"Remembering You" Dry Embossed Butterfly

Hi, everyone! Welcome to my little blog, and Come on into the cool Air Conditioning, have a seat, and prepare to be entertained by a myriad of butterflies, hummingbirds, and a host of pollinators just outside my window!

Recently, the incredible duo Darlene and Diane had a challenge on their "Can You Handle the Pressure" challenge blog involving dry embossed butterflies. Thoroughly inspired, I set about creating a card especially for a friend who lost her husband 4 years ago this month - as a remembrance of his dear life, (but was unable to finish in time to play in the challenge). Still, I thank them for their inspiration! Since the EF was at least 10 years old and had never been used before, it qualified for their Neglected Stuff Challenge instead. 

The challenge at the time was "BUTTERFLIES" and dry embossing. This 4"x6" butterfly is the single element on this Craft Stash Limited embossing folder. Four white images were the result after running it through the machine. 

Next, Spun Sugar Oxide was smooshed atop the embossed areas. Because the design did not have clearly-defined areas to fussy cut specific layers, I made my own cut design, carefully applying clear glitter in some of the design and on the edge of each layer. 

After the glitter was dry, Kitsch Flamingo pink DI was applied along each edge of the wing layers, for a little dimension. On the two top layers, Black Soot Oxide was also applied along the edges.

A black "shadow" of black vellum was also fussy-cut for dimension:

Incidentals: "dry" distressing the edges of the "designer paper", an edge punched on one side, ink distressing the edges and here-and-there, a few pearls.

On the inside: The same color cardstock (vintage pink) for the VERSES STAMP, and a larger "PNG" of the scanned background. The card is 5"x7".

I'm thankful to the designers at "Can You Handle the Pressure" challenge blog - as I am to all of the design team members who inspire us.

I know you all are marvelous chefs in your kitchens. Never take for granted being able to cook! Usually Jack needs to help me, or finish what I start.  Recently I was able to bake brunch - and do it all by myself from start to finish LOL Normally fatigue and symptoms prevent me from doing any project unless I work on it a few minutes at a time. It's surprising how much can still be accomplished doing things in one-to-three minute increments! The crust is pretty ugly, but the quiche was yummy with spinach, garden-grown scallions and cherry tomatoes! I used Feta in place of heavier cheeses. It was good!

UGLY CRUST QUICHE:

Products: Large Butterfly Embossing Folder from Craft Stash Limited EFOB0007 (2015) (I see that Craft Stash is closing this year, but that many of their products can be purchased on Craft World), Inks: Spun Sugar Oxide, Kitsch flamingo DI, Black Soot Oxide, Nocturne VersaFine Clair Other: Clear Glitter, Pearls, home-made designer paper, black vellum, black & vintage pink papers, MS Arch Lattice Edge punch. The "designer paper" is from a book I saved particularly for this purpose. A smaller PNG is on the front, and a larger rendition is inside. Interior Stamp is from VERSES RUBBER STAMPS SY0521-E "Embrace a Memory".

Playing in these fun challenges:

1. Neglected Stuff Challenge (July 6) Use at least one neglected item (virginal embossing folder, a forsaken interior sentiment stamp, a book I had saved specifically to use in card making since 1992, and has never been utilized.) ends 7-28 (8/4)
2. Crafty Animals Challenge #96 "AG with animals or teddy bears" 7/28 (8/1)
3. Heart's Quest for Love Challenges Blog HQCOLCB #7 "BEWAS themes" Mine is a Sympathy Anniversary for a dear friend, ends 7-31, (8/7)
4. Creative Fingers Challenge #305 (sep post) Anything goes - Thank you for sharing such a positive message on your blog! (8/2 sep post)
5. Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday (June 4) Anything goes - 7/31
6. Creations in Pink #82  Anything Goes Mainly in Pink 7/13 (7/15)
7. A Perfect Time to craft Challenge #7-2025 7/28
8. Triple B Birds, Butterflies & Blooms Challenge July 3 - Birds, Blooms or Butterflies using inspiration tile 7/31 (8/6)

Stamping Hugs,

3-D Embossing Folder and Freebies

 Hello, dear Blogging Friends!

These cards are dedicated to my cherished friend CLARA, who passed away unexpectedly last month. 

I was recently inspired by a brand new blogger Shandy at MERMAIDS AND PAPER HEARTS, and blogging friends Leslie Miller and Connie Griffin, in making the following cards. Shandy inspired me via our conversation about colors and flowers, Leslie via Stencil Embossing (even though mine is with embossing folders instead), and Connie because she is always sharing techniques with us. So I've used VIRGINAL PRODUCTS from my stash! 

Having been hidden away in my stash for years, my Crafters Companion Ornate Lace 3D embossing folder finally felt paper!

After dry embossing, VIRGINAL Encore pigment ink was applied. Each card involves different Encore ink colors:

first, dry emboss:

Then smoosh with pad and/or fingers:

In this case, Encore Ultimate Metallic Teal was rubbed on the raised areas, and then coated with a clear detail embossing powder that contained microfine glitter. The Spellbinders Bitty Blossoms were rolled in the same cardstock as the 3D folder, however, distress ink and platinum pearlescent paints were applied for visual interest. The Silver leaves are from upcycled can lid of Whey Protein Powder LOL. If you're on my blog, click on the photo to enlarge to better see the details:

Whole card:

Black cardstock, VIRGINAL Encore Ultimate Metallic Gold was rubbed on the most raised areas. In the lesser raised areas, I finger rubbed Encore Ultimate Metallic Pink in order to provide a tiny bit of visual dimension. The roses were colored in the same fashion:

 

This bold blue background was fun and messy! On cardstock made for acrylics, I smooshed various acrylic paints up and down. With a very light brushing of wet glue, I then added tiny bits of blue and silver glitters into some areas. When the finished background was dry embossed, it looked pretty just as it was, but after adding VIRGINAL Encore Ultimate Metallic Silver to the top of the raised areas, it really brought out the glitz! 

TIP:

There are two coats of clear detail embossing powder on top of the silver ink. Her Virginal Inkiness was so wet, that it took two coats. I learned that highly metallic pigment inks retain their metallic qualities when used with CLEAR embossing powder, because the metallic components IN the ink rise to the surface of the clear embossing powder.

The next card uses the same aqua paper, but with VIRGINAL Encore Ultimate Metallic Silver applied to the top of the raised areas. This card was also "distressed" with the silver ink. How different it looks in comparison to the card using the Teal ink!

This card front was dredged with clear embossing powder, heat set, and then dredged again with clear detail EP mixed with microfine glitter. It's my favorite! Which is your favorite?

Lastly, is the card inspired by and made for Shandy. She likes the color turquoise (reminds her of mermaids) and she likes layered flowers. It was distressed and embossed with clear detail EP:

Thanks for stopping by! It was fun playing with goodies from my stash!

Products: Dies: Cottage Cutz Greenery 4x4, SU Modern Label Punch, TH Garden Greens, SB Carnations, SB Bitty Blossoms, Stamps: Hero Arts CL342 sentiment Inks: INKS & Mediums: assorted pearlescent acrylic paints, assorted pearlescent watercolors, assorted Encore Metallic inks, assorted distress and VFC inks, assorted embossing powders, Cardstock: acrylic paint paper, lavender, deep blue, pale blue, aqua, black, EMBOSSING FOLDER: Crafters Companion Ornate Lace 3D

Challenges I'd like to play in please:

1. Just Us Girls Challenge #575 Trend Week Use An Embossing Folder 5/19 sep post
2. Simply Create Too Challenge #168 Wet or Dry Embossing (I dry embossed the background, applied ink to the the dry embossed areas, then embossing powder and heat set. The sentiments are also heat embossed. 4/2
3. Frilly and Funky (March 6) Something Vintage 3/17 sep post
4. The Corrosive Challenge #3 Anything Goes 4/2
5. A Bit More Time to Craft #135 AG 4/1
6. A Perfect Time to Craft #3 AG 4/1
7. Stamping Sensations Challenge (March) Monochromatic 4/5 (each card is monochromatic)

FREEBIE SENTIMENTS - my gift to you

My gift to you - Arrangements of the same sentiment for use on the inside or outside of your projects. Please do not sell the Sentiments. Use on any of your projects, including projects involving any design teams you might be on. Different shapes of sentiments work well for landscape or portrait shape cards.

Click on the image to bring it to full size. Because of the changes Google Made with Blogger in June 2020, your image will appear to be solid black. Don’t panic. Right click and do a SAVE. Once it is saved on your hard drive, you can open it and it will have a transparent background. I create PNGs instead of JPGs so they can be placed anywhere on a scene or project, and so backgrounds can be made using them. Please let me know if you have any problems. I hope they serve you well!

Enjoy!

Sympathy Verse:

Stamping hugs,

Butterflies Butterflies

Greetings Sweet Blogging Buddies and Crafty Friends! 

Thanks for your comments and support.

Here in Florida it is still in the mid 80s, making it difficult to get into the Fall Colors many are enjoying at this time. However, we have enjoyed a few cool mornings at 59F (15C).
So my cards are still summery! 
They are also in honor of our Southern Hemisphere friends coming into their Spring months.

The Challenge this fortnight at Scrapy Land is 
Anything Goes WITH EMBOSSING. 

To enter the challenge follow the theme AND use any die brand that Scrapy Land sells
and become eligible for a fabulous prize and badges!

My cards use the following "mix-and-match" dies from several Scrapy Land manufacturers.

(Scrapy Land dies shown below with their links)

• Memory Box Lydia Butterfly (top)
• Memory Box Sorona Butterfly (plain)
• Memory Box Finn Butterfly (butterfly body)
• Crafters Companion Die'Sires Kaleidoscope of Butterflies 
• Dee's Distinctively Flourish Set 4
• Taylored Expressions Banner Stacklets #1 
• Memory Box Chloe Stem (with ribbon)
• Sue Wilson California Collection Border, Corner, Tag

The cards are size A7 (5x7):

The solid yellow beneath the frame is dry embossed. Difficult to see, there are three layers of butterfly wings - the white (back) and vellum (middle) are both dry embossed.

The sentiment is gold heat embossed.

Both sides of the slender, designer paper frame are distressed with Crushed Olive ink. It was cut using SB Grand Large Labels.

Hope you can see the dry embossing in the white and vellum layers! 

The pretty Die'Sires background image is self-embossing during the die cut process:

Both the frame and background show dry embossing.
The base of the butterfly die cut was cut with a layer of Tear-ific Tape.
Velvety Cloud Nine Glitter was burnished atop the adhesive so that the yellow paper color would remain natural, while the velvet glitter adds sparkle and texture.

Added a peek of Sue Wilson California Collection Border, Corner, Tag on the bottom of the card for a touch of elegance. 

My pink card uses the same sketch as above:

The embossed frame was coated with Tear-ific Tape,
dredged with Cloud Nine Glitter, and then dry embossed after being die cut.

The butterfly's base layer is also coated with Velvet Glitter to match the frame.

Just a touch of Sue Wilson's border die again, to create texture in the flower arrangement.
The seam binding was crinkled and spritzed with Tattered Angels.

Looking forward to seeing your creative designs at the Anything Goes Challenge #27 for the Scrapy Land Challenge.

Products Used:

Scrapy Land Dies:

• Memory Box Lydia Butterfly (top)
• Memory Box Sorona Butterfly (plain)
• Memory Box Finn Butterfly (butterfly body)
• Crafters Companion Die'Sires Kaleidoscope of Butterflies (white cut out and dry embossed in the background of 2 cards)
• Dee's Distinctively Flourish Set 4
• Taylored Expressions Banner Stacklets #1 (to accommodate sentiment)
• Memory Box Chloe Stem (with ribbon)
• Sue Wilson California Collection Border, Corner, Tag
• Spellbinders Grand Large Labels LF-168 (frames), and Grand Large Rectangles
• Spellbinders Foliage Greenery S4-328

Other:

• Embossing Folders: Crafter's Companion Floral Wonder (for the frames), Couture Creations Walrus and Carpenter (daisy style background)
• Glitters: SNS Crystal Ice G1058, SNS Pistachio G1053, SNS Cloud Nine Microfine Velvet
• Embossing Powder: SNS Gold Detail (sentiment)
• Adhestives: SNS Double Stick Tear-ific Tapes, Scotch Dimensional, Alleene's Quick Dry Glue
• Spray for Seam Binding: Tattered Angels Vintage Pink Metallic
• Dye Inks for distressing the frames after being glittered
• Flowers, Lace, Ribbon, Pearls
• Stamp: Anna Griffin Sentiments

Thanks for letting me play in the following Challenges:

1. Craft Your Passion - #284 "Anything Goes" 10/25
2. Crafty Boots - Oct 12 "Pink Challenge" 10/25 (two weeks)
3. Sparkle N Sprinkle - Oct "Anything Goes with Loose Glitter/EP" 10/25 used glitters shown above and gold EP.
4. Creative Card Crew #94 - "Use Ribbon" Used hand-dyed ribbon in my pink card, and satin ribbon bow tied on one yellow card 10/26
5. Sweet Stamps "Oct" 'Anything Goes' 11/1
6. Hiding in My Craft Room - #221 Favorite Cutting Tool (my favorite tool is my SB Grand Calibur - all these dies were cut with it, and it is used on every card creation!) 10/24
7. Craft-Dee BowZ - October Challenge "Anything Goes with a Bow" 11/1 (my yellow and pink cards each have bows from my CDBZ).

Stamping Hugs,

Mermaid Kisses - Sparkle N Sprinkle February Reveal

Warm greetings to all my blogging friends, and to
Maria, Barb, Sally, Gloria and new Blog Lovin' followers.

Welcome to Sparkle N Sprinkle's February 1 Reveal
with three opportunities to win (details below).
directions for this card are here.

Pssst!

If you enjoy on-line challenges, the SNS February challenge is live with four chances to win. You may use any compay's images. The theme is always 
"Anything Goes with Glitter, Embossing Powder and/or Flocking."

Spunky and Bug #523

We hope you enjoy all the new
SNS products in 2014
including
less expensive stamp sets
our own line of digital stamps
cut files to match our stamp sets
an exclusive line of designer papers
to match our glitters and embossing powders.

Mermaid Kisses #529

This month we are featuring three fun new stamp sets by artists 
Michelle Perkett and Beccy Muir.

The Mermaid Kisses stamp set is available on line.

It is also included in Jazzy Jill's Technique Video for the month.

Spunky and Rocco #526

Three Winners (one for each new stamp set) will be selected by Random.org during the Designers Mystery Party. Winners will also get to choose one Glitter and one Embossing Powder to go with their new stamp set.

How the Mystery Party works:

On Three of the participating blogs below,
a Commenter will be selected to receive the prize. 

No one knows who the three Mystery Designers are, so you may wish to visit each blog to leave a comment.

The winners will be announced on February 3 on Facebook, the SNS blog, and on our blogs:

Emmy van den Heuvel
Cristina Ojeda
April Williams
Anne Temple
Anita Scroggins
Donna Ellis

Shona Erlenborn
Eret Pank
Mayra Duran-Hernandez
Marie Berquist
Jazzy Jill

Each of the three stamp sets are available at 20% off.

Promotion valid through February 3. 
You may also phone the SNS Shoppe to place your orders.

Below is a close up of the pretty Princess Rose Cosmic Embossing Powder - It is creamy-pearly-glittery (is that a good word?).  Velvet Sparkle Embossing Powder was applied around the inky distressed areas with a VersaMarker and then heat set. In real life, it is very sparkly, and not as "bumpy" as our regular Sparkle EP. My Mermaid's "fins" are textured with it as well. 

All of the sparkle is exclusively accomplished with embossing powders.
It will not rub off and helps create "depth" with color.

I apologize for not better capturing the amazing Sparkle.

For the last week
SOMEONE sent down a bunch of NORTHERN winter weather, which has blotted out the Sunshine we are so well known for here in Florida!
(giggle) We are such wimps down here.
"Distressing" with EPs covers up mistakes and is lovely in person.

more sparkle:
My computer-generated sentiment uses GarineldonNo01 font (an on-line freebie). The letters resemble a moving ocean.

one more sparkly look, just in case you haven't seen any sunshine for the past week:

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope to begin regularly visiting blogs again when the bingo game is completed.

Sparkle N Sprinkle Products Used:

Mermaid Kisses Stamp Set 529 + computer generated sentiment

Copic Markers - R02, R00, R20, R35, R21, E00, E43, E35, BG49, BG34, BG00, YG06, Y32
Moss Star Embossing Powder EP430 (very sparkly)
Mediterranean Star Embossing Powder EP429 (very sparkly)
By The Lake Cosmic Embossing Powder EP400 (sparkly and pearly)
Princess Rose Cosmic Embossing Powder EP387 (sparkly and pearly)

Velvet Sparkle Embossing Powder EP437

Brushable Glue #540
VersaMark Ink Pad
VersaMarker
Tuxedo Black Memento Ink

Spellbinders:
Decorative Elements Tear Drop Circles S4-344
Standard Circle Small S4-116
Labels Eleven S4-246
Itty Bitty Blossoms
Martha Stewart: assorted leaves, scallop edge punch
Dye inks for distressing

Cardstock: Pink, Turquoise, Celery, White, Neenah White, Green Vellum
Embossing Folder by Cuttlebug for 5x7 card

Path of Positivity Challenge - Generosity - When we recognize how truly incredible and remarkable every creature is, we become More than what we were, and can bring a Generosity and Beauty to the world we otherwise could not.

Challenges this card is entered in:

1. Path of Positivity Challenge - #10 Generosity - my statement is just above this section. 2/3
2. Crafty Catz Weekly - #216 Anything Goes 2/6
3. Fairytale Challenge - #86 More Than 2 Colors - (pink, Turquoise, Green, Coral + skin does not count) 2/14
4. 4 Crafty Chicks - #179 Anything Goes - 2/6
5. 4 Crafty Girls - #10 - Anything Goes - 2/5
6. Paper Crafting Journey - EMBOSS THAT! - (4 colors of EP - on the image, distressed around edges of both images, and all that glitter is actually EP) 2/10
7. The southern Girls Challenge - "It's All New" (love your challenge name). (New Mermaid Stamp, New Shell Bead embellishment, New Princess Rose and Velvet Sparkle EP, New Copic Colors, New Dec. Tear Drop Circle die cut) 2/6?
8. Creative Moments Challenges - #35 Anything goes Add Some Sparkle - lots of sparkly EP and rhinestone flourish. 2/10

warm, cozy hugs from Freezing-UNsunny Florida!
(bad weather go away!)