Butterflies and Snowflakes and a freebie

 Hello, blogging friends! It's the beginning of a new year, and I sincerely hope 2024 is good to you.

My cards today were inspired by a card from the very talented by Shwu-Miin Tang

She created a lovely gatefold card with monochrome leanings, borders and beautiful butterflies! Having been awarded this card at the recent TSA auction, organized by Lori Kobular, I showed it to some friends in November. Gasping at the beauty, they declared they most certainly could not make anything that pretty. But they did, when they came over in December, and I did a surprise class using die cuts. Apologies that the photos are not very clear.

The cards are 5"x7". We started out with plain white-on-white (monochrome will hide any mistakes). The card base is cut 7" x 10" and scored at 2.5" and 7.5". Each card then required 2 white pieces 6.75" x 5". We used Martha Stewart punch-around-the-page punches after dry embossing them, but any appropriately sized die or punch would work. One whole embossed piece is adhered on the interior and the other cut vertically for the 2 sides in front. 

Using white glitter card stock, solid butterflies were die cut. With white card stock, the filagree butterflies were attached in the centers of the glitter pieces. Butterfly "bodies" were also die cut with glitter card stock, and adhered. 

Recycling the tin seal from the inside of Whey Protein Powder, lots of delicate snowflakes were cut. Using a Japanese Screw Punch two snowflakes were hole punched. Then the butterflies' center of the 3 layers was punched. A brad was looped into the snowflake center, and then through the butterfly center. One butterfly was adhered to each side of the gate fold.

Pale Pink Copic Markers (any alcohol markers will do) changed the white glitter to pale pink.

While it is easier to open and close the cards where the butterflies were adhered "straight", we found it more forgiving and whimsical to place the butterflies on angles. Some of the cards were inked around the edges, while others only slightly tinted the butterflies. Here are a few color options:

Lavender and Pink (inked around the edges):

Blue and Pale Gray without any other ink:

The interior has a heat set stamped sentiment embossed in silver to coordinate with the snowflakes. I made up another sentiment we printed on vellum, which is now available to you as my gift at the bottom of this post:

I am deeply, humbly, gratefully blessed by dear friends such as yourselves. Your cards, IMs and phone calls helped me through a very difficult 2023; though the sentiment seems "sappy or corny", it is the truth, and I mean it from the bottom of my heart.

Thank you, Shwu-Miin Tang, for the inspiration. And many thanks to dear friends such as yourselves for lifting my spirits on many a difficult day.

These are going to a few friends. Wish I could send at least 50!

My gift to you - 

For use on the inside or outside of your projects: Please do not sell these Sentiments. Use on any of your projects, including projects involving any design teams you might be on.

Click on the image to bring it to full size. Because of the changes Google Made with Blogger (June 2020), your image will appear to be solid black. Don’t panic. Right click and do a SAVE AS PNG. 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 you enjoy! 

Products: Dies (Die-Versions Wee Petites WP-004 Snowflakes, Memory Box Lydia Butterfly, MB Sorona Butterfly, MB Delia Butterfly, Spellbinders Labels 23-for the decorated interior-- Martha Stewart Punch-Around-the-Page Lace Flowers), Coloring (Copic Markers atop glitter cardstock, Oxide ink, Distress ink), Papers (110lb white, clear and silver glitter, recycled silver metal foil from Whey Protein Powder, white and pearl vellums, ) Embossing Folder: Couture Creations "Flamingos & Hedgehogs"

I would like to play in the following challenges please:

1. Crafty Animals AG with Animals or Insects  2/1 
2. Triple B Challenge with Mood Board 2/2  (see the pretty frosty mood board below)
3. Craft Rocket Challenges  #10 Use Embossing (background is an embossing folder and interior background is an EF. The die cut butterflies are also dry embossed. On the interior, the top sentiment is heat embossed. 1/28  2/1
4. Pammie's Inky Pinkies Anything Goes 1/18
5. Creative Inspirations #9 Anything Goes 1/25 (2-1)

Stamping Hugs,

House Mouse Gingerbread Decorating {Christmas Bingo Challenges}

NOTE: My Jan's Digi Stamps design team project is also published today here.

Yippee! I'm so excited to share a brand new Christmas Challenge for blog land!

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year! A brand new challenge blog for Christmas lovers all year long! 

Named Christmas BINGO Challenges, a new bingo card is available for each challenge. But this bingo is a bit different. Only columns may be used (not rows or diagonal choices). Each column includes a FREE SPACE, which you may also use. Please utilize three or more squares in the column of your choice. (more details on blog)

In this case, I have chosen the "B" column.

Tags (in the upper right of my card)

Dots (in the background papers)

Green (papers are pine needle green)

Stamped Image (House Mouse & Hero Arts)

and I even can say "free" because I've used some other "stuff" on the card (giggle)

Remember, you only have to use 3 squares in one column, and FREE can be one of your choices!

Colored with Copic Markers, this darling House Mouse stamp is now retired. Fortunately, I had stamped a few from a friend several years ago.  

The sentiment is stamped in Rain Forest VersaFine Clair and heat set with clear detail embossing powder. 

The House Mouse line is one I never tire of coloring. 

How about you? Do you have certain favorite stamps or stamp lines that you enjoy? Or do you find yourself going through cycles of certain styles and techniques?

I tried balancing the gold glossy die cut with the brass bell in the image:

Come on over and show us what you can do with the bingo card at Christmas BINGO Challenges.

Products: Stamps: Stampendous House Mouse Frosting Gingerbread Man from 1997 (it's long been retired),  Hero Arts Clear set CL722, Green Digital Paper by LianaScrap (free, thank you), Dies: Tonic Mixed Edge Rectangle set, Surprise Creations Double Stitch Tags die set, Tutti-123 Arched Fir Branch die, Memory Box Precious Gingerbread Men Inks: Rain Forest VersaFine Clair, Oxides in Pine Needles and Lucky Clover, Copic Markers, Clear Detail Embossing Powder 

Challenges I would like to play in please:

1. Outlawz Twisted Thursday AG with theme COLOR IT (colored with Rain Forest VersaFine Clair, Oxides in Pine Needles and Lucky Clover, Copic Markers) 5/4 (3 of 5 allowed entries)
2. Worldwide Crafters and Colorists Challenge #4 AG (entry 3 of 3) 5/12
3. My Favorite Things Christmas Challenge (April 20) ends May 17
4. House Mouse and Friends Monday Challenge (5/1) AG HM ends May 13
5. Classic Design Challenge #5 AG 6/1
6. A Perfect Time to Craft #5 AG (check 7/1)
7. Girlz Creative Christmas Challenge #18 Everything Goes 5/6
8. Peace on Earth Christmas Challenge #38 AG option mood board 5/4 (D&D - I hope I understood the challenge properly) 
9. Christmas With The Cuties #69 Something Hand Colored ends May 14 check 5/29
10. Critter Crazy Challenges #74 FEATURE a critter 6/1
11. Merry Little Christmas Challenge Blog #50 AG Christmas 6/15

Stamping Hugs,

A Cardinal Christmas Wreath - Jan's Digi Stamps

December's Sale includes all 50 of Jan's Holiday Stamps, including the 2022 freebie!

Hello, my friends! May this find you well, and looking forward to the upcoming celebrations.

 Today is the November kick-off Anything Goes Challenge at Jan's Digi Stamps! 

If you use a JDS image in your card, please mention it. There is a 2nd draw specifically for those who use one of Jan's fun images.

Jan's images are easy to use because most of her sets embrace the same style, so they mix-and-match. Jan has a slightly vintage, slightly contemporary way of expressing her memories, and the enjoyable things of life.

The new Red Cardinals set is one that can be used all season long.

In this case I've combined it with her beautiful 2022 "freebie" set "Ornaments". 

Each year, Jan's tradition is to gift the rest of us with a lovely new Christmas set to help jump-start our holiday card making. 

Be watchful! They are limited editions, and disappear on Christmas Night in the year of their release!

Jan's "Banners and Bow" was created for celebrating. 

She has provided both orange and red to encompass the holiday season, as well as the black-and-white version for anniversaries, birthdays and other special occasions.

To Make This Project:

First I created a "round ring" in my word processor. 
Then I placed the cardinals-on-twig image from Red Cardinals onto the ring. 
Select the long twig and small holly bunch repeatedly copying-and-pasting them around the ring. If your word processing doc allows, do a "select all" and "group" everything in place. Add the ribbon bow from the "Banners and Bow" set. Finally, place the sentiment from "Ornaments 2022" in the center. Make your wreath as full or as skinny as you like by adding more greenery (or even copying the entire wreath, making it slightly smaller then pasting atop the original wreath for a fuller look). Be sure to save your digital work in the same folder as your digital sets so you'll find it easily another time.
Below are the images I've used:

I must confess this is a "cheater" card. Jan's gorgeously precolored images were used, and then highlighted for additional depth:

Here is a simple card made using "my" wreath:

Who can resist a bit of sparkle?

Lots of dimension make this 5x7 creation extra festive:

Try playing with your free word processor if you don't have special software, to "layer" your digital projects. Once you've tried it, the technique becomes easier each time you play.

Don't forget to play in the Challenge!

Products Used:  Jan's Digi Images: Red Cardinals 4025 (new and on sale),  Banners and Bow 4015, AND the sentiment is from BEAUTIFUL FREEBIE SET "Ornaments 2022" (will be removed from the store on Christmas Day).     Dies: Sue Wilson Australian Collection "Melbourne" CED 8105, Memory Box Meridian Border 98134 (Copic Markers, Distress Ink, glitter paper, stash papers)

I'd like to play in the following Challenges please:

1. World Wide Open Design Team Challenge #10 AG DT 11/15
2. Pammie's Inkie Pinkies #2245 AG 11/14
3. Crafty Catz #613 AG with 3 or more layers (one card 4 layers, one has 6 layers) 11/10
4. A Perfect Time to Craft Open Challenge #11 AG 12/1
5. Classic Design Challenge #11 AG 12/1
6. Crafty Friends Challenge #161 Christmas 11/28 
7. My Time To Craft #494 All Creatures Great or Small 11/11
8. CD Sunday Plus Challenge #96 AG using downloadable products ( I used 3 digital stamp sets, making a holiday wreath. The sentiment and bow are downloaded from other sets - all three sets are listed above) 11/14
9. Allsorts Challenge #701 Sparkle & Shine 11/11
10. Tic Tac Toe Challenge #186 I am using the middle column with "red - sparkle - holly" for my creation: 11/10

Inspiration Station's "BE KIND" board and freebies

Hello, blogging friends! 

You are cordially invited to play in the latest challenge at

Inspiration Station

NOT just "another" inspiration board. 

It's entirely YOUR take as to what inspires you - 

it could be emotional, thematic, color, texture. 

What ignites your imagination today?

My imagination immediately flew to KIND FRIENDS, such as yourselves.

I am inspired by the words and monochrome technique. The first card has two butterflies. They are covering up boo-boos from where I dropped my ink:

The next is my favorite. The white frame is popped up, and woven with pretty lavender satin ribbon:

Next is some thinner, dark purple satin ribbon woven around the frame:

Finally, I punched out a white glitter butterfly and colored it with purple copic markers to customize the look. You can also color the bodies and edges for dimension:

Interior:

Come on over and share what you are inspired to make!

Inspiration Station

My gift to you - A sentiment for use on the inside or outside of your projects. Please do not sell the Sentiment. Use on any of your projects, including projects involving any design teams you might be on.

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!

This option is great for a card interior:

This option is better for centering in a die for a card front:

Two more sentiments, one with and one without the author's name:

Products Used: Dies: SB Floral Ovals, SB Classic Ovals Large, Tonic Studios Verdi's Waves Flourish, Memory Box Meridian Border 98134, Sue Wilson Australian "Background" CED8101, MS Butterfly Punch Papers: Purple Vellum, Lavender & White Glitter, Lavender, Purple, White, Stamps: (interior FSS Violets), Hero Arts C4210 Flourish Billow (background), Inks: DI Milled Lavender, Dusty Concord & Wilted Violet - Sentiments: by me - gifted above

Challenges I would like to play in please:

1. Paper Funday Challenges #30 AG with Sparkle and/or Shine (glittery butterflies and satiny-shiny ribbons) 7/4
2. Dies R Us #171 "AG with dies DRU sells" (I used SB Floral Ovals, SB Classic Ovals Large, Tonic Studios Verdi's Waves Flourish, Memory Box Meridian Border 98134, Sue Wilson Australian "Background" CED8101) 6/28 (sep post below)
3. Love to Craft Challenges #59 AG 7/1 (sep post 7/10)
4. NBUS #27 Never Before Used Schtuff - my SW Australian Background die set and my lavender satin ribbon 7/1 (comment on 3)
5. Love to Craft Challenges #59 Anything Goes (sep post on 5th) 7/5
6. A Bit More Time to Craft #142 Anything Goes (sep post) 7/1

Stamping Hugs,

ONE WEEK LEFT for Turner Syndrome Awareness Blog Hop and Challenge!

  Hello, Blogging Friends!

ONLY ONE WEEK LEFT - for the Third Annual 

"It's A Girl Thing: Turner Syndrome Awareness Blog Hop". 

This  year we have added a Card Challenge so that crafters can help spread the word, and enjoy opportunities of winning more prizes!

To view my prizes, please visit my blog post.

For more information, please see Lori's TS home page. 

Turner Syndrome is a genetic disorder where a female is born missing part or all of her second X chromosome leaving her with life-long medical issues and learning disabilities.  This condition occurs one in every 2,000 female births worldwide, but is more common among pregnancies that do not survive to full term.  That is why Turner Syndrome Females are considered MIRACLES!

DID YOU KNOW:

Living with Turner Syndrome: Linda Hunt

I am an appreciative fan of movie star
Linda Hunt
whose roles are always character-rich.

My favorite programs Linda has starred in:

NCIS Los Angeles
Kindergarten Cop

Linda was born with Turner Syndrome.

One thing I have learned regarding Turner Syndrome is that there are many chromosomal deviations that cause humans to be born with "interesting outcomes".

Our inspiration board:

My brand new Kitsch Flamingo ink pad was perfect for this project. Being a Pink Fanatic, it was love at first sight with this color. I used a pale pink cardstock, dry embossed it, and smooshed the ink on top. The card base was distressed with the same pink, to color coordinate. A layer of glittery goodness separates the shapes. 

To achieve the butterfly layers, I scanned a butterfly definition from the Random House Dictionary from 1950, and distressed it slightly both with the scanner's settings, and with Distress Ink. The edges of the print layer are adhered, with a bulge on either side of the body:

To achieve the "bulge", single layer of dimensional tape was used on the glitter layer, and a double layer of dimensional tape as used on the printed layer. This formed a "cavity" for the butterfly body.

A Pencil was used to depress the area where the butterfly layers are adhered, so the body would sink into that space. Two little hearts were punched out and distressed for the body as well:

The green vellum dry embossed well, and was also used for the heat embossed sentiment. The silver brads were heated up and dipped into the embossing powder to match the sentiment.

Hope to see your card in the challenge!

Products: Dies: SB Grand Labels One, SB Grand Decorative Labels One, Memory Box Sorona Butterfly, Lydia Butterfly, Fin Butterfly, Delia Butterfly - MS Heart Lace Punch - Embossalicious Die'Sire Rose Vine Embossing Folder - Paper: White, Glitter White, Green Vellum, Pale Pink - Inks: Old Paper, Mowed Lawn & Kitsch Flamingo Distress, Green Oasis Versafine Clair - Green Embossing Powder mixed with Green mica powder - Brads.

Challenges I would like to play in please:

1. Pammies Inky Pinkies #2108 Anything Goes 3/1
2. Get Creative Challenges #98 AG with Twist use pink or red 3/1
3. My Turner Syndrome Journey #3 Inspiration Board shown above 3/13
4. Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #152 Anything Goes 3/1
5. Avenue613 #2 AG with opt twist "heart and sole" 3/1
6. Simply Create Too #167 Use Hearts 3/1
7. Creations in Pink #31 AG Mainly Pink 3/15 (sep post)

Happy Hugs,