Perspective Butterfly Panel

Hello friends,

I would call the project I am sharing today, experimental! At one point in the process something out of the ordinary happened and I just decided to just keep going. Nearing the end, a few ideas popped into my head that made everything come together (that made me happy) and made me feel like I had made the right decision to move forward. I hope you enjoy the process of my Perspective Butterfly Panel!

I thought I'd start by showing the ingredients to the background since they are not pictured in the step-out photos. Distress Paint and Distress Embossing Powder are the key ingredients to the transformation of the Embossed Watercolor Cardstock. I used the 3D embossing folder Entangled, that was released earlier this year, to make the impression. These A5 folders are large and fit perfectly on a small rectangle Etcetera Panel. With that being said, lets get started!

Paint the Watercolor Cardstock with Distress Paint. I painted in bands of color, but you can paint however you wish.

Once the paint was dry, I randomly pressed Distress Embossing Ink over the raised pattern (as best I could).  I sprinkled Embossing Glaze over the pattern with my fingers, then used an embossing tool to melt the glaze (it melts fast so watch it carefully).

Now a bit of crazy. I painted over the entire surface with Black Soot Distress Paint. You can see how some of the embossed portions resisted the black paint.

Then I laid a paper towel over the surface and pressed down to remove some of the paint.

And this is the result (that is wasn't expecting).

The paper towel pattern transferred to the surface. I have had that happen before, but the pattern usually disappears with ink...but with paint, it stayed. Hummm. Do I spray it with water? Wipe it all away and start over? What to do when things go awry...that's always the question!

Well, I decided to go with the flow and finish cleaning up the black paint from the edges then setting it aside. What you can't really distinguish in the photo is how much the Embossing Glaze added to the overall look. I'm glad I added that step so I could get more variance to the individual colors of paint.

Once dry, I sanded the edges of the panel and added a layer of Collage Medium to give it a finished look before moving on. 

I'm using Perspective Butterfly CMS213 stamp and the matching wafer die from Simon. The Perspective die set is so good because not only does it cut out the big butterfly, it also cuts the four sentiments. Truth be told, I could possibly cut out a butterfly, but I would never, ever attempt the sentiments. The dies really make this stamp set even more valuable to me.

I colored the butterfly with a Detailer Water Brush and Distress Inks. Then put it in a Splat Box and sprayed the butterfly with Resist Spray which gives it a beautifully shiny surface (photos do not show how good it looks in person).

Another thing that is hard to see in last photo is the die cut center of the butterfly. If you stamp the butterfly a second time, you can use the "body" die to cut out a second body and add it over the first. I used a THIN 3D foam square so it is raised for dimension.

Okay, the butterfly is done so lets work on the backing. Stay with me...this is a layering process!
I used two round transparencies from the Transparent Layers pack. The top transparency has been spun around so the flowers are at the top. You will also need about 10 standard 3D foam squares for the next steps.

Add five squares to the transparency (notice they are in a butterfly configuration?).

Now add the transparency with the daisies to the one with the flowers (now you have flowers all the way around the circle). Don't worry, the foam squares in between the transparencies will be covered up by the butterfly.

Add more 3D foam squares to the back of the butterfly, then adhere to the transparency sandwich.

So here is what it should look like from the side...

butterfly

3D foam squares

transparency

3D foam squares

transparency

Now cut a circle (I used a circle die I have had forever) from metallic cardstock. This time I used THIN foam squares to add the gold metallic circle. 

The metallic gives off a great glow under the transparent layers.

I used my clear Tonic Media ruler to find the center of the Etcetera Panel and placed my sentiment 1" from the bottom of the panel. This clear ruler comes in very handy!

I covered the sentiment with a post it note, then splattered white paint over the surface. That added a pop of bright color that I really like. Even though I was late to think to do this, it was worth it. Post it notes come in very handy in the craft room! 

Now add the layered circle to the center. Again, the white splatter of paint helped to tie everything together! 

I am happy I kept going on this piece because I love how it turned out in the end.  But look, it took all the way to the splatter part to make it work for me. And the transparency idea didn't come till I finished the butterfly and then let it sit for about 3 days. I don't know what made me think of it, but I love that layered transparent look! I hope you do too!

Now carry on!

paula

Flutter Tray

Hello friends,

I'm so excited to share another project featuring the new Simon Says Stamp Flutter Wafer Dies! These dies perfectly coordinate with the Flutter Stamp set from Stampers Anonymous, a stamp set I've loved and used for years. This new die set is an absolute game-changer, with ten individual dies that make stamping and cutting a breeze!

To start, I used Collage Medium to add the Backdrop paper from the neutral pack to the tray. Then I added the dark green Design Tape to the edge.

I also covered the back of the tray with paper from the same pack. Any would do, but I liked the papers with the colored squares, so I added a piece from the blues and one from the reds (you can see the seam across the center).

I gathered three Etcetera Tiles to use in the background. I also covered these with Backdrop paper.

Next, I cut two strips of chipboard 7/8" wide.

And laid them in the tray (no glue!)

These will serve as guides to make sure the three Etcetera Tiles are straight. I added four, 3D Foam Squares to the back of each tile so they would be raised from the tray.

Once you have the tiles in the tray, you can remove the chipboard strips.

I used the Flutter stamp (CMS294) to stamp the images, then cut them out with the Flutter Wafer Die from Simon Says Stamp. I LOVE this set simply because it just makes it EASY to use any or all of the butterflies!

Here is how I did it:

1. Use Distress Ink to color directly on a Flutter stamp.
2. Lightly mist with water.
3. Stamp butterfly onto Watercolor Cardstock and dry with heat tool.
4. Use a Detail Water Brush to color in each Butterfly with Distress Ink.
5. Add a 3D Foam Square to the back of each butterfly.

The dies even cut out the antennas!

Add Remnant Rubs to three of the smallest labels from the Classic Labels Sticker Sheet. I used black labels but there are also red, pink and blue in the package to choose from.

Do the quick dip! 

Make a puddle of Gathered Twigs and water. Pick up the sticker with your index finger and dip it into the ink. Dry with a heat tool (I do that while the label is still stuck to my finger). Such a quick and easy technique that I use also every day!

Now add the butterflies and the tiny labels to the tray.

I also added the large Word Plaque with Screw Heads to the tray with 3D Foam Squares. White acrylic paint helps the words to stand out.

I hope this post shows that you can make something really special even using a just a small butterfly!

Now carry on,

Paula

please note: the Flutter butterfly wafer die used in todays project is at the bottom of the list

Simon Says Stamp Wafer Dies

Hello friends,

Simon Says Stamp has released an exclusive series of seven new wafer dies that coordinate with six current Tim Holtz stamps (that you probably already own). These dies make cutting out the images a breeze! I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed the process of stamping and die cutting the images! I am going to be sharing the cards/projects I made over the next 3 weeks (there are a lot) so I hope you will join me on this fun journey!

Today I am sharing a set of small tags I created using two stamp sets: Perspective (the words) and Mini Bouquet (these flowers are about 3' tall) + one dies set. I cut multiple tags 2 x 4 1/4" from DistressWatercolor Cardstock. Then swiped them through various colors of Distress Ink to get a base to work on then added the stamped and die cut flowers. It was just that easy.

Like I mentioned, there are six stamp sets I have been working with -
CMS106  Papillon
CMS213  Perspective Butterfly
CMS253  Wildflowers
CMS269  Mini Bouquet (this has two matching die sets)
CMS294  Flutter
CMS326  Ornate Trims

Then there are the SEVEN coordinating dies:

Mini Bouquet Silhouettes and Mini Bouquet Outlines 

coordinate with ONE stamp set.

(Wildflowers are the larger Wildflower images)

I added a small Tonic non-stick mat to my Studio Mat to work on. I combined multiple Distress Ink Colors to color the flower image before misting with water and then stamping on the Watercolor Cardstock. It took me a couple test runs to see how much water to mist and get the right combination of colors. I ended up only throwing away one or two test flowers that just didn't work for me. 

If you still have your Distress Markers around like I do, I found that bundled Sage and Peeled Paint worked really well to color the stems (in fact, much better than the ink pad). Compare the photo above, with the next three and you'll see the difference. And yes, about 90% of my Distress Markers still work perfectly after all these years!

Now carry on till Wednesday, when I'll have another wafer die project for you!
paula