DCC Faux Stained Glass Butterfly's!

What makes us think of Spring? For Me, it's the Butterfly's that will visit my garden when my flowers begin to bloom!
I can't wait!
In the meantime, I made up some colorful stained glass butterfly's for my kitchen window and here I am to share this craft with you!

You will need the following tools and supplies:

1. Clear plastic packaging. I used what a toilet valve came in plus packaging from some new embossing folders.
2. Your favorite butterfly die. I used sizzix Butterflys by Stampin Up. Also a die cutting machine.
3. Assorted colors alcohol inks. I used both Ranger inks as well as Jaquard Pinata colors.
4. A alcohol ink applicator, makeup sponges, something to protect your work surface, and blending solution.
5. Q-tips, Stickles, Diamond glaze, 1/16" hole punch, permanent black pen, clear fishing line and suction hooks.

Start by cutting up your package plastic into workable pieces. Run it through your machine. Ink up your applicator and decorate your butterfly's.

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 Put a few drops of the blending solution onto a applicator or makeup sponge and remove some of the ink on some butterfly's. Then carefully redecorate them with a more vibrant color as I did here. If you don't let the blending solution dry before adding new color, you'll get this neat blotchy effect.

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 Turn over some butterfly's, on the clean unpainted surface, draw a design onto your butterfly. Turn it back over and use a Q-tip with some blending solution on it to remove color from selected areas. Add new color with a clean Q-tip and inks or parts of a makeup sponge.

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 Try adding the inks directly to the plastic with out a applicator. Then add drops of another color on top. When the color has set, draw your design on the back of the butterfly with your black permanent pen, or leave plain.

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When working with the lighter colors, its good to hold your butterfly's up to natural light to see where you may have missed some ink or if the color combination is right.

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 Punch holes in the wings of the butterfly's. I found that they hang better from the wing than from a hole in the middle. Decorate your butterflys with assorted color stickles. You can color them in completely or just add a touch. I use the new "Dazzle Caddy" for my stickles. I bought a 3-pack set at the recent Scrapbook Expo. Best buy ever! It keeps my stickles upside down, always ready for glitter action. :) Set your glittered butterfly's somewhere to dry. Then as a last step, apply with your finger (for better coverage) the diamond glaze to the glittered and painted surface of the butterfly's.I used part of the plastic packaging to hold my glaze. Set aside to completely cure before hanging.

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 If some of the glaze covered the holes while drying, simple use a needle or paper piercer to free the holes so you can string them up with your clear fishing line.

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Thanks for coming by to see my tutorial! I hope I've inspired you to make some pretty butterfly's of your own! :)