Dear lovely ladies (and evidently at least one gentleman quilter),
This is RonChops. I am thrilled to be posting for the first time ever on Lolly's blog (FYI...she added the word "thrilled"...I had something less enthusiastic originally but you know how she is...right?). Anyway...LC has asked me to share a tutorial on a cute little butterfly thumbtack holder she made last week. Ok hang on... let's get something straight. All words in hot PINK were added by LC. Cool? Ok. Let's continue shall we!!
Well hang on again. Before we get started she wanted me to tell you that she was inspired by a project of a similar but different sort over on The Creating Keepsakes Blog. It's a darling little project on brad storage. You can read all about it HERE.
Ok...Firstly let's knock the supplies list out of the way:
Cork panels (like these fellas HERE)
Fabric covered buttons turned into thumb tacks (size 20) - tutorial HERE
Picture frame
Fabric (to coordinate with your massive thumbtack collection)
Chip or card board that fits into the recess of your picture frame
Sizzix BigKick and the Butterfly die from Stampin' Up! (don't worry... there are other options too ok). Stick with me.
LC used the BigKick to cut out butterfly shapes using a new die she recently purchased from Stampin' Up. You can cut cork just like you can felt (that's totally cool right???!!!!). In the tutorial from The Creating Keepsakes Blog she used elegant square coasters she had purchased at Ikea. This would also work just as well (if you go that route you could spray paint the frame like we did HERE and use a coordinating fabric)! You are going to cover the cork with thumb tacks anyway so this might even be better!!!
Once you have your butterfly shape all cut out, you are going to want to cut your chip board/card board piece to fit into the recess of the picture frame.
If your frame has glass - remove it.
Cut your piece of fabric about 1/2 inch wider than your backing.
Slather the outside of all 4 sides of your chip/card board with double sided tape.
...and simply wrap the fabric around the chip/card board square tightly.
This is where the idea from The Creating Keepsakes Blog really came in handy.
If you have ever purchased stamps from Stampin' Up you know that you have to mount them yourself
(so says LC - cause I had no idea).
The stamps come on a rubber sheet and all you have to do is poke them out
and peel the paper off the back.
You then stick them to your wood blocks (the blocks also come with the kits).
LC never throws anything away that might possibly have a shred of crafty use later...
...and she had saved these rubber paper backed sticky sheets "just in case"...
She cut out the rubber into small shapes that fit onto the back of her butterfly...
...and peeled off the paper backing
...and stuck them to her cork butterfly.
She then used mega glue (clear liquid nails raided from my tool box) to adhere the fabric butterfly to the fabric square she had made earlier.
POOF!
You have a mounted cork butterfly that you can hang next to your cork board or just anywhere really for a pretty decorative and unique accent!
...and the best part...
...is that you can stick your completely fabulous fabric covered thumb tacks in there too!
LC thought of that... so after MUCH debate (hemming, hawing, fussing and deliberating) she decided to make up a few extra sets of the cork butterflies and offer them for sale in her Etsy shop (for cost). She's not going to start mass producing them or anything zaney like that... she just thought it might be nice to make them available to those of you who might want to try out this little project for yourselves. She's offering them for $2.00 each set + shipping. You can see them HERE.
Oh yeah... O.M.T. MomChops and I are in charge of shipping. LC is not responsible organized enough to handle that herself. Amen.
So that's it for today everyone!
Keep it crafty ladies,
a.k.a. Chief Craft Inspector
P.S. I read all of your comments too.
