Creating, Giving, Sharing

"Creativity is not a motive, it's simply an attitude of open mindedness."  Eleanor Blair

I can finally share the photo of a gift I created for a dear friend, Maria Nerius.  Just a little bit about Maria first before commenting on the project I created for her.

Long before actually meeting her in person, I had seen her name in various magazines. There was either a craft design or an article related to the subject with her name on it.  A new magazine showed up and she was the editor.  I enjoyed it so much that I decided to write her and send my compliments.  Well to my surprise one morning, the phone rang and on the other end was Maria.  I was stunned and pleased.  She asked if I would be up to writing an article for an upcoming issue and submit a project.  She's a remarkable woman and for many reasons (too many to go into here) I'm so happy to have her as a friend.

You can see Maria on "inspired at home's pajama party" on Wednesday evenings at 9:00pm CT.  Also, she is the craft expert on Sunday evening "FaveCraftsRadio".

So onto the gift ... Maria had to have some surgery and wanted to send her a card but of course it couldn't be just an ordinary "hope you are feeling well" card.  I wanted to create something special.  Knowing that Maria is a fan of quilling, I thought she may like something that took that paper twisting just a step further. That brought me to the idea of something that she could display.  The woman that inspired me to create these flowers is Leone Em.  I met her at a Craft & Hobby Industry show several years ago.  She lives in Australia. I was truly amazed when I saw her make these flowers and the beautiful display of her creations.

I used a painted,  postcard size canvas board as the base.  I die-cut a thin sheet of Paperclay with a Sizzix Big Shot.  Used an embossing plate to add texture.  I stained the heart shaped die with Ranger Distress Ink. Brushed it with a coat of Aileen's Paper Glaze.  Most of the flowers are all shaped from punched paper shapes.  The roses are made using a stamp called "Bloomers".  All the paper pieces must be twisted and shaped using a variety of tools. I used inks on some to add more depth. They are arranged  on the heart.  I added a ribbon hanger and a personal note on the back.