A Flurry of Butterflies

I love butterflies because they carry the message of hope following a struggle. After nearly 11 months of COVID-related restrictions and concerns, with more months looming ahead of us, HOPE is something we can all use right now. I realized yesterday that with a busy work schedule the last few months, plus DT responsibilities this last month, I’ve not participated in one of my favorite challenges named the Butterfly Challenge, for a while. So I got busy last night and this morning and made three butterfly-themed cards.  Two of them will be added to gift packet of cards I’m making for the pastor and others at our church (so I left the insides blank so they can use them as desired.) Sadly, the third card will be sent to the family of a cousin who passed away last week from COVID. David was only 64 years old. He was a beloved dad, grandpa, brother, cousin, and friend who will be missed by so many. He is also the first “statistic” I’ve known personally, and my heart goes out to his family.
 
The sponsor, Mrs. A provides easy to follow instructions for making a creative fold card, which changes with each challenge. The current creative fold is a Flag Fold Card. My first card features this fold, which was really easy to make! The background on the card front, printed on kraft cardstock, is from a digital coloring book. I'd signed up for a weekly newsletter a while ago from Dover Publications and have appreciated that it regularly emails links to a half dozen coloring books and activity books, each offering 4-5 pages that are available for a short time as free downloads. This image, which includes butterflies, was one of the pages available in a recent newsletter. (Sign up for the sampler newsletter to start getting your own treasures!] After copying the image, I easily used my standard Word program to reduce it in size to fit an A2 card.) The front butterfly is from a die I’ve had in my stash for a while but is the perfect fit for this card. I added color to the wings with scraps from a lavender plastic document folder. (These wonderful items come in a pack of assorted colors and can be found in the office supply section of most stores and from some dollar stores! I really like using them on my cards because they're cheaper than colored vellum and are more translucent.  You can write on them with a fine-line permanent marker or white gel pen. The plastic is also easy to fussy-cut with a nice, sharp pair of scissors. And then can be adhered with small strips of double stick tape.) The butterflies on the inside of the card are freebies you can find HERE.

Supplies: 
·   Background Digi From Dover Art  (Creative Haven Spring Scenes Coloring Book)
·   Butterfly Die- Xcut small butterfly
·   Front Sentiment- Upcycled from an old card (company unknown)
·   Inside Butterfly Digis- Freebies you can find HERE.
·   Assorted Cardstock and scrap of lavender plastic document folder from my stash
Entered into: 
Butterfly Challenge- #149 F is for Flag Fold            

Outlawz Challenges- Monday Greeting Challenge- Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #466-467 Anything Goes

2craftycrittercrazies Challenge- Nov 2020 #44                      

        

My second card went together quickly. Like the card above, I used a diecut butterfly and added translucent wings with scraps from a plastic document folder. The bright background, with gold foil designs, is an upcycled note card (a compute- generated scripture verse was taped atop the “thank you” on the original notecard.) My card includes one of the required colors (French Pink) and one theme (Butterfly.)

Supplies: 
·   Butterfly Die- Xcut small butterfly
·   Upcycled front from a Thank You notecard
·   Cardstock, gold metallic paper and scrap of red plastic document folder from my stash
·   Sentiment- Computer Generated
Entered into: 
Butterfly Challenge- #149 F is for Flag Fold            

Outlawz Sunday Challenge- You’ll Never Walk Alone

Cute Card Thursday- Challenge #661 Sentimental 

Polkadoodles Challenge-Week #47 Anything Goes    

Createful Heart Designs- Nov Challenge #26 

 
My final card was hard to make… but also helped me to work through some grief. I often add butterflies to sympathy cards because they symbolize new life and hope. That is the prayer that I will send along with this card when I mail it on. I knew I wanted to make an elegant card, so was digging through my stash of vellum and found this beautiful vellum PLUS the vellum butterflies. Sentiments and a few strips of ribbon pulled my card together. It includes one of the required colors (French Pink- butterfly wings) and one theme (Butterfly.)

Supplies: 
·   Front Sentiment- Free digi from Papercraft Magazine (no longer available)
·   Vellum butterflies- Upcycled front from an old card
·   Cardstock, patterned vellum and ribbon (sheer and satin) from my stash
·   Sentiment- Computer Generated
Entered into: 
Butterfly Challenge- #149 F is for Flag Fold   

Lemon Shortbread Challenge- Anything Goes #133 

Outlawz Challenge- Twisted Thursday Anything Goes