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Spring Flutterbys




Happy Spring everyone! I know it's technically been "springtime" for, oh...a month and a half...but if you live anywhere near Northern Utah (or another ill-fated, warm weather neglected area) your warm and breezy "spring" has looked more like this:




Um, yeah. I just put away my daughter's snow coat and insulated mittens. *sigh*





So! Forgive me if I've been more likely to hum "White Christmas" or "Frosty the Snowman" than rattling off "April showers bring Mayflowers..." or "Singing in the Rain". My decor has also reflected the lack of fluffy chicks and fresh tulips around my home: Frosted magnolia and Holly Berry wreath - check; white iridescent faux blooms - check and check; antique silver urns with a wintery "WISH" plaque - double check. These items are still floating around my living and dining areas. Ugh.


Don't worry, I took down handcut snowflakes hanging from my ceiling fixture and the faux pines-in-urns did finally make it out of the entryway, but my friends, I have seriously been uninspired.


But! It was actually 69 F yesterday and an amazing 71 F today (heatwave!) and as I sit here in my jean skirt and sandals, I am finally ready to embrace Spring 2011! To celebrate, I did a little dollar store revamp to put near the front door.





I'm not normally very impressed by the art selection at my local dollar store, but I did find this sweet little print a few weeks back at Dollar Tree. The print was "happy", but I wasn't into the cheap looking frame. Worth buying? Definately! Nothing a little craft paint couldn't fix!




Paint, masking tape, and I was ready to go. Now don't be jealous of my super high tech painting station (aka. kitchen counter).




I masked off the glass insert (instead of separating the glass and print from the frame) so I wouldn't have to peel off the craft paper backing that was glued directly to frame. I got pretty close to perfect while using the masking tape, but I wasn't worried if it wasn't exact because it's super easy to use a craft knife to scrape off any residual paint once everything is dry.

A few coats with a small craft brush and I was in business. I didn't bother to prime this piece, and I was careful not to do long "streaky" strokes, but rather blot and dab in the nooks and crannies of the frame. I imagine a sponge would get a similar effect.




Frame painted and dried, masking tape peeled off, I stood back and thought it looked nice...but something was missing. I had just bought a huge butterfly craft punch from Amazon. Eureka!





A couple of pretty butterflies cut from an old thrifted book (first time cutting out pages of a book - I actually hesitated for a minute even though I bought the book specifically because it was in bad, bad shape and with the intent to use it for crafts - anyone else almost shed a tear the first time they cut up a book? Why is that such a reverent thing?) and I had a pretty little springtime art to call my own! I wondered at the best way to adhere the butterflies, but I finally decided that a couple tiny pieces of double stick tape would do the trick just fine. I also bent the cutouts from the middle to give it a little depth.





Materials:

Frame & print

Paint (interior, spray or craft)

Masking or painter's tape

Extra large butterfly punch

Old book (or dollar store dictionary, etc.)

Double stick tape (or regular tape folded over)




I had everything already on hand (a minor miracle in my case) and had bought the frame with print for $1.00. Total cost of project = $1.00 plus minor on-hand supplies. I'm sure this didn't cost more than $1.50 to make, and it was super fast!


Happy Crafting!

P.S. See that cute ivy-looking frame holder? It was a black iron plate display from the DI (local thrift store) for $2 which I spray painted a pretty winter grey (has a touch of blue). Looooove it!



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