ONE TUTORIAL A DAY FOR 31 DAYS – DAY 25 OF MY JOURNEY – INSPIRED BY HAUTE COUTURE

I looked on my agenda with projects that I intend to do someday and I found a note about applying a Polymer clay flower on a dress and “complementing” it with beads. So, I said to myself this is the best time to try this idea out.

I had the perfect dress for the project. When I bought this dress, I immediately thought that it lacks some beads….and beads, I have!

I had the little flowers beads that I have made for the Magnolia necklace, but decided not to use them in the idea that for that necklace the idea of Less is More was the best choice.

I thought a little bit of the flower and decided to go for a Hibiscus flower (I wanted it to be in harmony with the color of the dress, but the Triple Thick Varnish changed  the colors – this is the second time I notice this effect – it happened like that with the Polymer Clay magnolia which was more pink when I painted it with pastels, but the Triple Thick Varnish  changed a lot its appearance).

This is going to be a longer process, still I hope you will find it interesting.

Materials and tools used: white Fimo Professional polymer clay, petal cutter, flower cutter, a round cutter, pastel colors, ball tool, a toothpick, seed beads, 2 jewelry ball pins,  E6000 jewelry glue, Liquid Fimo, Fireline and Triple Thick Varnish.

I cut a round base.

I cut 5 petals initially. Then I considered that I wanted a wider petal, so I joined two petals together.

I pressed well on the part where the petals are joined together and then I continued to shape the petal.

I textured the petal with a toothpick.

I started adding the petals all around, the second on top of the first, the third on top of the second and so on.

I pressed really well in the middle of the flower.

I pressed to join the petals close to the base of the flower.

I made a hole in the middle and two holes on the circular base underneath the flower (so as to be able to sew it to the dress).

I wrapped two pins in polymer clay.

I made three little petals.

I put them on the pins.

I made little balls.

I prepared the pastels.

I colored the little flower and the base with red pastel color.

I colored the little balls and applied them on the pistil (after adding Liquid Fimo and pressing firmly).

I started to color the flower.

I added Liquid Fimo in the middle of the flower and then put the pins through the flower and bent them with the pliers on the back.

I curved the pistil and approached it to the flower.

I bake it according to the polymer clay manufacturer’s specifications.

I varnished it with Triple Thick Varnish and the colors changed.

This is how I made the little flowers.

I cut a flower shape with the cutter.

I flattened it with the ball tools.

I textured it using a toothpick.

I prepared the pastels.

Then I decided to make some violet flowers as well.

This is the dress before.

I prepared several colors of seed beads.

I started sewing the beads using Fireline. I made a knot on the back, pulled the thread through the fabric, strung the flower bead, then added a seed bead and then went back through the flower bead to the back of the dress.

I started adding seed beads (6 or more), sewing them to the fabric and then going back through the last 3 beads (like in bead embroidery) It is called back stitch and you can see a tutorial on Beading Daily: http://www.beadingdaily.com/glossary/bead-embroidery.aspx

I sew the hibiscus flower and added also some E6000 jewelry glue (to make sure it will stay there).

I embroidered the area underneath the hibiscus flower.

Whew.  It’s finished!

I want to thank http://www.bestcardmaking-downloads.com/free.aspx for the wonderful free watercolor background (Watercolor and Script Paper).

Thank you for reading me!