All about bee wings

I've had a few requests for additional information, and questions about attaching the wings when following my Needle Felted Bumblebee video tutorial and working with the Bee Wing Digital Download and Bee Wing Transparency Sheet. 

First, you'll need wings.

The Bee Wing Transparency Sheet is a pre-printed sheet with 32 pairs of bee wings in various sizes. Cut them out as you go along. How you cut them out will depend on which method you want to use to attach the wings. I'll show you two methods below.

To print your own wings you'll need the Bee Wing Digital Download. You will use this file to print onto transparency paper. When buying transparency paper it's important to buy the correct type for your printer. Look for "inkjet" or "laser" on the packaging depending on which type you have. When printing specify that you are printing onto transparency paper by changing the settings. This will give you the best results.

I use two methods to attach the wings.

Method 1
Select the wings you want to use. Leave a little extra tab at the end of the wing when cutting them out.

With a very sharp blade, make an incision into the body of the bee where you want to place the wings.

If you've felted the bee well, this cut should not cause the bee to come apart.

Apply a tiny drop of glue to the end of the wing

Push the wing into the cut, wiggle it into just the right position, and allow to dry.

Method 2

Cut out your preferred wings and make a diagonal cut at the end. The cut should reflect the angle that you want the wings to sit at.

Apply the a small drop of hot glue to the underside and edge of the wing. You may want to practice applying the glue to get used to applying just the right amount.

Press the wing into place. Wiggle slightly so that the glue catches to the wooly surface of the bee. Hold the wing in place as it dries.

While the first method will give you a stronger bond, I actually prefer the second method. Once you get the hang of how much glue to apply it's a much quicker and simpler method.

I've had people ask about adding wire to the wings. When I was planning this project I thought that wire would be needed but at this size the transparency is thick enough that it doesn't need added support. Unless you want to create posable wings, or a super huge bee, wiring the wings is unnecessary.

As always, if you have a technique or method that you prefer, by all means continue doing what you're doing! There's no wrong or right way to do things and experimentation is the key for discovering what works best for you.

Have a great week crafty friends!

Free Photo Friday

Once a week I share an old timey photo from my personal collection. Feel free to use them in your mess making, art and crafting.

The images are not polished and left in their grungy, smudged and speckled glory. Just how I like 'em! Without further ado... 

Do NOT sell, give, or distribute the images as your own, digitally or printed, alone or as part of a collection, collage sheet or group. BUT DO absolutely make stuff with them and sell the stuff you make. If you share your project, a link is appreciated.

Violators will be turned into toads, given warts, all the bad stuff... I mean it... It won't be pretty. 

Paper fairy in a tuna tin

The thing with faeries is that they can take up residence anywhere. They can move into an old tuna tin and turn it into a tiny wonderland.

Creative recycling is a funny thing. You become drawn to certain vessels. I have soooo many single serve tuna tins, Pringles tubes, cocoa and coffee tins. Each of them waiting, waiting for paper fairies and wonderlands.

To 'encourage' your own recycling fairy, you might want to consider keeping these bits around:
• Matchbox fairy download

• a clean vessel/tin/box/bottle
• paper, paint and lace to embellish

• moss
• acorn

• paper mini flowers
• handmade mushrooms
• crown (I made one from THIS mold)

Paper Moon Tags

This month I'm diving into my stash and making some dreamy mixed media tags for Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts.

And while you'll find the full supply list of the bits I've used for my tags, I totally encourage you to dip into your own stash to create the textured effect with extra bits from your own stash.

I've layered chipboard elements and washes of paint and glitter to achieve the desired effect on these tags. I am LOVING the texture. The same effect can be achieved by layering all sorts of extra chippy bits, so don't feel confined to using the same ones I've listed. Just be sure the top layer contains a few stars and you'll be set.

I've turned these tags upside-down so that the ribbons dangle, my initial intent being to add charms and dangly beads... that idea went out the window. 

I'm all about creating as means of improvisation and playing. If you don't have a certain product, use what's on hand and experiment! Sometimes those results are just as nice.

And I am so pleased with these how these paper moon tags turned out. They make my heart happy.

If you'd like to see how I created these tags, pop over HERE for a video of my process.

Gypsy Soul Supplies:

Chipboard Decorative Tags X Large

Artist Trading Coins

Clock Hands Shape Set
Fanciful Elements

Banner Border Strips

Deco Stars

Texture Sheet Gears 6x6

Other goodies I used:

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Adornments - Stars
Tim Holtz - Idea-ology - Paper Dolls

Scrapbook paper

Old paper

Ribbon

Wired tinsel

Glitter

Clear gesso

Glue

Acrylic paint

Free Photo Friday

Once a week I share an old timey photo from my personal collection. Feel free to use them in your mess making, art and crafting.

The images are not polished and left in their grungy, smudged and speckled glory. Just how I like 'em! Without further ado... 

Do NOT sell, give, or distribute the images as your own, digitally or printed, alone or as part of a collection, collage sheet or group. BUT DO absolutely make stuff with them and sell the stuff you make. If you share your project, a link is appreciated.

Violators will be turned into toads, given warts, all the bad stuff... I mean it... It won't be pretty. 

"The Board" Miniature

It's Thursday which means that a whole bunch of my favourite true crime podcasts release new episodes today. I am a big fat true crime fan and always been enamored with those boards filled with pictures, crime scene photos, suspects, victim profiles, maps and... of course... that red string. 

I know that these boards are mostly a fictional Hollywood tool, but the visual is just so darned appealing!

There are a number of full size memo boards overflowing with inspiration and slips of paper and bits of this and that in my house, so I decided that a mini version of a murder board would probably be more sensible.

I've used a cheap wooden 4 x 6 frame and cut a cork insert to create my mini-crime board.

The pics and clippings are all from my Killer Scraps collage sheet and the maps snipped from scrapbook paper. I cut about 1/4"off of the top of straight pins to use as the pushpins and wrapped red thread around them.

Are you a true crime fan too? Toss your podcast and book recommendations my way!

Shabby Cubby

Back from a beautiful few days in Cuba and set to work right away. I finished up this little cubby I began transforming before I left.

It started out as a chunky wooden box from the Dollar Tree.

I began by staining the box with acrylic paint washes and yanked off those chunky round handles. Once prepped I covered the box with Worn Wallpaper from Tim Holtz. I popped on some metal medallion handles and metal angel feet. I've also added some ornate metal corners from Graphic 45.

Inside I've added all sorts of sweet vintage-y bits. Some of the items inside are new but feel vintage (the doll, story stick, lace) and some are actual vintage items like the spools, ticket and photograph.

Speaking of that doll... I picked up a slew of those Tim Holtz 'Salvaged Dolls' at a clearance sale last month and I have zero idea what I'm going to do with this dolly army.

Finally, the glass dome atop the large wooden spool has rose petals and bud inside with a specimen tag that says "rosebud". Since this is sort like a collection of memories I thought it would be a funny little Citizen Kane reference. (I know rosebud wasn't a rosebud but you get it.)

And here's the list of bits used:
wooden cupboard
Artifact Labels
Worn Wallpaper, Tim Holtz
metal handles
metal angel feet
Ornate Metal Corners, Graphic 45
acrylic paint
glue
Things to fill: wooden spools, pin, lace and ribbon, old papers, old buttons, thimble, key, glass dome, rose bud, Tim Holtz 'Salvaged Doll' and 'Story Stick'

Bonus vacation content: My gorgeous kid laughing at my expense when I drank too much rum and tried to order ceviche instead of cerveza. 

Drunk mum is both hilarious and embarassing.