Frilly and Funkie Guest Design Project: Pass the Tissues, Please!

Hi Friends! Thanks so much for stopping by! I'm very thankful to be guest designing today for the Frilly and Funkie Challenge Blog. This week's challenge is being hosted by Sara Emily (aka Sara's Closet) and the theme this round is "Pass the Tissues, Please". Participants are asked to incorporate tissue paper into their vintage or shabby chic projects. More details for the challenge can be found on their blog.

For my project, I decided to alter one of the many cigar boxes I've collected over the years. Inside the box, I've created a simple mini album showcasing some of my favorite flowers from some of my favorite places to visit.

This time of year, I start to pine for the peonies that bloom annually in our backyard so I decided to create a single bloom to figure prominently on top of the box. To make this beautiful flower, I layered a piece of copy paper between two sheets of pink and gold polka dot tissue paper using Mod Podge. While it was drying, I created templates of the individual petals in various sizes. Next, I traced the petals onto the tissue paper and built the flower, one petal at a time. Yup, a little time consuming but the result is a super fluffy peony. Just like the real thing, minus the ants!

Decoupaging the copy paper along with the tissue gave the petals some much needed stability and allowed for molding and shaping them later on. The stamen of the flower was created simply by fringing a long piece of gold tissue paper and rolling it tightly. The leaves were created using  handmade paper I recently found at the craft store. The top of the box is decoupage with a piece of Finnabair's 'Musica' Tissue Paper. I kept the rest of the box fairly plain, stenciling a simple doily and adding a pearl trim, some lace from my stash, and a metal bee embellishment.

Inside the box, I included a small mini album measuring 5.5"H by 6.5"W. For continuity, the album cover is decoupaged with the same tissue paper used on the outside of the box. The cover photo is one of our peonies from last year. The lilacs pictured inside the lid are from a bush I received for Mother's Day from my husband and sons several years ago.

Inside the album, I chose more photos of flowers from our yard and also from some of the beautiful gardens we are privileged to have in our area.  Each page layout also includes lines from a poem entitled "Song of the Flower" by Khalil Gibran. Every page is layered with a mix of tissue paper, cheese cloth, and various embellishments. 

If you're interested in participating in this challenge, head over to the Frilly and Funkie Challenge Blog for all the details. I hope you've been inspired by today's project and I look forward to seeing what you create with your tissue stash!

Blessings,

Melissa