Butterfly's butterflies

I'm sharing a quick tag today, one of the first things I made with my current colour obsession... I just hadn't had a chance to share it yet.


I've been playing with the new Distress Stains and Cosmic Shimmer sprays I got for Christmas and here's where they got me to.


It was so nice just to play with no particular end in mind...   I had no idea where I was going when I started, and though it's not a very complicated piece it really makes me happy: I smile when I look at it!!


So the new stain colours are Mowed Lawn, Salty Ocean and Iced Spruce.


I splodged some of each onto my craft mat, along with a spritz of Patina Cosmic Shimmer spray, and played around with Tim's wrinkle free distress technique until I liked what I had.










I had to wait for some sunshine to photograph this tag, as it was impossible to get any sense either of the gorgeous shimmer in the tag, or of the embossing I'd done without sunlight.


So please excuse the shadows in places... the penalty for using Mother Nature as your display case!


Also the colour varies a lot according to the light, so it changes shade from photo to photo, but it happens in real life too, and that's one of the reasons it pleases me.













I took one of my ebay-bought Catalina wreaths by Memory Box, and dipped them in the Distress Stains, but keeping more colour separation for a brighter hit of colour.

Once the stains were in place, I spritzed it with the shimmer again to blend the colours... the stains are reactive with water, so they move with the liquid spray.









You can see the glimmering lustre in this picture...

I cut up the wreath so that I could position it around the tag rather than in one solid circle.












I got out some of my favourite Tim Holtz stamps, from the Papillon set, and blended a mixture of Archival inks onto the stamp: Aquamarine, Library Green, Cobalt and Olive.











I used the Olive again with the little TH grasses stamp, randomly scattered around the edges of the tag.










The Aquamarine came into play again with my absolutely favourite script stamp from the TH Apothecary set...










... rolled on and off the tag for additional layered texture.














The sentiment is stamped in a mixture of Archival inks, but focussing on the Cobalt to give it definition.  I clear embossed it to give it a sheen and some dimensionality.














The same stains as on the tag background were used on the crinkle ribbon, but keeping it nice and light and delicate, and the Paper Distresser did its work around the very edges.

I dyed plenty of ribbon, so that there would be enough for a double bow, plus some extra to hang the tag up by.

As I said, I had an absolutely lovely time making this.  I do hope you've enjoyed having a look, and I'm so grateful for your visits and support - it's always such a joy to read your comments... each and every one is so much appreciated.








I'm entering this in the following:
The Artistic Stamper would like to see our Favourite Stamp this month - I'd have to say it varies with time, but the Papillon set has always been at or near the top, and it was love at first inking with this TH script stamp
Simon Says Stamp are playing New Something - my new Distress Stain colours
The ABC Challenge is playing E for Embossing
At Simon Says Stamp and Show there are No Rules
Anything But A Card are looking for Things With Wings
Hels Sheridan is also looking for Things That Fly for her Sunday Stampers over at Ink on my Fingers (although I suppose it's possible that you could have something with wings that didn't fly... but it's limited)

Some colors exist in dreams that are not present in the waking spectrum.
Terri Guillemets

A dream is a microscope through which we look at the hidden occurrences in our soul.
Erich Fromm