Nov 10 2008
Flowers in the Fall
Aren’t these flowers pretty? They’re artificial, as you might have guessed. I purchased them at Wal-Mart.
A trip to Wal-Mart after a tiring day at work is not one of my favorite things to do, so when I’ve put it off as long as possible and must finally go, I like to reward my effort. The day I purchased these flowers I’d put Martha Stewart on my list — a trip down the craft isle is always a little something to look forward to. I did go home with Martha in my bag but these caught my eye, as well. It occurred to me how pretty these flowers would look on cards and other projects so I inspected them for feasibility.
As it turns out, they could easily be removed from their plastic stems. One bunch yielded a nice crop of pretty pink flowers in two shades and three sizes.
Gosh, they look okay to me.
They each have a nice little hole in the center for inserting brads.
I think I love them!
Now, what to put them in?
I just happened to have this jar which was the perfect size — formerly artichoke hearts, now flowers!
The artichoke green lid might have looked better with a vintage theme but I felt like something a little more perky. I was happy, at least, to find no printing or bar codes on the edges, which made it a lot easier to decorate.
I covered a Stampin’ Up! chipboard flower with BasicGrey Sultry paper and used retired Accents & Elements and Scrappin’ Kit self-adhesive trim for more decoration. The word, “flower”, is a stamp from Flourishes’ Fantasy Floral Garden.
I’m thinking I may have to eat more artichoke hearts so I can line the shelves of my stamp room with a garden of pretty flowers.
Finally, I had to make a card to test out my flowers. I wanted to avoid a floral image so I stamped a stack of Whipper Snapper presents for a birthday card.
I honestly don’t think they look like little old $1.97 Wal-Mart flowers at all. In fact, I absolutely love them! I know there are lots of beautiful Prima flowers available but, unfortunately, not in my small town. We have only the most ordinary Primas — pretty, but ordinary. While internet shopping has brought limitless options to my desktop, there’s a lot to be said for instant gratification…sigh…
I had so much fun with this project. Just think of all the pretty blooms waiting to be picked on the Wal-Mart flower aisle! I can guarantee I’ll be going back for more…
I should be making seasonal cards but I hope you enjoyed a little bit of summer in the middle of autumn. This was an interlude of pure whimsey before I settle down to the projects I “need” to get busy with. Those will follow in the days to come but maybe I can work in a flower or two… I truly appreciate your time today and hope to see you again this week. Have a wonderful day!
- Stamps: Fantasy Floral Garden (Flourishes), Pile of Presents (Whipper Snapper)
- Paper: Chocolate Chip, Kiwi Kiss, Pink Pirouette, BasicGrey Sultry designer paper
- Ink: Palette Noir, Chocolate Chip, Pixie Pink, SU! markers for coloring
- Accessories: Chipboard, Accents & Elements, Scrappin’ Kit (all from SU! and all retired), ribbon, Stardust Stickles, decorative brad, button, Wal-Mart flowers, Birthday Cuttlebug embossing folder, Scotch brand foam mounting tape
Gorgeous card as usual Leslie. Wish we had Walmart here so will cruise the Kmart flowers tomorrow. A nice break from the christmas cards I have been making.
Leslie, I love your resourceful nature as much as the beauty of this flower. The card and jar are fantastic - so welll done! I adore the 8 layers on this card; particularly the way you pulled the various themes, textures, and colors into one wonderfully coordinated card. I noticed that the dotted brad perfectly coordinates with the dotted ribbon. Thank you for the interlude from holiday cards - this has been a most welcome respite.
Leslie so gorgeous, these colors just pop!!!!!!
Gosh, I thought about doing that, just didn’t yet. Thanks for reporting the idea and now I know it will work. It’s a great idea and probably a lot less expensive.
Your pretty flowers look great with the pile of presents and it doesn’t hurt that you have a pink theme-tfs.
Very cute card, and the flowers look lovely, so nice when you can get that many flowers for such a low price and to have the hole all ready for your brad, now what could be better!
Oh so fabulous Leslie, I’ve done this too, but didn’t tell . . . hee hee hee! What a bargain, that many Primas would have cost $$$$$. A gorgeous card, and a fabulous decorated jar, just love it!
What a great find! I will now be on the lookout for flowers at my dollar store!
Wow great idea! I love the card. Awesome
Vickie
Ooh, I think they look beautiful! They look great on your card, too!
What a marvelous idea! Off to Walmart after work! Gorgeous card design as well!
Don’t you just love those artichoke jars. I have saved a whole bunch that are square and really cool (I use artichokes alot during the holidays). You’ve given me some more ideas of ways to use them! Gorgeous - card and jar! ~chris
I think your flowers are wonderful! That was a fantastic idea and looks fabulous. Great use of your talent and imagination.
Beautiful card and I love that jar. The flowers look just as pretty as Primas. I think I need to take a trip to Walmart!
I think these flowers are inifinitely more beautiful than the Primas I’ve been able to buy in my area! Thanks for the tip - I’ll be looking more closely at the floral aisle of my craft store (no Walmart close to me). I love your card and the flower looks soooo pretty on it!
I want to go to WalMart right now! these are just so pretty. And I don’t think I’ll like artichoke hearts so i hope they’re cheap. {wink}.
Wow, they are great indeed! We can’t buy cardmaking flowers here, so I do the same thing when I find pretty artificial flowers.
OMG Leslie, as always…….you are so creative. I love your petals that look like primas, but much nicer. Your jar is adorable and your card so gorgeous with all the colors and textures. TFS it all
Both your card and project are gorgeous! I agree…eat more artichoke hearts and line your shelves with these beauties! I think I might too!!
I do this too because the variety is awesome. My friends call me the cheap stamper, but admit my cards look great!
Leslie, these flowers in the jar are gorgeous!!! You have NO IDEA how many bunches of artificial flowers I have that I’ve never used — actually, it is embarrassing to say - LOL!!! I have on occasion stolen a bloom or two from them for cards, but it never dawned on me to take apart the entire stem and make a jar of flowers!!! HOW WONDERFUL!!! MOVE OVER PRIMA — HERE COMES LESLIERICH!!! LOL!!!! GREAT POST!!! Oops, almost forgot, your card is lovely, as always!!!! I was just so excited about your flower jar!!!
Great article. I agree with Danielleon! Regards, Royce @ FlowersByRoyce.com
What a fabulous idea… budget friendly, I love it. Beautiful card too. The colours are gorgeous.
Leslie - I have a ‘bouquet’ of silk flowers in my scraproom. When I need a certain color - I just ‘pick’ it. When every Michael’s or Hobby Lobby has their flowers on 50% off - I’m there - carefully inspecting to see how easily they will come apart. No expense flowers for me from the scrapbooking/craft section.
Now I’m off to Wal-Mart to check out Martha’s flowers. They look lovely.
Hi Leslie :), I bet if we went to Walmart together we would have a FABULOUS time together!! LOL LOVE the gorgeous flowers, I almost thought they were from your beautiful garden!! LOVE the little container you made, its beautiful!!
Have a wonderful week, thinking of you!! Jennifer
Leslie, I have been buying flowers like this for years! Get lots of flowers for less. Beautiful card and storage jar (I recycle those too!) Hugs! Judi Harvey
Genius! I would never have thought of that!!! I’m going to look for some artificial flowers now–though I thoroughly despise Walmart. These are gorgeous!!
Great idea! I’ll have to take a look next time I happen to go to Wal-Mart
Great Idea! I’ve been taking flowers apart for crafts but never used them on my cards. Love the decorated jar for storage. I store mine in masin jars. Never decorated them like you did. But I will now. And of course I get the masin jars from Walmart. The flowers are so cheap there you get more for your buck. Your card was so cute like all your cards.
Leslie…you are a genius!!!!! Brilliant idea!!!
Thank you for thinking out of the box for us!
The flowers are perfect. Great idea.
I am soooo going to Wal-Mart, lol!!! What a great idea - and I absolutely love what you did with them!! Fabulous stuff, Leslie, so creative! *STAMPIN HUGS* Alex
I’ll take a little bit of summer any time of year! Those flowers look amazing on your pretty card. And the storage jar is just perfect.
Oh my goodness, Leslie! This is just awesome! I guess a trip to WallyWorld is in order for the lunch hour!!
Those flowers are so gorgeous, and what a great idea! I love your beautifully decorated jar, and your chipboard/button topper!! I love your pretty card too!!
Great idea Leslie! Your beautiful decorated jar makes for a very classy look.
Joan
Great idea Leslie! TFS your tips and your beautiful artwork!
What a great idea. I was always just working with what you could find in the craft stores and very disappointed about the limited selection. You’ve opened up a whole new door for me. Thanks!
Beautiful flowers and beautiful cards, Leslie! Thanks for sharing a little bit of summer with us! Love your idea. Have a great week.
Beautiful card, Leslie! I love the background paper with the stacked presents and lovely flowers! Thanks for the tip about where they come from! I need to make a trip to check out the artificial flower section!
Leslie, your flowers are beyond beautiful as is the card you made. How fun to make your own!!
Oh, Leslie, you are costing me money, girl! Love the flower idea….I’ll be casing my local fake flower department for SURE! The jar and card are both outstanding…but what else would we expect from you!?
What a pretty Card! It’s bright and happy. Love your flower idea also.
This idea with flowers is brilliant! Thank you for sharing your idea with us! Who could ever think about those flowers in this way!!!
Love your card! Very beautiful! And flowers look gorgeous!
Cute little altered jar is so adorable and sweet!
I’ve done the same thing at Walmart! They have some wonderful deals on their flowers and they are perfect for paper crafting. But your idea of putting them in that adorable jar is just pure genius. What a great gift!
What a clever and frugal idea! I love the container you designed, and the flowers look great in action on that pretty card. I’ll have to check out the silk flowers I recently unearthed in my basement much more closely. Linda
Oh my these flowers are BEAUTIFUL you are so lucky having walmart there…
Caz
Your flower jar is fabulous! Love the wonderful stack of gifts on the card, too, completed with your gorgeous flower.
What a fab idea! Love the flowers and three sized is awesome! Your card is just amazing too! Love the colours and papers and the way the presents pop agains the brown!
I’ve always gotten my flowers at AC Moore when they’re on sale. BUt I never thought of looking in WalMart’s flower aisle! I got 2 bunches - one cream and one pink - I have the jars of flowers sitting by my desk. Funny thing is the pink ones were $1.50 and the cream were $3.00 and were marked as “holiday” I don’t know why, the only difference is the color. I agree that these are much nicer than the paper primas!
How very vibrant and lovely! That flower just brings life to the whole card! Wonderful, Leslie.
I don’t remember if I already commented on this, and you get so darn many comments it’s hard to look back and check…! But anyway I LOVED this post! SO CLEVER to pull apart those flowers like that, and I LOVE how you packaged them up. And then showing them used on that darling card - all around fabulous post Leslie!
What a lovely card! Thank you so much for sharing it!
[…] with Craft White (pigment ink). The layered flower is one of my Wal-Mart beauties I wrote about here, and the center embellishment is from Flourishes Finishing Touches Beautiful Brads collection. […]
I just read about your idea about taking apart flowers….a year later! also what a
wonderful card. So full of color. I love your ideas and the way you layer your papers also. I have walked down the flower isle many times but did not think to take the flowers apart. Thank you for the idea. Now I need another shelf to put my ‘flower jars’ on! Again, thank you for taking the time to share.