Blue Butterfly

A quick search of my blog would reveal that I like my butterfly dies.  It's no secret :-)  If there's a blank space somewhere on a card, why not fill it with a butterfly?  And the dies are so easy to use!

So here's another quick one, which I whipped up the other week at stamp club (which, by the way, is open to anyone who can make it to the Mount Street Neighbourhood House in Glen Waverley on the last Saturday of each month - it's not a Stampin' Up thing, so no selling goes on, just a bunch of us who like to stamp with friends).

The background text is stamped in Crumb Cake, with the flourish and flowers in Midnight Muse.  The blue/brown combination is a real winner!

Images © 1990-2013 Stampin' Up!®
Supplies used:
Stamps: Everything Eleanor, En Francais
Cardstock:  Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Midnight Muse
Ink: Crumb Cake, Midnight Muse
Accessories:  Beautiful Wings Embosslit

Happy Birthday Sophie

It was my gorgeous sister in law's birthday last week, and as is traditional, I had completely forgotten and had to whip a card up quickly to get in the mail in time to reach her.  It just wouldn't be a birthday without a last minute card, after all it's not like I have all the stuff lying around ready to make cards... um, well, I probably do.  I'm just forgetful and slack.

Anyway, happy birthday Sophie!

Images © 1990-2012 Stampin' Up!®

Supplies used:

Stamps: Teeny Tiny Sentiments
Cardstock:  Rich Razzleberry, Pool Party,Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Crumb Cake

Other:Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder, Beautiful Wings Embosslit, Apothecary Accents Framelits, Large Oval Punch, Scallop Trim Border Punch, Basic Pearls

Create

Recently I attended a small get together of Stampin' Up! demonstrators from my upline's extended "family" ... a swap was proposed and for a wonder, I actually got involved!  I rarely do swaps, as I have a very low boredom threshold, and doing more than about three of the same card sends me around the twist (which is why I dread Christmas each year lol).

Anyway, here's the card I ended up with ... it started with a desire to at last get around to using the Two Tags Bigz Die that I finally bought in May as well as the Cherry Cobbler embossing powder that I have had for months, and sort of grew from there.

The bottom right corner was masked with a piece of torn paper then stamped with En Francais in Crumb Cake.  I decided to lightly sponge the masked area with the same ink as well for a little extra definition.

After much debating with myself (and solicitation of advice from my 13 year old daughter, who frankly couldn't care less) I used a strip of Soft Suede cardstock down the left side of the card to balance out the greeting and sponged/stamped right side - I think I made the right decision in the end.

Sharp eyes might notice something about this card which may ... or may not ... be included in the next Stampin' Up! catalogue ...  I will leave it up to you to work it out :-)

Images © 1990-2012 Stampin' Up!®

Supplies used: 
Stamp(s): Creative Elements, En Francais
 Ink: Versamark, Crumb Cake
  Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla
Other: Two Tags Bigz Die, Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Cherry Cobbler Embossing Powder, Beautiful Wings Embosslit, Decorative Label Punch, Large Oval Punch, Stampin' Sponges, Extra Secret Ingredient from upcoming Catalogue :-)

Pop Out Butterfly

I promise this will be the last butterfly for a little while but I had to share it because it really does look pretty darned cool (well, that's my opinion, and this is my blog so I get to say what I want so there LOL).

This is another of the cutout butterflies which I made a while back, this time in a colour combination pinched from a recent ColourQ challenge (I can never organise myself to do these challengers during the set time frame, but it's a nice colour scheme no matter when you do it, right?)

Images © 1990-2012 Stampin' Up!®

Supplies used: 
Stamp(s): Mixed Bunch, Creative Elements
Ink: Lucky Limeade, Wisteria Wonder
Cardstock: Basic Gray, Lucky Limeade, Whisper White, Wisteria Wonder, Tempting Turquoise
Other: Beautiful Butterflies Bigz Die, Beautiful Wings Embosslit, Scallop Trim Border Punch, Pearls Basic Jewels

Black Butterflies

Yes, more butterflies, this time as a kind of silhouette look.  I saw this card (such a talented lady!) and loved it so much I had to make my own version.  Of course, mine has a long way to go before it matches the beauty of the original, but I still like it :-)

It was pretty easy to make, as well, with the layer of stamped Whisper White peeping out from behind the Lucky Limeade panel

And see how well the punches layer together?  I love that about punches - you don't have to have the same shapes in different sizes to get a neat layered effect - just mix and match until you're happy with the result!


Images © 1990-2012 Stampin' Up!®

Supplies used: 
Stamp(s): Inspired by Nature, Tea Shoppe, En Francais
Ink: Lucky Limeade, Basic Black
Cardstock: Basic Black, Whisper White, Lucky Limeade
Other: Basic Black 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, Beautiful Wings Embosslit,  Decorative Label Punch, Large Oval Punch

For a change

... yes, for a, change more butterflies.  Did you ever notice just how much I like my Beautiful Wings Embosslit and Beautiful Butterflies Bigz Die?  A quick click on either of those links should give you some idea.  So much so that when I worked on the Stampin' Up! stand at Picture to Page recently, my contribution was a poster full of butterfly cards.  Many of them I have posted here in the past, but I made a few new ones to replace those I have given away over the last couple of years.

Here's the first one, and for a wonder, there is not a skerrick of pink to be seen on this one - I know - how did this happen?!

I can't even tell you the story behind this - I just wanted to use my Framelits and emboss them, and things just kind of went on from there.  Yes, I know it needs a greeting, but that can wait until I decide what it's for :-)

Images © 1990-2012 Stampin' Up!®

Supplies used:Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Whisper White, Pacific Point
Other: Labels Collection Framelits Die, Petals A Plenty and Stripes Embossing Folders, Beautiful Wings Embosslit

Cherry Cobbler + Crumb Cake = Classy!

I love this colour combination.  Cherry Cobbler is such a beautiful deep rich red - it looks like it should be velvety to the touch, and Crumb Cake (aka The Colour Formerly Known As Kraft) is the perfect accompaniment.  Add a touch of Very Vanilla and your project almost makes itself!

Here I've used the new Framelits "Labels Collection" from the Autumn-Winter Mini Catalogue ... love this product!  You get a set of six dies ranging from approx 4.5cm wide (at the widest point) to 13.5cm - a size for every occasion.  They are designed so you can see exactly where you're cutting and get precisely what you want.

The keen-eyed among you may also be able to make out the little scored border along the bottom of the card ... I did this using my new Simply Scored scoring board - a handy tool, comes with a stylus and instructions for creating the perfect score, every time.  You can also purchase an optional metric scoring plate (for those of us who aren't so good with imperial measurements *g*).  I have been using this to score up the folds in all my cards recently, and am trying to find time to really explore what I can achieve - the many websites out there dedicated to the Simply Scored and similar products will help me there!

Images © 1990-2012 Stampin' Up!®

Supplies used:
Stamps: Creative Elements
Ink: Crumb Cake
Cardstock: Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla
Other: Labels Collection Framelits Die, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Beautiful Wings Embosslit, Simply Scored Scoring Tool

Birthday Stamps

One of my oldest friends had a birthday recently (waves to Jenny) and as always I was caught short and only remembered at the last minute.  You'd think after all these years I would be more organised *sigh*.  Anyway, I was inspired by this adorable card, especially the way she had punched the Postage Stamp out of coloured cardstock, and had to try my hand at something similar.

So one morning on my day off, after my daughter had left for school and before I started my chores for the day, I whipped this up.

As you can see, I've used a stamp from the Sale-A-Bration set Fresh Vintage (available FREE until the end of March with a purchase of $100 - contact me for more details) which coordinates beautifully with the 1" Square Punch from the Summer Mini (and of course the Postage Stamp punch, also in the Summer Mini).

And from start to finish, this took me around half an hour to make.  I have to admit to being quite proud of myself when I was done :-)

And look!  It's that framelit again (from my last post).  This time you can see it a little better;  in fact I sponged the edges just so it would stand out a little more.  The funny thing is I had stuck the card together then looked across the table and realised the Crumb Cake piece - my crowning glory, that was going to bring the whole thing together - was sitting there all by its lonesome.  Fortunately the "stamps" are stuck to the red border, not the layer underneath, and I managed to slide the finishing touch in *phew*.

Images © 1990-2012 Stampin' Up!®

Supplies used:
Stamps: Fresh Vintage
Ink: Basic Black, Crumb Cake
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler
Other: Lace Ribbon Border Punch, 1" Square Punch, Postage Stamp punch, Labels Collection Framelits Dies, Beautiful Wings Embosslit Die, Elegant Bouquet Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

Shabby Chic, and a Sneak Peek!

Historically I have had trouble recreating the beautiful "shabby chic" look in my cardmaking.  No matter what I did, it always ended up looking like something made in cutting & pasting time at the local kindergarten (okay, that might be an exaggeration).

So I was delighted with this card ...

I was inspired by this card at Splitcoast stampers - isn't it gorgeous? - but went a little further with my trim using the Scallop Trim Border punch.  The grungy look on the embossed layer was created by swiping my Crumb Cake inkpad vigorously over the inside of the Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions embossing folder - the ink caught in the edges of the design and it looks kind of worn and faded.

The colours are little washed out - the base and butterflies are Pink Pirouette, which in real life looks so pretty with teamed with Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla and Old Olive as shown here.  I also sponged the butterflies with Pink Pirouette ink to highlight the embossing on the wings.

And you might notice a little something lurking in the background there ... see the Crumb Cake shape behind the leaves?  You can't see just how pretty it is, but come next month you will ... yep, it's a new product coming in the Autumn-Winter Mini (released April 1).  Mmmm, framelits ... I am going to have so much fun with these!

Want to know more?  Contact me!

Images © 1990-2012 Stampin' Up!®

Supplies used:
Ink: Crumb Cake, Pink Pirouette
Cardstock: Pink Pirouette, Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Old Olive
Other: Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Scallop Trim Border Punch, Beautiful Wings Embosslit Die, Little Leaves Sizzlit Die, Labels Collection Framelits Dies

I love butterflies :-)

I don't know what it is ... butterfly stamps and die cuts are just so pretty.  Here's a card I made recently which just makes me smile because a) it has butterflies and b) it was so, so easy to put together.

It's actually quite similar to cards I've made previously (see here and here, or just have a look at everything on this blog that I've made using this die), but if it ain't broke, why fix it?

Unfortunately the colours on this look a little duller than they are in real life - the weather wasn't cooperating and I just couldn't get the lighting I wanted.  The large butterfly is cut from Melon Mambo, a bright dark pink which has come out more of a red colour here.

As for the circle on the right, it kind of looks like it's supposed to be the sun, but it's really just because that corner needed something and this is what looked right.

I just realised what's missing.  Sparkles.  I might add some tomorrow - a rhinestone, perhaps, or a spritz of Shimmer Paint. I can't believe I forgot to add sparkles!

Images © 1990-2012 Stampin' Up!®


Supplies used:Cardstock: Basic Gray, Melon Mambo, Pretty in Pink, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White
Other: Beautiful Wings Embosslit, Elegant Bouquet embossing folder, 1-3/8" Circle Punch, 1-3/4" Scallop Circle Punch

Yet More Butterflies

I am still having fun with my Beautiful Wings Embosslit - it is just so handy for adding that finishing touch to a floral card!

Here is something I made recently when some friends came around to stamp. I was inspired by a card I saw ... somewhere ... I think it might have been on the Stampin' Up demonstrators' forum.

I have stamped the grass from Inspired by Nature (note to self - must use that set more often) on the base card. Then I sponged a piece of Whisper White first with Pink Pirouette and then with Concord Crush and overstamped the weeds from Pocket Silhouettes in Basic Black. The butterflies from the embosslit completed the picture. And, oops, I believe I forgot to add rhinestones! Better fix that up at some stage!

So there you have it - quick and simple, and quite pretty as well!

Supplies used:
Stamp(s): Inspired by Nature, Pocket Silhouettes
Ink: Pink Pirouette, Concord Crush, Basic Black
Cardstock: Pink Pirouette, Concord Crush, Whisper White
Other: Beautiful Wings Embosslit

Cherry Cobbler Butterflies

As you can see, I'm still playing around with my butterfly dies - this time the Beautiful Wings Embosslit, which cuts and embosses five gorgeous little butterflies at once.

I have made a card similar to this one before, but this time I just wanted to go with a really simple colour scheme. You might guess that I'm pretty happy with the result, and you'd be right!

Supplies used:
Stamp(s): Hello Again
Ink: Cherry Cobbler
Cardstock: Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White
Other: Beautiful Wings Embosslit, Elegant Lines embossing folder, Scallop Oval Punch, 5 x 3.5cm Oval Punch, Basic Rhinestones

And I'm also having a lot of fun using the little self adhesive rhinestones on my butterflies lately - they turn a simple card into a special card with almost no effort whatsoever!

Blue Butterfly

Another monochromatic card I put together recently ... this was inspired by a card I saw on Splitcoast Stampers; unfortunately I can't remember which one it was :-(

The background which you can just see peeping out from behind the Not Quite Navy layer is stamped with French Filigree - such a pretty background stamp!

Supplies used:
Stamp/s: Pocket Silhouettes, French Filigree
Ink: Baja Breeze
Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy, Very Vanilla
Other: Eyelet Border Punch, Crimper, Beautiful Wings Embosslit, 1" Circle Punch

Envelope Full of Hearts

It was the first Stamp Club of the year last Saturday, and there I was with no project and no ideas - Splitcoast Stampers to the rescue!

I took along a bunch of stuff, most of which didn't get used (naturally) and came away with this card, which I am totally rapt in!

I used the set I {heart} Hearts, and the Full Heart and Heart to Heart punches. You can see that some of the punched hearts have a blue floral pattern on them - these were punched out of a piece of Whisper White cardstock stamped with the Bella Toile background stamp (also used in the base layer) in Baja Breeze, then sponged around the edges for added definition.

I found all the hearts were cute, but the card looked like something was missing - the simple addition of some butterflies punched out using my Beautiful Wings Embosslit solved that problem!

I was so happy with this that I made a second one a couple of days later - I'll post this in a day or so.

Supplies used:
Stamp/s: I {Heart} Hearts, Bella Toile
Ink: Melon Mambo, Baja Breeze, Crumb Cake
Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Baja Breeze, Melon Mambo
Other: Scallop Envelope Die, Full Heart Punch, Heart to Heart Punch

Christmas Gift Card holders, #2

Here's the second of three gift cards I made just before Christmas (literally just before Christmas ... I think they were put together on December 24th). You can see the first here.

This time I based the holder on one found here, with amendments as suggested at this site.

If you've memorised the contents of your 2010-11 Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalogue (as I have, of course), you will see that I have used *gasp* a retired punch. Next time I will probably use my old faithful standby, self-adhesive magnet sheets, as I found that pulling this open a few times creased the cardstock a little, and I was worried about tearing the whole thing.

Can you see the shimmer spray? Yes, I know, I'm using this a lot, but it's so pretty!

I also added the extra dimension by putting the front (only) of the holder through the Big Shot using the Perfect Polka Dots embossing die (a personal favourite of mine).

And here's the inside ... I added the little die cut butterfly because I somehow managed to get a tiny smudge on the pocket.

Supplies used:
Stamp/s: Short & Sweet
Ink: Marina Mist
Cardstock: Marina Mist, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White
Other: Frost White Shimmer Paint, Curly Label Punch, 1-3/8" x 5/8" Oval Punch, 1-3/4" x 7/8" Oval Punch, Top Note Die, Beautiful Wings Embosslit, Jumbo Eyelets, Cropadile, Daffodil Delight 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon

Birthday Butterflies

More birthday cards, this time for my sister-in-law. I'm still loving the colour combination here and had a few butterflies left over from that cutting session, so I turned the whole thing around and made this.

Happy birthday, Sophie!

Supplies used:
Stamp/s: Perfect Punches
Ink: Rich Razzleberry
Cardstock: Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White, Pear Pizzazz, Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo
Other: Beautiful Wings Embosslit, Elegant Lines embossing folder, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Top Note Die

Inspired...

I had some birthday cards to make the other night (hopefully they have reached their destinations by now!) and needed some inspiration to get me started. Of course, Splitcoast Stampers obliged, and this card in particular caught my eye. Something about the layout appealed to me, so I sat down to make my own interpretation.

I really like how this came out (hope Lisa likes it also). And I finally got a chance to use my new Crumb Cake inkpad - love it!

Oh, and the blue butterfly - aside from being cute and lifting out the centre of the card, it has an actual purpose in hiding a small smudge :-)

Supplies used:
Stamp/s: Upsy Daisy
Ink: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso
Cardstock: Pacific Point, Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake
Other: Top Note Die, Circle Cutter, Elegant Lines embossing Folder, Beautiful Wings Embosslit

Beautiful Butterflies

Some more new goodies, and no stamping in sight!

Amongst other things in the 2010-11 Idea Book & Catalogue, we have a range of new Big Shot dies and accessories to play with, some of which are shown here.

The butterflies are cut and embossed using the Beautiful Wings Embosslit die - this nifty little gadget will cut your shape and emboss it at the same time. The die comes with five different sized butterflies - the largest, shown here, is 4.7cm across the widest point of the wings.

Beneath the butterflies, I have used something else new - the Elegant Lines embossing folders.

And if you have a very keen eye, you will see two new colours on this card - Daffodil Delight, one of the new core colours, a lovely sunny yellow as you can see; and Pear Pizzazz, a new In Color, which is similar to Certainly Celery, but a shade or two darker.

Supplies used:
Cardstock: Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White, Pear Pizzazz, Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo
Other: Beautiful Wings Embosslit, Elegant Lines embossing folder