I Did Say I was in Butterfly Mode!

For some reason I seem to have made quite a few cards incorporating butterflies just recently and here is another one of the selection.  This time the butterfly was die cut from a square of card leaving an aperture which was backed by some pretty paper.  The square was then embossed and sponged with ink before assembling the card placing the die cut butterfly partially over the matching aperture. I thought a simple sentiment and some gems were enough to complete this one. After the mild weather recently the temperature seems to have dropped considerably but at least it is sunny (and breezy).

Butterfly die - Crafter's Companion
Butterfly embossing folder - Crafter's Companion
Background paper - also Crafter's Companion.

Butterfly Challenge

I've made a card for the Butterfly Challenge where this time the theme is Butterflies + Quadruple.  A fairly straightforward card where I die cut some squares using good old faithful Spellbinder dies, then added the butterflies using a set of polymer stamps which make over-stamping so much easier than using rubber stamps with a stamp positioning device.  The four images meet the brief and of course they are definitely butterflies fluttering over some greenery.

Stamps - Butterfly by Altenew Stamps, greenery from Stampin' Up floral set
Dies - Spellbinder squares and Cuttlebug scallop circles
Colours - So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie, Certainly Celery Stampin' Up, Versafine Cocoa

Butterflies

Looking at my most recent makes I seem to be in butterfly mode and this is one of the cards to share with you today.  I started with some patterned paper, then a square of deep cream card from which I cut out a patterned corner to show the darker colour through.  From the rest of the cream card I cut another of the shapes entirely and a couple of circles which were stamped with some text and the sentiment.  The die cut was adhered to the upper corner of the square and I found a printed border strip in one of my bits boxes which fortunately matched the background nicely.  A plain butterfly was die cut in purple card and a lacy one was cut from a left over piece of the backing paper before layering everything together for the finished card.

Dies - Configurations by Sue Wilson, butterfly from Crafter's Companion
Stamp - French script text stamp from Stampin' Up
Patterned paper - Artylicious now Chocolate Baroque

Second Snippets Card

This second card for the Pixie Snippets challenge  is built around the die cut shape which I had left over after making yesterday's one (I'm not mad ... honestly).  I embossed it and applied some amethyst gilding wax to highlight the pattern then set about finding other bits and pieces to build a card - plenty either lying around or in my various bits boxes!!  I found a suitable piece of background paper and some deep cream Centura pearl card, cut them to size and then used a Tonic strip die to cut out two panels from the cream card (making two more left over bits of course).  A decorative label shape was cut to match the embossed and gilded one and everything was layered up before die cutting a hellebore flower sprig, a few small butterflies and a tag for the sentiment.

Dies - Tonic strip die and Spellbinder label and decorative label
Flower - Signature die (Joanna Sheen) Hellebore
Butterflies - Sizzix Embosslits die Stampin' Up

Another Christmas Card

My card for the Pixie Snippets challenge this week is another Christmas card, this time incorporating some stamping.  I started by finding a square snippet of Centura pearl card from which I cut an aperture thus forming a frame for my scene.  Of course this leaves me with a die cut label shape to add to my pile of  useful scraps!!  I then roughly marked out the aperture shape onto a snippet of plain white card, sponged in some sky and produced the little winter scene using some free stamps which came with the latest Creative Stamping magazine (lots of very usable stamps in this set).  I embossed the outer frame with a stone wall embossing folder before mounting it over the little scene using foam pads.  The other snippets used were some holly sprigs which were snipped with scissors from the remains of a printed sheet used recently (Nordic Christmas) and a poinsettia stamped a couple of times, cut out and layered. The greeting was stamped then layered onto a faux washi tape style of backing made by trimming the ends of a small snippet of green card with fancy-cut scissors.

Edited:  I received a lovely comment from Sally H (thanks) who mentioned this card would fit the current challenge at Stamping Sensations so I'm popping it onto their blog as well

Stamped Scene and Greeting - free stamps from Creative Stamping magazine
Stamped Poinsettia - Stampin' Up Reason for the Season set
Holly sprigs - printed from Crafter's Companion CD Nordic Christmas section
Embossing Folder - Crafter's Companion Textures range

Patience Required??

Patience - I would say so!!  I cut this die three times, once in white pearl, once in charcoal pearl and once in blue and then set about piecing them together, setting the various pieces back into the main outlines to form a complete picture.  What started out as a good idea turned out to be somewhat time consuming, especially when it came to the tiny window shapes and the spaces in the fence. In fact I did draw the line at trying to retrieve the snowflakes in the sky area - these were filled in with some glittery Stickles.  The window areas were all filled in using the white bits from the die and were then coloured with alcohol pen.  I reckon I will be coming up with a quicker idea if I use this die again, just using the houses and trees.  Never mind it is another Christmas card made but I don't suppose the recipient will realise how long it took to make.

Who Doesn't Love Owls??

I came across this stamped and coloured owl image during one of my many tidying up sessions and thought he just deserved to be popped onto a card rather than languishing in the bits boxes.  I used various scraps to die cut some shapes and a border, then found a piece of backing paper left from another project; a piece of ribbon and that's another card for the box.

Image - owl stamp which I think was a freebie a long time ago
Label shapes - Sizzix  Thinlets dies for Stampin' Up
Border - EK Success punch
Sentiment - computer generated, Stampin' Up punches