Rosettes...and a challenge

Good morning!


Today is Challenge 43 over at Tuesday Alchemy, Anything But a Card!  There are some fab prizes up for grabs:

$10 Store Voucher



$10 GC


Hugs4TheHeartDesigns

So start crafting now and download your project by Monday, December 10 at NOON Pacific!

My project today is rosettes.  These are interesting little pretties which the Victorians used to make to decorate their Christmas trees, and they can be used either as ornaments, tags, or both!  (I plan to use mine as ornaments until I put them on gifts, at which time they'll become tags.)  Smaller ones can be used as card embellishments, too.   When my DD and I were in an antiques store on Black Friday (as described here), we found some of these at an exorbitant price.  We looked at each other and said "We'll make our own!"

They are incredibly easy to make.  There are dies for them, but I prefer to cut a strip of CS and score them every 1/4" or 1/2" on my SU Simply Scored and proceed from there.  There are other methods of making them too where you don't need a scoring tool.  The internet is full of inspiration and tutorials; however, I learned from my good friend Catherine Pooler over at StampNation.  Members go here, non-members here.

You can leave them plain, or you can layer and decorate them.  This one was layered with a larger doily behind and decorated with a small poinsettia and some pine branch punches, both items painted with Creative Inspirations paints (Evergreen, Rustic Red).  Attach a ribbon and bow, and voila, a pretty tag or ornament.  (Or both!)  See how easy it would be to write a little message on the back?  This would make a great package tie-on, sort of a gift-on- gift for the lucky recipient.

Tip 1: Make sure you layer your hanging ribbon between the backing and the rosette for a neater appearance.  Same goes for any dangling embellishments.

You can make them any size you want.  It only takes one strip of 1"x12" ribbon to make a small rosette.  The diameter is changed by changing the width of the strip.  If you use strips wider than 1 1/2",  you will need two of them for each rosette.

The sky's the limit for these pretty things.  I enjoy using printed CS to see what pattern will emerge when it's folded and glued to the base.  


Tip 2: On larger rosettes, glue a smaller circle to the center of the back to anchor all the folds at first, then glue a larger circle to stabilize the folds.  It's much easier to maneuver a small circle with hot glue on it than it is to wrestle with a big circle and all those slippery folds.  Don't ask how I know this.

Here are closeups of the others.  They lend themselves especially well to buttons of all sizes.  I have sponged all of the rosettes with TH Distress Ink to age them a bit before embellishing.  They also all got a quick spray with spray adhesive and then sprinkled with CI Resplendence Angel Dust for a hint of glitter and sparkle.  I used lustrous paper on one, Perfect Pearls on a couple of the die cut doily layers, embossed the centers on others, layered buttons, and  I even hung some tiny jingle bells from one of the larger ones.  There is no end to the ways you can decorate them, and it wouldn't take long to have a whole tree's worth!

(Scored every half inch, 2 strips of paper.)

(Scored every 1/4 inch, 2 strips of paper.)

(Scored every 1/4 inch, one strip of paper.)

Thank you for joining me today and viewing my newest tree ornaments.  Or tags.  Or both!

Here's wishing you a lovely day doing the things you love!

Happy crafting!

Ingredients: Various papers, doily dies, leaf dies and punches, circle dies, poinsettia dies, paints, glitter, embellishments. Stamps not required.

Challenges Entered:

Oozak - Anything Goes + Red
Alota Rubber Stamps#96 - Christmas Ornaments
There She Goes TSG184 - Tag You're It
Paper Playtime #90 - Christmas Colors
Anything Goes #81 - Tags 
Simon Says... Anything Goes!
Delightful Challenges - Festively Floral
Fussy and Fancy #77 - I Love Christmas
Pause Dream Enjoy #48 - Forgotten Stash (old buttons laying around the house)
My Sheri Crafts Challenge #99 - 'Tis the Season
CI Paints Inspired By - Gift Tags
Pile It On #49 - Pile On the Embellishments
Flourishes Timeless Tuesday #198 - Altered Christmas (ABAC)

 IBSIC #37 - Photo inspiration (Green, white and red)