Monday, May 27, 2013

Clear Scraps Summer Blog Hop - Butterfly Suncatcher

Ready for summer?!!  I know I am!!  Today is Day ONE of the Clear Scraps Summer Crafting Blog Hop!  Three days of summer crafting inspiration and tutorials and PRIZES!!!  Today, you'll need to hop by the CLEAR SCRAPS Blog, plus Rita and Leah's blogs.  Leave a comment here and at each blog for your chance to win!  Plus visit Clear Scraps on Facebook for additional chances to win!

To get you started with some summer crafting, I've created a Clear Scraps acrylic sun catcher.  Perfect to add a little pop of color in your garden.  This design is actually an improvement to a sun catcher I did about a year ago - using my Sizzix Big Shot and Tim Holtz Butterfly Die to cut butterfly shapes from used CD's.  I really like the fact that I can recycle used CDs, but there were two problems with the CD butterflies.  #1 - the shiny coating sometimes splinters off during the cutting process, and #2 the CD plastic is too brittle to bend to give the butterflies dimension.  Clear Scraps to the rescue!!

Did you know you can use dies to cut Clear Scraps?  It is a great way to make your own acrylic embellishments for your projects!  I always keep sheets of 12x12 Clear Scraps acrylic on hand to use in various projects, so I started by cutting one of these sheets in smaller pieces to run though the Sizzix and die cut.  For the sun catcher, I cut 6 CD butterflies and 6 Clear Scraps butterflies.  While I had everything out I also cut some small flower shapes in the CS acrylic.  These are always handy to have on hand. HINT:  save the pieces that the die cuts come out of - they can be used as little stencils!

After removing the protective plastic from the butterflies I daubed them with blue and purple alcohol inks.

Then I carefully bent the wings back.  I love the way these all look together!  They are inspiring more future projects!!
Assemble the sun catcher by placing three of the CD butterflies shiny side down on the table, spaced approximately where you'd like them on the wire.  Put a generous dot of Beacon Zip-dry glue in the center of the butterfly.  Place clear beading wire or fishing wire so that the wire runs through the glue.  Place another CD Butterfly, shiny side up, on top of the wire/glue to sandwich the wire.  Use another dab of Zip-dry to glue a Clear Scraps butterfly on top of the CD butterfly.  One that glue is dry, flip the butterflies over and glue another Clear Scraps butterfly to the back side.  Tie a glass or crystal bead at the bottom of the wire as a weight.

Now how easy was that?!!

Enjoy the Blog Hop!  and Happy Summer Crafting!!

KC





















26 comments:

  1. LOVE the butterfly suncatcher!!!

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  2. Wow! What a great project. I love butterflies

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  3. So creative KC! Love how you used the alcohol inks!

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  4. This is a Great idea !! Love the colors.. P.S. Thanks for the stencil tip :)

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  5. Wow this is so cool an so cute. Such a great idea. TFS AJ-

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  6. I really love this. I want to do this on my patio. I joined your blog..can't wait to read some more!

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  7. Your acrylic butterflies are so lovely :)

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  8. So excited because I think even I can do this!!! I love this idea and now that spring finally came to the midwest I am so motivated to make this too! Thanks for the great inspiration!!!

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  9. WOW, those are really gorgeous! I love the effect.

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  10. Very pretty to decorate a garden!

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  11. Oh my gosh, I've only seen that sort of design from Tim Holtz. You are the next Tim Holtz! It's really pretty and different. I'd like to hang up some of those for my garden party on Friday.

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  12. Super cute! I love learning new techniques & seeing such great ideas! Thanks for sharing!

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  13. these butterflies are so much fun KC!!! love them!

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  14. The butterflies are beautiful!

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  15. They are so beautiful. and the colors are so great

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  16. your butterfly tutorial is a beauty :) Thank you :)

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  17. How stinkin' cute is that?! Thanks for another great idea. I'm thinking flowers, birds, little houses.... Thanks for the blog hop and giveaway.

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  18. Wow, what an elegant and easy craft! LOVE LOVE LOVE it! Thanks for your little tips, too! :)

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  19. Oooo, love me some butterflies LOL. There is so much to look at on the Clear Scraps site! I am a happy computer camper today. Thank you for the great idea. I have a window with a not so good view and several of these would bring in the light and block the sight!

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  20. Very pretty KC!

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  21. What a Great idea !! Thank you so much for sharing . I did not know I could put Clear Scraps acrylic thru my big shot .

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  22. I have a friend with a beautiful garden full of bird feeders and bird baths! I call it the bird oasis. This would be a lovely thank u gift to thank her for helping me move! And I can watch it dance in her garden everyone I visit!!!

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  23. So you can cut cd's
    with the dies? Great
    idea. Thanks for
    sharing it.
    Carla from Utah

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  24. Fantastic sun catcher!! Love Clear Scraps and how many ways to use it!

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