Altered Chipboard Butterfly + Giveaway

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Hello everyone! Bibi here today with a fun project, using the Totem Monarch Poppet chipboard from EyeConnect Crafts. I had such a blast with this and I hope what I've made will inspire you to make something similar.

The difference between the chipboards from EyeConnect Crafts and others ones I've seen out there, is that they are made to connect (hence the name). There are two categories, one called Lace-Ups which you bind together using ribbons, string, lace, etcetera and another category of chipboards with smaller holes so you can connect the pieces using tiny eyelets or brads.

This is what it looks like. The pieces are laser cut, and you easily remove them from the base - save that part and use it as a stencil for another project. Notice there is also a chipboard of the butterfly's cocoon. Cool, ey?

 

I wanted to make a vintage looking butterfly, using browns and black.

I started with Vintage Photo Distress ink (top wing) and then added Distress Rusty Hinge

to give it a warmer look.

To add some splatter, I smeared some Distress ink on my craft mat, added water and used a brush that I tapped against another brush (no ink on that one):

Leave to dry or speed up the drying with your heat gun before the next step.

Here I have randomly stamped with archival black ink on all the pieces:

By the way - when I stamp, I don't use any cushion. Just adhere the stamp directly to an acrylic block, using some cheap paper glue (or double sided low tack tape):

My stamps are so thick and so deeply engraved that the impressions are prefect without any expensive cushioning. 

For the next step, I wanted to emboss a text with a swirly font, and I thought this one was perfect (it's from the set Christmas Greetings). 

I didn't want the "this season and forever" part, so simply I cut it off:

This is what the pieces looked like after I white embossed "Peace on Earth" randomly:

I wanted to dull down the white a bit, so I smeared some Rusty Hinge Distress ink with a foam applicator (result seen on the left wing):

After all my pieces were done, I turned them over and adhered paper from an old book, then used the same two colours of brown Distress on the edges:

I decided to use small brass brads to connect the pieces together:

I attached strings to the back of the wings so I could hang the butterfly up.

And there you have it, hanging in my studio window where she has company by some indian elephants. I apologise for this bad photo.  It was really difficult with the counterlight from the window:

Most of the rubber stamps I used on this project are from the set "Envelope Stamps" (maybe I need to change its name, huh?), which you can find here.

(images are reduced, actual size of sheet is 13 c 15 cm)

You can find this butterfly and many, many more connecting chipboards at

EyeConnect Crafts' website: www.eyeconnectcrafts.com

I AM affiliated with EyeConnect Crafts because the owner (Erin Sparler) and I became friends after I found her website, but that's not the reason I brag about these chipboards - I do because I really, rrrrreally like them! Erin and I decided to let our Design Teams get products from us both so they could use my stamps on Erin's chipboards. You may have seen some of those projects already, and there will be more to come in our joint blog hop on February 12th - so come back and check them out!

So, how about that .....

Rubber Dance + EyeConnect Crafts = True FUN!

Leave a comment and let me know whether you use chipboards in your artwork. While you're at it, tell me what you think of my butterfly. (Bribary is always welcome...haha! But it won't help you win, sorry!)

I have a set of really nice chipoards from EyeConnect Crafts and of course some cool stamps from Rubber Dance to one very lucky, random winner!

You have until February 5th at 23:59 central European time to leave a comment and I will announce the winner on Feb. 7th when I announce our January challenge winners, so remember to check back and see if you won!

Thank you and Good luck!

 XOX,

Bibi

♥