Hand Made Cards

Best Butterflies

Finished card using the Best Butterfly Stamp Set and Build a Butterfly Dies.

Best Butterflies Bundle

Is there anything better than flowers and butterflies for card making? Maybe you agree with me, the more the merrier! In fact, I couldn’t wait to dive into the Best Butterflies Bundle, new in the Stampin’ Up! 2022-2023 Annual Catalog.

I was so eager to recreate (or C.A.S.E…copy and share everything, or in my situation, copy and selectively edit) the card shown on page 36 of the catalog. This was the card I picked out to do a live cardmaking demo on (see my video here). Best Butterflies Bundle, check. Cardstock, adhesive, dimensionals, of course. Designer Series Paper…ooppps.

Butterfly Kisses Designer Series Paper

Butterfly Kissed DSP

I did not have the right designer series paper! This card is so cute and adorable using the Butterfly Kisses DSP. And I was missing that main ingredient.

As any good crafty person does, I improvised. I went thru the collections of papers I did have on hand. And when I discovered the Tea Boutique DSP was similar in color palette, I decided that selectively editing this card was the way to go!

Tea Boutique DSP Swap

Tea Boutique DSP

Both of these fun 6 x 6″ paper packs are bright and colorful. The big difference is pretty obvious…one has butterflies (the theme of my Best Butterflies card!) and one has teacups. But, I needed the demure pattern side, and each of these packs provided that!

I began by comparing designer series paper colors used on the card I wanted to recreate to the paper I had on hand. Light purple, yes! Bright yellow, got it. A fun green print, a fantastic floral design…I had things I could work with.

Designer Series Paper Work-Arounds

Speaking of work-arounds, I had a couple of a-ha moments while making this card. Of course, they are in my making of video, but here are some notes:

Stamping on Designer Series Paper

I found that the floral pattern in my replacement pack of paper needed a little help. Very sadly, the paper was lacking in purple ink. I corrected this by using the dots stamp from the Best Butterflies Stamp Set, and adding in purple elements.

If you haven’t tried stamping on pattern paper before, you must! My best advice: look for patterns that have some white space in them already so that you are not competing with the original design. Also, use small image stamps. You will find this easier when filling in additional color.

Close up image of the Best Butterflies Card

Embossing on Designer Series Paper

According to the original sample in the catalog, the lower half of the butterfly was supposed to be yellow and white. My replacement dsp was just yellow. I die cut my upper and lower butterfly pieces using the Build a Butterfly Dies and my Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine.

But when I put the 2 die cut pieces together to create my butterfly with the Crushed Curry body (complete with antennas!) the result was just too boring and bland. White embossing powder to the rescue! Fortunately, the Best Butterflies Stamp Set has images that work with the wings. I was able to change the pattern, and the look, of the lower half of my butterfly.

Best Butterfly before and after adding a stamped image and white embossing powder.

My Best Butterflies

In the end, my butterfly card turned out very nicely. Sure, I had to improvise a little, but I encourage you to do the same. It is hard to always have the supplies on hand needed to recreate a specific project. And if you are going thru your stash and find yourself short on something you just need to have, stop by my online store anytime.

Colorful Butterflies

Typically after my Make It Monday event, I follow up with a color swap card or two in my FaceBook Community, Positive PaperCrafters. I make the same design of my card, but switch up the color scheme. Take a look at my other card options, then let me know which one is your favorite!

Cards made with Best Butterflies Stamp Set and Build a Butterfly Dies

I am looking forward to playing with these beautiful butterflies again in the near future! Ready to try them out for yourself?

Shimmer Paste & The Poppies

Painted Poppies cards using Shimmer Embossing Paste

Painted Poppies Meet Shimmer Paste

You may not believe this, but when I opened my jar of Shimmer Embossing Paste, it was completely dried out. Yes, a very crumbly chunky powder greeted me when I lifted that secured lid.

Dried out embossing paste

Now, in my defense, I hadn’t used the Shimmer Paste in quite some time. Probably since my last play with it for my blog post on using stencils and paste.

I had kept the foam circular insert inside the jar lid. And the cap was screwed on tight. Still, I discovered that this paste was a desert inside. Not at all what I had in mind to showcase during my Make It Monday live card demo. I needed paste in a couple hours time…

Shimmer Paste Quick Fix

After a bit of online research, I determined I had 2 options for my dry Shimmer Paste. First: I could throw it away and order more. Or, Second: I could attempt a fix. At this point, I didn’t really have much to lose!

I took my jar of paste into the bathroom along with the largest palette knife. Using the knife, I scored thru the middle of the dry paste, sawing away til I reached the bottom of the jar. Next, I added a little water and started to work it in.

Adding water to embossing paste to make it useable again

Slowly, my paste started to come back to life. I found that the key was to continue to add small amounts of water and work it into the paste well before adding in more. When I had a good size of decent paste in the middle of my jar, I stopped.

Perfectly Pasted Painted Poppies

I had never used the Shimmer Paste as an overlay before. First, I stamped the poppy images from the Painted Poppies Stamp Set on Basic White Cardstock using Memento Black Ink. Next, I colored my flowers using Stampin’ Blends. Lastly, I used the Painted Labels Dies in the Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine to die cut my flower images.

Coloring in the Painted Poppies stamped image uisng Stampin' Blends

Playing with the sparkly paste and the poppies was a lot of fun. The Shimmer Paste dried quickly, and although the paper bowed up for a short while, it relaxed flat for use. The effect is quite charming. In fact, I think this great technique could be used on any flowers that are stamped. And why stop at flowers? Let your imagination run wild.

Painted Poppies with Shimmer Paste Overlay

Poppies In Color

Did you know that the Painted Poppies Stamp Set has been around since January of 2020? If you have this stamp set and coordinating dies, try this new way to use them! One of my favorite things to do is create the same design, but switch up the colors.

Don’t have this amazing set yet? You will find it in my online stamping store. While you are there, check out the Matte Finish Embossing Paste and the Palette Knives. And if you don’t have a Silicone Craft Sheet, make sure to get one, it makes this messy technique manageable.

More Tips And Tricks…

Looking for more details on how I used the Shimmer Embossing Paste? Check out my card making video here, where I dish info as I go. And join my cardmaking community, Positive PaperCrafters, on FaceBook. My Tuesday Tool Tip showcased how I plan to keep my paste from drying out in the future. Hope to see you there!

Crafting Paper Shamrocks

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2 cards made using paper shamrocks

Green Shamrocks Wanted

Each year, as March 17th approaches, I am looking for ways to create paper shamrocks. Maybe you are like me, and don’t have much in the way of St. Patrick’s Day stamps or dies. But, that has never stopped ingenuity before! Let’s see how we can work around our lack of supplies to make amazing paper shamrocks.

Have A Heart

Any search for paper shamrocks on Pinterest will surely show you how to use heart punches to create your 3 (or 4) leaf clover. Consider yourself “lucky” if you have a heart punch that is just the right shape and size.

I find that a smaller heart punch or die will work better than one that is very large. After all, clovers are small in stature. When you punch out 3 or 4 hearts, depending on your preference, consider sponging some ink along the edges. This will give your heart “shamrock” some instant depth.

When you assemble your hearts, you have the option to overlap them slightly. Another option is to just have the heart edges touching. I find it is easier to adhere my hearts together on the back of a punched circle shape that is roughly the size of my paper shamrock to be. You can always trim away any excess circle paper when you are done.

Shamrocks To “Die” For

Consider yourself very lucky if you have an actual shamrock die. Crafting up gorgeous paper shamrocks will only be a matter of choosing a pretty shade of green!

But what about for the rest of us? Are we only left with heart punches to make our paper shamrocks with? I challenge you to take a look at some of your flower dies…you may be surprised by what you see.

In fact, there are quite a few flower dies (and even punches) that can be used to create shamrocks. Now, they may not look exactly like a real 3 or 4 leaf clover. But with a little imagination, they will come pretty close!

Four Leaf Paper Shamrock

Die cutting a shamrock with Pansy Dies

Take this great sample shamrock, using Garden Green Cardstock and the Pansy Dies. I think we have a great 4 leaf clover and stem! And all from a die set that is used to make flowers.

Three Leaf Paper Shamrock

Paper shamrock using the Pierced Blooms Dies

Another die example is one that is used on my finished card above. This paper shamrock comes from the Pierced Blooms Dies. I wanted to create a very unique look, so I chose a selection of Pear Pizzazz from the You’re A Peach Designer Series Paper Pack. Next, I die cut the stem in Mossy Meadow Cardstock for contrast.

I wanted my paper shamrock to have 3 leaves instead of 4, so I used my Paper Snips to cut away a section of the flower. Because there are pierced lines in this die cut, I was able to easily follow along the edge when cutting.

Using a marker to add lines to my die cut paper shamrock

And lastly, I used my Mossy Meadow Stampin’ Write Marker to add some line definition to my paper shamrock. Every little bit helps this flower turn into a sweet clover!

St. Patrick’s Day Sentiments

Now that you are looking at your flower dies in a new light, it is time to do the same with your sentiments. Once again, you may not have a “Happy St. Patrick’s Day” saying handy. The Word Wishes Dies have you covered though. Among the words of the major holidays, you will find “Happy” and “St. Patrick’s Day” as well.

Word Wishes Dies spelling St. Patrick's Day

More Than March 17th!

Maybe you are looking to use paper shamrocks for occasions beyond the typical March 17th date. After all, wishing someone good luck or well wishes in general occurs all year long! I have compiled a list of the current Stampin’ Up! stamp sets that may have just what you need to express fortune to your card recipient.

Lucky To Know You!

How lucky is the person who is on the receiving end of your card making? Whether you are wishing someone a Happy St. Patrick’s Day, or sharing good luck wishes, the care and love you put into your card will surely show.

As you look for ways to craft up some paper shamrocks, be sure to view your supplies in a new light. And if you are still coming up empty, check out my online store for some of the items I have used here. I consider myself lucky to have you as a wonderful customer and fellow papercrafter.

Finished card with a paper shamrock using Pierced Blooms Dies