I can't help myself....

No, I can't help but use that Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer punch!!  I wasn't sure before I purchased it that I'd use it that much, but gee, I'm using it alot. 

This card uses the same colors as my last entry share--Not Quite Navy and Kiwi Kiss. 

 For this card, I hung the flower from the little ribbon tied around that cneter panel, so it has some "motion".  I used linen thread for hanging it through one of the flower openings.  Can you see the tiny "lace" look peeping out of the dark designer paper?  That was cut with the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Boarder punch.

 Here is the sentiment.  That label the "Hello" is on was punched using the END of the Decorative Label punch.  There are three ways that I've found to use that punch for sentiment and I sure like versatility.

Thanks for coming by today!!   See you next time!                               Smiles, Laura

Triple Butterfly....

Today I want to share a card I made recently using the Beautiful Butterflies die.  Here is the card laying flat on a table---like you'd mail it.

Here is how it looks when you "fluff" it up.    I love how this butterfly turned out.  The card itself is Tangerine Tango cardstock, with a mat of Pumpkin Pie and striped Daffodil Delight from the Patterns Paper Stack on top of that. 

From the side, you can see the butterfly layers.  It, too, is Tangerine Tango, Pumpkin Pie and Daffodil Delight.  I ran all three through Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder.  I added dimensionals in between each of the layers, and then added 3 brads to the center.  You can see the brads in the first picture.  I smudged Tangerine onto each layer to add some color.

Here is a shot of  how the butterfly stands.  I folded some Tangerine cardstock  in half and ran it through the same butterfly die, to give me one on the fold.  Then I folded the front in half and glued my butterfly to the bottom half of that one.  The bottom part of the butterfly I put behind the long piece that goes across my card.  (Is that clear as mud?  It's hard to explain, but I hope the pictures explain it better than I am.)  If you are familiar witih an easel card, this is an easel butterfly on the front of a card.

I love how this card can lay flat for mailing, but when you lay it on the table, you can stand up the butterfly and fluff it and have a great butterfly to view.  My dad got out of the hospital recently---I'm going to make one to send to him!!  He'll like it.

Here is the Hello sentiment on the card.

Again, I sponged around the scalloped oval and run the Pumpkin oval through the embossing folder to give it some texture.  "Hello" is from the Tiny Teacup stampset.

I hope you like this one!!  Go try one yourself!! Thanks so much for visiting my blog.  Leave me comments as I love seeing what you think about my work---be kind and gentle.  ha!  You guys always are!!

Editorial note:  I first saw an easel butterfly card on Bronwyn Eastley's blog (here).  Hers was a small sized card, like a gift enclosure, just the size of the butterfly.  I added mine to a regular sized card and also made all three layers of the butterfly the same size.  So while mine is not identical to Bronwyn's design, I do want to credit her with the idea.  Thanks Bronwyn , for inspiring me.  Check out her blog for her other great work!

 

Smiles, Laura

A Woven Hello.....

I am participating in a challenge swap this week and the sideboard were that the card MUST be 4-1/4" x 4-1/4".  Here is the card I came up with.  I saw a card by Carrie Gaskin (the Artictic Avenger--12/9/10 entry) with a woven rectangle on the front and knew I had to try one.   (Here)

Mine, of course had to be square, so it's very different.  I chose So Saffron, Pear Pizzazz, Poppy Parade and Peach Parfait for the colors of my woven area.  That woven area is mounted on Poppy Parade and backed with Pear Pizzazz.

The butterfies are from the Flight of the Butterfly set.  The sentiment "Hello" is from the Tiny Teacup set. 

I punched the pear with the scallop oval punch, and layered that with the Large Oval punch from Poppy.   I ran that through the Square Lattice embossing folder to give it texture.  I punch out a Decorative Label from Saffron, turned it 90 degrees and punched one end again for the "Hello".  I love this small label it makes!!

I hope my partner getting this swaps likes it!!  Smiles, Laura

Eastern Blooms

Here is a card I made recently that I wanted to share today.  It uses the Sahara Sand as the card color, with layers of Not Quite Navy and Marina Mist.  I added Rick Razzleberry for interest. 

                                      

The two panels on the front were run through the Square Lattice embossing folder to give it some texture.  Love it!!  I think the 3 little 1/8" ribbons wrapped around the front are a hit, don't you?  If you haven't started using these smaller ribbons, you should try them!!

 Of interest on this card is the flower.  Using my stamp-a-ma-jig, I stamped the same flower from Eastern Blooms onto three  pieces of vanilla cardstock, add the same size, using Razzleberry, Marina Mist and Not Quite Navy.  Then I tore two of the flowers so that I could layer some of each color onto the Marina Mist one.  I have Razzleberry on two sides.  I think this adds more interest than just having one colored flower.

I want to show you one more thing about the card.  Notice the label I stamped Hello onto?  Well that's one END of the Decorative Label Punch.  Yes, I punched out one Decorative Label, then put one end of it back into the punch just a bit and punched again.  I wish I had taken a shot of it in the punch, but hope you can figure it out.  Makes a neat little label for just one word like this.  (That's "Hello" from the Tiny Teacup set.)              

                                       

Hope this one has inspired you today!!  Thanks for stopping by.  Smiles, Laura

Another Tri-Steps Card

On March 8, I shared with you a Tri-Steps card and it was a hit.  Today I wanted to share another card using this same fold.  This one uses Marina Mist as the card base and I used White, Daffodil Delight and Mambo Melon with it.  It was afraid it was a bit gaudy, but several girls who saw it said it was one of their favorites!  So, I'm showing you today. 

For the center of the card, I cut a 3" square and punched each side using my Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch.  I made more of these punched "ribbons" in the Melon and glued those behind my Daffodil ones. 

                                  

Here is a close-up of the sentiment.  It's a Scallop Oval mounted onto a 1-3/8" circle, and layered with a large oval.  Those little flowers on it and on each corner are made with one of the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack punches.

Here is a close-up of the middle of the front.  That's the teacup from Tiny Teacup.  I cut the "Hello" from under it so I can use both stamps independent of each other.  How do you like the tiny pearl "jewels" on the teacup?  The teacup stamp is dotted so I thought the pearls would be a nice touch.

 Now for the inside of the card.  Again, I punched a 3" square using the Ribbon Border punch.  I used designer paper from  the Brights and Subtles Patterns DSP Stacks.

 In this shot, yoou can see the stairsteps. 

I am not goinng to take space to show the instructions for this card again.  You can find them on my March 8 entry.  Good luck making your own!!

Thanks for stopping in today!!  Smiles, Laura

Original Funky Folds--another card, same layout....

I have shared two different Funky Folds layouts/sizes with you recently.  (No, I did not name this fold; someone else did.  But Funky Folds is what this fold  is going around the airwaves named so that's what I'm calling it.)   Anyhow, here is another card I made using the "original" funky folds dimensions/layout. 

On this one, I used the Tiny Teacup stamp set.  I stamped the cup in 4 colors and cut them out, so I could "stack" them one inside the other.  I used Old Olive, Mambo Mellon, Pacific Point, and Apricot Appeal on this card.  This is some of the FREE Sale-a-bration paper on the bottom of the front. 

Here is a shot of it open, so you can see the interesting folds.  This one is sure to please when someone gets it in the mail!

 Here is a close-up of those cups. 

I'll share again the layout for making the card.  I hope you have already tried making these fun cards!!

OK, have fun!! Come back soon!! Smiles, Laura