Have I mentioned my love of a butterfly motif?

 And hearts and leaves.  I digress, today I'm sharing a card I made using Bibi's butterfly collection from spellbinders.  I cut one of the smaller butterflies and stenciled it with distress oxide inks.  This card wound up going a totally different direction. I had intended to make an A2 size card, but it just didn't look right on the background I'd made for it.  So, I dry emossed some silver foil cardstock with a spellbinders embossing folder, made a small strippy background in coordinating colors for the butterfly.  (hard to see in pictures) I added some silver flat back pearls, added some silver and white twine, and added a happy birthday sentiment.  This card turned into a 5x7.  I was happy with the final product.  

Another special birthday

 It's my birthday month, so I'm sharing a special birthday card I made for my son's friend's birthday.  I really enjoy personalizing a card.  I think there is just something a little more special about it. I hope he enjoys it and I'm sure he'll enjoy the $10 in the pocket on the back!!   I purchased this design from Cricut DS.  I heat embossed the sentiment.  I dry embossed all the layering panels.

I used DS to cut the letters and I dove deep into my sticker stash to add embellishments.  I cut the 9 from DS as well. Each panel is 4.5 inches and it's an accordion fold concertina card that I found on Sam Calcott's youtube channel (Mixed Up Craft) She's an amazing card engineer.  Hope you enjoy!

#shopyourstash #useyourstash 2023

 I made these first two cards using distress oxides and the smooshing technique.  I cased these first two cards from a card I saw on Pinterest, I'm not sure the technique the pinner used.  I used my Tim Holtz wildflower dies on all three cards.  I had the inside from the rectangles and used them to make the third card using ink blending left on my blenders.  I heat embossed the sentiments from various, older stamp sets in my collection.  The ink blending was done on Tim Holtz watercolor card stock. I used stitched rectangle dies I've had from Stampin' Up in my stash for years.   Thanks to Helen from Crafty Mama Diaries on YouTube for inspiring this hash tag to USE our stuff!

Masculine Birthday, More strippin' it up

 I recently unearthed this happy birthday, wood block stamp and realized what a great background it would be.  I had left over strips of cardstock from another project and thought let's add a masculine birthday card to my stash.  (fyi, birthday cards are one of the fewest cards I personally send out) Also, raise your hand if you struggle with masculine cards ✋Sheesh, why is it SO hard???

 I messed up the stamping a little at the top, but again, I'm not perfect and I doubt the someday recipient will notice.  You're kind of stamping blind with wood blocks.  I really like how it turned out.  I added a stamps of life happy birthday die cut and pops of color in three shades to round out the design.  Matted with a thin layer of black and mounted to a 5x7 card base.  

A little ink blending

 This card evolved from my latest sympathy card.  I was just enjoying blending ink colors with distress oxide inks.  They blend so beautifully, especially on Strathmore bristol smooth cardstock.  I created a stencil on my cricut and while I was in the stencil making zone, I created a stencil with hearts as well.  Once I get through my "work" orders, I'll be playing with that.  

Maybe I'm longing for that warmer weather, which is something these colors evoke.  Our bipolar weather, went from 70 degree thunderstorms yesterday, to 28 degrees spitting snow today.  Indiana, you never let me down.  HA! 

I heat embossed this large thanks stamp and added black pops of color for embellishment.  Mounted on black cardstock with layering stitched rectangle dies on a 5 x 7 card base.  

This card feels just like Spring.

 Good old Indiana is throwing out her crazy weather as usual.  It was like 70 degrees today which is completely abnormal in February, but considering our weather history...maybe notsomuch. Anywho, I was asked to make a thank you card and I am determined to use my stash, specifically things I haven't used before. To be honest, I do not have a lot in my stash that has never been used.  I make it a point to use what I buy. That being said, there are occasions that doesn't always happen.  So, I pulled out this large die of the month that I've had from Spellbinders for some time.  Lots and lots of pieces.  Tedious, and I can't tell you how many times I had to re-cut pieces I lost. I also managed, in this work session, to dump my gold embossing powder all over my desk and onto the floor....not pretty friends.  Tedious, though it may have been, I always love how projects like this turn out when finished.  Super cute. Enjoy.

My grandmother's Mother's Day card

 I absolutely LOVE this collection from Spellbinders of Bibi's Butterfly collection.  It took some time, but I was able to add the entire collection to my stash.  I also used a set from Vicki P's birdhouse collection from spellbinders.  The flowers are from a spellbinders collection as well, that I already had created in my stash.  First let's talk about the card shape....is that not stunning???  I think an easel card is one of my absolute favorite styles to make, actually, I don't think, I know it is and let's just take that up a notch by making it a butterfly and 5 x 7 in size???  Yes, I am here for that.  True confession, this was my first time cutting the little birds and OH.MY.WORD. they are absolutely adorable.  Now I need to cut them in all the colors...maybe I'll do that tomorrow! I digress, I used an older Anna Griffin die for the Mom die cut and sub sentiments from an old lawn fawn set of stamps called Owl always love you...(I think,,not sure) The papers were cut from a 12 x 12 cardstock pack I got at Michaels I got for 5.00 on clearance, which I also love.  Gold foiled, water colored look...so pretty and also included solids.  

I know she will love it.