🌸 Combining My Two Loves – Flowers & Crafting 🌸
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Flowers have always been a huge part of my life. As a fully qualified florist, I spent many years surrounded by beautiful blooms every single day. Although I hung up the snips from day-to-day shop life quite a while ago, my love for flowers and plants has never gone away. I still enjoy dipping back into floristry now and again—whether that’s creating special gifts, working on events, or the occasional wedding.
Alongside that, crafting has always been my other passion… so it probably comes as no surprise that the two have blended together over the years in the most wonderful way 💛
Creating flowers out of paper is something I’ve absolutely fallen in love with—and it’s been a passion of mine for over 20 years now. Whether they are stamped, die-cut, or printed, there is something so satisfying about taking a flat design and gently bringing it to life. With just a little shaping and care, you can transform something simple into a beautifully dimensional flower.
The best part is, there are so many different ways to do this. You don’t always need lots of fancy tools—sometimes just a pair of scissors is enough to start adding shape and movement. Of course, you can take it further with things like ball tools and foam mats to really build that 3D effect, but it’s all about finding what works for you and your style.
Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been working on some lovely new flower downloads, and I’ve also shared a few short videos covering the basics—things like printing onto different papers and vellum, and simple shaping techniques.
Everything has ended up a little bit scattered across different places—YouTube, my Facebook group, Instagram, Pinterest… so I thought it was about time I brought it all together into one place here on the blog!
This way, you can easily explore the ideas, learn a few techniques, and hopefully feel inspired to have a go yourself. Whether you’re completely new to paper flowers or have been crafting for years, I hope these designs and tips encourage you to get creative and enjoy the process as much as I do 🌸
I tend to create my flowers in two styles—“Real” and “Fantasy.”
“Real” flowers are just as they sound, closely inspired by blooms you’d find out in the beautiful natural world. “Fantasy” flowers, on the other hand, are a little more imaginative and whimsical—completely made up and full of creative freedom. Both styles are equally fun to work with; it really just comes down to what suits your project best.
Some examples of the Real flowers
Some examples of the Fantasy flowers
I also have a range of leaves
They can all be found on the website here split across 2 categories
Print Cut and Form Flowers and leaves - https://shop.obyd.co.uk/collection/flower-former-and-foliage-sheets
Fussy Cut Sheets - https://shop.obyd.co.uk/collection/fussy-cut-sheets
Some designs are single blooms, while others are clusters featuring multiple flowers and leaves. They can be used to create stunning focal points on your cards or as delicate embellishments. And it doesn’t stop at cards—you can use them on tags, albums, gift bags, gift boxes, MDF pieces, and even home décor projects.
I’ll be adding some photos throughout this blog post to share a little inspiration and show how I’ve used them. I hope it encourages you to give them a go! 🌸
The sheets are designed to be printed and cut out, and I have to say—I absolutely love a bit of fussy cutting (even with my hand issues). With a good pair of fine snips, it really becomes a joy. In fact, I find it quite relaxing and therapeutic… you’ll often find me sitting with a cuppa, catching up on a TV programme, and working my way through a printed pack!
I do also have a Silhouette Cameo, and from time to time I’ll use my PixScan mat to give me a helping hand when I need it. I’m often asked whether these sheets can be used with cutting machines, and the simple answer is—yes, but it depends. The darker the outline on the flower, the better chance your machine has of detecting the cut lines. Every machine is different—whether it’s Brother ScanNCut, Cricut, or Silhouette—so it’s always worth having a little play and seeing what works best for you.
I love experimenting with different papers to achieve a variety of looks. The blue and green flowers above were printed onto 160gsm super smooth paper, while the ones below have been printed onto printable vellum for a softer, more delicate effect.
Here's a little video for you (just click the play button in the middle of the picture)
Or head over and take a peek at my Youtube channel here
If you like the videos consider subscribing as i will be doing more videos
The above daffodil sheet can be found here: https://shop.obyd.co.uk/b/fVAXw
Check out Michelle Millar's amazing flowers
Take a peek at this little silent video of my cutting these out and shaping ( this is a silent video as it is not always possible for me to record with sound on)
I’ve listed some of my favourite supplies below—these are items you’ll have seen me using in the video. The links are for the UK, but if you’re based elsewhere, you should be able to find similar products locally
Supplies List
If you would like to take a look you can find my papers i use here
160gsm super smooth paper: https://amzn.to/3PtF3Qw
The printable vellum i use is here: https://amzn.to/4sxpdTH
The spring loaded snips i use are Tim Holtz by Tonic Studios
Ball Tool Set - https://amzn.to/3PxgmTc
My flower forming mat is A4 i found a an A5 version for you on amazon here (i have had mine since 2010)
The gems i use for the centres of the flowers can be found here: https://amzn.to/4d9gRg8 (see the purple flowers below)
My favourite Adhesives:
hot glue mini glue gun (this is the newer version of mine) with full metal nozzle - https://amzn.to/40V655P
Glue gel - https://amzn.to/40Ouvhn
Foam Pad circles - https://amzn.to/4lSo1Yo
Tacky wet glue - https://amzn.to/4bIQEma
More ideas showing how the flowers can be used:
The above purple sheet can be found here: https://shop.obyd.co.uk/b/u2N4i
The above pink flower sheet can be found here: https://shop.obyd.co.uk/b/Sa3hJ
This Pansy sheet can be found here: https://shop.obyd.co.uk/b/Jg5ak
This kit can be found here: https://shop.obyd.co.uk/b/lOeWx
Sharing some cards from the community - a massive thank you goes to Joan Haworth for letting me use her stunning card photos on the website:
The above purple flower sheet can be found here: https://shop.obyd.co.uk/b/u2N4i
The above blue flower sheet can be found here: https://shop.obyd.co.uk/b/0AuLS
I hope you’ve enjoyed this blog post and that it’s inspired you to have a go at creating these beautiful flowers for yourself. 🌸 If you’ve enjoyed this and would like to craft along with me, do consider joining our Facebook group here—it’s a lovely, friendly space full of inspiration and support 💛
Happy Crafting xo
Looking for a little more creative spark?
If you’re enjoying the journey so far and feel like exploring a bit deeper, I’d love to welcome you across some of our other crafty spaces. Whether you're here for the inspiration, the community, or just a quiet moment to create, there's something waiting for you.
🎨 Facebook Group – A lovely, welcoming community full of inspiration and crafty chats:
💖 Facebook Page – Stay up to date with launches, lives, and special offers:
📝 Crafty Blog – Behind-the-scenes, tutorials, and updates:
🛒 Download Shop – Packed with digital papers, sentiments, and more:
🌐 Main Website – Explore everything Opulence by Design:
Instagram - Give me a follow for lots of info - https://www.instagram.com/opulencebydesignca/
📚 Amazon – For my Cut & Craft printed books and kits (great for those who love physical items!):
👉 Check out all of my books here on amazon
📌 Pinterest – I’ve been busy adding card samples and inspiration to my boards!
It would mean the world if you could pop over, have a peek, and give me a follow 💕
👉 Check Out My Pinterest Boards
And for everything in one place, all of our socials are right here:
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