Mesh Leaves - Part II & Uses

As promised I'm back with another idea on making the mesh leaves.  This will address several questions I got over the weekend about wanting more color and how to use them.

First, to add more color I though it would be fun to layer the mesh over actual paper die-cuts...both cardstock and pattern paper.  So I cut the leaves in bazzill cardstock and some fall-ish looking pattern paper.  In this case it's some pattern paper from the Graphic 45 Steampunk Spells Patterns/Solids set.

To answer one of the most asked questions, how do you get the leaf to stay flat while gluing? 

I glue one side at a time - both with the plain mesh (on the non-stick craft mat) and when gluing the mesh to the cardstock.  I hold onto one side and glue the other - let the glue cool and then I glue the second side.

 

If by chance you have a piece of mesh that is bent or doesn't want to lay flat, I hold the area down that want's to curl with a paper piercer or other metal tool.  The tip of your scissors would work, a long straight pin, etc.  I stick with metal because the hot glue once cool will peel right off the metal...it doesn't come off of wood, plastic or other materials nearly as easy ~ or at all in some cases.

 

So, here are the mesh leaves glued down to the cardstock and pattern paper.

The mesh gives both a really great dimension and texture.

 

Now, since I didn't want to cover up the pattern paper or cardstock I had to think of another way to color the glue.  While I was rummaging around this weekend I happened to think of something that would work perfectly....metallic rub-ons!!! 

 

I used the ones that look like they are in paint strips from Craf-T Products but you could use Inka Gold; Rub & Buff or whatever else you have on hand.

 

Check out how cool they look....

 

And here are all of them mixed together...

 

Now several people wanted to know what to do with them.

Well, you could add them as embellishments to cards, scrapbooks, scattered on your mantel and more.  I did some searching on Pinterest for leafy projects and below are just a few.  You could use these mesh leaves in place of the leaves pictured for all of these projects....

 

So there you go...loads of fun ideas to use real, fake or mesh leaves!
Hope you have fun playin' around with these...
they really are quite fun once you get the hang of gluing them.