On Butterfly Wings by Fliss Goodwin

11:00





Each day we have a post from a That’s Crafty! Design Team member and a Relics and Artifacts Ambassador and the blog posts will go live every day at 11.00am GMT and 6.00am EST.
We hope you will join in the collaboration each day, as there will be two very special prizes! One lucky winner will receive a Gift Certificate for £25 from That’s Crafty! and the other lucky winner will receive 3 sets of Relics and Artifacts Matte Resin Craft Blanks of their choice, from Relics and Artifacts!

Here’s what you have to do for a chance to win:

1. Visit both blogs each day and leave a comment.
2. Become a follower of the That’s Crafty! blog.
It’s that easy! The winners will be picked at random on Tuesday 2nd May 2017.



Day 5 of our collaboration and it's Fliss's turn today with an absolutely fantastic project.





I hope you’re all enjoying everyone’s creations in our collaboration week with the Relics & Artifacts Ambassadors. I was so excited when I found out about it as it’s taken me out of my comfort zone and given me the chance to work with some amazing craft blanks that I’ve always admired from afar but have never been able to pluck up the courage to use, mainly because they’re so beautiful in their natural state that it seems a shame to do anything to them.

I’ve now taken the plunge and have used my favourite That’s Crafty! substrate together with a Relic & Artifact blank in my favourite shape – I’m sure you know how often butterflies feature in my artwork!


Ingredients:


Archival Ink – Fern Green, Potting Soil
Pebeo Studio Dyna Acrylics – Iridescent Blue Green, Green Yellow, Orange Yellow, Red Blue
Prima Art Alchemy Acrylic Paints – Metallique - Green Olive, Black Berry, Steampunk Copper
DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics – Burnt Sienna, Raw Sienna, Yellow Green Light, Pyrrole Orange
PaperArtsy Infusions – Blackcurrant, Emerald Isle
Tim Holtz Bigz Die – Tattered Leaves (I used this one as the leaves are quite large to balance the butterfly)


Recipe:



The first thing I did is to apply quite a thick layer of modelling paste to the upright section of the MDF blank, making sure not to cover the feet and very bottom as this makes slotting it into the base very difficult. I then used a pointed tool to draw lines in the paste to resemble tree bark. I left it to dry overnight.






For my next layer, I painted the bark effect with the sienna paints, not worrying too much about making it perfect as this is just my under layer.






I then sprinkled on the Infusions and misted them with water, allowing the colours to run down the surface. It may seem a strange combination of colours for tree bark but it does work I promise!






The next layer is the Alchemy Paints. I used all 3 shades lightly to the bark, then misted with water and allowed the colours to run a bit. I carried on until I was happy with the effect.






I glued the finished panel into the base and then painted the base with the Alchemy shades, just dabbing the paint on with a brush in a haphazard fashion.

I die cut some leaves from mixed media paper and coloured them by adding shades of green paint with a bit of copper to a plate, pressing the leaves in, then misting the paint with water and dipping them in. As you’ll see, in some areas there are raised areas of paint and I found that by drying them with a heat gun the paint bubbled a bit adding some lovely texture.






Now came the challenge of decorating my butterfly. I started off by painting with matte orange and blue to give a good surface for my next layer, which was the Pebeo orange, red and blue green. These paints are quite gloopy so I wanted a good undercoat for them. Once they were dry, I stamped on the bubble wrap design with green Archival ink and the double circle image with the Potting Soil ink. I added some jewels in the body cavity.






I added some micro beads to the leaves and tree bark and then assembled my mixed media panel using silicone glue to stick on the leaves and the butterfly – as the butterfly is quite heavy, you need a strong glue and I found the silicone type works as treat with slightly more bulky items. I finished off with the text, stamped on mixed media paper with the brown ink and cut the words apart before gluing them on.

Now over at Relics and Artifacts Blog, Sherry has an amazing project to share with you.


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21 comments

  1. Texture paste, infusions and alchemy paints! Would never have thought of that - what a fabulous effect. xx

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  2. I do love a Butterfly or too myself Fliss and it's as if this R&A one is just made for the That's Crafty upright surface. Super textures created with the paste and those micro beads just add to the devil in the detail.. xx

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  3. Beautiful work, Fliss!!! Love how you did the bark and the micro beads are the perfect accent. The butterfly's color is strikingly beautiful against the bark color.

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  4. This is a textural, sculptural masterpiece! FANTASTIC!!

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  5. This is amazing. Love the texture of the bark. Thank you for the tutorial. It's absolutely beautiful!

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  6. Amazing creation, the texture is gorgeous, and love the tiny pearls, also used for texture !!

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  7. Gorgeous butterfly against that amazing bark background - fabulous texture!
    Alison x

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  8. Fab! Love the bark texture and may have to get one of the butterflies soon!! Jane xx

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  9. Ooooooh this is extra special, loving the texture and that stunning butterfly
    hugs
    Donna xx

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  10. Great bark texture and beautiful butterfly x

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  11. Fantastic creation Fliss! I love the tree bark effect, the leaves, and that beautiful butterfly, everything in fact! xxx

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  12. Lots of oooohs and ahhhhhs on this, fabulous texture, great piece
    Love
    Amanda x

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  13. Congrats on taking the plunge! What fantastic texture you have achieved. Lovely artwork with wonderful sentiments.

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  14. That's the most amazing tree back I've seen outside of the woods! Really a wonderful piece of art.

    I should mention that I have visited the Relics and Artifacts blog, but even though I signed in as a guest, I am unable to comment. I hope at least I will still be in the running from That's Crafty. What great inspiration you ladies are providing!

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  15. Absolutely Stunning work!! What a joy it is to share this challenge with you all!! Thank you so much for lending us your talents!!

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  16. Fliss, this is so pretty and I had a smile on my face when you selected the butterfly R&As to play with, the most perfect choice for you.
    Beautiful!
    Lynne xx

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  17. Such a pretty make very lovely

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  18. Fliss , what a beautiful make!
    I really am a huge texture fan and I admire the way you prepared the MDF board background- beautiful work!!
    Jackie xx

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  19. Oh my goodness Fliss... your wood background is FABULOUSLY done. It truly looks REAL and I love it! You totally had me AWED with that but adding your BEAUTIFUL butterfly and YUMMY textures leaves made it perfect. I love it that you were out of your comfort zone - and came over to my 'ranchy' vibe dear friend!!! I'm smiling! Xj.

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  20. I know just what you mean about these blanks being so lovely in the natural state! It does take courage to alter them, but you've created such a lovely piece combining them with the That's Crafty MDF! Wonderful! xx

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  21. Your amazing bark background is just that - amazing! The perfect backdrop for the beautiful butterfly and cool leaves - awesome piece! xxx

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