Origami help!

[mari-mac1109.livejournal.com]

I apologize in advance for the text only post, but I am getting quite desperate. I want to make origami (or paper, it doesn't have to be traditional origami, necessarily) roses for my single friends for Valentine's Day, and I've had no luck at all with the two methods I've looked at. Both produce great roses but are insanely difficult.

I've tried:

http://www.bloom4ever.com/HowToFold.htm

http://www.folds.net/tutorial/models/marie_rose/marie_rose_diagrams.html

and

http://www.josephwu.com/Files/PDF/rose.pdf

But I can't seem to manage any of them! I've tried marking grid lines. I've tried different weights of paper. I've been at this game for days now and just don't know what to do!

Has anyone done paper roses before? If so, do you have any tips or suggestions, or does anyone else know of a managable pattern for an intermediate paper crafter?