"Butterflies Are Free"

[Eddy-Smiles]

One of my wife's hobbies is planting flowers and shrubs that attract butterflies. She spends a lot of time working on her hobby , enjoying the fruits of her labor. She's like an over-protective mother when she finds newly laid butterfly eggs on her parsley and milk weed. I wanted to do something to bring her love of butterflies into the house. So I made her this butterfly plaque. I'd bought a couple of 10"x 14" basswood blanks quite some time ago and still had one stashed away. The lettering is wood-burned and then painted. The plaque itself is stained with an water based oak gel stain and finished with three coats of water based satin poly sanded in between coats with a sheet of brown paper bag. The butterflies were each carved separately from patterns I found using Google. Each one has also been wood-burned to give it texture and then painted over with acrylic. I added sparkles so that when they catch the light from different angles the butterflies stand out. Each has 3 or 4 coats of water based gloss poly as a finish. I let my wife dictate where and how she wanted each butterfly placed and then I glued them to the plaque with Type II Gorilla glue. Sorry about the photographic quality of the pictures. It's a very old camera.

[Nebraska]

Very thoughtful.

[DiLeon]

I really like the sparkle effect. Great looking wall hanging, looks like it was a fun project to do.

[NoDNA]

Brings to mind, we went on a cruise on the east coast of Mexico years ago. While on a pyramid up on top and a beautiful flowered tree, next to us, there must have been a thousand butterflies not ten feet away from us. So enthralled ,, not one photo.. But Eddy-Smiles that is a great project and reminder..
Chuck

[Mike WNC]

Very nice, and what a thoughtful gift.
Mike

[Arthur C.]

Very nice, Eddy, and quite thoughtful!

[woodburner807]

A very nice gesture and nice plaque, Eddy. Very thoughtful. I actually recognize some of the butterflies from the ones I collected as a small kid. Nice reproductions.

[Just Carving]

Nice Eddie! Butterflies are really needed right now with this Winter.

Thanks
Bob L

[Merle Rice]

Hi Eddy , Great Job Carving, Detailing , and Painting . Didn't you do Butterflies for your Wife years ago , a different Design ? Great Eye Appeal also . Merle

[joepaulbutler]

Boy with this plaque, I bet you got an extra serving a supper, well done sir

[Randy]

Very nice Eddie. Carving and paint.

[JMH]

Well done!

[Eddy-Smiles]

I really like the sparkle effect. Great looking wall hanging, looks like it was a fun project to do.

Dileon.... It was fun and I learned a little bit about painting and shading. I've used watercolor paints on paper in the past but have done little with acrylics except to apply in a normal manner. My painting is still very amateurish but I'm pleased with the way they turned out.

[Eddy-Smiles]

Hi Eddy , Great Job Carving, Detailing , and Painting . Didn't you do Butterflies for your Wife years ago , a different Design ? Great Eye Appeal also . Merle

Merle... You've got a great memory! Yes I have made a couple of exterior signs for her but they were strictly surface wood-burning. This is my first attempt at giving them dimension.

[Eddy-Smiles]

Boy with this plaque, I bet you got an extra serving a supper, well done sir

Joe! At my age and health food is the biggest motivator and she did bake an apple pie and make some apple crisp! You know the saying....