Oversized florals are just the ticket for the new craft season

What you need...

• Card, assorted colours
  Fabric paints: Cosmic Shimmer Lustre, Creative Expressions: pink, purple, silver
  Cosmic Shimmer Gilding Polish, Creative Expressions, Indian Pink
  Cosmic Shimmer Glitter
  Kiss, Creative Expressions, Antique Rose
  White Aida
  Acrylic paint, white
  Pigment pens, assorted
  Buttons
  Self-adhesive gems
  Ribbon
  Journal
  Embroidery hoop
  Adhesives

instructions

1. Love Grows Greeting - 1 Dilute fabric paint with water, then loosely paint large petals on purple card and leaves on orange. Use one motion for each petal, then edge them with pigment pens. Add detail with circles and dots, and draw veins onto the leaves.
   
   2 Make a tall card blank and attach the flower to the front. Secure a button in the middle, then decorate with self-adhesive gems. Print a sentiment onto orange paper, cut out and attach to the bottom of the card. Add a flower stalk in the middle and leaves to the side.

2. Happy Birthday Card - Follow the Love Grows step-by-step to create a flower and card base. Use a compass to draw a circle, then cut out and fold in half. Wrap around the card and secure, then add a flower and leaf on
   top. Draw a stem with white pen. Print a sentiment, then mount and attach to the card.

3. Floral Fabric Hoop - 1 Polish an embroidery hoop with pink gilding polish and finish with Glitter Kiss. Feed Aida into the hoop and tighten the screws, pulling tight.
   
   2 Using the same technique as before, dilute fabric paint and loosely paint on petals. Slowly build up the design with swirls, dots and circles. Add running stitches along the petal edges and French knots to emphasise the dots. Use white acrylic paint in any areas which require lightening.

4. Decorative Journal - 1 Make two flowers and leaves, as before. Cover a journal with green card, then secure the flowers to the front. Using a purple pen, write 'My Journal' onto contrasting paper, keeping the base line uneven and the letters irregular. Secure the sentiment onto the journal. Add white highlights and detail to the letters, then decorate the cover with swirls and circles.
   
   2 Sew a running stitch along the edge of ribbon. Pull the thread and gather to make a circle, securing the ends with glue. Attach to the underside of a button and add to the middle of a flower. Finish with self-adhesive gems.