Butterflies for the Graduate

A friend of mine asked if I could make a Graduation card for her 11 year old granddaughter, Lila, who is graduating from 5th grade -  I guess 6th grade must be Middle School, hence the graduation out of Elementary School!   

My friend is giving Lila a butterfly bracelet as a graduation gift so she asked if I could put butterflies on the card.

So I searched on Pinterest for a butterfly card to get ideas for a creative design and I found this wonderful Double Diamond Fold card. 

It looks pretty impressive sitting here like an award or something doesn't it?! It was really easy to fold - the hardest part was figuring out what papers and butterflies to use!

Here is the tutorial on flutterbyheidi's blog which includes a YouTube video

I used Vintage Cream cardstock for the base, Royal Velvet for the frames and white card stock covered with Painted Fantasy wide Washi Tape from Altenew on the smallest panels. 

I used Tim Holtz/Sizzix Detailed Butterflies/Mini die for the big butterfly, cutting it out of vellum, a light purple DP and Metallic Gold - adhering the 3 layers just at the center body piece using Tombow Glue.

The butterfly and tiny butterflies on the sides are two separate Martha Stewart punches.

View from the back -  there's plenty of space to write a message on the two back panels and that middle area.

The whole thing flattens down easily for mailing - limited only by how high your butterfly at the top is.

Mine will actually fit (snugly) into an regular A2 envelope as shown below, but the top wing might get a little bent so I gave my friend a A7 (5 1/4" x 7 1/4") invitation size envelope to use if she is mailing it.

I just love how this card stands up and can be proudly displayed by the graduate!  

It would be lovely for any special occasion when you want a little more than just a flat card!

I'm entering my graduation card into the following challenges:

TIME Out Challenges

Path of Positivity

Optional Twist - Success (graduation!)

Arty Divas

Anything Goes

Stamps:  Keep It Simple: Graduation - PTI, You Did it!  from A Year of Sweet Sentiments - Taylored Expressions (retired), Karen Foster mini letter and number snap stamps (retired).
Paper:  Vintage Cream, White, Royal Velvet, Vellum - PTI, Metallic Gold Kraft Stock - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology.
Accessories:  Dienamic Sentiment Strips - MFT, Detailed Butterflies Mini dies - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, Painted Fantasy Washi Tape - Altenew, butterfly detailed punch,  3 butterflies punch - Martha Stewart, Tombow Glue

June CAS Christmas - Bells

I'm happy to report that as of this month, I have moved from the CAS Stencil Challenge to the CAS Christmas Challenge!   

Loll has done some rearranging and redesigning of the CAS Challenges and she combined the Stencil, Watercolor and Mix Up challenges into one challenge, alternating months.  

The CAS Christmas Challenge has stayed the same but with some of the designers from the other teams (like me!) who moved over.

So this month - the CAS Christmas Challenge is BELLS!

Here's my card.

I  used a retired Waltzingmouse bell stamp and die from the Folk Art Creations set.  The branch is from Holiday Greens by Tim Holtz/Sizzix, the peace is from Papertrey Ink, and the Nordic frame panel is from The Greetery.  I die cut the bell out of gold cardstock, stamped over the bell with Versamark and white embossed it.  I looped a doubled piece of Metallic Thread through the top of the bell, tied it in a bow and adhered it over the foliage with foam dots.

These were so easy - I made 6 of them while I had the supplies out! 

You'll find lot's of inspiration from the Design Team as well as our creative Guest Designer LeAnne over at the CAS Christmas Blog.  We can't wait to see your CAS Christmas card with bells!

Stamps:  Folk Art Christmas - Waltzingmouse (retired)
Paper:  White - PTI, Kraft Stock Metallic - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology.
Ink:  Versamark
Accessories:  Nordic Frames Dies - The Greetery, Holiday Greens - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, Peace - PTI, Folk Art Christmas (bell) - Waltzingmouse (retired), Metallic Tread - Dritz, foam dots, white embossing powder, heat tool.

Coffee Lovers Blog Hop - A Caffeinated Tree Frog!

Here's my 5th and final card for the Spring/Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop.  What fun this week has been and there are well over 1,300 entries!  That's a lot of coffee cards! 

I used a super cute frog die from Impression Obsession for my final blog hop card - adding a coffee cup, that I stamped and fussy cut, to one of his sticky little hands!  This sweet guy measures just 3" tall and makes me smile every time I look at him!

I cut two full frogs so I could make him into a card.  I scored a line across the top of the inside piece, from ear to ear, and adhered them together with glue.  The score line allows you to fold a clean crease for opening. I also cut an additional head and popped that up onto the front with foam dots just for a little added dimension.  

I used two different green Copics and a white Stabilio pencil to make the dots on the green and a yellow Copic for the dots on his belly.  I cut extra hands out of yellow to match his belly - and colored his finger tips with a red copic.  I added red enamel dots for his eyes - drawing on the pupils with a Fine Tip Black Sharpie. 

(I googled tree frog for help with my colors!)

The sentiment inside is from a retired Coffee Set from Waltzingmouse.

They plan to announce all the random prize winners on Sunday over at the blog hop - fingers crossed!

Stamps:  Front of card: Coffee Cup, and sentiment - no name stamp set,  inside sentiment from Coffee Set  Waltzingmouse retired)
Paper:  New Leaf, Bright Buttercup, Orange Zest, Vintage Linen - PTI 
Ink:  Mocha - Altenew
Accessories:  Frog Die - Impression Obsession, Copics YG95, YG17, YR09, YR21, foam dots, Fine Point Sharpie, enamel dots - Altenew, white pencil - Stabilo

Coffee Lovers Blog Hop - One Cup of Coffee

Today I have one more card for the Coffee Lovers Spring/Summer Blog Hop.

I used another humorous coffee stamp from Rubbernecker called Out of Jail.  I simply stamped the sentiment on a white panel and layered it over a black and white striped patterned paper to give the feeling of the jail!  I added a red acrylic heart for a touch of color.

There's just one more day to join in on the blog hop!

Stamps:  Out of Jail - Rubbernecker
Paper:  White, DP Bitty Big Smokey Shadow - PTI
Ink:  Obsidian - Altenew
Accessories:  Noted: Scalloped Square die - PTI, Red Hots Acrylic Hearts - Honey Bee Stamps.

Coffee Lovers Blog Hop - But You Can Buy Coffee

Popping in with my third card for the Coffee Lovers Spring/Summer Blog Hop!  The hop runs through May 29th.

 For this card I used the Framed Coffee Cup stamp from Stamploraions and the Can't Buy Happiness stamp from Rubbernecker.

 

 My card base is cut out of Vintage Cream card using Noted: Scalloped Square Die from PI.  I added 3 Neutrals/Candy Dots from SU in the corner.

Are you joining in the blog hop?  There are lots of prizes to be won by random entries!

Stamps:  Framed Coffee Cup - Stamplorations, Can't Buy Happiness - Rubbernecker.
Paper:  Vintage Cream - PTI
Ink:  Mocha, Sand Dunes - Altenew
Accessories:  Noted Scalloped Square Die - PTI, Neutrals/Candy Dots - Stampin Up.

Coffee Lovers Blog Hop - Life Happens

Today I have a 2nd card for the Coffee Lovers Spring/Summer Blog Hop.

For this card I used the stamp set Coffee with a Splash from Altenew.  I used three shades of brown ink to differentiate between stampings - Mocha, Espresso and Sand Dunes also from Altenew.

I added 3 brown sequins.  The card is cut out of Vintage Cream card using Noted Scalloped A2 Dies from PTI.   I used the SU Window Punch for the Life Happens sentiment which is popped up on foam dots.

There are lots of craft company sponsors providing prizes for randomly chosen entries - so you should play along!

Also linking my card to:
The Paper Players

Stamps:  Coffee With A Splash - Altenew
Paper:  Vintage Cream - PTI
Ink:  Mocha, Espresso, Sand Dunes - Altenew
Accessories:  Noted: Scalloped A2 die - PTI, foam dots, brown sequins, Word Window Punch - SU.

Coffee Lovers Blog Hop - Rise and Shine

 Hurray!  It's time for the Spring Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop!  

Due to social distancing - I've had plenty of time to create several cards which I'll post over the next week.  

There are lots of prizes given by many generous sponsors to be won by random entries so you should think of joining in!  Your cards must have a coffee/tea theme.

 Here is the first card I created - using the fun stamps from Taylored Expressions - Big Grumpy and Big Grumpy - Cat.  The coffee cup is from Coffee/Clear Stamps - Stampabilities. 

I colored the bear and the coffee cup with Copics.  I die cut the bear with his sign and layered it over a piece of coffee stain DP.  I added a red acrylic heart over the stamped heart on the cup and popped the cup up on foam dots.  The card itself is cut using Noted: Scalloped Square die from PTI.

Stamps:  Bear from Big Grumpy set, sentiment from Big Grumpy-Cat - Taylored Expressions, Coffee Cup from Coffee set - Clear Stamps/Stampabilities.
Paper:  Bristol Smooth Surface, Coffee Bean - PTI, Textures Paper Pad - JoAnn.
Ink:  Obsidian - Altenew
Accessories:  Big Grumpy Die - Taylored Expressions, Noted: Scalloped Square Die - Papertrey Ink, Copics RV32, E33, E02, W2, G21, foam dots, Red Hos Acrylic Hearts - Honey Bee Stamps.