Butterfly Shaped Cards

Hello friends.  A few weeks ago, my sweet friend Bonnie made a post (HERE) showing some BEAUTIFUL shaped butterfly cards and was kind enough to send me a couple since the die is out of stock.  I loved her white on white with touches of gold butterfly and had to CASE her as soon as they arrived! (I should also note that Bonnie was inspired by Donna Mikasa's card HERE)  Bonnie also sent me a bunch of colorful florals to use on my butterflies, but I really liked the white on white look, so I'm saving all the die cut flowers for something else.  Here's what I came up with for my first card...

 I embossed my front with SSS's Blossom Field embossing folder and then added flowers and sprigs from different Spellbinder's sets.  The butterfly shape is from SB's So Many Butterflies which unfortunately is out of stock and no idea if they'll replace it.  

I did cut a few of the sprigs from gold mirror and glitter card stock, and all the rest from white. I added gold sequins to the antennae and one flower center, and also a gold butterfly (SU!) to the center of the bloom on the left.  I finished with a thank you sentiment using PTI's Tiny Tags stamp & die set and attached with gold thread.  Slightly different than Bonnie's and Donna's, but not by much!  I just love the look of white on white with touches of gold...so elegant!

 My 2nd card is basically the same as the first, although I did use my pink blending brush to lightly go over the raised areas of the background embossing (same embossing folder as the first card).  I love the delicate look the addition of the light pink gives the card.

I did add a few pink glitter gems (SU!) to the flower centers and also on the tiny tag.  I was so tickled with the way both of these cards came out and will definitely be keeping my eyes open for either the SB's dies to come back in stock or similar dies that would work for these cards.  THANK YOU SO much Bonnie for sharing with me...stamping friends are truly one of God's greatest gifts!! 

I will be adding these cards to the Triple B Challenge as I have 2 of the 3 elements (butterflies & blooms) needed to play along with this challenge.  It is open till Sunday, August 31st @ 8:00PM.

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

Mother's Day 2025

Hello friends.  Just a quick post today to share the card I made for my mom for Mother's Day.  My mom is 93 and has just recently really started to show her age and is slowing down. She's been talking about selling her home and moving to a senior living facility, but then changes her mind...she loves her house and her independence and just can't make up her mind if she should take the plunge.  But anyway, my mom adores tulips, and since I hadn't put my tulip dies away since the last card I made with them, they came out again for this CAS card...

I'm still pretty stuck on this PB handpicked pitcher stamp (and die) and colored it up with my Copics and then filled it with the smallest tulips from The Greetery's BotaniCuts: Tulips dies.  I used colored cs for the tulips and leaves and then added a bit of ink blending to the edges. The background is from a SSS embossing folder called Floral Butterfly Bouquet.  The little tag is from a Gina K set called Beautiful Basket Additions. 

  I finished with a bit of glitter on the leaves to add some sparkle and that's all the card needed.  CAS and I love how it turned out and so did my mom!

I'm going to enter this card into the Triple B Challenge with my tulip blooms and no birds or butterflies.

 

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

Winter Birds

Hello friends.  I'm still here and apologize for my lack of posting lately, but life's been pretty busy with the holidays and a new grandbaby in our family.  So all good things, but just busy, busy, busy!  I really have missed playing in my craft room though, and did find some time to make one card using a new (to me) stencil from The Ton called Postage Winter Birds Stencils.  Here's what I came up with...

I had to get a little creative using this stencil as I didn't buy the coordinating postage stamp die from The Ton, figuring I'd make a way to use my WF postage collage die.  Didn't work, but I was able to use the WF Postage Collage Coloring Stencil and some post it notes to mask and fill in the backgrounds and make it look like actual postage stamps.  Kind of hard to explain, but hope it makes sense!  

Lots of layers with the 5 stencils in this set, and I did learn through trial and error that a light hand with softer colors worked better than a heavier hand, which I usually tend to do.  You also need very small brushes to do your stenciling as several of the stencils use more than one color...patience is definitely needed for this set!!  I think it was definitely worth the time though and love how this came out!  For the sentiments and postage amounts, I used the WF Postage Collage Stamp Set (and coordinating die for the circle die cut) and The Greetery's Postal Frames Dies to give it an even more postal look.  I finished with a few Iridescent Clear Drops from PFS.

I'd like to enter this into 2 challenges...the Triple B Challenge and the Stencil Fun Challenge.

I may not have used any blooms or butterflies on my card, but I definitely think I covered the birds (10 to be exact!) on this one!!

This months Stencil Fun Challenge is looking for Winter/Christmas and I think covered Winter perfectly with these sweet birdies.

   

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

BotaniCuts: Wisteria

Hello friends.  Played with a new die set this past weekend from The Greetery called BotaniCuts: Wisteria and have 2 cards to share with you that I think fit with the Triple B Challenge perfectly!

Although I used mostly purples (Shaded Lilac & Wilted Violet DOX inks), I also added some Blueprint Sketch DOX ink that gave my Wisteria that hint of blue from the mood board.  Here's the first card...

I started by die cutting the blooms and leaves from white cs and then used my DOX inks to ink them up.  I also added some water splatter to the leaves and white acrylic paint splatter to both the leaves and blooms.  While those were drying I embossed a white panel with SSS's Vine Canopy embossing folder and attached to a white card base.

To finish, I added some glitter to the Wisteria, a few gold gems, and a gold foiled sentiment from Spellbinder's Everyday Sentiments II.  

 My 2nd card is VERY similar to the first, except that I ink blended a blue background on the card base by masking off the top and two sides of the card base and bringing the color down about 3/4 of the way.  This left room for my sentiment at the bottom using The Greetery's New Day Sentiments, which I've had in my stash for a looooooong time, and finally pulled out and used!  A couple Disco Ball Sequins (Gina K) finished off this 2nd card.

If you'd like to play along with this challenge, you can find it right HERE.  The challenge is open till Sunday, June 30th @ 8:00PM.

I'll also be adding these 2 cards to Darnell's NBUS Challenge since the die set and sentiment set from the 2nd card have never been used before.

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

Heartfelt Blooms

Hello friends.  After seeing all the beautiful cards made with the Heartfelt Blooms stamp and stencil set from Alex Syberia Designs (ASD), I couldn't seem to help myself and put it in my cart!  Yes, I'm very weak, but when it comes to florals, I just don't seem to have any control!!  I also had some new 3D embossing folders to play with, and had fun making these 2 cards...

I used Gina K's light, medium & dark Orchid inks (the color is much deeper IRL!) to stencil my blooms in the top left and bottom right corners of my panel (I stamped the outline of the blooms with black ink first).  Next I ran the panel through with SSS's Layered Vine 3D embossing folder.

I added my panel to a top folding white card base, and because this panel was a little bit shorter than the card base, I added a thin black strip at the bottom...I like the grounded look it gives!  I finished with a sentiment from The Greetery's Opposites Attract stamp and die set and also a small butterfly die cut with silver sparkle cs using Poppystamps Butterfly Buttons dies.

My 2nd card uses the full stamped and stenciled image from Heartfelt Blooms, and SSS's Feather Spiral 3D embossing folder.  I love the look the embossing gives the flowers and the whole card!

Once again I used The Greetery's Opposites Attract stamp and die set for my sentiment, and the Butterfly Buttons dies for my little butterfly accent (Die cut from a scrap of card that had Lindy's Magicals on it, and then heat embossed with clear several times to give that lacquered look. A piece of copper cording tied the two butterfly layers together.) 

I'd like to add these two cards to the following challenges:

Triple B,  Can You Handle the Pressure, and Stencil Fun Challenge.

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

Triple B Challenge April 2024

Hello friends.  Haven't played with the Triple B Challenge in quite some time, but just made a card that I thought fit beautifully with the blooms and birds theme (no butterfly).

Pinkfresh Studio had released a set called Pure Joy a few months ago and I finally got around to playing with it!  Here's what I came up with...

 That Hummer caught my eye and I had to have it!  Hummers have always been a favorite of mine and I just put my feeder out this past week.  I think it's still a bit cold at night for them, but those in the know said that April 15th was a safe date to start hanging them, so that's exactly what I did!!  I embossed my images in Altenew's Rose Gold embossing powder and then ink blended with the coordinating stencils before die cutting all the pieces.  

Hard to tell in my photo, but I die cut all the images multiple times in plain white cardstock to put behind the ink blended images for added dimension.  I used PFS's Dotted Chevron Coverplate Die for my background and attached that to a top folding card base from Ocean Mist cs (Gina K).  The sentiment is also from the Pure Joy stamp set.  Before I attached the Hummer, I sprayed it quite liberally with Sheer Shimmer Mist spray, so in real life he really shimmers!  I finished with just a few of PFS's new Gems: Clear with Gold Dust...they are SOOOOO pretty!!

I will also be adding this card to Darnell's NBUS Challenge since this is the first time I've used this set.

The Triple B Challenge is open till April 30th @ 8:00PM and the NBUS Challenge is open till April 30th @ 10:00PM.  

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

Triple B Challenge January 2024

Hello friends.  Today I'm playing along with the Triple B Challenge (Birds, Blooms, & Butterflies).

 

My sweet friend Bonnie sent me some stamped images of Unity's Winter Birdie Swag to color up, and I did one using my Copics and came up with this card...

Isn't he a cutie with that little Winter hat??!  I had so much fun coloring him up in BLUE's (remember I told you I was challenging myself this month to use more BLUE??) and then adding him to a panel that I used a SSS embossing folder on (Icy Snowflakes).  I also added a die cut circle aperture using Penny Black's stitched circles dies to frame him out a bit.

   

My sentiment was hot foiled in silver and popped up a bit with a strip of foam tape for dimension and added to a black strip so it would show up against the blue (Boho Blue - SU!) background.  I finished with a bit of glitter to the branches to resemble snow and the pompom on his hat.  Thanks again Bonnie for sharing this sweet little birdie with me...stamping friends truly are the best!!

You can check out this challenge right HERE and play along till January 31st @ 8:00PM. 
 

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

Happy Birthday Michele

Hello friends.  Today is a special day...it's my sweet friend Michele's birthday and I have a card to share that I sent her using one of her BetterPress plates from Spellbinders...Corner Sunflowers.

Isn't that such a pretty image?!  I love coloring these images with my Copics and they water color up beautifully too!  

Once I finished coloring the image I used Sheer Shimmer Mist over the entire panel and it really shimmers in the light!  The sentiment is also from Spellbinders and is a BetterPress plate too.  You just can't match the deep etching you get from a BetterPress, so if you've been on the fence about whether you need a BetterPress system, you won't be sorry if you spend the money!

I'm going to send this over to the gals at the Triple B Challenge where they have a beautiful mood board to inspire you and you also have the whole month to play along!

I hope you'll all join me in wishing Michele a very Happy Birthday today!  She is just one of the sweetest people I know and I truly treasure our friendship...all brought together because of stamping!  Have a wonderful day Michele from start to finish and I hope you get spoiled like crazy!!  Love ya!!

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

Triple B Challenge June 2023

Hello friends.  Getting in on the tail end of the Triple B Challenge for this month where they are always looking for Birds, Butterflies, & Blooms.

No birdies in my card today, but I do have blooms and a butterfly.  And no roses like the inspiration photo shows either, but lovely Wild Blooms (a PTI stencil) that I was inspired by from one of PTI's DT members Leanne that you can find HERE.  I just loved the more earthy tones she used for the blooms and had to CASE her!  Here's what I came up with...

Even though the colors are more earthy, they still look Summery to me.  I stenciled the blooms with Lemon Tart and Honey Nut inks (PTI) and the leaves with Gina K's Fresh Asparagus ink.  There is also a touch of Amethyst Allure ink (also PTI) on the little dotted flowers, but most of them were to the far left of my panel and got cut off when I trimmed it down to fit in the Border Bling: Scalloped Frame (PTI).

Once my stenciling was done, I stamped the Psalm Reflections: May (PTI) verse over the top and then finished off with a few gold tinsel gems (SU!) and a tiny butterfly that is 2 layers...bottom layer is white cs heat embossed in gold and the top layer is vellum that was heat embossed in gold as well.  I used a couple Copics to color in both layers of the butterfly before attaching to the card.  A pretty simple card but I absolutely LOVE how it turned out!!

Only one more day to play along with this months challenge, but boy is there some BEAUTIFUL inspiration for you to look at from the DT and all the players in the gallery!  You can find it all right HERE.  

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

Triple B Challenge

Hello friends.  Playing along with the Triple B May Challenge where they are continuing their Spring theme with Birds, Butterflies & Blooms.

One of my favorite Springtime flowers are Tulips and The Greetery's BotaniCuts: Tulips are definitely my go to die set for creating these beautiful blooms.  Here's what I came up with...

I know black isn't the Springtime color you'd normally go for, but I LOVE red, black & white as a color combination and decided to try it for this Springtime card.  I started with Altenew's tulip 3D embossing folder and black cardstock, and then lightly brushed my Delicata Silvery Shimmer ink pad over the raised tulips.  After it dried I die cut a small circle opening, and then because it basically flattened out the piece running it through my Big Shot, I had to re-fit it into the embossing folder again to get the dimension back in the tulips.

 My tulips started on white cardstock and then I used sponge daubers and Distress inks for the flowers and leaves (Lumberjack Plaid & Peeled Paint).  When I layered the tulips into the die cut circle opening, I felt like it was missing something, so I stamped in gray ink using a retired SU! background stamp called En Francais on a piece of white and then the tulips popped a bit more.  

Can you spot the tiny butterfly I added using Gina K's Beautiful Butterflies set?  Along with a die cut sentiment also from Gina K (Radiant Roses), this card didn't need anything else, although I was tempted to add some bling!!  I refrained!!  Although it doesn't show well in my photos, there is quite a bit of shimmer from the silver ink and also the layer of matte silver cardstock.  A bit dramatic, but I'm very happy with the way it turned out!  And maybe it's a nice way to say "over the hill" without being too mean!  Haha!!  Maybe I'll save it for my mom's 93rd birthday next year!  :0)

Lots and lots of BEAUTIFUL Springtime cards from the DT and also in the gallery, so it's definitely the place to go for inspiration!  You can check it out and play along right HERE.  This challenge is open till May 31st @ 8:00PM.

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!