Sunday, August 4, 2013

BOUNTIFUL BUTTERFLIES

Our recent spell of warm, sunny weather has thrown a lifeline to our native butterflies who have had to endure the wet and cold during the last few years.  There are plenty around at the moment - on the flowers, on tv (I recently watched a fascinating BBC Springwatch programme on butterflies and moths), and even on the wallpaper of the ladies loo when I went to lunch in a pub on the Somerset levels!  Inspired by my recent artwork, I have done a butterfly window for the gallery and have made some cards. As can be seen by the pictures below, the gallery is situated in the centre of Shepton Mallet,  just by the picturesque market cross which has been recently cleaned and restored.


For the cards I used a single butterfly motif raised mounted onto cream card stock. This was influenced by the specimen trays of butterflies that the Victorians prized so much.  It was unfortunate that they had to kill real butterflies for their displays.  Not one butterfly was harmed in the execution of my cards!  I took some paper-cloth that I had attempted to make after reading Kellie Perkin's excellent book, Stitch Alchemy, and cut out a butterfly shape. Bits of fabric and a layer of net was hand and machine stitched and then buttons added.

 

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