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Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Beaded butterfly - 1 down and more to do!

Here is my May BJP 2011 butterfly finished. Yes, I'm a tad behind but I will finish 12 pieces. It might take me to the end of 2012 but I will do them all. I'm enjoying this year's project even more than I did in 2010. But with so much going on this year it has put me behind.
This is the Kamehameha butterfly that lives in the Hawaiian islands. I did say he was finished but there is more to do on this piece and my other BJP's.

I will be attaching each beaded piece (8 1/2" x 11") to gallery wrapped canvas when they are all finished. I'm doing both birds and butterfly's.
But as I started my next butterfly, which is called the Colorado Hairstreak, I decided to try something different.
This is the Hairstreak butterfly that I traced out on my fabric then I quilted the butterfly and the background. I was looking at the beads I wanted to use but then I got an idea and out came my paints and...
This was my outcome! I used all different types of paints along with Aloe Vera gel. The Hairstreak butterfly is purple, black and orange so I may have to add some pink to the flower depending on my bead supply! I know the backgrounds appear different colors in each of these but the 1st picture is more true to the color than the picture below. You get the idea though, right!
I got so excited about the look of the paint on this piece that I pulled out my other five BJP's and started painting the leaves on each of them. Four are birds and I quilted each background very similar with leaves and circles. You can see my first bird and background piece here. I'll post pics tomorrow of my progress on painting them but so far I'm really happy with how they look.
And I delivered my daughter's table topper today while she was at work! Surprise, Dawn! You did get it before Christmas - a little late for her birthday but it could have been worse! Pics on that this week are also forthcoming!

9 comments:

  1. I love that butterfly. It is so perfect!

    By the way, are you in Florida yet?

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  2. Gorgeous! Now I'm all excited about your next project!

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  3. What a fantastic piece of beadwork - simply stunning

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  4. Beautiful!! I'm impressed that you are so brave to experiment with the paint on the quilted piece... but just look at the results, so it was worth it. You're going to know a lot about the various kinds of butterflies when you're done. Isn't it amazing, all the variations?

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  5. That painted background for your next piece is SUCH a great idea! I love how you're mixing quilting, painting, and beading together...you go, Robbie!!

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  6. The painted motifs will be an excellent complement to beadwork!! Good solution....

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  7. Your beaded butterfly is stunning and has so much personality. Now your new background is looking like a real work of art also. Blissful beading...

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  8. WOW your beading is fabulous! Love the look of the paint on your next one, along with the beading it will be amazing!!!

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  9. Hi Nancy, Thanks for stopping by my blog today. I've been looking around your sites. The beaded Journal project sounds intriguing. I'm wondering if I have time, I know I have enough beads. Thanks, Cindy

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Had to put Word Verification back in! Getting strange messages!!!