Flowers for Teacher Appreciation Week

hey y'all!

I am in recovery mode after an incredibly huge amount of shenanigans and hilarity resulting from a weekend visit from Catherine (AKA Silly Skittles) and Ann along with both of their significant others.

We packed in as much as we could and laughed until we cried - literally tears.  Good for the soul!  The slide show below includes more of our antics...



Yes, we were skipping down the aisles of Target...that's how we ROLL!

We are a perfect little group really - our hubbies get along well too.  I see MANY more gatherings in our long futures - next up, a 5K.  We are still trying to decide between the Warrior Dash and the Run For Your Life Zombie Run....

I have been wanting to do more "Series" type work lately so I decided to start with some flowers I really like creating:

I have posted the ones laying down previously though I can't remember if it was here or on the Luminarte blog...I should check....

I can't find them so maybe not....

ANYWHOO, The larger back two were done for FaveCrafts and you can see the full tutorial HERE.

I created these 2 for Pezza's teachers for Teacher Appreciation Week - the theme was "You help me grow" so I thought they would be perfect - flowers that don't die!

I began with MDF board of course - my favorite surface.  I covered it with a piece of scrapbook paper and then added layers of white Gesso and acrylic paints to soften the patterns on the paper but not completely cover them. 

Then I gave them some sparkle using Luminart Silks - the orange is put in with a plastic pallette knife and then I sponged on the green and pink through a piece of sequin waste to get the dotted patterns.  Next I stamped on the Butterfly from the Dreamy Daisies Stamp It Australia Set from Crafter's Companion.

The flowers are cut from more scrapbook paper using my Cricut.  I inked the edges and then adhered them in place.  For the centers I mixed Gel Medium and Luminarte Primary Elements Artist Pigment Powder.  I piled it on to the flower centers, added the buttons and Pezza sprinkled on the beads.  Doodling around the outer edges and Silks around the sides of the boards finished everything up!

What would YOU embed in the Gel Medium shimmer mixture???