Butterflies, butterflies...it's so funny, but I really never liked to decorate with them. But, THEN, awhile back all this wonderful butterfly stuff started appearing for papercrafts. I was sold! I saw that this month's issue over at Paper Issues is Birds, Bees, and Butterflies. So, I decided to pull out the Martha Stewart border punch I've had, but haven't used yet. (Remember, I am trying to use things I've had for awhile!) Then I remembered this cutie image and this card was born.
I used a Spellbinder die to cut the frame. The layered butterfly is two MS punches and some old glittered butterflies I picked up at Michaels a couple of years ago (yep, using those old things).
Hope you're looking forward to a great week...I'm looking forward to Lauren coming to visit, so this will be a great week for me!
Nature is the new theme at Craft Us Crazy! Be sure to check out the design team inspiration on the blog. Our monthly sponsor is Stitchy Bear Stamps.
They have a great range of stamps (You can see a silhouette stamp I used here). The prize is a $10 gift certificate!
We also have a weekly sponsor: Cocoa Dingo!
The prize is four digital images of the winner's choice!
I chose to make a pressed flower packet for the Nature theme. We have some beautiful flowers in our yard every year (and Dennis also sends me pretty flowers) and I checked out how to preserve them. After they're preserved, I wanted a pretty place to keep them. I made a packet out of a brown paper sack - sewing up the sides and across the bottom, too, so the pockets wouldn't be quite so deep. I decorated the outside like a card I created earlier (so it may look a little familiar).
I love the vintage seed packet and the pretty Kaiser Papercraft papers. I'm really liking that little bee, too! The pressed flower packets are glassine bags with two sheets of transparency inside.
Once I have the flowers dried, I'll place them between the transparencies and sew up the edges. Also inside is a library card for journaling, so I can tell about the flower.
On the outside of the glassine bags, are what I call "the flower girls." I've used them on cards and I absolutely love them! I can't wait for the spring flowers to start blooming so I can start pressing! In the meantime, check out all the details for the Nature challenge at Craft Us Crazy...
I love the fashion pages from Godey's Lady's Book. I saw a couple more this weekend at an antique store, but they seemed too expensive, so I didn't get them. Probably should have!
I made this card to match the candy cone I made earlier. Nice to have a little gift set.
Can you believe March is almost here? I can't believe two months of 2011 have already gone by! Where does the time go?
I came across a neat challenge blog: ABC Challenge Blog. I found it after the previous challenge O is for Old-Fashioned had been closed. Their challenges seem like fun! I decided to make a scallop oval shaped card. I had this cutie-pie all cut out ready to go.
She looks so sweet and I think these old Sassafras Lass papers are perfect for her. The colors make me think of spring and sunshine.
What's the weather like where you are? Does it look like spring is around the corner?
I actually love getting mail - just don't get so much anymore (unless it's junk). Don't you think it would have been exciting to see this air mail envelope in your mailbox?
I found several airmail envelopes while I was in Guthrie the other day. I've intended to use these little kids for awhile now. They seem just perfect for the airmail envelope. I also just got a great stamp and die set from The Cat's Pajamas that I used to create the For You "stamp." The red, white, and blue twine is also from The Cat's Pajamas. Love it!
I'm linking my airmail card at My Time to Craft Challenge Blog. The challenge this week is to have a hat somewhere on the card. Both of these sweeties are wearing cute little hats... Hope you're having a great week!
I'm really trying to use those stamps that I've had for a long time and haven't used. I love this little girl from Crafty Secrets. The sentiment is a really cool font, too.
Surprisingly enough, this card is made from scraps left over from other projects. The pieces were just kind of lying there, looking rejected... When I thought they looked rather pretty together. The end result made me happy!
Hope you've had a great weekend. We went to several antique stores in Guthrie yesterday and came away with buttons, vintage postcards, beautiful plates with cherubs on them and we had fun with wonderful friends, John and Lisa! Glad you stopped by!
It's a winter theme over at Craft Us Crazy! Our weekly sponsor is Meljen Designs.
Meljen's Designs is a lovely stamp company owned and illustrated by Melissa Jenkins. She illustrates whimsical rubber and digital images inspired by her kids and family. Meljen's Designs has new releases along with a new challenge every Thursday, freebies every Monday and a Guest Designer each month at the Meljen's Designs Blog. Please visit the Meljen's Designs line of stamps at the WHIMSY STAMPS STORE to browse and enjoy Melissa's wonderful images. I chose this very cute snow bunny from Meljen Designs to create the cover of a winter coloring book. Then, I enjoyed looking through all the stamps on a search for more cute winter ones.
(There are quite a few, by the way!)
I chose three more and also printed the bunny as a coloring page. The pages are perforated so they can easily be removed after coloring - to be posted on the refrigerator, of course! I also made the cover so that it can be refilled with different winter images. I wanted to use my new snow marker, but what a problem! Don't know if I got a defective one or what - but after using it one time no more "snow" would come out!
So, I mixed equal parts of salt and baby powder and sprinkled it over glue. What do you think?
Papers: October Afternoon, My Mind's Eye, Snowflake Punch: Martha Stewart
Visit Craft Us Crazy to link up your project and to check out all the details on the challenge, prizes, and sponsors, including our monthly sponsors, The Cutting Cafe and Stamps Alive.
Thanks for stopping by!
