March/April 2011 Featured How-to by Rachel Bland

Materials:
• 1 - 1" x 1" Square Stampbord™
• 1 - Domino Stampbord™

• 1 - 1.25" x 2.5" Stampbord™

• Tim Holtz® Distress Ink - Pumice Stone

• Inkssentials™ Glossy Accents™

• Stampin' Up® Classic Stampin' Pad® - Baja Breeze

• Stampin' Up® Classic Stampin' Pad® - Not Quite Navy

• Tsukineko® StazOn® Ink pad - Jet Black

• Tsukineko® - Sponge Dauber

• Stampin' Up® Jumbo Wheel - Very Vintage

• Stampin' Up® Word Stamps - (selection)

• Darkroom Door Butterfly Stamps - (selection)

• We R Memory Keepers™ Crop-A-Dile™ II Big Bite

• 1 - Trinity Brass Co.™ Filigree Butterfly - Antique Silver

• 2 - Trinity Brass Co.™ Etched Jumpring 16mm - Antique Silver

• 1 - Trinity Brass Co.™ Large Etched Cable Chain 50cm - Antique Silver

• 1 - Trinity Brass Co.™ Medium Lobster Clasp - Antique Silver

• 3 - 5mm Swarovski® 5328 Xilion Beads - Indicolite

• 3 - 4mm Swarovski® 5328 Xilion Beads - Pacific Opal

• 2 - 4mm Swarovski® 5328 Xilion Beads - Erinite

• 3 - 3mm (SS12) Swarovski - Diamantes Crystal

• 3 - 8mm Jumprings Antique Silver

• 7 - Headpins Antique Silver

• Flat nose pliers

• Round nose pliers

• Side cutters

• Black Marker

• Dry Brush

• Scrap Paper

• Pin

1.  Begin by arranging the three Stampbord pieces. With the marker, make a mark where the holes need to be to connect the pieces. You will also need a hole in the top two corners in order to attach the chain. Don't worry about the holes being exactly centered, it all adds to the look of the finished piece.

2.  Using the Big Bite on the smallest hole setting, position the Stampbord pieces and punch the hole over the markings. Brush away any debris with a dry brush.

3.  To color the Stampbord pieces, place them on a piece of scrap paper. Color all of them together to ensure you get an even and consistent color. Use the Pumice Stone Ink Pad directly on the Stampbord and cover the whole area with ink. Before the ink dries (you will have a minute or so) use the sponge dauber to blend the ink in a circular motion.

4.  Next, using the sponge dauber, add the Baja Breeze ink. Cover the whole area of all three pieces. Then add some Not Quite Navy ink around the edges of the pieces using the sponge dauber.

5.  Ink up the Jumbo Wheel with Not Quite Navy ink and roll it over all three pieces. Don't worry if it misses some parts, it all adds to the final effect.

  

6.  Using the StazOn ink, stamp some of the butterflies and words onto the pieces. Note that the filigree butterfly will partly cover the bottom right piece. To add more depth, use the StazOn pad directly on the edges of the Stampbord pieces and gently press to transfer a textured linen look to the corners of each one.

7.  Now seal the pieces with the Glossy Accents. Apply directly from the bottle and cover the whole surface to the edges and take care not to flood the punched holes. If any air bubbles appear, pop them with a pin immediately.

8.  Wait a couple of minutes for the Glossy Accents to settle before using tweezers to add a Swarovski Diamante to each piece. Again, take note as to the area that will be covered by the filigree butterfly. Leave pieces to dry overnight on a level surface.

9.  Once the pieces are dry, take the Domino Size Stampbord and position the butterfly in the bottom right corner. Using the flat nose pliers, gently bend the wings to wrap them around the piece. Do this bit by bit and keep trying the fit as you go.

10.  Once you're sure that the fit is right, bend the butterfly around the back of the piece and gently squeeze with pliers to secure. Gently manipulate the other wing to wrap around the other side. Leave the left bottom part of the wing overhanging the Stampbord.

11.  Add some of the Swarovski crystals to headpins, and using the round nose pliers, make a wrapped loop on top of the beads. Use a mixture of single beads and pairs. Using the pliers, twist open the 8mm jumprings and attach the pieces of Stampbord together, adding a crystal before closing. Add a jumpring with some crystals to the bottom part of the overhanging wing.

12.  Cut the chain into two equal lengths and connect the chain to the holes in the top corners of the Stampbord piece using the 16mm jumprings. Add the remaining crystals to the jumpring on the left side before closing it. Attach the clasp to the end of the chain by opening the link and adding the clasp.

See More of Rachel Bland's Designs on her blog!