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!

OFF TO THE STAMP SHOW!

Jackie and I are going to the Scrapbook Expo in Somerset, NJ, this morning. Check back later for details on what we found there!

CASEing the Ipad #5

I've had this stamp set a long time, but never really put it to good use--that is until I saw this card Melissa posted on her blog HERE (6/23/12 post.)

There are only a few subtle changes:  the Sizzix folder, the shadow I placed under the tree, the darker strips on the top and bottom.  I also inked the edges of the oval with the same Peeled Paint Distress ink I used on the leaves of the tree. 

For the button, I used a scrap of tan paper, stamped  woodgrain on it and punched it out with my new Epiphany Crafts button maker.

Thanks, Melissa, for the inspiration!


(The stampset used is "Thoughts and Prayers" by StampinUp.)

Triplets

Ever try to find a card for triplets at your card store?  One of my friends tried, to no avail; so she asked me to make one.  Here's what I came up with.

Since I don't have many baby stamps in my stash, I used these diaper pins and "welcome baby" from the Short and Sweet set.  I stamped them in the openings, used markers to color the pins and added crystal lacquer.  Then I used a silver pen over the metal parts.

Without a "triplets" stamp, I improvised by stamping the greeting three times, twice in blue and once in pink, for the two boys and one girl that were born.

Inside I stamped "Count your blessings, name them one by one."  I used the tiny daisy flower from my peg stamp collection on the front and also on the inside.

After adding three strands of embroidery floss and attaching to the card base with dimensionals,  I added some pearls and tiny silver embellishments.


(For a closer look at the shine and embellishments, click on the photo.)

THREE OF A KIND--Poinsettia

The easiest version of this card was to stamp in Versamark and use gold embossing for the flower and plain black ink for the greeting.  The clean and simple look was enhanced by mounting the image on red cs, adding just three tiny gold gems and rounding the one corner.

Next I tried inking the stamp with red and green markers, cutting it out with an oval Nestabilities die and coloring the flowers with chalk.  I used Versamark on the light green cs as a background and stamped the greeting in black over it.  To finish, I sponged green ink on the edges of the oval, added an embroidery floss bow and mounted it to the card with dimensionals.

For the third card, I tried using markers again but left the flower plain.  Instead of sponging, I ran the oval through the CB to add an embossed edge.  For finishing, I used  gold twine for the bow and mounted the oval to the dark red background piece with dimensionals.  After creating the background with Versamark and stamping the greeting in black, I attached the Poinsettia to the kraft card with ds tape..

BACKGROUNDS AND BUTTERFLIES

 Today's workshop was on a variety of backgrounds and butterflies.  This first one featured the SU Filigre background stamp which we inked up with Versamark with the stamp face up on the table, placing the green cs over it and rubbing gently.  After sponging the edges with Versamark, we taped it to the white card base.

Next, the butterfly was made by stamping, punching and sponging the blossom from the SU Mixed Bunch set.  Then we cut away the top and bottom petals to form the butterfly, added 3 black gems and black wire antennae and mounted it to a punched black sparkle scalloped circle with dimensionals.

The greeting was stamped on a pre-cut label and embellished with green gems.


For the Rich Razzleberry card, we first ran the white cs through the Cuttlebug and attached it with double-stick tape.  We stamped the flower in black, colored the leaves green and stamped the coordinating floral stamp with a matching color ink.  Then we taped it on black cs and mounted it to the front of the card with dimensionals.  The butterflies were die cut with a SU Sizzlet die and mounted with glue dots, with the largest one inside.  This was the quickest card today.

Although pictured last here, this card was actually the first we did today.  It took a lot longer to do than I thought it would--over an hour!  There were a lot of steps for this one:  spritzing with spray inks on the white panels, then rounding the corners and attaching the jute around it before mounting it to the card.  The butterfly was stamped with Versamark and embossed with black ep.  The Bible verse was stamped in black, taped to the black cs and embellished with more jute tied in a bow.  Placement on the card was done, after alining it with the jute beneath and using dimensionals to secure it to the card.  The butterfly was then cut out, its body colored with a black marker and attached with dimensionals.

In spite of all the work it took to complete the cards, they all came out great!

Christmas Blessings

Since this stamp is so delicate, it's a real challenge to present it in a way that keeps it simple but not dull.

For this card, I used gold embossing for the image and shaded the poinsettia with one ordinary red Crayola colored pencil. I colored each petal lightly, then darkened just the inner parts of the leaves to give it depth.

For added interest, I cut 1/2" off the side of the green cs and attached a strip of red that was punched with a Fiskars edge punch.  Then I wrapped the white cs with red metallic cord and mounted it on red cs with dimensionals and attached it to the card with ds tape.  Three tiny red gems were added for the final touch.

Christmas Stamp-a-Stack

Here's the card I came up with for the workshop I'll be hosting at my house next month.  I pulled out an old stamp from Christmases past and bought some new dsp from Hobby Lobby.

Starting with a Crumb Cake cs base with a side fold, I used the Hero Arts woodgrain background stamp with Versamark.  Then I cut the dsp to 4 1/4" x 2 1/2" and attached it with ds tape.

After stamping the tree on Confetti White cs with Versafine Olympia Green ink, I cut it out and sponged the edges with Peeled Paint Distress Ink, added the gold star and mounted it on the card with dimensionals.  Last, I added the jute, tied with just a knot, on the left side.

I took the photo on my messy table so you could see it in its "natural" environment!

Rejoicing with You

The new SU sets are here!  My SU demonstrator put my order in with hers on June 1st so that it would arrive ASAP.  This is the first card I made with this stamp, and I love it!

The Sizzix ef just begs for something to be added on the top left, so I used a Hero Arts flower with a Stampendous gold dot sticker in the center.  I used a punch for the green ferns underneath and mounted them with a glue dot.

The angel is gold embossed for a simple Christmas card that will be easy to duplicate quickly.  One of the sentiments in the set will go inside and another on the envelope.  This will probably be my first 25 cards (out of 100!)

CASEing the Ipad--#4

As soon as I saw this card on Simple & Sincere (May 24th post) I knew it would be just right for my grandson's graduation card!

Changing to Northwest Christian School colors of blue and gold,  I followed the guidelines I just taught at Mothers Class for masculine cards:

texture
deep colors
bold lettering
metallic embellishments and
no bows or ribbons!

After running some cs through the Cuttlebug with a rick-rack die, I attached them to the bottom of a white panel and trimmed the excess.  Using dark blue ink, I stamped the Congrats just above the rick-rack.  Then I used a Sizzix die for the stars and added a gold star in the center of the large one and mounted them on the panel.  After running the yellow card base through the CB with an embossing folder, I tied gold cording and navy embroidery floss around the top-fold card.  After attaching the complete white panel to the card, it is now ready to give on graduation night.

Thank you Jen for such a great idea!

SUN AND RAIN

One embossing folder, two different looks!

The sunny card started with a blue cs base.  The rays were embossed and colored by gently rubbing with a yellow ink pad.

After stamping grass along the bottom, I used my peg stamps to add bright summer flowers.  The tag stamp was inked with markers so that the flower would match the others and punched out with the corresponding SU punch.  With the blue embroidery floss in place, I attached the tag with a dimensional and mounted the "scene" onto the card base.

For the rainbow card, I streaked the beams with a Soft Stone ink pad to look like rain.  The cloud is also edged and streaked with the same pad.  The rainbow was done with Sharpie markers on a piece of acetate, cut and attached with invisible tape.  Since I wanted the cloud to extend beyond the top of the card, I cut a strip off the bottom so that it would fit in the envelope.  Then I stamped the message on white cardstock and cut it in two sections in an irregular shape.  I had some striped paper in my scrap drawer which was just right for the card, so I taped each saying onto larger pieces and trimmed it with scissors.  The stamp is from an Inkadinkado set of "Kid Quotes" entitled "Friendly Advice."  This quote was from Alyssa Knight, age 12 (credited on the inside of the card.)  Sounds like good advice to me!

CASEing the Catalogs--Floral set

What drew me to this card on Page 83 of the new SU! catalog is the fact that I have this set, but seldom use it.  After trying this layout, I definitely will be using it more often!

First, I found a large scrap of pale green cs which I cut down to 4 x 5 1/4".  I stamped the Filigre background in Soft Stone ink and distressed the edges of the paper.  Since it's a fairly heavy cs, slightly textured, the edges "fluffed" up nicely.  I then inked the edges with Soft Stone and taped it to the white card base.

Next, I stamped the leaf from the Fabulous Florets set onto a piece of white cs using Peeled Paint Distress Ink and cut it off-center with a Nestabilities label die.  Then I spritzed it with a gray marker and laid it aside while I stamped the flower with Brilliance Pearlescent Purple, cut it out by hand and attached it with a SU dimensional.  The butterfly is from a piece of scrap that I die cut with the Embosslits Beautiful Wings and attached with a glue dot under the right wing.  The banner is stamped, cut out, curved with my bone folder and attached with another glue dot just to the right of the green gems.

Finally, I mounted the label to the card with dimensionals.  Although there were quite a few steps to this card, it was very easy to do. 

CASEing the Ipad--#3

Here's another simple card featured on Lime Doodle.
This one takes no more than 10 minutes to make!

First I took a top fold white card for my base.  Then I ran a piece of kraft cs in an embossing folder through the Cuttlebug and cut it to fit on another layer of white cs.  After attaching both to the base with dimensionals, I added a piece of white satin ribbon, folded and held together with glue dots, avoiding a bulky knot.  After die-cutting a square button from a scrap piece and tying on some linen thread, I added the button to the bow with another glue dot.

Last, I stamped the greeting below with dark brown ink...done!


(If this looks a little blurry to you, just click on the photo for a closer view.)

FROM MY FILE--5th Ave. Floral

Having cleaned off my stamping table last week, I came across a bunch of pre-stamped images and decided to use them.

This rose from SU's Fifth Ave. Floral set was white embossed and just needed to be colored and cut.  For the color, I sponged on Wild Honey Distress Ink.  The green cs was already embossed, so I popped the rose out and added the Bible verse.

After sponging the edges of the green cs with Versamark, I taped the green to a layer of white cs and mounted both on a gray card with dimensionals.  The crystal flower and seed pearls were all that were needed for final embellishment.

Having a folder of pre-stamped images makes it easy to quickly create something special.

CASEing the Ipad--#2

Here's another card I couldn't resist CASEing.  Don't you just love those leaping Holsteins featured on   Lime Doodle?  (May 25th post.)  Since I have no cows in my collection, I had to settle for a poppy and a butterfly.

The poppy and butterfly are from a flower set by Inkadinkado.  The blue gingham clouds were die cut and the grass was cut from a strip of green gingham, clipped and attached with ds tape.  I cut the top-fold card a little narrower so that it would fit in a standard envelope with the clouds going off the edge.

The Lime Doodle blog is a great source of card ideas, so be sure to stop in and leave a comment or two!  Then hop on over to There She Goes for a look at some of their beautiful stamp sets.

CASEing the Ipad #1

This is the first of a new series, similar to CASEing the Catalogs.  There are so many wonderful blogs that I follow, and this is just one of them: Bits and Pieces.  Be sure to visit for some inspiration!

The stamps I used were SU French Script for the background and Hero Arts Two Birds for the rose and Essential Messages for the greeting.  I sponged with Tea Dye Distress Ink and layered the image on brown and black panels over the white card base.  Then I added a bow of silver cord and light brown embroidery floss for embellishment.

Thank you Heather for maintaining such an inspiring blog!