Blendabilities Butterflies

Have you tried the new Blendabilities yet?  It was quite out of character for me to get these markers as soon as they were released, but I'm so glad I did!  They are so much fun to color with.  The color goes on so smoothly, and it really is a piece of cake to get the colors to blend without that tell-tale line that our regular markers would leave.  Don't get me wrong, I still love those, but Blendabilities serve a different purpose, and I love having options when it comes to coloring!

One issue I did have, however, was that I don't have a lot of line art images.  It took some digging through my current stamp sets to find something that I could color.  I adore Papillion Potpourri, so I was more than happy to color in these lovely butterflies.  I like to start with the darker shade and blend to light, but you can choose to go from light to dark.  Check out the video below for more tips on coloring with Blendabilities.

 

Supplies

Stamps:  Papillion Potpourri, Thoughts & Prayers

Ink:  Crumb Cake, Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, and Rich Razzleberry Blendabilities

Paper:  Crumb Cake, Naturals Ivory, and Whisper White Card Stock

Accessories:  Big Shot, Argyle Embossing Folder, Apothecary Accents Framelits, Sponge

Papillion Potpourri Mother's Day Card

Wow, am I late in getting a card posted today!  Since this coming Sunday is Mother's Day, I thought it would be appropriate to show this card this week.  And yes, there are lots of retired products used on this, but if you have these stamps sitting on your shelf, it's a good way to use them.  And you should use them!  Sometimes we let some really great sets just sit there, all forlorn and forgotten, when they should be seeing some ink and contributing to pretty cards! 

This card was really simple to make.  I just stamped the grass using the Inspired by Nature set, then stamped, punched, and added the butterflies from Papillion Potpourri.  And while I was certain that the Deco Labels Framelits would be on the retiring list, they weren't!  I am SO excited about this.  And guess what...there's a new set to use with them that's coming out in the new catalog!

Supplies

Stamps:  Inspired by Nature (retired), Papillion Potpourri, All Year Cheer II (retired)
Ink:  Pear Pizzazz, Raspberry Ripple, Pretty in Pink (retired)
Paper:  Raspberry Ripple, Whisper White, Pink Pirouette, Sahara Sand card stock
Accessories:  Elegant Butterfly Punch, Bitty Butterfly Punch, Big Shot, Deco Labels Framelits, Raspberry Ripple Stitched Satin Ribbon

Hey, speaking of the new catalog, let me know if I can set aside a copy for you!

Thanks So Much

I don't know about you, but I was shocked to see the Square Lattice embossing folder on the retiring list!  I love that folder, and use it all the time.  I just love the unique texture it gives, but hopefully there will be something similar in the new catalog.

Because I love this folder so much, I thought I'd show it off with this card.  I really like to layer it on a same colored card base, as it gives a subtle bit of texture and interest without drawing attention away from the main image. 

I'm also linking this card to the Fab Friday challenge.  This one was a color challenge and was really tough for me!  These are NOT colors I would normally use together, but I was pleasantly surprised to see them work as well together as they do.  That's why I like to do challenges...they push me outside my comfort zone.  Considering the creative block I've had going for the last few weeks, this was just the push I needed!

Supplies

Stamps:  Just Believe (retired), Tiny Tags (retired), Papillion Potpourri
Ink:  Early Espresso, Summer Starfruit, Crisp Cantaloupe, Smokey Slate
Paper:  Early Espresso, Summer Starfruit, Crisp Cantaloupe, Smokey Slate, and Naturals White card stock
Accessories:  Big Shot, Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Chalk Talk Framelits, Jewelry Tag Punch, Bitty Butterfly Punch, Sweet Sorbet Accessories Pack, Basic Jewels Pearls

Retro Fresh Thanks So Much Card

Happy Friday!  I think this has been the longest week ever.  So let's just say that it's a good thing that Friday is here.  What's even better is that the weather forecast says it's going to be 60 today.  After the last few freezing cold days, I'm ready for a bit of spring.

And speaking of spring, this card brings a bit of it as well.  It's the same layout as this card from a few weeks ago, just with different colors.  It's amazing how different two cards of the same layout can look when you change just a few elements.  In this case, I even used butterflies again, just did them a bit differently.

Tips & Tricks

• When adhering ribbon that's more than 1/4" wide, be sure to use Sticky Strip.  It's a guarantee that it will hold and you won't have to worry about it falling off.

• I love the new Tag Topper punches.  I also love using the corner rounder on the two corners when using the Scallop TT punch.  It just softens it a bit and gives a finished look that is consistent with the rounded edges at the other end.

Supplies

Stamps:  Oh Hello, Papillion Potpourri
Ink:  Tangerine Tango, Coastal Cabana, and Soft Suede
Paper:  Retro Fresh DSP, So Saffron, Tangerine Tango, Coastal Cabana, and Soft Suede card stock
Accessories:  Scallop Tag Topper Punch, Elegant Butterfly Punch, Bitty Butterfly Punch, Coastal Cabana Ruffled Ribbon

Don't forget that Sale-a-Bration ends on Monday.  If you'd like to place an order and earn some fabulous FREE products, contact me today!

Papillion Potpourri {plus a promotion!}

Wow, there's a lot of alliteration in that post title!  And good heavens, it's been a week since I last posted.  I NEVER intend to go that long.  Unfortunately, an elbow injury kept me from stamping and limited my computer use.  I'd love to say it's all better, but it's an ongoing thing that just sometimes gets really bad.  And last week was one of those times.  I'm so sorry for my long absence!

And while I'm apologizing, sheesh!  Sorry about this horrible picture!  I'm having some camera issues.  Actually, the issue is more with the user than the camera itself.

I'm not a big watercolorer (yes, it's a word...I just made it up), but I love to watercolor these butterflies.  I think these are really easy to watercolor, and anyone can make these butterflies look beautiful.  Pair them with the coordinating Elegant Butterfly and Bitty Butterfly punches, and you just can't go wrong!

Tips & Tricks

• Squeeze the lid of an ink pad while shut, and you'll end up with ink on the inside of the lid.  Grab an Aquapainter and dip it in for easy watercoloring...no special paints needed!
• Sticky Strip is your best friend when ruffling ribbon...don't bother with any other adhesive as it just won't stick long term.
• No need to fussy cut your butterflies when you can just punch them with coordinating punches! (see below)

Promotion

• Get 15 percent off when you buy the Papillion Potpourri stamp set (clear or wood mount) and the Bitty Butterfly punch!

		Clear-Mount Butterfly Bundle     $26.27 Wood-Mount Butterfly Bundle     $29.67
		Call or email me if you'd like to order this great bundle...it's only available until September 30!

Blown Ink Butterflies {Papillion Potpourri}

As you can see, I had lots of fun with the blown ink technique and butterflies.  While a similar color combination to the one I used last week, this one includes Pool Party, and completely changes the look.  To make the butterflies, I embossed them with white embossing powder first, then did the blown ink, using So Saffron and Pool Party.  Because the drops of ink are going directly to the paper, it's best to go up a shade, rather than using the same exact color as your papers.

Stamps:  Mosaic Madness, Teeny Tiny Wishes, Papillion Potpourri
Ink:  So Saffron and Pool Party refills, Bermuda Bay and Crushed Curry (to dye the twine) Classic Ink Pad
Paper:  Crushed Curry, Pool Party, Bermuda Bay, and Naturals White card stock
Accessories:  Elegant Butterfly and Bitty Butterfly punches, Big Shot, Square Lattice embossing folder, Bitty Banners Framelits, Whisper White Baker's Twine, Stampin' Dimensionals

Papillion Potpourri

I've been playing with a new technique lately.  Can you spot it?  It's called blown ink, and it's lots of fun.  In fact, my kids and I are going to experiment with this a lot more this afternoon.  The cool swirls on the butterfly were made using this technique, and what's so neat about it is that it's different every single time.  I'm also loving this color combination, which is funny (to me) because when Bermuda Bay and Crushed Curry first came out as In-Colors a few years ago, I really didn't like Bermuda Bay at all.  But I guess my tastes have changed, because I love how these colors look together!

Stamps:  Papillion Potpourri
Ink:  Bermuda Bay and So Saffron Classic Ink refills
Paper:  Naturals White, Bermuda Bay, and Crushed Curry card stock
Accessories:  Big Shot, Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Designer Frames Embossing Folder, Elegant Butterfly Punch, straw

Papillion Potpourri

Here's the birthday card I made for my brand new 11 year old.  Purple butterflies were the perfect choice for her card, and like I did with her sister's card, I went simple.  I used the Papillion Potpourri set and the coordinating punches for a simple layered look.  I was pleasantly surprised at how nicely the three different shades of purple looked together, too.  I love Stampin' Up!'s color coordination! 

Stamps:  Papillion Potpourri
Ink:  Wisteria Wonder, Perfect Plum, and Elegant Eggplant Classic Ink
Paper:  Naturals White, Wisteria Wonder, Perfect Plum, and Elegant Eggplant card stock
Accessories:  Bitty Butterfly Punch, Elegant Butterfly Punch, Pearls Basic Jewels

Just Believe

This is a special card, because I made it for a special person. :)  My friend asked me to make some cards for her, and when she does that, I almost always go with her favorite color, purple.  She specifically mentioned including some kind of plants as well as some sort of insects.  The butterfly choice was a no-brainer, and it took me all of about two seconds to decide on using the Just Believe set, one of my absolute favorites.

There are several layers to this card, staring with a base of Naturals Ivory, followed by a layer of Perfect Plum, embossed with the Square Lattice Embossing Folder.  The next layer uses a veeeeeery old background stamp that is very similar to En Francais, so let's pretend that's what I used. :)  Next is a piece of Very Vanilla, stamped with the gorgeous flower image from this set.  It's not really showing up well in the picture, but I sponged the edges with Always Artichoke.  Then to top it all off, is that one lovely little butterfly from Papillion Potpourri, stamped in Elegant Eggplant on Perfect Plum cardstock and punched out with the new Bitty Butterfly punch.  The finishing touches include the Always Artichoke seam binding ribbon and the the Dazzling Details glitter adhesive in the centers of the flowers.

Stamps:  Just Believe (116948), Papillion Potpourri (123757)
Ink:  Elegant Eggplant Classic Ink (126969), Always Artichoke (119701), Perfect Plum (119700), and Elegant Eggplant (119701) Stampin' Around Markers
Paper:  Elegant Eggplant (105126), Perfect Plum (101889), Naturals Ivory (101849), and Very Vanilla (101650) card stock
Accessories:  Always Artichoke Seam Binding Ribbon (121000), Dazzling Details (124117), Big Shot (113439), Square Lattice Embossing Folder (119976), Labels Collection Framelits (125598), Bitty Butterfly Punch (129406)

Papillion Potpourri Double Embossing Technique

Double embossing...it's such a gorgeous technique, and I've wanted to try it for a very long time.  I finally decided to give it a shot, and honestly, it was so easy.  Why did I wait so long?   I can't wait to sit down this weekend and try it with different combinations of embossing folders.

I so wish I could take credit for this card, but I can't.  I CASEd the whole thing from Pat Coombes, a Stampin' Up! demonstrator in the UK.  Click here if you'd like to follow her tutorial on how to double emboss. 

Stamps:  Papillion Potpourri (123757), Itty Bitty Banners (126255)
Ink:  Soft Suede Classic Ink (126978)
Paper:  Soft Suede (115318) and Naturals Ivory (101849) card stock
Accessories:  Big Shot (113439), Fancy Fan Embossing Folder (127751), Designer Frames Embossing Folders (123130), Bitty Banners Framelits (129267), Elegant Butterfly punch (127526), Pearls Basic Jewels (119247)

So Sorry

Can you tell I'm really into making little 4"x4" cards lately?  For some reason, I'm enjoying the square card over rectangle.  Maybe later this week I'll have something other than a square card. :)

I recently got the So Sorry stamp set, and it's so beautiful.  I know that sounds weird, considering the set consists only of words.  But I love the scripted type style and think it's really pretty.  And with lots of options for finishing that thought, it's very versatile.  I chose just to stick with So Sorry, and I guess when I need to send this type of card, I'll finish the sentiment on the inside.  Hopefully I won't have a need to send this for a long time, though.

The butterflies from Papillion Potpourri coordinate perfectly with the two butterfly punches that Stampin' Up! carries.  I stamped them with Staz-On ink, then punched them out.  The punches work great even with watercolor paper.  I chose to watercolor after I punched, but you could easily do it before.  I'll admit that I may have ruined this card when I spritzed ink on the sentiment.  I was so upset, but after it dried, I decided to keep it.  I'm on the fence about how I feel about all that brown on there...it wasn't the look I was going for!  I highly recommend doing a test spray BEFORE spraying your project!  At least the speckling worked in the upper right hand corner of the card!

Stamps:  Papillion Potpourri (123757), So Sorry (126525)
Ink:  Jet Black Staz-On (101406), Early Espresso (126974), Tangerine Tango (126946), So Saffron (126957), Perfect Plum (126963), and Elegant Eggplant (126969) Classic Ink
Paper:  Crumb Cake (102953), Early Espresso (119686), and Naturals Ivory (101849) card stock, Watercolor Paper (122959)
Accessories:  Window Frames Framelits (129021), Big Shot (113439), 5/8" Crochet Trim (118481), Aquapainter (103954), Elegant Butterfly Punch (127526),  Bitty Butterfly Punch (129406), Festive Paper-Piercing Pack (127857), Paper-Piercing Mat (126199), Paper-Piercing Tool (126189)