BUTTERFLIES GALORE!

 In case you haven't noticed, I just love butterflies; both on cards and IRL!

The blue card started out as a card that I received from Dawn, a Silver Stamper friend.  It was so pretty, I decided to make use of the front by removing a flower image in the center and attaching it to the blue cs as a background.  Already scalloped, embossed and embellished  with the two smaller butterflies, I added the large butterfly and the scalloped greeting.

Using a piece of scrap blue dsp, I die cut the solid butterfly and sponged some Wild Honey Distress Ink in the center and edges.  Then I die cut another piece of shiny black dsp for the overlay.

The second card was trimmed with a wavy edger and sponged around the edges with Distress Ink.  I added a piece of striped dsp from my scrap drawer on the inside for contrast.  The golden poppy was stamped and die cut, then mounted with dimensionals.  The greeting (a little crooked, unfortunately) was stamped in black.

For the side view butterfly, I used the SU "Beautiful Wings" embosslit, cut the wings in half, flipped one over on top of the other and taped them together with the bottom one extending out past the top one.  The black was punched with a Martha Stewart punch, cut in half and glued on top.  The body and antennae were added from another die cut shown in the previous card and glued in place.  To coordinate the wings to the scalloped edging, I added dots along the edge with a brown marker.

I resisted the temptation to re-stamp the greeting and mount it over the crooked one.  Here's a quote from the Carol Duvall Show which I have posted on my bulletin board:  "All things are literally better, lovelier and more beloved for the imperfections that reflect the human effort that went into their making."   Well said!

READY FOR THE STATE FAIR

Here is just one of the 4 cards I plan to submit to the New Jersey State Fair this year.

Though fairly easy,  there were were many steps to the making of this card.  First I chose a double-sided dsp and matching cardstock.  Using a Martha Stewart edger, I punched the scalloped edges on the card base and top layer of dsp.  I then added another strip of dsp underneath the top layer and rounded the right side corners.  Before attaching the top layer, I added the ribbon and taped it to the back; then I placed the birthday greeting on top with dimensionals.

For the butterfly, I used two dies from Memory Box (Vivienne and Darla butterflies.)  For the solid, I chose a coordinating dsp from the same pad by My Mind's Eye.  For the black, I used a scrap of Martha Stewart Neutrals with a shiny black pattern.  I colored the body with a black Spica pen for a little bit of sparkle and used a tiny black gem for the head.

These butterfly dies are definitely my favorite!

SPONGED BACKGROUND

This card sort of "evolved" as I went along, not knowing how it would turn out.  It all started with a piece of white cs* with a butterfly already punched out, so I decided to try using my new sponge applicators for the Tim Holtz wooden handle I already had.  Using Distress Inks, I started with Tea Dye on the right, then Wild Honey and finally, Broken China, swirling as I went.  The sponge applicators seem to work more smoothly than the thinner cotton ones.

Next, I taped a piece of scrap dsp behind the opening (not seen here) and mounted the vellum butterfly over it.  I then sponged over a circle template in the lower right corner with Wild Honey and stamped in black over it.

After stamping the fern (SU!) in green, I added a small piece of black swirls from a 12x12 piece I purchased at Michael's.  Then I attached the vellum butterfly over the opening, added the black dots and mounted the piece onto a barely banana card with dimensionals.

*Though I love SU colored cs, I almost always use white cardstock purchased from Walmart in packages of 150.  It seems to be just fine, and is especially good for any type of overlay (and a LOT cheaper!)

HOPE Gate Card

This is a gatefold card I just finished making for someone who is seriously ill in the hospital.  I wanted the Bible verse to be the focal point, so I kept it simple.  The black swirls are cut out from a 12x12 sheet I found at Michael's the other day, and the butterfly is from the SU Beautiful Wings embosslit.


After stamping the verse from Jeremiah (one of my favorites!) I outlined the word Hope with a turquoise marker and sponged the edges of the Nestabilities label with a matching color.

The inside left panel is decorated with the remaining butterflies over a coordinating piece of dsp from my scrap drawer.  The rest of the inside is left blank for a few words of encouragement in my own handwriting.

On the subject of handwriting, it really is a lost art.  I think the age of texting and emailing has taken over.  For those who do take the time to write personal notes, however, it seems to be truly appreciated by the recipients.  Maybe we could bring it back!


 NOTE:  This thought came to mind as I read the verse:  He endured far worse than we could ever experience in order to give us a future far greater than we could ever imagine.

STAMP SHOW REVIEW

I haven't been back to the tower since the stamp show, so this is the first opportunity I've had to report on how the show was.

PROS:  There were lots of interesting booths to explore, show sale items and demos.  The very first booth we came to had packets of self-stick gems for a dollar each and 6x6 pads by My Mind's Eye for only $3 each!  I also picked up a gray marker for shading at another booth.

 Most of my purchases zeroed in on various supplies, except for the peg stamps I bought at the Stamps by Judith booth.  One was a plastic box to store sponge daubers, another was a bottle of glaze similar to Crystal Lacquer but with a brush applicator.  Another booth had a special on emb. powders.  I also bought some Gelatos after seeing a demo on how to use them--can't wait to play with them!  Crafters Workshop had a plastic template with 3 mini designs:  circles, stars and hexagons.

CONS:  The show floor was much smaller than the Allentown show, so it tended to be more crowded.  There were also areas inside where the air conditioning didn't cool well in the 90+ heat.  It was also a very long walk in from the parking lot in that heat!

All in all, it was worth attending.  However, Jackie and I left early due to tiring out and sensory overload!