It is such a pleasure to welcome Susan Roberts back to the CLASSroom today as she has prepared a fabulous guest post for us! THANK YOU Susan for creating this magical project and sharing the amazing details on how you created this beautiful mobile! It is absolutely stunning!!
After my daughter-in-law saw a few butterfly mobiles on the internet that she loved, I decided to come up with one for her to hang in my newest little granddaughter’s nursery. It uses many of the wonderful tools and products from Ellen’s store.
The mobile begins with the solid inside pieces of 3 different sized embroidery hoops.
The surface of these wooden hoops was very porous, so they were sealed on all sides with a Gesso and EcoGreen Crafts Acrylic Paint.
To connect the hoops, 3 strands of fishing line were tied across the largest hoop. To secure each knot a glue gun was was used, and the excess fishing line was cut off.
Again using fishing line, the 2 smaller hoops were tied to the fishing line on the largest hoop. Each knot was again hot glued and the excess fishing line was cut off.
Next, 18 3’ strands of fishing line were cut and tied to the hoops spacing 6 strands per hoop. These strands were also hot glued to the hoops and the excess part of the knots was cut off. To leave room for the ribbons (shown later) the strands on the middle hoop were placed close to the cross sections of fishing line. (The length of the strands varies on the finished mobile as they were cut once the butterflies were in place. The number of butterflies per strand also varies.)
Using Mod Podge, strips of Neenah Classic Cream cardstock were adhered to the inside and outside of the hoops, and Kaiser 12” Pearl Strips were placed around the outside of the largest hoop. (A temporary loop was tied around the center of the nylon strands crossing the hoops to hang the mobile while putting on the butterflies.)
The butterflies were made using Memory Box cardstock in Cotton Candy (light pink), Begonia (medium pink), and Peony (dark pink) and Neenah Classic Cream cardstock. Each butterfly consists of 4separate pieces, 2 solid butterflies using Memory Box's Darla Butterflydie, 1 lace butterfly made with Memory Box's Vivienne Butterflydie and one body. (The body die is included with both the Darla and Vivienne butterfly dies.) This mobile uses approximately 22 Peony, 22 Begonia and 20 Cotton Candy butterflies.
The graduated colors on the butterflies are as follows:
Butterfly #1: Solid(Darla) Butterflies using Peony with a Lace (Vivienne) Butterfly using Begonia
Butterfly #2: Solid (Darla)Butterflies using Begonia with a Lace (Vivienne) Butterfly using Cotton Candy
Butterfly #3: Solid (Darla)Butterflies using Cotton Candy with a Lace (Vivienne) Butterfly using Classic Cream
Since the colored Memory Box cardstocks reverse to white,and because part of this reverse side would be visible on the finished butterfly, Jenni Bowlin Ink in Malted Milk ink was applied using an Alcohol Ink Applicator Tool on the white side of each piece to give them a creamy color to match the Neenah“Classic Cream” cardstock that was also being used.
Oh and I have to mention something about The Vagabond! Being able to use Ellen’s studio and the Vagabond was incredible. It made cutting out even the most intricate lacey butterflies an absolute dream.
The butterflies were assembled using a Quickie Glue Pen. (In those areas on the butterfly which were large enough, double sided tape was used.) Once the butterflies were assembled, they were attached to the mobile by making a hole in the center of the butterfly’s body with a paper piercer and then threading one of the strands through that hole from the back to the front.
Using a ¼”Circle Punch, circles were punched and then adhered to glue dots. These were then adhered to the back of each butterfly over the strand of thread one per butterfly matching the cardstock of that particular one. This holds the butterfly to the desired location on the strand of thread.
Once all of the butterflies were placed and secured, the strands were cut approximately 4” below the lowest placed butterfly on each strand. Next, two Kaiser self-adhesive pearls were added to the end of each strand placing the sticky sides of the pearls together to form a round pearl.
Finally, six 12” 1-1/4” May Arts Silk Ribbonswere cut and tied to the middle of the three hoops- one to each of the 6sections. From the hoop to the knot on each ribbon was approximately 3”. (Note: If I were to do another mobile, I would add the ribbon before putting all the butterflies on the strands. Working around the butterflies was needlessly cumbersome…)
The ribbons were all placed on a 1” fastener ring at the knots and gathered together on the bottom half of the ring.
Clip the ring shut and voila!
Papers: Memory Box Cardstock in Cotton Candy, Begonia, and Peony, Neenah Classic Cream
Ink/Paint: Jenni Bowlin Malted Milk Ink, Eco Green Acrylic Paint in Clamshell, Studio Gesso
Embellishments: Kaiser Pearl Stripsin Champagne, Kaiser Craft Self-adhesive pearls in Blush, May Arts 1¼” SilkRibbon
Tools: Memory Box Darla Butterfly Die, Memory Box Vivienne Butterfly Die, Vagabond Cutting Machine by Tim Holtz, Ranger Alcohol Ink Applicator Tool, Retractable Craft Pick(paper piercer), ¼” Circle Punch, Glue Gun
Other: Quickie Glue Pen, Mini Glue Dots, Mod Podge, Embroidery Hoops, Fishing Line, Fastener Ring
