Two-fer

This month's challenge at Darnell's Two-Fer Challenge is choose your own. I chose a butterfly die as I have been playing with all my butterfly stamps and dies in order to prove I really do not need to buy the new butterfly bundle from SU! 😂😂😂😂 How long do you think I can hold out? 

Number one

I used a butterfly embossing folder from Reflections on the navy background. You will have to enlarge the picture to see it. The scrap of floral is SU's Pretty Blooms. The sentiment is also SU. I picked up the blue flower color to die cut the butterfly.

Number two

Another piece of Paper Blooms DSP with a black background and a card base of old olive card base. I die cut the butterfly on the patterned paper to have a shadow background. Then die cut the butterfly from a yellow scrap. I sponged some pinks and oranges on the edges of the butterfly for a little definition. The sentiment is from SU an a couple of punched labels. I used black Nuvo drops on the center of the butterfly. And for some subtle bling, I added 3 green sequins. As they match the green background, they don' stand out much so you may have to enlarge again to see them.

Also entering this clean and layered one at The Card Concept

Butterflies Again

 I am really trying to convince myself I DO NOT NEED to buy the new butterfly bundle just out from Stampin' UP!. Any one take bets on how long I will hold out? II have pulled out the many butterflies I do have and have been playing with them this week.

The purple and green papers are from SU's Sale-a-Bration event. The yellow for the die cut butterfly (from SU) is from the scrap box. The embossed vellum is one of the papers in last year's Christmas embossed poinsettias vellum.  I added 3 Nuvo pearl drops to the top of the green strip. I left off a sentiment to be able to use the card for any occasion. Really, though, I don't know where to add a sentiment. Any suggestions?

Using the sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches. The 3 accents on the sketch would have been covered by the butterfly so I moved them to the left.

Also entering at Let's Craft and Create where we are challenged to use green and purple. I usually associate those colors with Halloween but these pastel colors are very spring like.

A Latte Circles

A card for a friend you haven't been able to meet for coffee. Or a friend you haven't been able to visit. So thankful for the vaccine for COVID. I have had both of mine now so am looking forward to getting back to traveling to see my grandkids. Our 1 year old granddaughter surely thinks we only exist in the phone!LOL!

 The colored circles are on the back of the chevron paper which is Paper Blossoms from Stampin' Up!. I die cut different colors of the circles. The coffee cup is an unlabeled stamp from long ago. I colored it with Stampin blend pens and fussy cut it then popped it up with foam tape. The sentiment is computer generated and cut with a circle die.  

This is for Make the Cards Challenge

Spring Birds

The birds are beginning to return. Spring is on the way. 

When I am lacking mojo, I go to the SU catalogue for inspiration. . This one is cased from page 85 in the big catalogue. I did the stepped up version.

The cardstock is Cinnamon Cider. Over that is a scrap piece of textured vellum. Then I cut an end off the medium sized stitched label and stamped some branches across it. I stamped the same branch (an unlabeled one) on a scrap of white cardstock and die cut it with stitched rectangle. I know the flowers are supposed to be cherry blossoms, which are pink, but I like yellow with the cinnamon so I colored the branch with SU blender pens in daffodil delight and dark crumb cake. I punched out yellow flowers and colored orange centers. The hello is an old SU stamp in Crumb Cake, fussy cut and popped up with foam tape. The bird is fussy cut from the sheet of birds DSP in the Bird Ballard series. I added a little raffia bow for even more of the nature feel.

Entering at The Paper Players challenge with this pretty spring photo

Also entering at Pixie's Crafty Workshop Snippet challenge #398. Playing for that fabulous prize with the big oversized sentiments.

Entering too at The Library Craft Challenge

I might need to read this book to identify exactly what kind of bird is on my card.

Butterflies

 I almost forgot this weeks Make the Cards Challenge, deadline today.

I have always loved butterflies. I use them a lot on sympathy cards, they make me think of the angels in heaven. These butterflies are all on one stamp, an old unlabeled one that I think was among the first ones I purchased when I first began card making.  I  lightly applied several colors of ink behind where the butterflies would go. The sentiment is an old one form SU

I did have to reverse the inspiration design because of the way the butterflies are positioned on the stamp.

Pretty Sympathy Card

I've been working to increase my stash of sympathy cards. It is so much easier to have one ready when needed than to sit down at the time to make one. I like pastel palettes for sympathy cards.

This card is all Stampin' UP!. The card stock colors are Sea Foam Green and Blushing Bride. The leaves are die cuts from Forever Fern stamp set. Before I secured the leaves, I lightly sponged some light blue on the paper. The butterfly is a 2 step stamp and then punched. I cut a SU vellum square doily in half corner to corner and secured each half in 2 of the corners of the card base. You may have to enlarge the picture to see that.  

The layout is from Tuesday Morning Sketches

Grad Card 2

 Another graduation card. This one for the local school whose colors are red/white/blue and the team name is Stars.

The red star paper is from SU. The blue star paper is from the scrap box. Never throw anything away. You never know when that one last scrap is going to be the right thing. That blue scrap is 20+ years old. I bought it when my kids were in high school.  I did the Dr. Seuss quote on the computer and then die cut it into a circle. The stars are an SU punch. I highlighted them with a bit of white ink. The grad hat is an old Stampabilities stamp.  Time saving hint:  I knew I would want several of the grad hats so stamped a bunch on cardstock and cut them with the Scan 'N Cut.

Inside is a computer generated message accented with 3 more stars.

I used the sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches It is perfect for this occasion. 

Grad Card

 I know it is early but I had a request to make several graduation cards so thought I should get started.  The thing about designing cards is they can be customized to the person or situation. The school colors are black and gold.

I embossed a gold foil sheet from a Kaiser Kraft paper pad with a Sizzix EF. The graduation cap and the sentiment are old Stampabilities stamps. I secured strips of gold and black ribbons with glue dots and then popped up the cap with foam tape.

The sketch is by  Freshly Made Sketches changing the orientation to landscape.

Pretty Flowers

 Still hibernating here with 10 inches of snow and 10 degree temperatures. So a floral card is what is called for to make me think of warmer times. 

A new week and a new challenge from Make the Cards Challenge

This is a total Stampin' Up! card--papers, sentiment, flower and leaves punches, circle die cuts.  The pretty floral is from the Sale-A-Bration catalog. We all love freebies, right?

The theme this week is circles

Today is also for Tuesday Morning Sketches

I am so excited to have won Featured Creator from Make the Cards Challenge with this card:

See the details of that one here 

Cheery Birthday

An elderly lady (well at least more elder than me 😆😆😆) from my church is celebrating her birthday while in a nursing home, away from family. Our state is still restricting visitors in nursing homes. She has recently recuperated from COVID-19. We are doing a birthday card shower for her.  She was a card maker and beautiful artist. I know she will love getting a handmade card.

I think this one looks spring like and cheery.

Except for the card base, this is all from my scrap box. Since I will be mailing the card, instead of raised gems, I punched out 3 tiny flowers for the embellishments. As I set and looked at it, it seemed to need another little accent. So I added a butterfly punched from the orange gingham. I think it draws the eye more to the sentiment.

I used the sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches