Butterfly Shadow Box Project

Had seen a project done by Anna on her YouTube channel "Serenity Creations" using the new "Butterfly Mini Album #2" die set released recently on ScrapdivaDesigns.com.  I knew once I watched her video I wanted to make the larger butterfly as she did for a decor item in my craft room so I placed my order and my die set arrived earlier this week. This project was very hard to photograph as I used a white shadow bow and it has a glass piece on the front:

For my printed card stock I used more of the papers from the Shabby Rose paper pad I had in the stash by Stamperia:

To begin with the shadow box I had on hand is from an older Amazon order and the box is 8x8. For the background to my butterfly I wanted to use the Petite Bow embossing folder from Spellbinders. This is a large embossing folder - 5 1/2 x 8 1/2. I cut two pieces of pink card stock to fit the embossing folder and embossed those. Laid them next to each other, matching the pattern in the center, and used tape to hold them together on the back. Using the cardboard insert the shadow box comes with I traced that onto the embossed piece with a pencil and trimmed that down to the 8x8 size I needed using the trimmer.  Wanted a little sparkle and interest over the embossed bows piece so I used sparkle pink tulle from the stash. To hold the tulle onto the embossed background I used 1/8 tear and tape on the edges of the emboss bows piece. Trimmed any tulle that was over hanging using scissors. Set this aside. 

As Anna suggested in her project I used 110# card stock to back all my pieces. There are three layers to the butterfly - the base piece, the middle piece which has stitching embossed on it when  you die cut it, and the top piece of the butterfly has the cut out designs. I cut a solid card stock for the base, the stitched layer I used a printed card stock, and the top piece is a floral piece of card stock - all glued to pink 110# card stock die cut pieces to make the layers more sturdy. With the butterfly all cut out I decided I wanted the body/antennae to be out of brushed silver card stock so I die cut that out and using scissors I cut out the body/antennae piece. 

As she did I also used two layers of foam behind each of my layers -- I used the heavy duty foam squares that I had picked up at the Dollar Tree in their automotive section. Her butterfly is on the outside of her frame but I wanted mine to be inside a shadow box so using the double layer of foam squares helps to show off the dimension on my butterfly. For the body/antennae piece I just used liquid glue to put that on the top butterfly piece. Stacked all my layers and had to decide what to use for the center of the butterfly to dress her up. 

Recently I made a bunch of flowers using the Desert Rose flower die set I had picked up from ScrapDivaDesigns.com so I went through that box and picked out flowers for the shadow box. Like Anna did I also used a small piece of white cheesecloth behind my center flower on the butterfly. But I wanted a little more on there so I went through a stash box and found the small pearl sprays I had bought long ago from HobbyLobby in their wedding section and it was on sale. They are sold in small picks so I used scissors to cut mine to the length I wanted. To keep them in place on the body/antennae I used a piece of tear and tape. With those in place I put some hot glue in the center, laid down the small piece of cheesecloth, and then put the pink flower I made in the center:

The greenery for both corners of my shadow box I used a die set from the stash and scrap green card stock for those. I picked out two more flowers for each corner and I laid the greenery down and then hot glued the flowers in the centers. With that done I wanted to add random pearls here and there to the background so I dug pearls gems out of the stash and put them on the background to add interest and to stay with the shabby chic look of the butterfly...... This photo shows the sparkle tulle over the embossed background piece:

and this photo shows the layers of the butterfly using the two layers of foam squares for the dimension:

This photo is to show the pearls and sparkle tulle on the background:

and the greenery/flowers in the corners:

Fun project to put together and this shadow box will protect the butterfly from dust on the shelf in my craft room! Thanks to Anna for sharing her shabby chic butterfly on her channel!