Hi everyone!!
I’ve been wanting to scrap this photo for over a year but just couldn’t find that “perfect” paper until I saw Maja’s “Walking In The Forest” collection. The photo was taken on one of the very rare ocassions that I go away for a weekend. Getting this close to an elephant was to say the least an amazing experience. One of the very few regrets I have in life is that I didn’t follow my dream of becoming a Wildlife Conservationist and if I could have my life over again, that is what I would do.:) Oh well, back to scrapping…lol!! Here is a close-up of the little pine cones I made which I tucked between the flowers and I also did a little tutorial on how to make them for those who would like to give it a try.
And here is how to make them:
You will need very basic materials:

Tan cardstock
Glue
Decorative scissors (scallops)
Walnut stain distress ink
Scissors
Stylus

Step 1.
Use a pencil and draw a spiral on the wrong side of your cardstock measuring approx. 7.5cm in diameter. I drew the spiral free hand as I don’t know of any other way to do it.

Step 2.
Use your decorative scalloped scissors and cut out the spiral all along the pencil lines.

Step 3.
Turn the spiral over to the right side and ink the scalloped edges of the spiral with Walnut Stain distress ink.

Step 4
Use your small scissors and make a small snit a little more than half way between every scallop.

Step 5.
Turn your spiral over to the wrong side again, place it on a mousepad or any foam pad and roll the entire spiral with your styles, especially the pinecone petals, and you will find that your spiral starts curling. Don’t worry about the pencil marks as they will not show once your little cone has been completed. This picture does not do justice to how you need to press down on the spiral and roll at the same time as it is pretty hard to do that with a camera in the left hand and a stylus in your right hand but I’m sure you get the idea. The down side of being alone at home most of the time is that you have nobody to take the photo when you need both hands…lol!

This is what your spiral kind of looks like once you have finished the step with the stylus.
Step 6.
Now we need to start rolling this spiral. So, with the right side of the spial facing you, grab a thin paintbrush or knitting needle and secure the tip of the spiral to the spiral with some glue. I use a knitting needle and please ignore the “used” look of it…it works hard especially when I use it to work with wire..lol!

Step 7.
Start rolling the spiral and at the same time put a few blobs of glue at intervals along the bottom edge to secure the spiral. Roll the spiral round and round and with each twirl roll it slightly downwards so that with each turn your petals will be below the prevoius layer of petal. You don’t want it to become a flower. By the way, this method makes the cutest little flowers too. Once you have done a few turns, remove the knitting needle or whatever it is that you are using and turn it with your fingers….much easier and you have more control.

Keep rolling around and downwards and don’t forget the little blobs of glue at intervals and it should start looking like the one in the pictures below.

Step 8.
When you get to the end, put a good blob of glue in the centre to secure the bottom edge of the spiral to the bottom of your little cone. Oops, it looks like I put too much glue on but it worked out well in the end. Press the end of the spiral firmly against the bottom of your cone and leave it until the glue is dry.

It should now look similar like the one in the picture below which is a sideview of the cone
And here is a picture of what your cone should look like at the bottom.
Step 9.
Once the glue is dry you can now take a pair of tweezers or something and just gently start folding each little petal slightly outwards.

And this is what your little cones will look like when they are finished. I hope you like them 🙂

For this layout I used the following:
Walking In The Forest – Autum In The Air
Walking In The Forest – Autumn In The Air BS
Walking In The Forest – Flannel Shirt
Walking In The Forest – Knitted Sweater
Walking In The Forest – Die Cut Sheet

The border below the photo was cut with Spellbinders Shapeabilities Elegant Posts.
The stamp I used in the four corners of the layout is from Impressive Impressions Butterfly Swish.
The leaves between the flowers were stamped with some no-name brand stamp and I just cut them out and coloured them with distress inks and drew the little veins by hand with a Zig marker.
I made the little twiggy vine and just attached some beads to the ends.

And with that my friends, I am going to love and leave you!! Have a happy day!!