Upcycled Mini Butterfly Rings

Lots and lots of mini felted wool butterfly rings!  I think they are cute and whimsical...

Mini Up-cycled Butterfly Magnets

Creating these mini butterflies for my upcoming craft shows got my mind thinking of many other projects I can create.  These mini butterflies make great magnets and even rings.  In the coming months as I work on creating more felted wool tote bags/handbags I will use these mini butterflies.  I have sketched some new designs!

 

A Butterfly Week

This past week went by quickly.  At the beginning of the week, I had plans to work on creating more up-cycled dress-forms using vintage linens but instead, it turned out to be a week of butterflies.  I started my week by finishing some in progress projects....the embellished t-shirts with fabric ruffles and coordinating pins (I posted those pictures during this past week).

Sometimes, I find I lack focus.  As I was sorting through my vintage linen collection, I came across a bag full of felted wool sweater scraps.  Since storage space is an issue, I decided I should use those scraps since I needed the storage space for, you guess it...vintage linens.  This is where my week took a creative detour (happens often).  Usually, I will use my sizzix die cut machine to cut flower shapes from the scraps but this week, I remembered I have several new sizzix dies.  Two of those new dies are butterflies.  

So, I cut butterfly shapes this week.  My new favorite  butterfly dies is sizzix but sold through Stampin' Up.  I used the Beautiful Butterflies Stampin' Up! Bigz Die.  I was able to cut two different sizes and shapes from the same die...love that!  Inspired to create more butterfly projects, I went on to create many butterfly pins (3 diffferent shapes/sizes), magnets (2 sizes) and even rings!

  It was a great week.  The kids went back to school and  loving it.  I had a productive creative week as I continue to learn so much from Kelly Rae Robert's Flying Lessons E-course and created new items for my upcoming craft shows.   This coming week, I will post pictures of my new butterflies.  Here is a preview...

 

Canvas Butterfly Pin

Back in the spring, I created tote bags inspired by a fabric I love   It has a print of Indian paintbrush and Bluebonnet flowers commonly found in East Texas highways during the spring.  Those tote bags had a butterfly pin.  Using gel medium, I transferred the image of  the fabric to the canvas then cut the butterfly shape using the Sizzix die cut machine. 

This pin is just like the one I made back in the spring, except that I added a new layer of felted wool.  I placed the felted wool layer at the bottom, creating a butterfly pin with 4 layers (3 canvas, 1 felt).  I like the extra support the felt gives to the pin.

Butterfly Pin to Coordinate with Embellished T-Shirt

One of my favorite fabrics is from the Authentic line created by Sweetwater Fabrics by Moda.  Sadly, I can no longer find this fabric so I find it difficult to use this fabric since I can't find it anymore.  However, as a special treat for myself...I  used it to embellish one of my plain black t-shirts with a ruffle.  I love the newsprint pattern on this fabric.  I also created a coordinating pin using the same fabric with two layers of felted wool (black and red).  The center has a black glass vintage button.  I added a couple of tulle black leaves.  Since butterflies are my favorite,  I  created an extra fun pin for myself.  The  butterfly pin was created using a felted wool  and small black beads. 

Embellish T-Shirt with Ruffles

Even as a teenager, I have always been a t-shirt and jean type of person.  I am now in my mid 40s and that has not changed.  It's good to know some things don't change because most things do.  Using some of my favorite fabrics, I decided to embellish some of my plain t-shirts with a fabric ruffle.  I placed the ruffle at the bottom of the shirt.  I also created a coordinating pin using several layers of fabric and crochet flowers.  The center is a vintage button...one of my favorites.

Vintage Finds....Buttons!

Perhaps my favorite items to find at the estate sales this summer have been the vast assortment of buttons.  Many are vintage and some are not, but the assortment I have found has been amazing.  I don't know exactly why, but I love to collect buttons.  I use them in scrapbooking, felted wool  projects like flower pins and handbags, paper flowers and of course, the dressform pin cushions.  Sorting through the jars and bags of buttons this summer has been a fun experience I was able to share with my teenage daughter Laura.   We referred to it as our mother daughter bonding time.    This is just a sampling of the buttons we found this summer....my favorites.