Christmas Poinsettia

I've been playing with my "Blossom Petals Builder" punch from Stampin' Up! the past couple of days.  I've had the punch for a long time ... this is the first time experimenting with it using tips from McGill website and a flower book that I bought recently, Paper Bouquet --- to create a Christmas Poinsettia from punches.  I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.  I want to do a little tweaking to how I made it and then hope to post a tutorial in the next while.  In addition to the punch, you need to have the shaping tools (mat, large stylus and tweezers) to make this flower.  I used a small sun punch, filled with gold micro beads for the center, but you could substitute other items to mimic the stamens for the poinsettia.  The metallic DP is from my local $1 store ... just love this paper and plan to go back and buy more!  Hope you like.

"Christmas Poinsettia"

Stamps:  Christmas Greetings (SU!)
Paper:  White, Riding Hood Red, Gumball Green (SU!); Metallic DP (unknown)
Ink:  Basic Black, Cherry Cobbler (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Nestabilities Lacy Squares (Spellbinders), Blossom Petals Builder punch, small snowflake punch, small sun punch (Punch Bunch), gold micro beads, glue, sponge, and adhesives

Here's a close-up of the poinsettia:

I punched six large and five small same-shaped petals from Riding Hood Red cardstock.  I trimmed 1/4" from the bottom of each large petal ... and 1/8" from the bottom of each small petal.  I shaped the petals with my mat and stylus and then sponged Cherry Cobbler ink around all edges.

I punched two small snowflakes from Gumball Green cardstock (these are the bases for the petals - one for each layer) and a small sun for the center.  I shaped the first snowflake and then glued one large petal to each "arm" of the snowflake.  I shaped the second snowflake and then glued the five small petals, spacing them evenly.  I glued the small layer on top of the large layer.

I shaped the sun with my mat and stylus, filled it with glue and then poured in the gold micro beads.  Once dry, I glued the center to the flower.

I made a card base from heavy white cardstock using the Lacy Squares Nestabilities (positioning the fold just below the top of the die).  I made a separate card front (full front), attached a strip of metallic DP to the bottom and the flower on top.  I added a small strip of metallic DP to the bottom of the inside panel.

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Thought I'd share my latest organizing system that I've set up for my dies.  I thought about getting those magnetic folders ... but they don't seem to be sold anywhere around here and the online price is $13 per folder (plus about the same for shipping - ughhhh!).  I figured that I'd need at least six folders (to start), so it was just going to be too much money ... I'd much rather come up with something a little cheaper and use the "leftover" money to buy more dies!

I found some magnetic sheets from my local $1 store (6"x9") - they are meant to make fridge magnets, so are not thick.  Jer had some leftover mat board (he frames all his own art) and so he cut me pieces to size.  I mounted the sheets on top (they come with one sticky side - so just perfect) and each "magnetic board" that I created holds several small dies ... or two sets of Spellbinders Nestabilities.  Awesome!!  I was so tired of taking them out of their packages each time I wanted to use a die ... this way they are at my fingertips.  I placed the magnetic boards in a basket near my Big Shot - so handy!!  Here's a picture: