May Challenge Inspiration – the Plush Elegant Butterfly by Jean Okimoto

 

 

The Plush Elegant Butterfly combines a little May Challenge inspiration - and a lot of copper thread - here today.  Hi there, Jean Okimoto here with a detailed design that's a bit more involved than my usual "quick and easy" ideas.    Hope you like it!

Spritz watercolor paper and paint it in pale, watery layers of pink, orange, yellow and teal Kaleidacolor dye ink refills.  They're vibrant, concentrated inks that can be used as liquid watercolors.  Dry the inks.

Attach adhesive label paper or a sticker sheet behind the pink portion and diecut it with the Plush Elegant Butterfly.  Diecut the center portion too.

Punch a 2 or 3mm hole in the center of the butterfly.  Securely tape one end of a  strand of metallic copper thread behind the butterfly.  Sew long stitches - beginning at the center hole - through and around the left half of the butterfly.  Repeat on the right half.  Tape the thread ends to the backside of the butterfly.

Diecut another butterfly from white cardstock and attach it behind the stitched butterfly to add dimension (and cover the backside of the stitches!).

Stitch the butterfly center with the copper thread.

Diecut the big antennae - from the Morning Garden Butterflies set- from rose gold mirror cardstock.  Attach it between the butterfly and the center portion.

Cut another section of the watercolored paper with the 2" x 3-¼" Wrapped Stitch Rectangle die.

Stamp "follow your bliss"   on a 5-½" square white card with Verdant VersaFine Clair.  Quickly emboss it with detail clear powder.

Attach two strips of tape from the Sugar Tape set, available at Birch Press Design.

Attach the diecuts to the card - use foam dots to elevate the wings.  Add pale pink gem stickers.

A quick switch of greetings could make this a Mother's Day, birthday or graduation card too.

Thanks for stopping by...hope you'll try this technique.  It takes a few minutes - but the  detailed, sparkly results are worth the effort...promise.

Looking forward to seeing everyone at the ASIA NOW class at Impress on Saturday!

 

 

 

Supplies

 

99762 Plush Elegant Butterfly

30094 Wrapped Stitch Rectangles

 

30085 Morning Garden Butterflies

Diecut Nesting Blossom Layers with the Plush Camelia by Jean Okimoto

  

Create a layered, ruffled crepe paper blossom with the individual petal dies from the Plush Camelia Set.  These flowers are great for summer cards and parties - and easier than ever!  Hi, Jean Okimoto here, with another way to use the flower and succulent petal die sets from the Memory Box Plush Collection.  It's like a DIY nesting "Flower Basics" set!

Fold a strip of duo-tone crepe paper in half and cut two sets of circles using the  1", 1.5", 2" and 2.5" Circle Basics dies.  

Fold each circle in half along the grainline.  Fold each semi-circle into thirds, creating little triangles with a curved top. Place a petal die on the folded triangle - tape it in place so it cuts just the top 1/3 to 1/4 of the petal, but not all the way down along the folded side edges.  It's like cutting snowflakes, without the little details.  Unfold it and you'll have a 6-petalled flower.  

Repeat the process with the different circle sizes and petals.  Gently stretch the and curl the petals for dimension.  I like to use the edge of  that "green plastic flower-burnishing thing" from Impress to curl my petals.  

Glue the largest layer to a 1" circle of scrap cardboard.  The circle adds a bit of dimension and makes it easier to glue the finished flower to the background.  Attach the other seven layers by pressing the next layer onto a dot of glue on the base and twisting it slightly with your finger to scrunch it up a bit.  

Add green gem stickers to the center.

Cut three leaves from the Stitched Leaves set.

Paint watercolor paper with Worn Lipstick, Broken China and Fossilized Amber Distress Oxides and heat-set the ink.  Cut the paper with the 2-1/4" x 3-1/2" Rectangle Basics die.  

Stamp the greeting - from the Open Studio Watching the World Bloom Clear Stamp Set - with Worn Lipstick.  Heat-set it.

Attach everything to a top-folded A-2 card of white cardstock.  Add gold gem stickers.

Hope you like this "just do it" version of layered blossom dies and enjoy the flowers you can create with these techniques!

If you're in the Seattle area for the 4th of July - join us for another SUMMER BLISS class from 11:00 to 1:00 at Impress.  We're making 6 bright summer-y cards with great designs from Memory Box,  pretty papers from Shizen Design - and there's AC too!

Thanks for stopping by - have a great weekend...

  

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Supplies

 

CL5197 Watching the World Bloom clear stamp set

99758 Stitched Leaves

99427 Plush Camelia

30086 Rectangle Basics Set

30087 Circle Basics Set

Funny Fish Pincushion by Penny Ward

 

Hello Memory Box friends. Penny here today and as you can tell, it's not a card. As soon as I received the Plush Funny Fish die, I immediately knew he should become a pincushion. I am forever looking for pins to unclog glue bottles, or poke out small pieces left in dies. Now I will always have pins at my fingertips.

Pretty cute isn't he?!?

 

Gather your bright colored felt, Elmers glue, yarn and a large eye needle.

 

 

Die cut two of the largest pieces of the Plush Funny Fish, then a couple of fins, the heart and a couple of scalloped "scales".

Position and glue on the scales, fins and mouth as shown. Adhere the back piece leaving an opening of about two inches at the bottom of the Fish.

 

 

Use about a three foot length of yarn and start sewing at the edge of the opening you left at the bottom of the Plush Funny Fish. I chose to wrap the yarn over the edges, but a straight stitch would work also. Once you get to the other side of your opening, fill the fish with plain uncooked rice, then continue stitching him up. Tie and knot yarn on backside.

 Add a wiggly eye or add felt eye die cuts provided with the Plush Funny Fish.

 

Enjoy!!!!

 

So easy peasy Mr. Sneezy...your kids could make these as gifts...or at least keep them busy over the summer.

 

Happy Crafting,

Supplies

99768 Plush Funny Fish

Plush Butterfly by Penny Ward

 

Hello, hello....Penny here today with the most stinkin' adorable Plush Cute Butterfly! I swear the metal die does all the work. And if you are so inclined (as you can see I was not) to stitch around it, there are even holes to guide you. I turned this little guy into a planter ornament, but I am thinking with a new nephew on the way, these would make a great baby mobile.

Here is my take:

 

Start with some colorful heavy felt. I have looked and looked and my one and only big box craft store does not carry nice felt. I found some gorgeous colors and weight on Amazon.

 

Die cut the Plush Cute Butterfly from felt. Go wild, make the wings a different color from the body. You will need to die cut two of the largest.

 

Before gluing the two largest pieces together, I inserted just a bit of stuffing.

 

 

After the largest part of the butterfly was dry, I then adhered the wings only adding glue to the pointy part of the wings.

 

 

Add sequins as desired and two corsage pins with beads for her antenna.

 

 

I also received the Plush Fish...can't wait to show you what I did with it!  :) 

 

Happy Crafting,

Supplies

99755 Plush Cute Butterfly

Inlay a Felt Plush Elegant Butterfly by Jean Okimoto

The new Plush Elegant Butterfly - designed to be lovingly layered and stitched - is also perfect for quick inlaid felt designs.  Hi, Jean Okimoto here, hoping you're having a great weekend!

Gather some scraps of summer-colored wool-blend felt and back them with adhesive label or sticker paper.  The backing stabilizes the felt and keeps adhesives from soaking through.

Diecut the felt pieces.  Here's an easy way to remove the little stitch dots - place the diecut on a scrap of felt in a weird color that you won't be using - then use a toothpick or BBQ skewer to push the little dots out and onto the felt scrap under it.  The little dots will stick to the felt scrap and can easily be disposed of.  Skip this step if you're actually stitching the butterfly - the needle and floss will do it for you!

The light peach-colored piece in the center is layered - the other felt diecuts are inlaid.

Attach gold glittered washi tape to a scrap of paper and diecut the largest butterfly center section from the Morning Garden Butterflies set.

Score, cut and fold a 5-1/2" square white card.  Diecut the folded card with the Straight Stitches die to add some texture to the front - and inside - of the card.  

Stamp the greeting - from the new Spring Lilacs Clear Stamp Set - with Brilliance Pearlescent Jade and dry the ink.

Attach the butterfly.  Add green gem stickers. 

Square cards require extra postage - but I think this happy card deserves special handling.  Hope you agree!

The Memory Box Plush Collection creates great felt keepsakes and hand-stitched gifts.  They're also great for cards, layouts and mixed media.  Get the most from your dies by using them in different ways- you'll love their versatility.

Thanks very much for stopping by - have a great weekend!

 

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Inlay a Felt Plush Elegant Butterfly by Jean Okimoto - Outside The Box

Supplies

99313 Straight Stitches

99762 Plush Elegant Butterfly

CL5199 Spring Lilacs clear stamp set

30085 Morning Garden Butterflies