Hello! This is Selma Stevenson. This is my first post as a member of the Susan Tierney-Cockburn Design Team. I just returned from a trip to Southern California where all the Cherry Blossom trees were in bloom. This inspired me to create this home decor piece. I have decorated a 10 inch square mirrored frame with a beautiful branch of Susan’s Cherry Blossoms at the top. Along the bottom I have included three white flowers using Susan’s Garden – Anemone dies.
This is a photo of the Susan’s Garden – Cherry Blossom die.
Instructions:
1. Use a couple of stencils and texture paste to create a background on the frame. Work on the flowers while this dries. Feel free to leave the frame plain or decorate it with pattern paper.
2. Die cut the cherry blossoms using a very light pink cardstock. In the above photo of the dies, there are two sets of dies to create flowers. The flower has only two die cut pieces to form the flower (one piece has 3 petals and the other has 2 petals). These flowers are so quick and easy to create. Die cut the 3 piece petal in a darker pink to create the cherry blossom buds. Shape/cup the petals, add glue over most of the topside, then pinch the petals to form a bud.
3. Once the flowers are created, work on creating a realistic tree branch as shown below.
4. For each completed branch, die cut two branches using kraft cardstock. Ink the branches with several colors of Distress Ink then spray them with a light mist of water to spread the ink and loosen the fibers of the cardstock. Shape both branches, using a ball stylus (just press down in the center of all the branches to give them shape). In the photo above, the top branch has been inked but has not been shaped; the bottom branch is well-shaped.
5. Let the branches dry thoroughly (either air dry or use a heat gun) then glue the two branches together. This creates a sturdy branch which will hold its shape well. Once they are glued together, ink a darker brown ink over the branch to give more definition to the ridges. It helps make the branch look very realistic.
6. Once the branches are ready, you can start attaching the cherry blossoms and buds to them. Two branches are pictured above but three were used for the frame.
In the center of the frame is a mirror. It was not possible for me to get a picture without my reflection so I cut a piece of card stock to cover most of the mirror. The sentiment I used is the Susan’s Garden “Sunshine and Love” sentiment stamp. I will be removing the pink card stock and have the sentiment attached directly to the mirror when I use it for a piece of home decor.
Along the bottom of the frame, adhere several different pieces of lace. The flowers on the white lace were created using Susan’s Garden – Anemone dies. The pretty lavender butterfly was die cut using the Small Butterfly dies.
I love creating home decor pieces with my Susan’s Garden dies. I hope you enjoyed my tutorial and have fun creating your branch of cherry blossoms.
Supplies:
1006 Susan’s Garden – Cherry Blossom
808 Susan’s Tool Set – coming soon!
Other:
Wood frame from IKEA
Ranger Texture Paste
TCW Brick and Birdcage Stencils
KaiserCraft Pearls
Viva Red and Black Paper Pens
Cardstock: light & dark pink, kraft
Distress Inks: Frayed Burlap, Gathered Twigs and Aged Mahogany
Ivy Hollow ScrapFusion Glue
Lace
Beautiful card. Great job on the flowers and branch!
Selma I have admired your work for a long time – another beautiful creation!
So gorgeous! Great tutorial! Love the branches and of course the flowers are beautiful!
Gorgeous Project Susan’s Garden Flowers are so much fun and look so realistic.
Selma, how beautiful! Reminds me of spring and the cherry blossoms near the Tidal Basin in my hometown, Washington, DC.
Thank you for such a beautiful Cherry Blossom Branch. Fantastic instructions and really I would have never thought of doing the branches that way. The flowers I do, and why oh why, wouldn’t I think of the branches. THANK YOU SO MUCH !
Selma, this Branch with the Cherry Blossom are really GORGEOUS!!
The flowers are soooooo real, I really love them!!
Thank you for the good Tutorial, Selma.
I hope I can buy this beautiful new Susan’s Garden die at us in the Netherlands.
I already look forward to see your next creation.
Selma, Thank you for sharing this BEAUTY!!
Hugs, Eva.
Such a beautiful frame you’ve created. Thanks for the tutorial on how to assemble the branch & flowers.
This is so beautiful.