Butterflies were the theme for the Art Elements design challenge this month. Butterflies are symbols of change and transformation. The Art Elements Team has made some changes to the monthly theme challenges, including moving the reveals from a blog hop to a photo album in a Facebook community. I’m choosing to blog about my themed projects anyway because, frankly, if it weren’t for the monthly challenges, I would have to come up with content ideas all on my own.
When thinking about how to represent the theme, my first thoughts were inspired by illustrations from Victorian-era naturalist journals. I thought I would try to embroider a butterfly life cycle in the style of one of those illustrations, which were often a combination of sketch and watercolor. I would still like to do something like that, because that is not what I ended up doing for this month’s challenge. While I was searching for reference images, I stumbled upon a clip art image that became the inspiration for a thread-painting.
To begin the embroidery, I scaled the clipart image to fit an oval hoop I had and printed it in on regular copy paper. The image includes several stages of a butterfly’s life cycle on a branch. Rather than stitch the branch, which probably would have taken the entire month, I painted it onto the fabric as a background. I used Inktense pencils and blocks with Liquitex fabric medium to paint the branch and a blue sky background. After setting the painted background (with a little heat from a hair dryer that hasn’t been used on my hair since the pandemic lockdown began back in March), I traced the outlines of the butterfly stages onto the fabric with a Frixion ink pen and got busy stitching.
I knew when I chose this design that it would likely take me most of the month to complete the embroidery, even with cheating by painting the branch. What I didn’t expect is how much of that time would be dedicated to trying to get the darned thread through the eye of the needle. There were times when I was certain the eye was only an optical illusion because the thread would bend and not go through. Anyway, I persevered and finished with five days to spare. And a deeper concentration furrow between my brows.
I did most of the stitching in the evenings after getting home from work. Since I’ve been working from home for months, and at the end of my workday, I just move from the desk chair to the sofa, I’ve had more afterwork time to play artist. It’s the best commute ever! But, as I was saying, because I used the evenings for stitching, I made time over one weekend to make some painted polymer clay butterfly focals for jewelry. And then turned some of them into actual wearable jewelry the following weekend. I like to design jewelry during daylight hours because I can see the true colors and undertones of the components better in natural light.
True to my nature, I didn’t have jewelry designs in mind when I made the butterfly focals. I just played with the clay and pigments, figuring my muse and I would sort of the jewelry designs later. I had visions of beaded chain necklaces for the large butterfly focals and spent hours auditioning beads for each of them. As always happens, despite my impressive bead stash, I found myself wishing I had other colors, shapes, and sizes. But I bravely refrained from ordering more beads and stoically worked with what I had. The only necklace I’m not 100% happy about is the mauve-yellow butterfly. I never seem to have the right yellow beads.
The smaller round butterfly focals became earrings, of course, because I made them in pairs. I didn’t antique them with black because, well, I forgot. And by the time I noticed, which was when processing photos, I was “that was a happy accident because I think I like them better this way.”
The butterfly connector beads were supposed to be bracelets. Bracelets are not my favorite type of jewelry to design and it shows in the limited number of them I have created. And yet, I made bracelet connectors. Because I always think I will make more bracelets. I can’t say why bracelet designs stump me, but they do. They really do. I don’t like wearing bracelets, which may contribute to my lack of enthusiasm for designing them. Whatever the cause of my bracelet design block, it has left the connector beads on my bead board, waiting, patiently, for inspiration to come.
That’s all the butterfly-inspired art I have for you today. As noted, there is no blog hop for this design challenge so here is where your butterfly-themed art ends, unless you are part of the Art Elements FB community or follow the Art Elements team on Instagram. Which I encourage you to do @Art__Elements (that’s two underscores). Thanks for stopping by my blog today. I’d love to know your thoughts on my interpretations of the butterfly theme.
I am so glad you’ll continue doing your blog as I don’t do Facebook…I really admire your work, and would miss seeing and reading about it!
Thanks so much, Debora. I enjoy blogging. It is sometimes a challenge to think of things to write about and these theme challenges let me be a little lazy about content ideas.
I am glad you blogged about your creations. I enjoy reading it. I love your stitching of the life cycle of butterflies. Your butterfly necklaces are wonderful and make a great spring or summer accessory. I imagine they will fly right out of your shop.
I decided to continue with my blog also.
Thanks so much, Kathy. I am glad you will continue blogging as well. 🙂
You never fail to amaze with your designs! Beautiful!
I’m really happy you decided to keep blogging! 👍👍🥰🥰🥰
Thanks so much, Donna. Writing, and reading, are things I enjoy in addition to making art. Blogging is the easiest way to combine them.
Once again I am stunned by your wonderful creativity and your motivation! I wish I had a quarter of your motivation to get things done. I know what you mean about yellow beads. I can never find the right color of yellow beads for my beading projects…….I guess I just have to buy more beads! 😃
Thanks so much, Mary. The secret to my artistic productivity is what I call “constructive procrastination” in which I neglect household chores in favor of making art. 😉 Also, I must confess that I did just order some yellow/orange beads this week. They will no doubt still not be the “right” ones for whatever next designs calls for yellow. I could have just painted some little polymer clay balls to match the butterfly. But where would be the fun in that?
I’m another one who’s glad you keep blogging.
For several reasons I haven’t come up with any butterfly (yet?) although I tried one idea which i ripped up in the end. I may revisit it, but not this month.
I love the polymer clay butterflies, but I love the embroidery even more, especially the butterfly itself. So beautiful!
P.S. “What I didn’t expect is how much of that time would be dedicated to trying to get the darned thread through the eye of the needle.” That made me laugh out loud as I know the struggle, and not only with needles!
If you want a little laugh and have a few minutes, check out this https://catswire.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-tale-of-bead-loomer.html
Thanks so much, Cat. I will keep blogging as long as I continue to enjoy writing. I don’t have a good sense of who all reads my blog, other than when I get comments. Figuring out website analytics is not something I want to spend time on right now. But I do sincerely appreciate everyone who takes time to comment.
That blog post made me laugh out loud. I have the same paranoia about needles around my cats. I packed all my sewing supplies into a storage unit for the first 5 years of my current cats’ lives. I know second-hand (from friends with cats) how horrible (and expensive) it can be when a cat swallows one. Even now, with my embroidery, I put the whole thing into a plastic tote anytime I step away, even if it’s just to answer the phone. Cats are fast.
Tammy, these are all wonderful creations. And, as usual, recounted with your sharp wit that brings a smile to this face!!
I didn’t do the challenge this month and truthfully, didn’t know how it would work … I like the Blog Hop idea better, I think there’s possibly more interaction. I signed up with the group at the very beginning. Will go and see how this first fb group thing worked.
Did you only blog or also post pix on the fb group? I admit that the month of May has found me not doing to much on social media, but out in my garden cleaning up 3 years (2 at minimum) of overgrown plants, trees, etc.
Thanks so much, Alysen. I did post a photo of each finished project in the FB community album with a 1-2 sentence explanation. I also put my blog post link in the photo caption. And I shared photos to my own FB and Instagram, which I do all the time.
I’ve done “reveals” via FB groups more than a few times and they’re not my favorite platform, but they do seem popular with people who don’t have blogs. My main issue with using FB is that the algorithm seems intentionally designed to prevent people from seeing content they want to see. Or maybe that’s just me. LOL So far, I’ve had fewer people interacting with the photos I put in the FB album than what I typically get with a blog hop. Again, maybe that’s just me – my photos may not be very engaging. Or it may be a result of there being no actual “reveal” because folks can post whenever during the month.
Like I’ve said, I plan to keep blogging. Because I enjoy it. And I will share photos on social media. Because I realize a lot of people don’t have the time or the interest in engaging via a wordy blog post. But I surely do appreciate those who do. 😀
Tammy your stitching is fabulous! I love your distressed butterfly focals and the earring beads as well! I too blogged about the theme for the same reason!
Tried to leave a comment from my phone, but it didn’t work! I love your stitching, it’s fabulous! And I love the distressed butterflies, and the earring butterflies as well! I’m going to continue to blog my monthly challenge pieces as well, for the same reason! 🙂 Thanks for joining in!
Thanks so much, Susan. Your phone comment worked, it just got flagged as “trash” for some rude reason. I hope folks who blog the challenges will put links to their posts in the FB community. And that FB doesn’t hide the notifications from me. 😉
I’ve always admired how thorough you are in pursuing a plan! This embroidery pattern requires a lot more patience than I have and it is a wonderful idea and beautifully done, the painted background makes the stitching pop even better! Your polymer clay butterflies are all beautiful! And I always immensely enjoy your posts and your sense of humor!
Thanks so much, Rozantia. The embroidery took even longer than I thought, and I knew it was going to take a while. I’m glad I didn’t attempt to stitch the branch too. 😉
Wow – you sure were busy.
I am amazed with the embroidery work and the patience it must take! Mom tried to teach me cross-stitch when i was younger and it all came out in knots. I am not a sewer that is for sure.
I love how the butterfly embroidery turned out and I love the life cycle you showed in the piece.
The butterfly necklaces are gorgeous and I love the earrings – they make me smile.
I hear you about making bracelets – that is not our fun thing to create either.
Thanks so much, ladies. My mom and grandparents taught me to sew. I’m not as good at it as they were, probably because I lack their patience, but I am glad to have learned. If only I could remember my early crochet lessons. Bracelets are so hard. I don’t know why I keep trying, except I am stubborn that way. LOL