Fantasy Butterfly Ornaments

It was during Winter CHA 2009 that I stumbled upon a booth that had these absolutely fabulous, sparkly, fantasy creatures, flitting through a Christmas tree. I was hooked! The colors were absolutely incredible and with each change in direction they seemingly changed. I knew I had to share this with all of you who like to create your own Christmas ornaments. You can give them as gifts or use them on your own tree. You can even wear them. I kid you not! I wore the dragonfly pictured in the bottom photo that day at CHA and received so many compliments from others wondering where I had purchased my "pin." Well, I hadn't purchased it - the booth owners had given it to me and it coordinated perfectly with my outfit.

So today I want to share my adventure in Fantasy Film and glitter with you!

To begin this adventure I decided to keep it simple and share my learning experience with you. It really is quite easy to create these magical creatures. First ink your stamp, in this instance I used the medium Butterfly, with permanent ink. Palette Ink is the permanent ink I used in today's project.

Use three layers of fantasy film that are cut slightly larger than the size of your rubber stamp image. Place all three layers together.

You will need to use an iron to fuse the fantasy film. The setting I used on my little craft iron was Silk, or medium/high. VERY CAREFULLY place the three layers of fantasy film on top of your inked image. You do not want these to move because it will smudge your image. So no heavy breathing ladies - LOL!

 
Then use a piece of parchment paper or copy paper as a barrier between the film and your iron.  Do not leave your fantasy film exposed as in the picture above or you might end up with a gluey mess on the bottom of your iron. I have set it to the side like this so that you can see that the paper is atop the film.

Press the hot iron to the paper directly over your image. Do not move your iron back and forth, but rather lift and move it. Ironing in the typical fashion may cause your materials to move and smudge. Hold the iron in place for only 3-5 seconds. Remember you only need a little heat to fuse the layers. Once you have the entire image "pressed" then remove the parchment paper and the layer of film.

This is what it looks like after you press it. Use a fine-tipped scissor to then cut out the image.

Surprisingly it is quite easy to cut out.

The four butterflies pictured above are made using two varieties of Fantasy Film. I wanted to share the MANY variations you will be able to achieve. Starting on the left and working towards the right I have the following combinations:

• 3 layers of In the Forest
• 2 layers of In the Forest, 1 layer of Mother of Pearl
• 1 layer of In the Forest, 2 layers of Mother of Pearl
• 3 layers of Mother of Pearl

 
It is so difficult trying to get good pictures of this beautiful iridescent material. As you can see when I lift the butterfly away from the white sheet of paper it appears to be completely different. The transparent shimmer is absolutely exquisite!

You can be finished at this point, but why be finished when there is still more sparkle that can be added? Insert silly grin. Apply glue to the individual segments within the butterfly wings.

Sprinkle glitter over the gluey surface and allow for 15 (fifteen) minutes of drying time. Dump the excess glitter away and using a very soft brush remove the remaining excess.

I decided to experiment with a couple of different types of glue. I wanted to be certain that you really need the Designer Dries Clear Adhesive or wondered if you can get away with using a glue you may already have in your stash. I found that the Art Institute Glitter Glue is thinner, or more watery than the other glues I currently use, so it was easier to apply. It also has the ability to remain in delightful little mounds when squeezed on to your image. So I must admit that I preferred this glue to others that I tried.

As you can see the Flower Soft Glue worked just fine. It is actually the glue that you see in the "glue" picture above. It does not remain mounded as high and I found that I had to deal with little "strings" as I squeezed it from the bottle on to my shiny surface. Overall, it is just fine though if you do not want to purchase yet another glue.

Adding second and third layers of glitter to your projects is easy. After allowing that first layer to dry I then applied glue in additional locations and used a second color of glitter. Brushing away the excess once it was dry I then repeated one last time, for three separate colors on my butterflies.

Simply magical! A little decorating with some of Webster's Pages trims and Chandelier Crystals and I was amazed at how my little "fake" tree took on a whole new life. Poor Cathy, Molly and Carina - I don't know how many times I excitedly beckoned them in to the studio and next to the photo tent, and had them endure my endless little squeals of delight with each new sparkle. Needless to say I do have other little projects that are in the works! Snowflakes, angel wings, round glass ornaments filled with sparkly beauties - the list keeps growing with projects I would like to try! It will be thrilling to see how many of you join me in my sparkly excitement. Happy glittering girls!!!

stamps: Medium Butterfly, Large Dragonfly (other sizes of butterflies and dragonflies would look fabulous as well)

ink: Palette Noir

accessories: Fantasy Film - In the Forest, Mother of Pearl, Baby Bonnet; Martha Stewart Essential Glitter- Aquamarine Crystal, Smoky Quartz, Peridot; Designer Dries Clear Adhesive, Sky Chandelier Crystals, Webster's Pages Home for the Holidays Trim

Comments

[Keryn]

Wow - awesome

[Cheryl O]

How lovely, Ellen, thank you for sharing this technique with us!!! I can hardly wait to try this....

[Joanne Basile]

Oh. My. Goodness! These are amazing!

[Ashley]

Beautiful! Gorgeous. Thanks for sharing this tutorial.

[Mary Broussard]

Ellen,

Thank you for the wonderful instructions - I love these and have made a few after my stuff came in and plan to make more *G*

They will make great gifts for friends! Your instructions are outstanding and your tutorial is so clear and easy to understand.

Thank you so much.

[Rhonda]

These are amazing! I just love how beautiful and versatile they are. Awesome!!!

[-mary]

Thank you Ellen for sharing another breath-takingly beautiful creation. The tutorial is detailed, concise, and easy to follow. I will without a doubt make a few of these gorgeous creatures.

Hugs to all,
-mary

[Lorraine M.]

Beautiful, Ellen! I have an acrylic butterfly stamp. Is it okay to use for this technique? I bought some fantasy film in a previous order and needed some direction. Thanks for the wonderful tutorial!

[Karolyn Loncon]

Gorgeous!! Wouldn't it be so fun to have a bunch of these on my Christmas tree this year? Will definitely add this to my "to do" list for the holidays! Thanks so much for sharing your incredible talents with us!

[Debbie Olson]

So lovely, Ellen--glad that you're getting some creative time!

[Julia Stainton]

Gasp! THese are stunning Ellen! I've never had a clue how to use the fantasy film...thanks for the tutorial!

[Otter]

How cool are these!! You offer so neat things!

[Mel]

OhMyGosh Ellen! I love these beauties. Another to-do to add to my list. Thanks a lot! :) Hugs.

[neighbor_nancy]

I love this idea! Thanks for sharing! Do I NEED all three colors of Fantasy Film? This is my dilemma! I cannot tell from the photo of the different combinations how it would impact the final product. How to choose??

[Karen W]

Oh Wow, these are truly gorgeous and I"m going to try this with some ornament stamps, just awesome!!!

[Cathrine StClair]

These are beautiful!