100 Simple Paper Flowers

Exquisite flowers to make! The author is very talented!!! I have not had trouble following the directions, however I have not made every flower in the book! I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys flower crafting!

This is a beautiful book. Great pictures, clear, thorough instructions. Wonderful templates and ideas. I prefer making flowers with regular colored paper and cardstock rather than crepe and tissue paper which is what this book uses in it's content.

After a 30 year absence from paper flower crafting,I have had the occasion to return to the craft. I am absolutely amazed at how much the art has exploded in that time. Of course when I first started making crepe paper flowers, there was almost nothing in the way of books, other than a few published by Dennison. So I had to blaze my own trail to make the flowers that I wanted to make. If I had only had the sense, and foresight, to keep the patterns that I made; and the techniques I had to learn. Someone might be reviewing my book today. But I didn't, and nobody, is so moving on. This brings me to 100 Simple Paper Flowers, by Kelsey Elam. I usually work with crepe paper, my only experience with tissue paper being those hideous oversized puffs so popular in the late 60s, and early 70s. Unfortunately in some ways the newest books to be published on the subject within the last 10 years or so, have a tendency to be scaled down versions of those same "flowers." But there are a few hidden nuggets out there if you're willing to hunt for them. This book actually has quite a few nuggets. As another reviewer pointed out there are several different flowers, and leaves, in this book that are not in any other book, nor as far as I can tell on the internet either. Which I will address shortly. The book also unfortunately has several drawbacks. As the same reviewer above pointed out there are some major editing errors. The supplies needed for the Rhododendron, and the Azalea(pgs. 12, 13)being swapped. As are the lists for the Angel Cheeks Pom Peony, and the Misaka Itoh Peony(pgs. 14, 16.)One can hope that particular issue will be corrected in any future editions, even if just as an insert. I have included pictures of those pages. In my opinion, the layout of the book is not user friendly for an advanced user, much less a beginner. After a few introductory pages, Ms Elam, goes straight into the gallery of 100 Flowers. These are not arranged in any order that I can tell. For me personally, I would have preferred an alphabetical listing, by common name. Or maybe as a progression of either skill levels, or one technique building upon another. For each flower, on the top left, you are given a list of what you will need, to make that particular flower; with very minimal clarification notes. You are also told which petal, and leaf, templates are used and the page they're on. On either the bottom right, or left, you are given a list of the techniques needed, with the corresponding page number; again with minimal clarification notes. The second section covers the various equipment, tools, and techniques needed to make the flowers. The techniques are very generalized, with only a few shaded line drawings to illustrate the text. None of the techniques are flower specific. To complete one flower, you generally have to use several different techniques, over several different pages. Ms Elam's reasoning is that as you progress, the techniques will become second nature. There are absolutely no step, by step instructions, or photographs. As an advanced novice, I find this extremely tiresome. I almost want to attach several different color ribbons, so as to be able to go back, and forth, for each flower. Were I a postulant to flower making, I might give up long before entering my novitiate. There are other issues as to what some of the flowers look like. Most of them however are more what I think a flower should look like, and so are just my opinion. However there are some major issues, of which I will discuss two. And again I have included pictures to illustrate my points. The Juliet Rose, is a very specific David Austin, English Rose, that has a very distinctive look. The one in this book bears no resemblance whatsoever to the real thing. The Nasturtium, bears only a passing resemblance, and it fails to show the nectar spur,(Ms Elam, is not the only author to omit it)that is a prominent part of the flower. The book does have several very beautiful flowers, and leaves. And as I mentioned above, a few more unusual ones. Both the Pink Cordyline, and the Prayer Plant, leaves are exquisitely done. With very few modifications both could be made into beautiful faux houseplants. Poppies, are the quintessential flowers that look more realistic made from tissue, rather than crepe paper. The ones in this book are no exception. One of the more unusual plants included in this book is the Poke Plant, also known as Poke Salad. But you definitely do not want to use it in any kind of salad, as all parts of the plant are toxic to humans. Sadly it's actually a noxious weed, which is unfortunate because in the fall it becomes a completely different plant, from its summer version. In the spring, and summer, it's just kind of a dull green, with white flowers, and berries. But in the fall the stems become a vibrant red, the berries turn a dark purplish black, and the leaves turn a little darker shade of green. I have never seen it in any other paper flower books, or on the internet. So in conclusion, all in all, like Tiffanie Turner's book, this is actually a very good book for the more advanced paper florist. And I would have absolutely no problem recommending it to such a person. A beginner paper florist, would be much better off starting with either Ms Lucia Balcazar's book, or either of Ms Livia Cetti's books. However, it would also be a great addition to any paper florist's library, no matter what their skill level. I realize this is a very lengthy review, but I felt that there were many points that needed to be addressed.

This book is amazing. I love that a woman wrote and made these.✊ The setup is great. Great pictures. Good instructions and very detailed. Templates to make over 100 flower and leaves. Excited to start my first tissue flower after only using cardstock ones.

I love the illustrations of the completed flowers, as well as the detailed assembly instructions, and the full size template patterns. I only wish that this book was available in a PDF format for easier printing of the templates.

I loved this book! I loved all the detailed descriptions on how to create the flowers. Beautifully written.

i am sorryto say this , but the book did not meet my expectations. it is lovely, but much too difficult for me. perhaps someone with more talent and more expertise could follow it.

Easy to read and follow even if your as new as I am to making paper flowers. Highly recommend as a great jumping off point.