Floating Butterfly and Flowers Card

Hello everyone, and welcome back to my blog.  It has been a very busy few weeks since my last post.  I attended The Craft and Hobby Association Trade Show in Anaheim, California, and had the opportunity to meet some wonderful designers, made new friends, and got to see new products coming out in the near future.

And speaking of new products, The Robin's Nest (TRN) has put together some fantastic card kits and tag kits, and best of all, they are on sale the entire month of January.   Just use the code:  cardkitpromo for a 20% savings. We are also teaming up with Heartfelt Creations this month.  So, I used their Tattered Blossoms pre-cut stamp set and matching dies, in addition to the card and tag kits from TRN, to make this beautiful card.

Robin's Nest Products Used:

Baby Boy Card Kit which includes the following:
     Irredescent Blue Glitter Blue Swirl on Blue cardstock
     Rubber Duckies Glitter Cardstock
     Dew Drops
     Envelopes
     Embossed Panel cards
Awning Glitter Cardstock
Winter Tag Kit (Chipboard Shapes)
Glitter Teal Journaling

Other Products used:
Heartfelt Creations Tattered Blossoms stamp set and matching die set
Spellbinders label die
Distress inks (Scattered Straw, Stormy Sky, Peeled Paint, Evergreen Bough, Brushed Corduroy)
Leaf punch

Cut a piece of Awning Glitter Cardstock slightly smaller than card base, round the corners and distress the edges with a bit of brown ink.  I used a grey card stock for my base card. 

Card Layers

Die cut a label shape from the  Rubber Duckies Glitter Cardstock and adhere the reverse side to the first layer.  Distress ink these edges, too.

Stamp  Heartfelt Creations Tattered Blossoms in different sizes onto the reverse side of Irredescent Blue Glitter Blue Swirl on Blue cardstock and distress with various colors of Distress Inks.  Cut each blossom out using the matching Heartfelt Creations die cut set.

Emboss each petal using a bone folder or large tip embossing tool.  Pictured here, I am using a piece of foam beneath my flower petals, but a magazine or even a mouse pad could be used.

Stack each flower with three consecutively smaller petals, offsetting each petal for fullness. For added dimension, I used foam dots between some of the layers.  Of course, I used dew drops for the flower centers.  No flower is complete with dew drops.  

Here you can see the fullness and dimension achieved by using the foam dots.  I also punched some leaves to add to the flowers.  

Now, to make the floating butterfly, you will need to punch three symmetrical butterfly shapes.  I used a Martha Stewart punch to punch out the prettiest glittery parts of the Awning Glitter Cardstock.  Fold each butterfly in half, and glue the wings of each together, as shown. In other words, both of the center butterfly's wings are glued to the corresponding right or left wing of the butterfly on either side.    See picture below.

Now simply glue the two bottom wings to your card, and the remaining wings "float".  Here is a closeup of it on the card.  

I borrowed Terri Sproul's idea to use the dew drops for a flight path that the butterfly is taking on the card as it travels through this flower garden.  Isn't that a neat idea?

Now, here are a couple of tips I've learned over the years.  One:  don't forget to decorate the envelope a bit, and two:  carry on with your images to the inside of your card.  Here, I am using the Glitter Teal Journaling card to place my stamped sentiment and write my well wishes onto.  I covered an oval shape tag from the kit with the reverse side of Irredescent Blue Glitter Blue Swirl on Blue cardstock, stamped "For You" on it, and added some dew drops.  Distress the edges with a bit of ink, add some more leaves, and you have added one more wow factor to your card. Trust me, your friends (recipients) will be "wowed" and amazed when they open the card and get that extra surprise.  This is also a good way to use up those scraps instead of throwing them away.  

Well, I hope you have enjoyed my card project, and will give this floating butterfly a try.  It is easy and fun, and it just does not get much better than that.  I also want to remind you to visit the Robin's Nest blog to see what the other Design Team members are cooking up with their stamps and kits this month, as well as playing along with the newly revamped monthly challenges for a chance to win $20 to use in The Robin's Nest online store.  

As always, thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you will come back soon. 

Happy crafting in 2013!

Barbara

Autumn Pop-Up Card For The Robin's Nest Design Team Application

Hello everyone, and welcome back to my blog.  Today, I am trying out for The Robin's Nest Design Team.  I absolutely love The Robin's Nest products, and I have enjoyed working with them so very much.  I would be so honored to have the pleasure of working with them for another term.  

I made this great little pop-up card for Autumn.  This is my favorite time of year, and I wanted to express that in my card using these luscious autumn colored papers from The Robin's Nest.  I absolutely love how this card turned out. Aren't those pinecones beautiful?  I keep looking at them and still, I cannot believe they are made from paper and a Sizzix die. 

The base (outer) card is made with this gorgeous Family-Glitter Getaway Stripe Double-Sided Cardstock.  I  used the Brown Glitter card stock for the pinecones and some olive green paper for the pine needles, which I distressed a bit with brown ink.  I also added a bit of copper glitter to the pinecones.  I glued this arrangement over a scrap piece of die cut chipboard covered with the reverse side of Family-Glitter Getaway Stripe Double-Sided Cardstock, edging with gold ink.  For added glitz, I "sprinkled" some of these beautiful Getaway Dew Drops around the front.  Let's face it, nothing is complete without adding some pretty dew drops about.  

Finished Pop-Up Inside Card

I used a Sizzix die to make this card.  Although pop-up cards are not really as difficult as they look, they always surprise and amaze the recipient.  Below, I have made a simple diagram of a pop-up with straight lines for your use.  The sky is the limit, whether or not you use a die or a ruler and a craft knife.  The same goes for rosettes.  A strip of paper, accordion folded, glued into a circle, and you have yourself a rosette, as you will see later in this post.  Dies just make the job a little faster, but not necessary.

Outer Card (left) Inner Card w/pop-up (right)

First, die cut or manually cut the outer card using Family-Glitter Getaway Stripe Double-Sided Cardstock.  The outer card measures 4-1/4" x 11", folded in half to form a  4-1/4" x 5-1/2" card.

Next, you can either use the die to cut the inner card using Brown Glitter card stock, or follow my diagram below for a simple straight line pop-up.  You may need to trim a sliver off of each short edge of the inner card so that it will fit nicely inside the outer card.  

View of inner card from side angle

I cut a second piece from Glitter Copper Butterflies card stock to adhere over the center pop-up.  Alternatively, you can simply punch a 2-1/4" circle instead.  Then I punched a 2" scalloped circle from the reverse side of Family-Glitter Getaway Stripe Double-Sided Cardstock and used the botanical from the Family Rub On.  The Robin's Nest rub-ons go on like butter, and are not only versatile, but very easy to use.  I also inked the edges with gold ink and adhered both pieces to the central pop-up piece.

Central pieces cut out and added to pop-up center

Die cut a Glitter Coffee Creme Swirl Cardstock rosette, but only adhere it as a half circle rather than a full circle behind the central pop-up piece, as shown in the picture below.  You can also make the rosette by cutting a strip of this gorgeous paper into a 1" x 10" piece and accordion folding it every 1/4".  If you want the scalloped edge, you can trim one edge with decorative scissors before accordion folding it.  

Half rosette

Add glue to the front of the circle (on the right side of the paper) to adhere it behind the circular area of the pop-up, as shown.  (NOTE: The circle is not decorative in this case, but necessary to hold the rosette together).

Close-up of half rosette adhered behind pop up

I punched leaves from Distressed Honeycomb cardstock and added distress ink colors to each of the leaves to give them a variety of Fall colors.  After attaching a piece of wire to the reverse side of each leaf with a small piece of washi tape, I was able to insert the wires where I wanted them behind the rosette, enabling easy adjustment of their placement. 

Reverse of leaf showing wire attached with washi tape

Below is a close-up of the pop-up with the leaves attached.

Close-up of finished pop up

Another picture of the card from the side.

Angle view of card

I stamped my Autumn sentiment on the reverse side of the Family-Glitter Getaway Stripe Double-Sided Cardstock, continuing the shape from the front to the inside.  I also edged this with gold ink.  The sentiment is a bit hard to read in the photo, so this is what it says:  

"Every leaf speaks

bliss to me

fluttering from

the autumn tree."

                  -Emily Bronte

Close-up of stamped sentiment

Below, I have made a diagram of a simple pop-up insert for any card.  

The Robin's Nest Products Used:

Family-Glitter Getaway Stripe Double-Sided Cardstock

Glitter Coffee Creme Swirl Cardstock

Glitter Copper Butterflies

Distressed Honeycomb cardstock

Brown Glitter card stock

Getaway Dew Drops

Family Rub On

I hope you have enjoyed my card project this week and that you will be inspired to visit The Robin's Nest online store, as well as their blog, The Chattering Robins, for more inspiration and to check out their new and wonderful product line. 

Until next time, have a wonderful week, and happy crafting!

Barbara