Mixed Media Monday - Sparkling Butterfly

Hello again!

I did as I said last week and had a play with some of my dies and even made 2 cards which I posted on my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/isleofcraftycreations) and one which I posted on here! 

This week I am back to a mixed media piece and am entering it into 4 challenges!

The first is the IndigoBlu Challenge Blog and the theme is 'All That Sparkles'
The second is the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge Blog where the theme is 'Time Flies'

The third is the Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog where the theme is 'Anything Goes'
And last but not least the fourth is the Craft Stamper Challenge Blog where the theme is 'Take a Stamp, Anything Goes'

So here goes...

These are the main items that were used but there were more! The focal part of the piece is the MDF butterfly which I have a collection of since buying them at Alexandra Palace last year (or maybe the year before!), so I thought it would be a good time to get creating with them, especially as it fit with my IndigoBlu stamps and the flying theme.

First I painted both sides of the MDF with black gesso (Art Basics from Prima) and then attached a piece of butterfly Vintage Memories paper (IndigoBlu) using slap it on.  Using a sanding block and emery board I took the edges off the paper and then watered down some Goldfinger paint (IndigoBlu) and painted a wash over most of the paper, making it slightly heavier on the edges, then flicked some gold spots on as well...

I then used a butterfly stamp from an exclusive IndigoBlu set that came with a magazine, inking it up with Versamark then embossing with Wow! embossing powder, twinkling lights.  This was repeated until I had a number that I thought looked ok.  Next I used flitterglu and chocolate box gilding flakes with my Vintage Flourish stamp (IndigoBlu), and stamped and gilded in the spaces around the sides of the butterfly.  Once this was done I wasn't entirely happy and thought something didn't look right, so I ran my glue around the edges of the MDF and gilded all the way round, this then gave it a more coherent and finished look...

To complete the background part of the project I wanted to add some texture and so stencilled through a diamond stencil (IndigoBlu) using Gold Shine sparkle paste (Imagination Crafts)...

Then I went on to make the parts to complete the piece.  I stamped with flitterglu again, this time the Big Butterfly stamp (IndigoBlu) twice onto a piece of paper from Timeless Memories by Prima.  When I had cut them out I layered them together to create more dimension.  I then used the piece of paper left from the initial covering of the MDF butterfly and stamped a sentiment from the Enjoy Life set (IndigoBlu) using Vintage Sepia by Versafine and after cutting out with a vintage label die from Justrite, I inked around the edges with distress ink...

Once it was all put together I felt that the butterfly needed a bit more of something...sparkle!  So I added a few blue circle dazzlers from Creative Expressions to tie in with the whole colour theme.  Finally a piece of blue ribbon to hang it and I was done...

I loved making this and was really happy with how it turned out, especially as halfway though I wasn't convinced! 

I will keep searching out more challenges and will have a good look through my craft cupboard for what to use for the next one.
Hopefully you will have a lovely rest of your week whatever you are doing,

Jane x