ED196 Floral heartCompleted by Pamela Horton The whispering Platypus

I really am addicted to Emy’s designs and must have completed 120 or more, most of which are available to view on my home page.

Every now and then I come across a whimsical, easy and not to be missed design like this one.

I always start with the base card slightly larger than I want the finished base to be and then cut it down after I have secured all the stitch ends and then I cut a blank 80gsm sheet slightly smaller to secure the beading and embroidery stitches in place, using D.S. red power tape before attaching the finished work onto a main card front.

I have used a white light weight 14cm square white card to copy the design onto and used a deep rose pink metallic single thread to stitch the main shape of the heart.

I have used a single teal embroidery floss thread for the flowers and green polyester single thread to complete the leaves.

The centre of the flowers and the tiny circles are stitched with single gold metallic thread. I have used tiny 2mm round pearls for the main beads.

Before attaching the beads to the flowers and leaves, I have used my water colour pencils to colour in the main shapes, to give the leaves and petals the shape I wanted to create.

I also used a dark yellow to colour in the tiny circles and the flower centres.

I have used 28 round 2mm tiny pearls, for each of the flower petals, I have used 3 tiny teal blue glass seed beads and for each of the leaves, I have used a tiny green glass seed bead at the base and then 3 minute green round pearl beads.

Using these smaller beads instead of a single larger bead has helped give the petals and leaves a curved appearance.

In total I needed 72 beads even though the original pattern displays the use of larger and in more positions, I really wanted to create a delicate whimsical look to the finish of the card.

I then trimmed the finished work down to 11.75cm wide and 11.25 cm high and used D.S tape to attach it to the main backing sheet which is moss green with an overprint in white cut at 12.25 cm wide and 12.75 cm high.

I have used my craft knife to make 1cm high slits at the edge of both ends of the white card, 2cm in from each slit, then 2cm in from each of those slits.

I have used the back of the craft knife to push the ribbon end in from the back of the edge slit on the left under the topper and back up through the next slit, and continued to the slit on the right hand side.

I secured the ends at the back. I then attached this topper using D.S. tape to the 13.25cm square teal card front. I made a tiny bow with the same ribbon to attach in the centre.

I have used graded pale teal peel off pearls on either side and one on the bow and used 2 more on the top corners.

I am more than delighted with the beautiful finish this design has made to the card I have made. Pamela Horton. The Whispering Platypus.