Another Sunflower

Click HERE or scroll down to see the extended process video on YouTube

Products Used

It’s Been a While

You are probably wondering why I am posting “just another sunflower”. I know it’s been some time since my last update. I spoke in my last post about coping mechanisms to find my normal once again. As with all things relating to mental health, it takes time and practice. A lot has been on my mind about ongoing events that have taken quite a toll mentally. Sure, it’s not what many want to hear about: “I needed to focus on my mental health”. But in a crisis mode, it is super important. Unfortunately I did reach a level of almost crisis and needed to focus on treatment options and coping strategies. It’s always going to be an uphill battle, but I intend to keep going.

I find myself struggling to go into my office to sit down and do the editing and writing required to make regular posts. I’ve taken a few steps, including acquiring a new laptop capable of editing videos anywhere to help negate that issue. As I write, I am sitting comfortably on my bed instead of perched on a stool in the office. It is my hope that this newfound flexibility in the more administrative parts of my work will make a difference and result in more frequent posting once again.

This Sunflower

Yeah, I know it’s just another sunflower, but to me it’s also a symbol of creativity and productivity. When I originally filmed the process, it was broken up into two days due to an unfortunate occurrence on Fourth of July (yeah, this was made THAT long ago). The unavoidable circumstances required that I take more time away from work to help mitigate the situations. But never fear! I will still share what I can when I can!

This sunflower project was a fun layered mandala design I found while browsing bundle packs on DesignBundles. The entire pack that includes this design is so neat. It has 108 total designs, all layered, that are great for paper crafts, shadow boxes, etc. The layered tulips I did in May were also from this pack. I have multiple other projects in mind with other designs throughout the remainder of the year as well.

This sunflower is one that stood out to me because of its Celtic-like design in the center. It has mandala vibes while also very Celtic knot vibes. I almost feel like this would be a beautiful dream catcher, ready to grab onto and hold all of your happy dreams to bring smiles to you when needed. I need more smiling these days, so the sentiment was well-appreciated.

Cut Settings

As always, remember that the specified settings are specific to the Cricut Maker. For a reference guide to cut pressures for each Cricut setting, check out this handy chart:

materials-to-cut.pdf Download

TWC glossy holo vinyls in orange and gold: premium outdoor vinyl with more pressure
TWC opal holo rhombus vinyl: holographic sparkle vinyl with default pressure
TWC opal peach yellow pink vinyl: premium outdoor vinyl with more pressure
TWC embossed metallic vinyl: holographic sparkle vinyl with default pressure

One of the layers in the finished sunflower project is a replacement for the intended layer that failed. Instead of the opal holo pattern vinyl, I had cut the layer on a yellow-orange glow in the dark vinyl on a premium outdoor vinyl setting with more pressure. I really liked the feel and weight of the vinyl, but I unfortunately underestimated the pressure needed to cut it cleanly. The cuts did weed, but it was a struggle to remove the more intricate cuts. After too much time and effort trying to weed, I ended up recutting it on the new opal holo patterned vinyl.

In the end, I am glad that I made the change in materials. I wasn’t aware how little the layer would show in the final project and it would have taken away from the glowing aspect of the original vinyl choice. And reconsidering the glowing choice, it feels now like it wouldn’t have been a very sunflower-appropriate choice.

The Finished Project

I am so happy with the finished product. Sure, it’s a bit misaligned, but I really like the look. The misalignment gives the bottom layers more of a chance to shine, adding a more enchanting feel to the finished sunflower. As always, it has different looks depending on the lighting and viewing angle. I always try to convey that when taking project pictures, but honestly pictures don’t do it justice. This sunflower shines bright!