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Sunday 19 July 2020

Butterfly Season

Hello, crafting friends!

It's definitely butterfly season now. Eva and I are seeing some beauties while we're romping about in the countryside. (Actually it's Eva that romps, I try to be more dignified!) Butterflies are featuring on my cards now too and I've been thinking about how to present them in different ways. I've come up with a pair of cards today - come and see:


The first features a wreath decorated with butterflies, and the second shows a split meadow scene where the flowers seem to be turning into butterflies.

CARD ONE
To start the first card, I drew a light pencil line around a glass positioned just off a card panel. I used this as a guide to stamp some flowers from Stampin' Up's Under My Umbrella, which were coloured with alcohol markers. A bow, from MFT's Birthday Cocktail set of dies, was cut twice, offset to make a double bow and placed at the top of the wreath.


The butterflies are from Funky Fossil's In the Meadow stamp set, stamped, coloured and fussy cut. I used them to embellish my wreath and added a blocky sentiment from Uniko's Simply Said Blocks and a sprinkling of iridescent sequins.


CARD TWO
I made a little meadow scene for this card, using Funky Fossil's Scenic Borders stencil for the grass, and some flowers from their In The Meadow stamp set. The scene was cut into panels using a stitched rectangle die by Heffy Doodles, sponged with blue distress ink, and attached to a card base.


The butterflies were stamped, coloured, fussy cut and given a lick of sparkle with a Wink of Stella pen. They were popped up on dimensionals and I finished with a birthday sentiment from Clearly Besotted's Simply Said.


EDITED TO ADD SOME AWARDS
Yay!! This card won a Festive Friday Faves badge!


I'm also delighted to be Honourably Mentioned at the Twofer Challenge!


CHALLENGES
I am joining in with the Twofer Challenge with these two cards. The theme this month is Butterflies, and, as always, we are asked to make two different cards, for different occasions, using the same stamp, die or stencil. With Card One, I'm also linking up with this week's sketch at MFT Sketch Challenge and with Card Two, I'm playing along at Festive Friday, where I've chosen Pink, Green and Flowers from the inspiration list.


AND IN OTHER NEWS
I may try to behave in a dignified fashion on our walks but Eva prefers to immerse herself fully into the role of a wild dog. On today's walk, she dived into a hedge and when I called her back emerged triumphantly looking like this:


She invited me to admire her new ombré 'do' but I suggested a rinse off in the river instead. She agreed to this with enthusiasm, leaping in, careering about energetically chasing sticks before bouncing out and shaking river water all over me. On the way back she found the perfect spot for a good roll on a dusty track and showed me what it would look like if a dog had a romp in a bag of flour. She was about to top this off with a smearing of horse manure when I pointed out rather tersely that I'd had enough and it was time to return home.

Current status is clean, floofy and fragrant (until next time!!)

Hugs,

32 comments:

  1. LOL! Oh my goodness, Eva! You look like one of those pop stars with a two tone haircut! Not to mention you look incredibly pleased with yourself. :)
    Both your cards are so gorgeous and I'm especially loving the first one.

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    1. She's like the little girl with curl in the middle of her forehead: Sometimes she is very, very good and sometimes she smells horrid!!!

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  2. I was happily admiring your butterfly cards then reached the bottom of the post and saw the state of Eva and cried out OH MY GODDDDDDD in dismay! What a mess. Glad you mentioned she's now floofy and fragrant again! The joys of dog ownership eh?

    Hug x

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    1. She's easy to wash Sarn and she doesn't do this ALL the time! xxx

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  3. Two very pretty cards Vicky and I love the design of them both. Gorgeous colours too x

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    1. Thanks Sandra! I enjoyed using these colours! x

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  4. Your butterfly wreath is simply gorgeous, Vicky ... wonderfully CAS, vibrant and so, so pretty! Love how you have the meadow wildflowers turning into butterflies ... what a lovely idea, beautifully executed! I did chuckle at the photo ... and at your story ... who knew dogs could be ombré! Thanks so much for playing along with us at Twofer! Anita :)

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    1. Well Eva always likes to model the latest looks!! Thanks Anita :)

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  5. Two exquisite designs, Vicky! Both so unique and so crisp and clean. Your offset wreath is brilliant with the tiny flowers and butterflies, and the topping of sequints! I love the purples and blues, sweet bow, and block sediment! And your scenic design is so fresh! I'm aswoon over the way you split the meadow in two with the stitched panels and how the flowers in pretty pinks seem to be emerging from the meadow and flying off across the panels as butterflies! You know, you're not just another pretty face!!

    And that Eva ... she is a joyous full-time job all by herself, isn't she? What a great photo of a happy, happy dog!!

    Thank you so much for playing in Twofer Card Challenge #29! Keep well! Hugs, Darnell

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    1. I think I've got a bit addicted to sequints!
      Lol, Eva was definitely a full time job on that day. She really does live her best life.
      Thank YOU for the fab challenge. You keep well too x

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  6. OH! Such beautiful cards Vicky, I love your thinking on these gorgeous designs, colours are just gorgeous and Summery (to me). Love each card. Did laugh at Eva, I wonder who enjoyed themselves on the walk more LOL.
    Take care
    Faith x

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    1. I thought they were very summery too :)
      I laughed afterwards too but I have had better walks I must say! Probably the best walk EVER for her!!
      x

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  7. Two really super creations Vicky with great images and designs. Looks like Eva had a fabulous time on your walk, did laugh.

    Kath x

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    1. Thanks Kath! Oh yes, she had a VERY nice time and didn't really want to go home!! x

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  8. Love you Eva!!
    Flutterly brilliant cards.

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    1. LOL, she's a proper character isn't she - flying the flag for dogs to live a dogs' life! Thanks Christine :)

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  9. Wow gorgeous colors and designs Vicky. My gosh Eva is certainly having a great time.

    Hugs diane

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    1. Oh she knows how to have herself a great time alright!

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  10. Love this pretty wreath that the butterflies have landed on! And the meadow scene is gorgeous with the pretty pink flowers and matching butterflies!

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    1. Thanks Bonnie. Always fun to play with butterflies!

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  11. Two wonderful cards, Vicky! I love both of your designs. Your wreath is a beautiful place for the butterflies to rest and I love the colors! Such a clever way those butterflies are emerging from the flowers on your birthday card! Thanks for joining in the fun with us at the Twofer Card Challenge! Eva looks like a joy, albeit a mess!

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    1. Thanks for your lovely comment Kara! Eva is a joy and doesn't always look like this I promise!

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  12. Beautiful cards ~ Love how you created a wreath with individual stamps and added sequins, very pretty. Both cards have wonderful color and happy flutterbys ~ Eva oh Eva what a mess ~ Look at that happy face though!! You're a good mum :)

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    1. Bless you Karen! I hope I'm a good mum to my grown up children and to my little dog. For both I always go with the maxim that I should only say No when it's necessary!

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  13. These are both so pretty Vicky; they left me musing about how I have so many butterflies and yet rarely use them - today’s cards have inspired me! As for Eva - I hope her first port of call on arriving home was the garden hose!!

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    1. Aha, well there's a challenge Joanne, let's see some of your butterflies! Eva's first port of call was the river near our house to take the worst off and then a bath!! She remained unrepentant!

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  14. Yes... I think that's why I prefer smaller dogs!! Eva does look like she had fun though. Lovely cards, definitely less butterflies in our garden since we moved here despite two rather large buddleia's!!
    Jenny x

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    1. Actually she's usually pretty good and we all like to let our hair down once in a while! Sad to hear there are less butterflies where you are. There are loads of them in my garden at the moment! x

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  15. Beautiful cards and well not so beautiful Eva...but she is so very happy:-) TFS your cards and Eve. Hugs..Nancy

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    1. VERY happy! I think she fondly imagines she looks like a black lab! x

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I'd love to know what you think. Do leave me a comment - it always makes my day! Vicky x


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