipe; What's Cooking America - simple syrup recipe

Artist Spotlight: Jeannine Boyce

Struggling for ideas and ways to display your paper dress and corset projects? I was recently contact by artist Jeannine Boyce who has graciously provided photos of her beautiful and creative displays for me to share with you here.

Jeannine Boyce corset display

This corset display is probably my favorite. I love all the vintage findings, the bits of aged ephemera used as wall paper and the overall antique feel of this piece. This is a magnificent example of a look that isn't overly complicated to create and yet the result is pure charm.

armoire paper dress display by Jeannine Boyce

Another very cute display is this armoire idea. Look how absolutely adorable these dresses look in here. Jeannine, you did such a nice job on your dresses too.

Jeannine Boyce paper dress boutique display

Personalize and turn your armoire into a little boutique display. Totally adorable! Ya'll know I've been wanting to do something like this for awhile but still haven't managed to get around to it. Thank you Jeannine for providing us with some gorgeous inspiration to help get us all started.

Corset Diaries VIII: March Diary Page

Your corset diaries page does not include a template this month and is meant to be more of an elements page. You can print it out and include it in your book or print it on light weight paper and use the elements in your collages.

corset diaries elements - 10 x 7 inches - click to download full size

Since the March corset was made the same way, please refer February's Uptown Girl video to make your basic corset and follow along with the March video to give you inspiration and embellishing ideas for making your outfit.

There are endless ways to design and decorate your corset. Be creative and try to come up with some interesting ideas for making your outfit a reflection of your own unique style. Enjoy!

How to Make Pressed Violets

There are a couple of different methods for making pressed violets or for pressing any kind of flower for that matter. Erin Boyle outlines her method for how to press violets the old fashioned way using a book. Keep in mind that this technique could take up to 10 days before you have a useable dried flower.

via Gardenista.com

Then there is the expedited way to do this. Watch this short video on how to press flowers using your microwave. The product used in the video is a microwave flower press made by Microfleur which can be purchased on Amazon if you are interested.

via Botanics 101 on Etsy

Once you have dried your flowers the question then becomes a matter of what to do with them. Pressed flowers are beautiful on cards, as botanical prints, journal page embellishments or decoupaged onto old bottles to name a few. Be creative in coming up with other unique ways to used pressed flowers and have fun!

Note: Northwest Nature Shop carries an economically priced Gardners Nature Press Flower Pressing Kit if you are interested in drying your flowers the old fashioned way.