Celebrate: A Handmade Pink Peony Birthday Card
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| Here is just a smattering of what was in my gardens this past summer. From left to right: Star City Celebration Day Lily, Heirloom yellow rose (planted by my Opa many years ago), Bobo Hydrangea, Purple-Blue Anemone Poppy with Pink Peruvian Lily (Alstroemeria) in the background, White and Pink Gladiolus. |
All year long I dream of flowers, especially during the long, cold months. I especially like taking photos of my flowers all summer long and posting them on my personal Facebook page. This past fall I planted over 100 spring bulbs and even bought two greenhouses with peat pots and a warming mat to give me that gardening fix during the winter. So needless to say, I enjoy incorporating flowers into my crafting projects. Those that read my blog often or follow my social accounts know there is hardly a project I make that doesn't include at least one flower.
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| A large peony flower makes a big impact on this otherwise simply designed card. |
I made this birthday card during the summer, just past peony blooming season. I had planted an herbaceous peony at my Oma's house in early spring--one with buds already on it in the hopes that my 95-year-old Oma could enjoy the flowers that spring. I've planted bare root peony tubers at my own house but those take 3 to 5 years of growth before they can support flowers and my Oma doesn't have time to wait that long for peony flowers in her garden!
Unfortunately peonies are super sensitive to transplanting, nor were there any ants nearby that discovered the plant and licked the sap off the buds to help them open. So my pretty peony didn't bloom for me this spring. (Note: If you have peony plants and ants are crawling on them, do not kill the ants! Ants not only help the buds to open but they also kill any pests or diseases on the buds that could hurt your peony. It's a wonderful symbiotic relationship.)
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| Peony tuber root illustration courtesy of Pure Peonies. |
Unfortunately peonies are super sensitive to transplanting, nor were there any ants nearby that discovered the plant and licked the sap off the buds to help them open. So my pretty peony didn't bloom for me this spring. (Note: If you have peony plants and ants are crawling on them, do not kill the ants! Ants not only help the buds to open but they also kill any pests or diseases on the buds that could hurt your peony. It's a wonderful symbiotic relationship.)
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| Here is a photo of the herbaceous peony I planted in my garden out at my Oma's house. The buds stayed tightly closed all spring then died back. I've properly cared for the plant through to the winter and hope this coming spring it will bring my Oma and me some gorgeous blooms! |
I love peonies. They are among my favorites, which also includes orchids, pansies, lilac and gladiolus--most of them remind me of my Opa and Oma Lola. Peonies come in a variety of colors, sizes and number of petals, but the big pink fluffy blooms are probably the most iconic, the doubles or bombs, as they are referred to. They aren't nearly as fragrant as the single bloom peonies, but the sheer number of petals is just mind blowing!
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| This is what my peony plant would have looked like if it had bloomed. This particular cultivar is named Lady Orchid Pink and it has those iconic fluffy pink double blooms. (Photo courtesy of Monrovia.) |
To start this card off, I used a kraft cardstock base then layered on a pretty medallion printed My Mind's Eye paper. Next I cut out a strip of vellum and ran it through my Sizzix embossing machine with a quatrefoil pattern. I also cut out the petals of the peony and the "celebrate" title in contrasting pink colors with my Silhouette Cameo die cut machine.
I spritzed my peony petals with an iridescent mist and set them aside until they were just barely wet and perfect for shaping with my Marion Smith Designs Bloom Impressions petal shaping tool. I also spritzed two small white mulberry roses with the same color mist and set them aside to dry.
While waiting for those pieces to dry, I attached my vellum to the right side of the card with small dots of Glossy Accents made by Ranger. I then covered those dots of glue with the pink crystal hearts so the glue would not show through. I also glued on the "celebrate" title at the bottom of the card.
Once the petals of the peony were nearly dry, I shaped them and pierced a hole in the center of the petal rounds. Once they were fully dried, I slid the petals onto a Little B floral stem and then added several floral stamens and wrapped the fringed center around them. I used Ranger's Glossy Accents to glue off the bottom so the petals would not slide down.
Once the peony's glue was dry, I glued down a scrap of doily I had, then used a pop dot to adhere the peony to the card. Finally I glued down the small mulberry roses with an artist's medium such as gesso or heavy gel gloss.
Due to the size of the peony on the front of this card, it wasn't made for putting in an envelope. Fortunately, it was hand delivered to the lucky birthday girl! Every once in a while I enjoy making cards with a lot of depth to them like this one. This is definitely something you won't find at your local big box store!
If you would like to have a special handmade card made for a special friend or family member, click the store link above to contact me about a quote or visit www.alicescrapswonderland.com.
If you are interested in growing your own peonies make sure you live in the correct hardiness zones (zones 3 to 8) for peonies. Peonies need a cold winter and cool springs to encourage flowering, so if you live in southern Texas or Florida, you are out of luck! For more information on hardiness zones and peonies, visit the Farmer's Almanac.
I highly suggest buying bare root divisions or plant divisions from Pure Peonies, a dedicated peony farm in Washington state, or your locally owned plant nursery. Peony plants from dedicated peony farms and local nurseries will always be much larger and healthier than ones you buy from big box stores and online nurseries that do not specialize in peonies. They are a bit more expensive, but well worth it! I recently purchased two peony divisions from Pure Peonies and the tubers were nearly as long as my arm, whereas the ones I purchased from my nearest home improvement store was the size of my hand.
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| Here is a photo of one of the herbaceous peony cultivars I purchased from Pure Peonies. This particular cultivar is named Adrienne, so I just had to purchase this one! It's a pretty raspberry pink single bloom with golden petaloids in the center. (Photo courtesy of Pure Peonies.) |
Once you have chosen the right peony for you (there are herbaceous, Itohs and trees), make sure you plant it in a location that gets plenty of sun and is protected from the wind. Be sure to also set up your peony support rings during planting as it's easier to place it then, rather than later during the growth season. Once your peony plant is established, they are hardy and easy to take care of. Some peony plants have been reported to live over 100 years of age, so chose your peony plant location with longevity in mind as peonies hate being transplanted!
Products Used
- The Paper Studio: Cardstock - kraft; Embossing Folder - moroccan tile
- Recollections: Cardstock - pink; Flowers - pink mix
- Bazzill: Cardstock - pirouette, peach, vellum
- My Mind's Eye: Lost & Found 3 "Ruby" - red floral
- Elements: Heart Crystals - pink
- Doodlebug: Mini Doily - lily white
- Marion Smith Designs: Bloom Impressions - tool, pearl white stamens
- Little B: Paper Flowers - stems
- Tattered Angels: Glimmer Mist -vanilla breeze
- Tim Holtz: Distress Ink - tattered rose
- Sizzix: Texture Boutique embossing machine
- Silhouette America: Silhouette Cameo die cut machine
- Ranger: Glossy Accents (as an adhesive)
- Golden: Gel Gloss - heavy (as an adhesive)
Happy Crafting (and Gardening)!
Adrienne
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