Looking out the Window

Hello, everyone.  Before I get started, I would like to welcome my newest follower - Lynda Hall - thank you for joining me!

I'm back again today with another card!  I wanted to join Mrs. A's Butterfly Challenge and the deadline is almost here. Her challenge almost stumped me this time - A for Archway, plus butterflies. But then I found these adorable die cuts sent to me a long time ago by my friend Marion (thank you, Marion, I am finally using these die cuts!).  I almost gave up on this card a few times!  It was very labour-intensive because I ended up doing a lot of cutting and inking.

This image is all one die-cut and I'm glad Marion sent so many because I used four of them for this card! They were white to begin with, except for a brown one, which I used for the birdhouse.  One die cut was used to ink up the leaves in green.  I cut another die cut so it was just the window frame and cat to layer on top to make it appear as if the cat was looking out the window. The final die-cut was for the cat.  I also needed a sky backdrop so I traced around the window in pencil and cut it out. I adhered all the layers together.  Lastly I added three tiny butterflies from a punch, which also started out as white.

Here are all the Distress Inks I used to give this scene some colour.

• Sky: Tumbled Glass, Evergreen Bough
• Leaves: Peeled Paint
• Cat: Pumice Stone
• Bird: Antique Linen, Scattered Straw
• Butterflies: Milled Lavender, Dusty Concord

I adhered the window with foam tape to a piece of patterned paper (MME Market Street), which was die-cut with Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangles, and mounted on white and then brown cardstock. I stamped the sentiment, which is a wood-mounted stamp from The Old Island Stamp Company, and added three tiny black gems (Want 2 Scrap).  The name of the die cut is Spring Window by Die-namites.

I would also like to join the following challenges: Allsorts Lots of Layers 2/3; Amusing Challenges Ode to Summer 1/2 (TOP 3); Beccy's Place September AG UE; Craft Your Passion AG 2/3; Crafting from the Heart AG 2/3; Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper September UE; DRS Designs Hot Trends - The Hole Thing (window panes) UE; Inspiration Destination AG UE; Kitty Bee In the Sky 2/2; Let's Craft and Create Use Dies or Punches (used both) 1/3; Lil Patch of Crafty Friends AG 3/3; Not Just Cards August AG UE; Pile it On Fur UE; Quirky Crafts Home Sweet Home 1/3; Scrapbook Blessings Club AG optional Favourite Technique (making my own background, this card with distress inks) UE; Simon Says Stamp Monday Stamp and Punch/Die Cut (I did all 3) 1/5; Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Make it Colorful 4/5; The Outlawz Twisted Thursday Layered Card 2/2

Thank you for looking at my card!  Wishing you a joyful day!