Club Scrap: Team Challenge for April

Here we are, another month nearly gone.  This months kit is a lovely floral collection: Dahlia.
You should have arrived from:  Lillian and if you got lost along the way, you can always start at the beginning by Club Scrap.

This month the challenge was to make flowers and or butterflies.  I struggled with this.  I have made flowers for cards, but my flowers are always too big and my interesting butterflies are often too big to.  So rather than a card, I thought I would make a shadow box and show you some tricks.

This was very difficult to photograph and I think you will get a better appreciation by seeing the individual parts.

Lets start with the background.  This is a fun technique.  In the kit was a white paper with resist.
I started with the large flower on the right.  Using a very dry sponge that had been loaded with Aged Mahogany and rubbed off, I colored the flower.  Then I used Crushed Olive, also with a very dry sponge and blocked out the green areas.

Next, I inked up the dauber, and working fast, added areas of intense color in both colors.  So, I darkened the flower in areas and added more color to the leaves.  Next I took a baby wipe, and spread the color around quickly over the entire paper.    I did not stay in one place long, nor rub hard.  I let this dry.  Enhanced the color in areas that needed more intesity.

This is true color.  I could not capture the richness of the background inside the farm.  But it is very lovely. Once dry I trimmed it down and glued it directly to the backing board of the frame.

Next onto the flowers.  I love glassine for flowers, they have texture and take up the color well.
So I cut several flowers from glassine, using the tattered floral and leaves from Tim Holtz.
These were arranged and grouped, then held together using a brad, and scrunched.

Then they were sprayed with several different colors of Radiant Rain until they looked like I thought they should.  Hit them with my heat tool to set the wax and dye, sprayed with gold to give more shine and allowed to dry.

Beautiful aren't they!!!

Ok, onto the butterfly.  I started out by cutting several different shapes from chip board.  Then I mixed different embossing powders.  Chucky, glittery, fine, gold, silver, colored, until I had what I thought was a good mix.

Coated each of the chipboards with versa mark that I thinned with glycerine, and heat embossed. I adjusted my embossing mix, to get several different colors.

She how they are not smooth.  The different mixes of powder sizes and careful heat application gives them texture.

Lastly I embellished them with crystals.  Only one made the cut, but the rest will find projects to adorn.  I just never know what will work, so I make several and then choose.

Only thing left was to color the ribbon, which I did with a blend of Crushed Olive and Aged Mahogany.  Then arranged my bouquet.

The trick to getting this arrangement to have dimension is foam dots and fun foam.  The flowers were glued onto a piece of cardstock, then leaves added around then.  The cardstock was trimmed away and fun foam added.

Here you can see the cardstock and fun foam.  Ugly, but when mounted, no one will see.

If you look close, you will see the foam pads between the petals.  Note the pink fingers, a week later, they are still pink!!!  Someone thought it was from removing acrylic nails, Really?  I have bleached my hands, scrubbed, wash my hands at least 20 times plus per day, I am still pink!!  Oh well, makes for good conversation.

A close up of the arrangement.  This is a beautiful piece.  I am distressed that the photos don't do it justice, but at least you can be inspired by the process.

You are All done!!  Thank you for joining us on todays Hop.  Come back later this week for the Blog Hop.  or start At the Beginning at Club Scrap Blog

Until next time,
Happy Crafting,
Josette

Links:  Club Scrap
Supplies:
Kraft Glassine by Ranger
Distress Inks
Radiant Rain by Colourarte
Dahlia Deluxe Kit
Frame was from Michaels.
Assorted embossing powders.