Butterflies and top note card

Don't you find butterflies fun to work with? I love them and have been having lots of fun with the exclusive Stampin' Up dies - the Beautiful Butterflies Bigz and the Beautiful Wings Embosslits dies. Today I thought I'd show you my latest creation:

I've layered the largest Embosslits butterfly over the smallest Bigz one, wrapping linen thread around it and tying in a knot at the top. Once the thread is trimmed, it looks like antennae!

I like the ever-decreasing size of the layers on this card. The top note layer is attached with dimensionals and the other two layers glued flat.

Here's a close-up of that butterfly. The Crumb Cake layer it's mounted on has been stamped with the Fine Flourish background stamp. I do love this stamp, which not only makes a beautiful background (and takes on so many different looks depending on how its coloured) but is also great for adding texture.

Here's how to make this card:

• Take an A5 piece of Very Vanilla card stock. Score and fold in half to make a card base.
• Die-cut a top note shape from Very Vanilla card stock and attach it to the card front with dimensionals.
• Cut a 6.5cm x 7cm piece of pink tone-on-tone designer paper from the Springtime Vintage range and glue it to the top note shape.
• Cut a 5.5cm x 6cm piece of Crumb Cake card stock. Use Crumb Cake ink to stamp with the Fine Flourish background stamp and decorate with a pierced border. Glue this onto the designer paper layer.
• Stamp a sentiment with Rose Red ink using a stamp-a-majig to make sure it's straight.
• Die-cut the butterflies from Rose Red card stock and stick together with a thin strip of Sticky Strip. Tie linen thread around them several times and finish with a knot. Trim the ends to form antennae.
• Attach the butterfly with dimensionals.

Supplies
Stamps: Fine Flourish, Trendy Trees (sentiment)
Ink: Rose Red, Crumb Cake
Card stock: Very Vanilla, Rose Red, Crumb Cake
Other: Beautiful Butterflies Bigz, Top Note, Beautiful Wings Embosslits dies, linen thread

People sometimes ask me: "Why should I buy a Big Shot? I can just cut things out with scissors." And of course that's true... but a Big Shot does much more than just cut things out! Here's my list of invaluable things my lovely Biggie does for me:

• Cuts true curves and intricate cuts I could never cut out properly.
• Cuts large curved shapes that would be very difficult to cut.
• Cuts out 3D templates, such as the milk carton, scalloped envelope and pillow box, making multiple boxes a doddle!
• Adds texture in seconds with embossing folders!
• Makes personalising cards and scrapbook titles easy peasy! In my opinion, it's worth having for the alphabet and number dies alone!
• Die-cuts fabric, sandpaper, leather, thin plastic, cork, thin wood, thin metal... as well as many other materials. Imagine the possibilities!
• Makes gorgeous, detailed embellishments very quickly.

I have not regretted buying my Big Shot for one tiny minute and use it almost every day. You'll find loads of dies and folders in the catalogue to use with the machine too - many of them exclusive to Stampin' Up. If you'd like to know more, just send me an email and I'll be happy to answer your questions.

When my daughter was tiny I introduced her to the joys of Enid Blyton's Noddy stories, which she loved. I found the cutest little play set for her with an interlocking road, several houses and Noddy's little car as well as several plastic figures. Her favourite figures were Noddy and his friend Big Ears and she took them everywhere with her. She hadn't quite understood that Noddy's friend was called Big Ears (or perhaps she assumed no-one could possibly be that rude!) so she called him Biggie. So my Big Shot has the added advantage of reminding me that my gorgeous, feisty teenager was once a gorgeous, feisty tot!

Thank you so much for visiting me today. If you have a minute tomorrow do come back and see me again as I've got very excited today about my new In Stitches wheel, which I have vandalised modified!

See you then,