Somehow, I ended up with a massive container of silk flower blossoms. I tried doing different things with them, but I was never that excited by the final look. Then, one day, I ran out of the flat little paper scrapbooking flowers I like to use on fat book pages or challenge pages and came across my bin of silk flowers. As I rummaged through the bin, I realized that I could take some of the fussy, layered flowers apart to make simple flowers similar to the paper flowers. However, I still didn't really like the way they looked.

I decided to try altering the flowers to create embellishments that were a closer reflection of the way my other work looks. I quickly discovered that you could do a lot with silk flowers. If you use the right materials, you can apply paint, doodled designs, stamped images, or even photo transfers to the different petals.

You'll need to do a bit of prep work before you begin transforming your silk flowers into embellishments. Tug the blossoms off of the stems. Then look at them to see how they are put together. Usually, there is a piece of plastic underneath the blossom and another on top. The two pieces snap together to hold the flower together and can easily be pulled apart so you can separate the layers.

Once you have the separated layers, place one or two of them on your work surface to experiment with. This way, you'll be able to discover if a pen's ink runs and smears or if a stamped image doesn't transfer well to the textured surface of the silk without ruining the embellishment you just spent a half hour working on. Try a few different techniques to see what looks best on the petals and experiment with the way different colors blend with the flower's fabric. To create a very subtle patterned effect, find a marker or gel pen that is just a shade or two darker than the flower and doodle a pattern on the different petals. For a more dramatic effect, go with black or contrasting colors.

When you have selected the techniques that look best on your experimental layers, you are ready to create your embellished flowers. Paint them, glue on buttons or sequins, add lace, or just use stamps as I did in the sample flower in the picture. As you work on some of your flowers, you may decide that they are finished pieces of art all on their own. I turned this flower into a hair accessory for a little girl instead of incorporating it into a bigger art piece. As you finish altering the flowers, you may want to spray some of your favorite fixative on them to keep the ink from smearing.

Now you can create the perfect finishing touch for a piece that just feels like it needs a little more dimension or color without having to run to the craft store to buy a whole box of scrapbooking flowers.