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Tuesday 24 April 2012

Fly my Pretties Fly!

My very first altered tin!

Do you like the title of this post? I do! I couldn't think what to call it, so I asked my daughter, who was watching me take photo's through the French doors and quick as a flash (and in her best Wicked Witch of the West voice) she suggested the title I used! Her sense of humour makes me giggle. Luckily, my butterflies resisted the urge to 'leg it' (or should that be 'wing it?') and I managed to get my piccies!

This started off as a tin of Marks and Spencers Peppermints which was painted in ordinary (well rather posh Farrow and Ball) emulsion paint and then sanded down and lined with Graphic 45 papers. The background was made with triple embossed stamping (thanks to learning this during the 12 Tags of Christmas) using a floral stamp from Stampington.
The butterflies were created as a batch and I was so happy with them. Ages ago I was trying out bright inks on photo paper (just pressing the ink pad randomly all over the page) and I created a masterboard of sorts, I was just playing and hadn't thought of a use for it until today, when it got recycled into butterflies. I stamped my butterflies all over this page, using a Stampers Anonymous Butterfly, cut then out and gave them pen nib middles.

Fly my Pretties Fly!
 The pink and white flowers were stamped in Fuchsia Pink StazOn and then cut out using my precious new Grunge Flower Tim Holtz Die, which has made an appearance on virtually everything I have crafted since getting the die last week! The buttons were recycled from my stash - I collect buttons and always reuse where possible.
I liked the photo against my bluebells in the garden, the butterflies look quite real, even though the stamp gives a 'newspaper' effect.
I was very happy with the end result, even though I was losing the light in the garden, I was pleased with the photographs - I am improving :)

I am entering this into the following challenges
Simon Says Stamp and Show Show a Word
Frilly  and Funkie - Recycling Challenge
Our Creative Corner - Butterflies
Sunday Stamper - Summer in the City
Do Less With More - Recycling with Sonia Challenge
Fashionable Stamping Challenges - Embossing

23 comments:

Dr Sonia S V said...

WOW this is mind-blowingly beautiful and such wonderful recycling-- I would never have thought to use a pen nib in this fashion. I would be delighted if you could link this to the recycling challenge at Do More with Less . Here is the link:http://yyam.blogspot.in/2012/04/recycling-with-sonia-suprabha-venugopal.html

Anita Houston The Artful Maven said...

Can you say gorgeous??? I can! Love your butterflies, and your repurposed tin...beautiful work here...so striking! Thank you for playing along at Frilly and Funkie as well as Our Creative Corner...double whammo!!! Love your garden as well...now that takes talent!!!

Craft Addicts - Tracy Evans said...

Fabulous repurposed tin, love love your butterflies, the colours are fantastic and your flowers are simply gorgeous. Lovely photo too against your bluebells. Thanks so much for joining in the Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge. Tracy x

yyam said...

Wow! What a beautiful creation! Great job on the upcycling!

Thanks for playing along with my guest Sonia's challenge! :)

Maria said...

Oh Anna, I absolutely love this! So gorgeous and creative. Love, love, love! Can I have it? Hee hee ... :)

Redanne said...

Oh Anna, this is fabulous, I love altering tins so this is right up my street, although yours is far, far more creative - it is a wonderful piece. The bluebells are lovely too.

Yvonne said...

WOWSERS, this is gorgeous, Anna! I especially love the pen nib :)

Sue said...

Absolutely beautiful. Your butterflies look like they almost could fly away.

Marjie Kemper said...

I'm loving your butterflies, big time, Anna! They look incredibly real. And your daughter definitely gets credit for the great blog post title. Thanks so much for joining us at Frilly & Funkie!

Candy C said...

Anna...this is a beautiful creation! I am amazed that it started out as a mint tin! Love your butterflies and flowers! Thanks so much for sharing your art with us at Simon Says Stamp and Show. <3 Candy

Mrs.B said...

Hi Anna, what a fabulous project. LOVE the butterflies, such vibrant colours.
Thanks for joining us at FSC
Avril xx

Silvia(Barnie) said...

Fantastic, just a wonderful project.

Hels Sheridan said...

Gorgeous art Anna, loving the title!! Your bluebells are looking pretty too... I can just imagine the scent... thanks for joining in with the Sunday Stamper x

Rita said...

What a fabulous piece of art Anna. I love those butterflies. Hugs Rita xx

Terry said...

Anna, what a lovely yard addition! Beautiful and unique project and I love those butterflies and flowers! Well I want to thank you for joining both Fashionable Stamping Challenges and Frilly and Funkie!

Carol said...

Love the tin and all your gorgeous things you have put in, love the the butterfly.

Meggymay said...

A fantastic project, love the butterflies and all the details you added.
Thank you for joining us at FSC this time.
Meggymay

Linda Coughlin, the funkie junkie said...

Wooeee, what GORGEOUS butterflies1 Love the bright colors and the pen nib bodies. Super cool re-purposing project - terrific work on resurfacing the tin, your stamping is lovely and your flowers absolutely ROCK! Cool post title too - very clever word play on your DD's part.

So happy you joined in the fun with us on both the Frilly and Funkie and Our Creative Corner blogs!

Hugs,
Linda

Anonymous said...

Fabulous project, love the butterflies, especially against your lovely Bluebells! Thanks for joining us at Frilly and Funkie. Sue C x

Asia King (aka Joanna K) said...

OMG, you've just left me speechless and let me tell ya - that doesn't happen often lol! This is one of the most beautiful projects I've ever seen!

Thank you for joining our Fashionable Stamping Challenge ;). Joanna x

Ps. Thank you for putting the piccie for my candy in your side bar )

Rosie said...

Beautiful work and very imaginative recycling! The butterfly and the flower are just gorgeous.

rudlis said...

Stunning design and gorgeous Project! I love it! Thanks for joining in at OCC.

Lynne Moncrieff said...

Hi Anna
This is a delight, especially love that special detail of the pen nib.
Thank you for sharing with us at FSC.
Wishes
Lynne