Welcome BACK!!  For the next installment of the Best-OF tour.

Best of Butterflies.  And, I gotta say, it’s the BEST OF.  There are so many nice butterflies in this set it’s unbelievable…  And, I am now kicking myself now cause I had lots of things I wanted to show you with that I’ve made previously…  but, due to my compulsiveness to not keep things after they retire, I no longer have the samples.  But, the take away from this is that you need the stamps.  Cause they are great.

When I first saw these butterflies, I was instantly drawn to the Monarch one…  And, thinking it needed to be bold.  And stand out.  So, this is what I came up with:

 

I love square cards.  Now, I now they cost more to mail… yada yada….  BUT… WOULDN’T YOU LOVE GETTING THIS IN THE MAIL??  WITH THE ORANGE (correction, tangerine tango) POLKADOT ENVELOPE???  It would make my WEEK.

Since we are nearing the end of this current catalog, I figured it should be a tribute to more things retiring…  like the Scallop Square die (Can you see it, behind the basic gray square panel, layered on a solid black… it’s the whole tone-on-tone thing…)  The Designer Series Paper Stacks (used for the tangerine envelope AND for the basic gray background on the card).  AND, I used the retiring square punches, the 1 1/4″ and the 1 3/8″ punches.  Now, I know you are thinking that squares are easy to CUT.  but, they are even easier to PUNCH.  And, you need them to make an envelope (well, it makes making an envelope easier).   SEE:

 

Okay… so… back up a couple of steps.  The card is 4 1/2″ square.  So, I made the envelope 4 3/4″ square.  In order to do this, you cut a paper that is 8×8 and use the diagonal plate on your stampin’ score to score lines at every 3 3/8″  (do it on all sides).  This will leave you with a little place where your score lines intersect.  You are gonna wanna remove the paper from the area where they intersect.  The square punch works swimmingly.  Now I know you could use scissors and cut it.  But WHY??

 

And, you need the punches to punch out the pieces for the front of the card.  Well, I suppose you can cut it, but punching is faster.   And, for the butterfly, I decided to use the aqua painter.  Cause I wanted to be able to layer the color.  Okay.  JUST had a brainstorm…  I need to research this, but perhaps some of you know…  now, copic markers are alcohol based.  I wonder what would happen if you used alcohol in the aqua painter??  I’ve never tried.  Always done water…  HUM…  Anyway, that is beside the point.  I know lots of people prefer the blender pen to the aqua painter, but… gotta say… I love the aqua painter.  Admittedly, there is a learning curve with using it, but once you figure it out, it is EXCELLENT for adding color to specific places.  Perfect for shading, adding depth…etc…

 

And of course, I had to add some rhinestones cause, well DIAMONDS should be on everything.    See in the butterfly that it looks like a few colors?  It’s not.  Just tangerine tango… layered on with the aqua painter…

 

 

Just another perspective…  My favorite is the butterfly busting out of the box.  Cause why be conformed to a box??  Why be limited by a white envelope??  To a NORMAL sized card???  There is NO NEED TO LIMIT.  🙂

 

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the rest of the tour… You are now headed over to Deb Leigh.  You can click on the button below.  Or use the list of links if you need….

 

 

 

Nancy Amato http://stampinallnight.blogspot.com
Linda Bartolucci – http://www.inkstampandscrap.com/
Ingrid Blackburn –http://TheCreativeGrove.com
Melissa Bolinger www.stampinup.net/blog/2089191
Jackie Bottomley jackiebottomley.blogspot.com
Susan Carlsonhttp://stampinmomoffour.blogspot.com

Tamra Davis www.thecardladies.com
Sherri Eddleblute – http://www.sweetestdesigns.blogspot.com/
Lynn Embrey – http://www.possibilitiestamperstudio.com/
Becky Evans www.alwayshappystampin.com
Kathy Hamrick – http://www.countryroads.typepad.com/

Crystal Kondo www.card-ed.com
Deb Lehighhttp://thestampinhut.typepad.com/
Debbie Lever – www.debbiescreativespot.blogspot.com
Anne Matasci –www.MauiStamper.wordpress.com
Robin Merrimanhttp://www.trinitydesignstudio.blogspot.com
Maria Pane http://www.stampinandscrappinwithriri.blogspot.com
Andi Potler – http://www.absolutekreations.com
Michele Reynolds – http://www.inspirationink.typepad.com
Sharon Tisdale – http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/coveredbridgesstamper/blog
Janet Wakelandhttp://wp.me/pHIQD-4P4