A recipe for a fun time

My friend Pam and I were chatting today. I thought it would be fun to do a recipe challenge.

We each picked 2 ingredients to go into our recipe. I picked BUTTERFLIES and PEARLS. She picked the color TEAL and LACE. 

The result of this recipe is this card.

I used the Mojo 369 for my card.

 I started with I took a piece of teal cardstock. I embossed it with my french script embossing folder and my cuttlebug. I then covered that teal cardstock with glue encyclopedia scraps and  white paint. I wanted it to dry quickly so I put it on a foil lined cookie sheet and I put it in my oven. It dried in 2 mins. I was very happy with the results. I might have to try it again. I let it cool and I used a stencil and copper inka gold. I also took gold paint and went over the embossed script. I cut it into thirds. I wanted to have my pearls for my butterfly trails. I only had straight pearl strips. So I cut each pearl apart and using tweezers and put them down one at a time. 

 If you would like to see my friend Pam's card you can check it out HERE.

Stacked butterfly

This is the telescoping card I made for the Technique lovers challenge at SCS. I used my two new Mark's Finest Papers sets. BUTTERFLIES AND WISTERIA and BLACK EYED SUSANS FOR ENCOURAGEMENT. I was inspired by this photo that I took yesterday at the park. I hope you enjoy. I used more sheet music for the Stampin' Sisters in Christ challenge to use music on our cards.

Layers of Color Butterflies for Blog Hop

I already shared a card that used a Mark's Finest Paper butterfly for the butterfly blog hop, but I didn't see anyone share Layers of Color butterflies. Laura Campbell has some of the most amazing butterflies. So I'm sharing these cards that I made this afternoon.

This card uses a Layers of Color Butterfly Collector butterfly.

This is another Layers of Color butterfly from the Flutterescent set.

This is a sample of some of the butterflies I have. Can you tell I love butterflies?

Layers of Color butterfly tag

Today's technique lovers challenge was to do something with tags. I made a butterfly gift tag using Layer of Color - Flutterescent and Creative Florishes sets. I filled it with chocolate for my friend Ann who is having a birthday this week.

Butterfly blessings

I have been very sick this week with a horrible head cold. I haven't spent much time creating this week. One of my blessings this week was on Tuesday afternoon, it was sunny and warm, and the butterflies were congregating in the parking lot at work. My husband and I run a small trucking company, so big 18 wheelers and delicate little butterflies was quite the contrast. There were about 35 monarch butterflies flying and landing on the parking lot. Most of them were male. We had rain earlier in the week and there were still some rain puddles, and that is what I think drew them there. They would fly around and land for drinks of water. When they would land, they weren't the least concerned about me and my camera and I was able to get really close to them. Made it easy to get some great photos. I love butterflies and this blessing of the butterflies was such a wonderful gift from my loving heavenly father.

Fall Butterflies

I took these photos of butterflies in the parking lot at work. The top one is a male monarch butterfly, the middle two photos are of a yellow sulphur butterfly and the bottom one is another male monarch butterfly.

Porcelain Paper Butterfly

I used the butterfly from Mark's Finest Papers -Daffodil and Anise set to make a porcelain paper butterfly pin. The inspiration challenge today was from Pink Taffy Designs. I was inspired by this mobile. This pin is different from others that I have made, because, I added spirals of wire and beads at the bottom of the pin.

Butterfly Birthday cards with Buttons

Today's Ways to Use it challenge was to use Buttons on our cards. I made the background paper with green ink, and a leafy flower stamp. I then Ink-Sprayed-Smashed it with blue and turquoise markers. The top card used Layers of Color butterflies, and Joyful Noise set. I stamped the keyboard on ribbon and I stamped the music notes on the button. I used a rubon for the butterflies trail. I used the Happy Birthday from MFP's Daffodil and Anise set. For the bottom card, I stamped the butterfly from MFP's Daffodil and Anise set along with the sentiment and the Anise flowers at the bottom. I added little paper flowers and buttons and pearls.

Blessings for the heart box

I was inspired to make this box by looking in Irene's gallery. She was chosen yesterday as Queen of the day. I loved her explosion box with a teal rose on top. I kinda got carried away with my box, and it ended up too big for just 1 rose, so I have 4 on mine plus a Layers of Color butterfly. On the inside of the box, I have a Layers of Color butterfly on a paper spring that makes it pop up. I also printed scriptures for the 4 panels. I had so much fun making this little box.

Common Orange Sulfur Butterfly

Yesterday's ways to use it challenge was to stick it. I chose to make a porcelain paper butterfly using my Layers of Color butterfly stamp. I colored it to look like a comon orange sulfur butterfly. I found this buttefly corpse in the parking lot of our McDonalds. It was in really good condition considering... I brought it to my office to be my model for my butterfly. It really helped having it side by side with the one I was coloring. I made a box for it using my favorite origami box technique. I used ink-spray-smashed paper on the box. I also used my Layers of Color art stencil on the box. I made hand made flowers. I added a twist this time by adding yellow fringe to the centers of my flowers.

Tilt Card

The technique lovers challenge at SCS this week was to make a tilt card. The ways to use it challenge at SCS was to make a card that moved. This card is for both challenges. I used this tutorial at SCS to make my Layers of Color butterfly on the front of my card tilt. I added a spiral pop up to the center to make my inside Layers of Color butterflies pop up and fly. Here is the tutorial for the spiral pop up.

Butterfly and trio of flowers

This is the card I made for SCS sketch challenge this week. I really like how this turned out. I used my Layers of Color butterfly with embossed gold accents. I used my Layers of Color stencil at the bottom and I used an embossing pen to add more gold. The flowers are clearly inspired brushed florals colored with prisma colored pencils.

Another TWO card

This is another card for the Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge to make 2 into 1 creation. I used groupings of 2 brads in each corner, I had 2 butterflies, 2 iris with 2 layers. I was going to put 2 ribbons, but that didn't look right, so my bow has 2 loops and 2 tails making 1 bow.

TWO are better than ONE...

This card was made for 2 challenges. I made this for the technique lovers challenge at Splitcoast. The technique was called frosted windows. You stamp an image twice, once on cardstock and once on vellum. Then you layer the 2. I knew it would be a great technique to use on the Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge that Randi gave us.

Mark 10: 7-9 "7. 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, 8. and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. 9. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." (NASB)

Based on this scripture we were to make a card of TWOS.
I used 2 layers with this technique. I stamped 2 flowers, added 2 butterflies, punched out 2 pieces of cardstock with my word window punch and finished with 2 little pearls. I used the Ecclesasties 4:9-12 for my card.

I was going to give this card to my husband for Valentine's day, but when I was finished it looked to feminine. I really feel like this card should go to my friend at church. She is an elderly widow, who is alone. I want her to know that I am thinking of her.

Butterflies

I made these 2 cards for the Stampin' B design Team Challenge to use a butterfly, die cut and flower. I had so much fun making these. I hadn't used this little butterfly in a long time, because I really like my Layers of Color butterfly. I saw this one when I was cleaning up last night and knew I had to use it today.

Got Butterflies????

I made this butterfly milk carton for the Limited Supplies challenge, although I have to admit it wasn't very limited, and for the Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge. I know the purpose of the limited supplies is to show what you can do as a beginner. I only used white cardstock for this project. I brayered one piece with dark green and lime green ink. I then stamped greenery with dark green and lime green. I played with my new cuttlebug to make the windows. They could have been just as well cut out with scissors. I taped acetate to the inside of the windows. I made two porcelain butterflies using my LAYERS OF COLOR stamps and tied the milk box with a ribbon. I filled it with kisses.

1 Peter 1:23 (NIV) "For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God."

That is the scripture for the Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge. We were reminded that seeds send out little shoots of green. We have the hope of eternal life, because of Christ. We were planted in Him, and as the Holy Spirit works on our lives we begin to grow. Little green shoots that give us a glimpse of what we will be like after this world. We were to use green in a project to remind us of our eternal hope. It didn't have to be all green just a touch. I couldn't help myself and there is not just a touch of green, but a whole lot. I guess I just got carried away because I'm tired of white, outside my window.

Porcelain paper card

The inspiration challenge at SCS was FRANZ PORCELAIN. I chose this little sugar jar as my inspiration piece. I made a porcelain paper butterfly, leaves and flowers.

Photos of Barn and Butterfly

I took these photos a couple of weeks ago. I thought I would share them with you.

An adventure with butterflies

Yesterday was a busy one for me as a mom and a scout leader. In the morning I lead a group of cub scouts on a butterfly tagging expedition. A lot of children in our area spend all their times on their computers or game stations and getting out into nature is so foreign to them. For the past few years I have been bringing not only my own kids but others, including my cub scouts to an event hosted by our local conservation office. Monarch butterflies are caught and tagged, and released. The conservation officer said that of the butterflies that have been tagged only one in the past few years has been tracked all the way from Iowa to Mexico. That butterfly flew over 2,000 miles. That is pretty impressive. We had been hunting the butterflies for about 15 mins when we caught one. It was a little female. Here is a photo of the boys as they are getting ready to release the butterfly. My son is the one in the turquoise colored shirt.


Here is a photo of the fearless butterfly wranglers!!! They would have liked to catch more than the one butterfly, but after hiking around in the open field of flowers for 2 1/2 hours they were ready to go get some lunch. I hope it is a memory that the boys will have forever.

After the parents picked up their boys, my son Kaleb and I went to the park to enjoy more of God's creations. We both had our cameras and we wer taking photos of the flowers in the gardens there. Here are a few of the flowers that I took photos of.

The irony of yesterday was that after spending all morning looking for monarch butterflies, that after we were done looking, that we would find one. Kaleb and I saw this male monarch butterfly sitting in the garden. We approached very quietly and were able to get very close. We both got photos of him.

What made the rest of the day busy was marching band competitions. My daughters had 2 band competitions yesterday. Their band took first place for their division at both competitions! YEA!!!!! We didn't get home until late though... Next week's band competition is even farther than this week's one. I guess I can catch up on sleep when they are grown. Sleep is overrated anyway...