A box of butterflies

I've been meaning to show you the boxes of butterflies I've made, finished.

I'm really quite partial to maps.

I've loved them for as long as I remember. Making myself travel sick, every trip, my nose in the road atlas as we drove each summer to Skegness, Scarborough, or Blackpool. No "are we nearly there yet mum" for me, and the excitement was heightened as I thought I knew before anyone else just how close we were to getting there.

Butterflies. They wouldn't ordinarily have been my thing. But I love these. Not just because I'm so pleased with how well they have turned out, I think it's something to do with having a little girl, despite my best defenses some of the cute fluff seeps in to your taste mechanism!

The frame was op-shopped and 'up-cycled' with some old housepaint. 

I traced some butterflyshapes from a library book on butterfly classification.

Some outlines looked better than others.

I made a carboard template for each and then traced and cut out shapes from my map, 4 for each butterfly.

Sewn down the middle, stuck on with double sided sticky tape.

Pinned only because I had some blunt pins with pretty coloured bobbles on the end.

I got a white mount cut by a picture framer, only $5. Makes it look neater, finished.

It doesn't have to be maps. The second down on the right is a Claud painting.

Or even butterflies. Anything with a bit of body to show off the print would work.

An apple, a heart, a hand.

Japanese washi paper, in an op-shopped Japanese frame.

In Claudine's bedroom now.

The map of Paris from my honeymoon, with holes at the corners, biro scribblings and all.

Backed with some cool wallpaper I op-shopped.

 Also a keeper though I'm not too keen on this frame.

Yes, I've made three.

I'm a bit obsessed. Addicted!

I think it's because they look so good for so little effort and everyone loves them.

Which is good because at this rate this is what everyone is going to get for Christmas/Birthdays for some time to come.

I op-shopped another box frame on the weekend and then the hubby came home with a beautiful rimu one yesterday.

I can't wait to get stuck in!

This is me, doing the creative space thingy!