Mel Heaton’s Floral Frame

Did you go to the Great British Craft Festival this year? If not, there is no need to worry. Here at Create and Craft HQ, we have Mel Heaton joining us in the office today to share the project she demonstrated at the show. With Mel’s clear and concise how-to guide, you will be able to create this spectacular flowery frame at home.

To start you will need the following:

White card for the frame Two double sided patterned papers.Yellow cardstock Green cardstock You will need to cut the following from your choice of patterned papers

• 12 x 1″ circles
• 2 x 11/2″ circles
• 2 x 11/4″ circle
• 2 x 13/4″ circles
• 2 x 2″ circles from the yellow card
• 4 x 13/4″ circles from yellow card.
• 5 x 2″ leaves
• 2 x 1″ leaves both from green card
• 4″ frame from white card.

1. Your pack contents are as shown below.

2. Start by inking the edges of all the pieces in your pack using dry foam.

3. Use the fineliner pen to faux stitch. Around the frame and the 10 small.

4. Place the circles, burgundy side facing up on to the embossing mat. Apply pressure and run the ball around the edge of the circle clockwise and anti-clockwise until it resembles a bottle top. Note; DON’T hold the circle as you emboss it.

They should look like this.

5. Snip in to each circle approx. 1/3 of the way in.

6. Put a small amount of glue over the top of the cut. It must go directly over the cut rather than to the right and the left of it.

7. Fold the circle over as if to fold it in half but DO NOT crease it. Put pressure on the glued area.

8.Turn the circles over and starting at the tip of the pinched section press the embossing tool in to the paper and rub from side to side.

You should then have ten petals that look like this.

9. Put a small about of glue on your first petal.

10. Place your second petal over the first one and hold in place for a few seconds until the glue grips.

11. Work around in a circle until you have 4 petals together…as below. Then put glue on the petals that are either side of the gap.

12. Attach the final Petal and hold for a good few seconds until the glue takes.

12. Take one of your larger yellow circles and snip in about ¼ or ½ cm.Turn the scissors and start to cut the circle in to a spiral, leaving a circle-ish shape in the centre.

13. Turn the spiral over and put your scissors to the point where you cut in originally…as below.

Cut, following the spiral shape and blend in to the edge.

14. Starting on the outside, curl the spiral up to create a rosebud.

Put glue on the circle left at the end of the spiral and hold tightly for at least 60 seconds.

Repeat this process with all the yellow circles and the 2 x 13/4″ patterned paper circles.

15. Add the rose bud to the centre of your flower and grip firmly until the glue takes.

Do the same with the other petals and circle so you end up with 2 flowers.

16. Take one of the burgundy circles and put a small dot of glue in the centre.

Put the pink circle on top and put a dot of glue on that one.

Place the neutral circle in top.

17. Use your scissors to snip into the circle making sure your cut line is straight.

18. Turn your circle and snip all the way around making sure that each line is straight.

19. Take one of the patterned yellow circles and create a rose bud in the same way as you did for the larger flowers. Add this to the centre of your circles.

20. Scrunch the flower slightly.

Repeat this so you have 2 of these.

21. Take all the leaves and fold them in half. You can use your embossing tool to help make the fold. Then ink the crease.

22. With the stem on your left and the tip of the leaf on the right, angle the scissors slightly and snip all the way down the leaf avoiding the creased line.

Open up the leaves and shape.

23. Score a line along the top short edge of the white rectangle. Glue this to the back of the frame to create the stand.

24. Arrange your flowers on to the frame as shown below or you can be creative.

If you make your own version of the floral frame then we would love to see all of your designs, email us a photo with your name and contact details at [email protected].