What's a sick, broke crafter to do?

PROLOGUE: I have been battling pneumonia since the start of April. I never had it before, and I must say it has kicked my ass.  One of the main things I have learned about myself is that I do not know what "rest" means.  I know what "sleep" means, but when you are done with "sleep," this illness is one where you do not pop up and do whatever.  I have not been to work.  Sometimes, my cough and headache are so egregious that I do not do much at all.  So, what I am about to show below is "What JoLynn Does When She Can Only Lie Down."  It's also, "What JoLynn Does When She Does Not Have a Boatload of Money." 

Enter Silhouette Studio and my laptop. Over the course of a few weeks, I have watched lots of videos, some showcasing these dies:

Simon Says Stamp Dahlia Frame

Simon Says Stamp Lotus Frame

Simon Says Stamp Corner Dahlia Frame

Those of you that know me know that I do not have an abundance or flowers on hand. I do like a flower from time to time. But if I bought these dies at $17 a pop, I would be giving someone a $17 card.  It is then that I say, "JoLynn, can you make something similar?"  Since I was tied down to a couch or a bed, the answer became, "Yup." As you click on the Simon Says Stamp links, there are samples of what people have made with these dies.  I love the simplicity!

Let's start with my version of the lotus die cut frame.

I wanted to try to replicate the frame SSS used, as I like the idea of doing more than stitching in a frame.  The flowers and stems are a bit skinny, delicate if you will, so I may edit them to be thicker.  

It took me a while to find a free dahlia .png that was what I was looking for.  There are so many versions!  I loved the look of the SSS corner dahlia and how the leaves "creeped" up the sides. I am pretty pleased with this one.

The tulip was actually the first one I tried.  I created a stitched frame, and the tulip .png was pretty easy to find.  It's simple and lovely.

These frames are a great design concept.  Mine are not, nor will they ever be, as intricate as SSS. However, there's times in every crafter's life when she must say, "Can I make it? Does it make sense to buy it?"