Flower Pot with Torn Petal Flower Card

This was a fun card to make. I’ve seen quite a few flower pot cards around lately. I couldn’t be bothered trying to find the directions so I made up my own pot and flower with leaves. So here is a tutorial!

1. Start with cardstock for your flowers. I worked with a sheet of cardstock that I made using instructions for Wrinkle-Free Distress. I used vanilla paper with blush, pink pirouette and pretty in pink ink. Much prettier IRL!
   
2. Cut your paper into squares. Mine were 2 each about 3”, 2” and 1.5” but I didn’t measure them. Then tear them into rough 5 petal flower shapes. I drew the shape on the smaller layers because I found it hard to get 5 petals instead of only 4. They do not have to be perfect. Mine sure weren’t. Now crush the paper, fold it over and over until it is really soft. I found that my paper was softer then usual from the wrinkle-free distress technique which helped fold and crush it. Don’t worry if your flowers are oval or squarish rather than round or if your petals are bizarre shaped! Curl the edges up.
3. Make a few smaller flowers from darker paper. We all have noticed that the center of flowers are deeper coloured. I used plain pretty in pink cardstock. I used my MS hydrangea punch and since the edges weren’t torn like the other petals, I heavily distressed them with my scissors. Then I split the card stock into two layers and used them with the unfinished side up.
4. Punch a hole in all layers. Layer all your petals and insert a brown brad. Turn the layers until the petals look good to
   you. You want the petals to fit between each other rather than aligning them which won’t look realistic. I tore a couple of petals a bit smaller to make my peony more circular and tore a deeper groove in a couple places.
5. Make a few matching leaves. I tore mine and laid them on the straight edge of my ink pad and pulled to create the look of a vein. Crush and fold them until soft. Curl edges up.
6. Make a flower pot. Mine was a bit small so these are the adjusted measurements. Cut your cardstock 3.75” wide by 8.5” long. Your pot will look more proportionate than mine (mine is a bit too tall for the width I think). Score in half and 0.75” from each end (mine is 0.5” but I wish I had used 0.75”!). Slant the edges. I just put mine in my paper cutter and chose a diagonal that looked good. Use the cut off paper to cut the second edge or just look carefully where the points of the paper fall and align the second edge the same way. I did the latter. Use a corner rounder on the corners and fold the edges down. Distress or stamp the pot if desired. I deliberately made mine very messy. You could also use a border punch on the folded edge if you wish. Use 1/8” strong adhesive (red line adhesive or Scor-Tape) to glue the diagonal edges of the pot.
7. Cut an insert that matches the size of the pot with a bit extra at the top to attach the flower and leaves. Mine is already attached but the measurements are listed, click on the photo to see it larger. I wish mine was a bit higher to cover the brad so change the height if desired. I used a scrap of the distressed paper I made for the petals. I will probably make a cardstock back for my insert that will cover the pencil marks that didn't quite erase well and will rise higher to cover the brad.
8. Put the insert in your pot and mark where you want the flower and leaves. They should overlap the edge of the pot. Remove the insert to glue them on.
9. Add a tag with ‘pull up’ to your flowers so the recipient knows how to ‘open’ the card to read. The word ‘up’ isn’t included in Card Directions so I used a marker to get a ‘u’   and a ‘p’ from other words. Your message goes on the insert. You could make the insert larger for more writing if desired by cutting a folded piece of cardstock for the insert. I am still considering adding a ribbon to the pot. You certainly could embellish your pot more than mine!

The great thing about having this Card Directions set is that it inspires me to make unusual cards. I think I might have to store it somewhere I can see it often so I remember to have fun with my folds more often!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: Card Directions by Clear Dollar Stamps
Ink: cocoa, blush, pretty in pink, pink pirouette, mellow moss-SU!
Paper: cocoa, vanilla, moss, pretty in pink CS-SU!
Accessories: tag die-Quickutz, hemp twine-Hemptique, craft sheet-Ranger, brad-CTMH, MS hydrangea punch
Technique: Wrinkle-free Distress, Torn Petal Flower