Butterflies and Summer Time

It's Wednesday and that means it is time for another Flutterby Challenge. After this challenge the Flutterby team will be taking the month of July off, but we will be back more fun challenges come August. This week is all about Butterflies/Fairies and Summer Time. Summer time for me is getting to wear flip-flops and what are cuter than flip-flops with butterflies right!

I die-cutted the cute little shoes from PTI's Flipping Out die and used the matching stamp set for the strips and the sentiment. The sweet little blue butterflies are from a MS punch and the blue floss along the top brought some color to the top of my card creating a nice triangle of blue. Can't wait to see what you will come up with.

Woodgrain Thanks

Time to Flutterby with another Flutterby Challenge. This week is all about a sketch. Use the sketch below to created your own butterfly/fairy creation.

I loved the used of the circle but wanted to try something a little different and NOT stamp my butterflies in them. Instead I stamped a small sentiment in the bottom one instead of the side and used my M.S. butterfly punches. The woodgrain is a WMS stamp. loved how it covered the whole card base.

Kraft Gratitude

It's time for another Flutterby Challenge. This week's challenge is an open challenge which means that the only rule is that it must have either a butterfly or a fairy. For my card this week I went a little graphic with my CAS. I had lots of kraft 3/4" circle on my craft desk (left over from a previous project) and decided to use them for the card this week. I also decided to have a little splash of red as I had some red butterflies on my desk too. Once put together, this is how it turned out:

I really like how it turned out. Don't love it but really do like it. One think I like is how the butterflies enhance the banner. I stamped the sentiment (PTI's Beautiful Butterflies) in Versamark and then then a red ink so that I could clear emboss it. I pulled the color over with the large and small butterflies. The part that took the longest was placing all of those circles so that they evenly spaced (or good enough at least). I'll also add that the red of the sentiment match much better with the red of the butterflies in real life. Not sure what is up with the colors here.

This is the last week of school for us here. With construction starting at my school I am having to pack up a lot more than normal. I also get only one week off before I go back for two weeks to help with students with the state test review before they take their retest. However, this could also all change at the last minute depending on what our government decides to do since they are changing the test yet again.

Life is sweet

It's time to flutterby again with another card. This week's Flutterby Challenge is a recipe for ya'll: your creation must have flowers, at least one butterfly, and use either a die cut or a punch. For my card I went out a little outside of my color comfort zone and use pink and yellow.

My flowers came from PTI's Sweet Life while the butterflies are from Martha Stewart's butterfly punches (so that covers the punches and the butterflies, lol). I got a little pink in a spot I didn't want so to fix it I just water downed some pink ink and splattered it on the base. I coated the butterflies with yellow stickles as well as outlined the lines above and below the sentiment. I wish I could tell you the pinks I used but I forgot to right them down.

Fluttering by with 2 cards

I'm back with the Flutterby team brining you some inspiration for this week's challenge. And since I took last week off I decided that I would treat ya'll with two cards this week. This week's challenge is a sketch:

Here is the card you saw on the Flutterby blog:

For this card I heat embossed in black the butterflies onto some watercolor paper and then colored the background by dipping it into some ink that I stamped onto my craft mat. I then backed it with black c/s. On the base I used a stamp boarder from Clean & Simple Stamps' Air Mail. The sentiment was stamped onto some vellum that I cut wavy and added a dry embossed line along the top and bottom. Thought it was a little plain so I added a small black butterfly that was coated in glitter. After attaching everything together I decided it was still a little on the plain side and added some black rhinestones in the corners. This card really does make me smile too.


Now here is the second card just for the readers of my blog:

Using the same sketch I went for a square card this time. A lot of this one is based on the first card. I created the background the same way I did above except for the embossed butterflies. I only wanted one butterfly on this one, so I stamped it onto the vellum that also has the sentiment. I used the same Clear & Simple stamp set for the corners on this one to only instead of black bling I colored some half pearls to match the colors and placed them on the card. Another simple card with pops of color. Hope ya'll are having a great week and I can't wait to see what you will create with this sketch.

Open Challenge

A little late with this week's Flutterby Challenge card, but I am here now. This is an easy one as it's a favorite: open challenge with a butterfly or fairy. I kept my card really simple this week too. A little washi along the top with a sentiment on the bottom to go with my rainbow of butterflies. The only layer would be the washi tapes. I am also putting this in with Simon Says challenge since it's all about things with wings :) ETA: I was just informed about another CAS challenge called ATCAS and the code word for their current challenge is Rainbow. I think these pretty little butterflies would work for it. Thanks for brining a new challenge to my radar :)

Flutterling by with a little love

First, so sorry that this is going up late. Not sure where my head was this week. Anyways, this week's theme over at Flutterby Challenges is to create a sweet little creation for love. It can be for a wedding, anniversary, or just a good generic love. Make sure to include either a butterfly or fairy on your creation as well. I went with the anniversary theme and kept my simple (of course, lol). I've seen this sketch around and thought I would try it out as I really liked what I have seen. To add some texture and interest to the card since I decided to stick with the elegant white and black, I cut the layered white to the size I wanted and embossed it with a Tim Holtz damask folder. But before I embossed, I coated one side (the side that pushes into the paper) with versamark ink. This way it gave a nice coating of something for some perfect pearls, perfect pearl to adhere to. Love how the end result was a soft sheen. I added some perfect pearl spray to black cardstock and dried before I punched out the Martha Stewart butterflies (love, love, love this punch). Simple and elegant I think!

 

Birthday Butterflies

I really wish I could tell you what amazing crafter I got this whole card idea from, but I can't. I am not even sure where I saw, but I know I did. I loved her simple use of multiple hearts with the bright color peeking out of the side of the black. How those hearts framed the sentiment was amazing. I couldn't wait to recreate, but when would I get the chance? Enter this week's Flutterby Challenge: use a sentiment on the front of your creation along with a butterfly/fairy (or two). So instead of hearts I punched out the sweet little butterflies form the Martha Stewart punch. The paper came from an old Prima 6x6 pad called Annalee. I made myself use one of the sheets that is not a favorite of min for the butterflies and I ended up loving it! I went over a few of the butterflies with glossy accents to give it just a little something extra. I guess this just goes to show that sometime getting out of your comfort zone with colors can be a good thing :)

Who loves flowers?

Butterflies of course. And that is the challenge for this week's Flutterby Challenge: flowers with a butterfly/fairy. I sponged on layers of yellows and oranges ink onto scrap cardstock and then once dried I punched out the butterflies. To give the largest butterfly a place to land I stamped the flower trio from PTI's annv set from last year. The sentiment is from a Hero Arts set called Pattern Hearts & Flowers.

Quick post as I have just wrapped up the administration of the state's English I exams to my students and I am exhausted! Please make sure you visit the other talented ladies on the Flutterby team :)

Poppies and Butterflies

It's time for another Flutterby Wednesday challenge. This week it is an open challenge which means anything with wings goes. I stuck with butterflies since I love them so much. The butterflies themselves are from a Martha Stewart punch. I swiped some blue ink onto a scrap of white c/s and once dried I simply punched them out. After I glued everything down I decided my card needed a little bling so I then took some blue stickles and coated my butterflies to give them some glitter and let them take center stage.

Flutterby Wednesday

Time for another Flutterby Wednesday challenge. This week we are sponsored by Pattie's Creations and it is an open challenge. This means you may create anything as long as it have a butterfly and/or fairy on it.

Short and sweet post as I am super busy with work and the state test coming up in less than a month. Make sure you check out the rest of the DT gals to see what fabby work they came up with :)

Flutterby with a sketch

It's time for another Flutterby Challenge, and this week it is a sketch. We would love to see you play along this week too. Just follow the sketch the below and be sure to include a butterfly or fairy.

When I first looked at the sketch, I was stumped. I am not a huge bow person (mostly because I stink at making pretty bows) and the CAS person in me just saw all of the layers. After I put it aside for a few days I started to remember that with sketches you can rotate and even flip them. Change it us just a hint if need be. So that is just what I did. I flipped and rotated the sketch and even centered the circle a bit more to my liking. I think I knew I wanted to do from the beginning was to include my butterflies in a field of flowers. I found a stamp in my wood stamp stash and used markers on it to create the colors (I used two shades of green and two shades of orange/yellow). Did the great "huff" technique and stamped. Then I found a circle diecut to cut it out. I used the Martha Stewart three butterfly punch and layered the sweet little butterflies. To help the sentiment stand out a bit more I took on of the smallest butterflies and popped it up underneath. The "ribbon" was created with green c/s and a white gel pen. In the end I had fun crafting this card.

 

Oh school, how I wish it was Spring Break. Alas, you are three weeks away. No big plans, I am just ready for a break. DH and I have been working on getting our family debt-free (except for the house) and on a cash only way of living. It has been hard and at times seemed impossible. We are doing this so that we will be able to create an option for me with work: continue working or become a stay-at-home mom (and maybe working part-time since both of my boys will be in school). It is a scary thing for us and is requiring us to really lean on our faith. As challenging as it has been though, the moments when I really trust and believe I do have a peace about it. Right now that peace is leading us to the SAH option. Part of the reason is we are also trying to decide about homeschooling. There is a program we are interested in but it starts when the child is in third grade and my oldest is in first this year. We shall see. Just felt like putting some words down about my thoughts (and even fears - the fear that if I speak what I truly want it won't come true. Silly I know, but there it is).

Butterlies I {heart} You

Time for another Flutterby Challenge. Since the is the week of LOVE we decided to bring the love of butterflies and fairies to our challenge. It's simple really to show the love; all you need to do is include a heart somewhere on your butterfly/fairy creation.

 

I had so much fun with this challenge. I pulled out PTI's Love Songs for the heart balloons and the sentiment from the Trendy Tree Tops set. the clouds (from PTI's Up, Up, & Away) were stamped and clear embossed onto the white c/s that I then sponged on two shades of blue ink. the sentiment was stamped first and the cloud embossed over it. The balloon hearts where stamped in shades of pinks and reds and then cut out and coated with glossy accents. I then glued them down onto the card while using pop dots to give depth to the middle one. I drew on the stings and attempted the bow but it turned out odd. The butterflies were punched out of white cardstock that I had colored with the ink pads I used for the hearts. I also used itty ditty dots to pop them up as well.

 

Sorry about the lack of posts here as of late. We are at the count down for the state test my students are taking (only 27 school days to go) so I am not getting much creative/play time.

Fluttering by

This week's Flutterby Challenge is the popular "Open Challenge". All you need to do is make sure there is a butterfly or fairy on your amazing creation. We are being sponsored by StampFairy this week too.

I have really enjoyed this layout from Kristina and thought it would be a perfect quick card for the challenge. The flower and sentiment is from PTI's Flutterby Friend. I stamped on the kraft and then colored in with the Inktense ink pencils. A quick card for a quick post. Hoping to be back later this week with another card for ya'll :)

Hello Flutterby

Time for another Flutterby challenge. This week is an open week, but make sure to include a butterfly or fairy. I kept my card rather CAS again (I'm really digging this style). The white raised base was embossed with PTI's Linen plate to give it a subtle texture. I then stamped the sentiment in the lower corner. I die cutted the butterfly out on white and then stamped it. To give it some depth I curled the wings and then used dots to make sure they stayed raised. The butterfly and sentiment is from PTI's Pretty Peonies 2012 annv. set. I simply drew the trail with a black multi-liner and then decided the card need a little something extra so I tried my hand at the scattered bling look. I like it but think I still need to perfect this as it seems to be an art form. Be sure to join in the fun over at the Flutterby challenge blog.

1 Sketch, 3 cards

Time for another FBW challenge and this time it is a sketch one. I must admit that I had fun with this one. In fact, I had so much fun that I created three cards in three sizes with it. Keeping it short and sweet today so here are the cards :)

I tried keeping them elegant yet simple. Hope you are able to join in the fun this week!

Winter White

Update: The pictures have been added now :)

I had lots of fun with this week's challenge at Flutter By Wednesday as it is Winter White. To celebrate the fact we are in the middle of winter the challenge will be to create an all white card while including either a butterfly or a fairy. You may color your image if needed though.

When I first saw this challenge I got giddy and nervous because it has been so long since I last did an all white card. I love the look of them but many time find it a struggle to create on my own. To really pull off an all white card I think there needs to be lots of texture and so that is just what I used for my card.

For the very first bit of texture I ran a 4.25 x 5.5" piece of c/s through my cuttlebug with the PTI hexagon impression plate to emboss those lovely shapes (I really do need to play with this plate more). For the next layer I used a scallop type border punch and then coated the edges with glitter (gotta have some bling with a white on white card cause it reminds me of snow sparkling in the sun) with the layer on top of it I white embossed the large flower from PTI's Pretty Peonies Annv 2012 set. From that same set I used the matching die to cut out the frame and then stamped and embossed with glitter the frame. All of this together made the perfect backdrop for some sweet little butterflies that I punched out of white carstock. To give the butterflies some depth and demention I tucked a large one behind the bottom of the frame and then went up and around with the smaller ones making sure that one their bodies and not their wings got glued down. To add some stablity to the wing I added little bits of foam dots. Love how it looks like they are taking flight. I also added some bling to their bodies so the sweet little things weren't so plane. To finish it off I decided against a sentiment on the front as place another wee butterfly in the lower corner. Hope you are able to come and flutter with us.