Monday 28 March 2016

Industrial 'Spring' Butterfly

Hello Everyone,

I do hope you have all had a good Easter whatever you were doing.  I made the most of the gorgeous weather on Good Friday with a lovely long walk along the coast with a picnic lunch.  The rest of the weekend was spent catching up with with friends and neighbours.

I have for you today an 8" x 8" wall hanging I have put together for the latest Challenge over at Country View Crafts which has an Industrial theme Click Here for details.  Now I get a bit stuck with Industrial sometimes and looking back at my past projects they all seem to be silver metal with  black paint, so wanting to get away from this and add a little bit of Colour to the project I came up with this little number.

 
Now you see where the Spring or Springs come into the title!
I started with 2 pieces of card which I covered in foil tape.  One I ran through the big shot with the gears embossing folder and the other I cut with the layered butterfly. Th butterfly was coloured using a mix of various alcohol inks followed by distress paints.  The gears were painted with distress paints and rusted with vintage photo distress embossing powder. 
 

 
I cut a piece of mount board and glued some pieces of foam hessian (like the stuff you get to stop things slipping on a shiny surface) around the edges.  I took some more metal tape and put this over the top and around the edges.  I then used a pencil rubber to get the pattern through the metal.
 

 
I used Peacock feathers distress paint over the metal, let it dry a little then rubbed it back to reveal the silver underneath.  I decided I wanted a darker look so I rubbed saddle brown stayzon over the top
 

 
I attached my centre panel with glue and punched holes when dry punched holes around the edges followed by copper eyelets.  I  took some rusty wire and threaded it through the holes, wrapping it around my pokey tool as I went for the springs on the front, but keeping it straight on the back (this was tidied up at a later stage!).
 


 
For the body of the butterfly I used clock parts and wrapped some rusty wire around to match in with the springs. His head and antennae are old watch parts
 
 
 
 
 
 
I have used various cogs for the layering, some are genuine metal watch parts, some are Tim Holtz cogs and I also used a few wooden cogs which I painted.
 


 The rusty hinges were left over from my 'Secret Garden'  Click Here if you missed it, when I decided they were too big, but I think they look good on this project.   


 
Well that's all folks! - for today at least
Thank you as always for dropping by today and if you would like to join in with the Industrial Challenge at CVC, you still have a couple more days click HERE for the details.
 
Mo xx 


9 comments:

  1. this is stunning Mo - I love it all - those spirals are so perfect - what a wonderful detail - loving the colours too - it works well Mo .... thanks for joining us at CV challenges too and good luck! Hugs Rachel x

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  2. Wow wow wow! Mo that is fabulous! xx

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  3. Wow Mo, absolutely brilliant project, loving all the details and fabulous rust.
    Julie x

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  4. OH MY GOODNESS!!! Mo, the sea air is clearly doing wonders for your creativity as everything you touch turns to magic!!! This is truly stunning - the frame alone has me in raptures but then you add on that cog laden background and the stunning butterfly! Way to go you!!! xx

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  5. OMG, Mo this is absolutely incredible!! Love, love, love every single little corner of this amazing piece! Wow, the background is stunning already, but then that butterfly! The way you have done the body is pure genius, absolutely fantastic! It deserves to be a winner for sure!!!

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  6. I think I am nearly stuck for words Mo - this is quite simply superb!! I love how you got that patina look on the foam mesh edging, it is fabulous with the springy rusty wire. And the butterfly - wow, wow, wow, it is sensational. I really don't know what else to say - I LOVE THIS wonderful piece of ART! Hugs, Anne xx

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  7. Oh my goodness Mo I am in industrial heaven, I just adore this piece of art you have created. The frame is magnificent, beautifully patina coloured, wonderfully textured and gloriously wound with rusty wire but the inner aged and worn panel and embellishments topped with that superb butterfly have captured my heart. Love it all.
    Thanks for joining in at CVC with this masterpiece.
    Have a great week.
    Hugs Brenda xxx

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  8. This is really beautiful! Love every small detail. The colors are amazing!!! <3

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  9. An absolute stunner, Mo... I couldn't come over and say so when I was putting the winners' post together, in case I gave anything away - but it's safe now to come and say WOW!
    Alison x

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