Simon Says Stamp New Challenge - Prima Flowers 'Butterfly Haven'

Hi there loooovely friends - I'm uber excited to be guesting up over on the fabulous Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog this month - eeeeep! (feeling sooooo truly blessed:-)))

This first challenge of the month was like a gift wrapped in the prettiest tissue paper ever - 'Home Decor: use Prima Flowers'... and I had a total ball and who wouldn't with this must have Prima Flowers Rust Frameworks Metal Birdcage tis adorable!

First I gave the cage a quick coat of Dina Wakley's white gesso, when dry I haphazardly brushed over with Dina Wakley's Turquoise Media Acrylic Paint (gotta loves that Turquoise forever and ever!)...set aside to dry.

Now coat the Salvage District - Marble Court Prima Flowers with the gesso and turquoise paints and dry off with your heat gun, shaping them as they dry (I didn't coat the flowers entirely as their natural colour looked kool peeping through)

The background was created using the so, soooooo beautiful Prima Flowers Love Letters -Treasured Memories cling stamp, stamped with Ranger Ink Jet Black Archival Ink onto Prima's Watercolor Paper Pad, remember to be firm when stamping onto this textured watercolor paper which btw cos of the texture makes for perfect and easy blending with the Prima Flowers that will be in the foreground!  Now I painted the butterflies with Prima's Watercolor Paints, a mix of the 'Tropicals & Classics' those colours just jump off the page eeeeep!  The background I also used the watercolors on but spritzed my paper pad with water before applying the colours letting the colours bleed out and merge beautifully (i let each background layer dry, then add more layers in exactly the same way perhaps 3 or 4 times over) plus add watercolor splashes ans splats after the final layer!

Time to assemble, so after I add a few black cotton stitches to my background with an old but beloved 'Singer' sewing machine, distress the edges with Prima Flowers Distressing Tool I adhere said background onto the back plate of the birdcage(which easily unclips and re-clips from the birdcage)  Before I adhere the 3d'd butterfly I add drips of Dylusions Bubblegum Pink Paint (can't get enough of this shocking pink!) and a couple of random paint lines with Dylusions Vibrant Turquoise and Crushed Grape Paints.  I gather a bundle of black cotton thread to place beneath the 3d'd butterfly and once all is in place I pop some sparkle in the mix too - Sequins (I'm a tad obsessed with lush, lush sequins heeheehee)  The Turquoise 'Marble Court' flowers are adhered into place with a mix of adhesives (hot glue gun and Ranger Transparent Matte Texture Paste)

Final touches always please me the 'mostest in the worldest' hahaha (tis a little saying that me and my daughter Chloe say 'Loves you mostest in the worldest!') anyways I digress a little - yes those final touches!   Which are: scribbles and doodles on the background, flowers and metal cage with Prima Flowers Oil Pastel Crayons and those must have splatters of Dylusions Paints in Lemon Zest, Bubblegum Pink. White Linen and Black Marble (keep standing back and looking at each layer of splats to see where to add more, when to change colour etc - less is more!)

Awe I hope you liked my Butterfly Haven, I truly enjoyed creating this kaleidoscope of colour, can't wait to see what you all create eeeeeep!... go on get all your stash out and enjoy the colour...remember that Simon Says Stamp will be giving away $50 voucher to shop at their store as always too!