denim wild rose brooch

New Video Course on Fabric Flowers in partnership with Domestika

by | posted in: Uncategorized | 0


If you follow me on social media, you have probably already noticed some of my posts on the textile flower course I have been preparing in collaboration with Domestika, the largest global creative community.

The filming and shooting for this course was done last July in London, where a team of professionals helped me create this beginner friendly yet exciting video tutorial on textile flowers made with denim.
In the course I show and teach how to create two very different roses using such well known and universally loved material as denim.

The course is aimed at beginner flower makers, because you will not need any specialist tools here, just your hands, patience, my guidance and an odd pair of tweezers. So even if you have not made any textile flowers before, you are welcome to join this course.

 

 

diy kit denim wild rose

 

NEW
You can now order a DIY kit for making your own Denim Wild Rose if you prefer to work with specially designed kits.

The kits are avaialble from my online shop here

 

 

However, as it always happens with flower tutorials, even flower artists with experience will be able to find some useful tips and tricks to use in these as well as other flower designs they make.
Amongst other techniques I have included my method of finishing open roses (and other similar flowers) absolutely flat which I extensively employ in many of my designs, including leather flowers.
Another great benefit, thanks to Domestika, is that the course comes with subtitles in
❀ English
❀ Spanish
❀ Portuguese
❀ German
❀ French
❀ Italian
❀ Polish
❀ Dutch
So if the language was an obstacle on your way to learning textile flowers before, it is not an issue any more 🙂 You can choose your language and enjoy the creative process.

In the course I am sharing a number of ideas on how you could make other accessories with the flowers we’ve covered. By changing the size, the finish, the fabric, the stamens etc you will be able to create infinite number of roses suitable for every occasion and taste.

Now I would like to invite you to watch the introductory trailer to my Domestika course after which you will be able to purchase it from Domestica website at the special launch price if you decide to join

I am really excited about this course and so happy it is finally out and available for students to learn, experiment and enjoy the therapy of handmaking. I hope you will be able to join me on this course.
To watch the trailer and purchase the course use the button below.
denim wild rose brooch

To economise or not on tools and supplies for making flowers? Part II

by | posted in: Uncategorized | 0
Not so long ago we started discussing whether a flower making artist can or can not economise on tools and supplies without compromising the quality of a finished piece.

Read To economise or not on tools and supplies for making flowers? Part I here.

millinery toolsAs we saw there was no definite “yes” or “no” answer. Rather, one has to approach and estimate every aspect separately in order to make a decision.
Thus, I recommended to try and choose a really good quality set when it comes to flower making TOOLS.
Low quality tools will not last you. They will be uncomfortable to use and will leave you dissatisfied with your work and a finished item. Why go through all of this when you can have a much easier and more productive life with a decent (but probably more expensive) set of tools?
Occasionally I offer basic sets of tools for sale. If you are interested in one please let me know so that I can put one aside for you Friend when they are next available.
 On the other hand when it comes to DYES and BRUSHES there is a choice here.
I do think that liquid dyes, like water based Javana silk paints  are easier to use, especially if you are a beginner. However, they are more expensive than powder dry dyes, like Dytek Procion Dye by ColourCraft, which I mostly use myself. Powder dyes are very economic and will last you a long time. If you wish you could get several plastic dropper bottles of Amazon and prepare some liquid dyes by simply diluting the powder dyes in water. These dyes should keep reasonably well. I often store the leftovers of my dyes in tiny jam jars and have never experienced any problem with them.
As for the brushes, normal flat synthetic ones in a variety of widths will do you fine. However, if you’d like to splash out, there are specially made fur brushes for painting on fabric. Made with deer or horse hair, they come in different sizes and can be rather pricey. If you have ever attended any of my workshops you might have had a chance to see them in the flesh  and use them.
leather poppy kit

The last but not the least thing I wanted to talk about is the KNOWLEDGE.

Yes, you get it right, the knowledge of the craft. Do not try and save here, at least not before you have acquired some solid foundations of flower making, tried a variety of techniques and approaches, made a number of flowers. Then you can go on and experiment yourself, develop your style and invent new techniques. That of course if you are serious about flower making and wish to master it, enjoy the process as well as the result.
The good news is, there are so many flowers in the world, we can not possibly get bored making them, do you agree with me? The bad news is, once you’ve mastered one flower, that’s it, you’ve mastered just one flower. The knowledge of how to make a rose will be pretty useless if you need to create a chrysanthemum or a sunflower. Flowers differ a lot and so do the techniques and patterns. Have a look at pictures of real roses, they are soooo different. To make them look as different when made of fabric or leather you will need to use different patterns and techniques too.
 Are you overwhelmed by this or excited to learn new things?
If the latter is the case, then hopefully you’ll be glad to know that we have worked hard and prepared an ever growing library of downloadable detailed step-by-step tutorials on a wide range of flowers so you can start enjoying flower making right now. Explore the current range of our flower making tutorials HERE
Christmas gift guide for flower maker artist crafter

Flower Artists’ Gift Guide for Christmas 2017

by | posted in: flower iron, flower making iron, flower making tools uk | 0

Our Flower Artist’s Gift Guide for Christmas 2017 has landed!

Feast your eyes on PresentPerfect Creations Studio gift selection for flower artists.  Treat yourself to a new tool, tutorial or supply and create something amazing today. Because you deserve a gift, too.

FREE DELIVERY coupon code inside. Hurry, the offer is time sensitive and valid only until 24 December 2017.

Happy gift hunting! ☺

To turn the pages of the gift guide, click on the arrow found next to the pages of the guide.

no tool flower making tutorials for beginners

NO TOOL flower making tutorials for beginners

by | posted in: Uncategorized | 0

shaping fabric flower petals without the use of tools 8NO tool flower making tutorials for beginners: are there any?

I am well aware of the fact that not every flower making artist (especially a beginning one) has got a set of traditional millinery tools to shape flower petals and leaves. Although this does cause serious restrictions with regards to the techniques that can be used and the final results that can be obtained, there are several methods that could be successfully applied without the use of tools and help make certain flowers. There are several no tool flower making tutorials for beginners too.
Here on my blog I am explaining how you can shape petals using a so called cold shaping method. This method works great for such flowers as peonies, poppies, irises etc.

 

Then of course there is a whole branch of flower making that uses artificial fabrics and their qualities. These fabrics can be singed
on the flame of a candle to be shaped into petals and leaves. This technique cannot be used for natural fabrics as they simply burn in the flame. To learn more about this technique and make a bright poppy brooch please check out our Fabric Poppy Brooch Tutorial here.

 

silk dandelion clock tutorial cover

 

Luckily some fabric flowers do not require tools simply due to their nature and the way they are. This is the case with Silk Dandelion Clock Brooch. Yes, you’ve got it right, to make a dandelion clock out of pure silk you do not need any millinery tools. We do use tools to shape the foliage in the tutorial, so if you wish you can get those tools from our website (hurry as the offer is very limited). Otherwise feel free to omit the tooling.

 

 

 

If you have not yet invested into a set
of tools but would really like to have a go at making flowers why not try leather blooms? The thing is, leather is such a luxurious and beautiful material to work with that often you do not need to do much before you turn it into a lovely flower. Hand shaping combined with the use of a pair of tweezers can create beautiful as well as pretty realistic flowers.

 

leather sunflower broochWe are happy to offer 3 leather flower making tutorials that require no millinery tools, on Wild Leather Rose leather poppy flower tutorialBrooch , on Leather Sunflower Headband and on Leather Poppy Choker.
They are a good point to start from if you want to explore leather flower making
without the need to invest in a set of millinery tools.
leather grape tutorial
One of our latest no-tool leather tutorials in on the Leather Grapes. Again, using only your hands and some specialist techniques you can create a beautiful bunch of grapes in a variety of  colours and sizes to be used as a brooch, a hat trim or another accessory.
To learn more about the Leather Grape Tutorial click here

 

 

 

 

 

silk and lace butterfly tutorial

If you wish to work with more unusual material like lace, the iconic tutorial on Lace and Silk Butterfly can be a good one to explore. Although butterfly wings can be shaped with millinery  tools (and there’s a BONUS on how to do this), the butterfly in the picture can be made without the use of tools. DIY kits for the lace and silk butterfly are also available and sold separately. To learn more about the Lace and Silk Butterfly Tutorial click here.

 

I hope you will find some of these no tool flower making tutorials for beginners useful. Feel free to share photos of you finished pieces with us ☺

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for more flower making videos.