Anniversary Butterflies with Aperture

Hello, everybody!  Before I get started, I would like to welcome my newest follower - Tanis Buckton - thank you for joining me!

Today's card was inspired by Mrs. A's Butterfly Challenge 191, for which the theme is Anniversary Card.  I have chosen three of the colours (Amethyst, African Violet, and Apple Green).  The requirements, in addition to Butterflies, are Sentiment, Acetate, and Aperture, and I have included all three, so it looks like I'm eligible for the second prize or the first prize.  Without further ado, I present my card:

Here is the open view, showing the acetate and aperture:

I made this card using a topper that I won from Mrs. A, way back in her Challenge 110.  Using a stitched octagon die, I cut out the tulip so I could insert the acetate into the aperture and also adhere the tulip die-cut on the inside of the card.  I actually used two pieces of acetate and sandwiched them together so I could include two little butterfly sequins inside the window, like a shaker.  They did move around at first but appear now to be stuck at the sides, which is fine with me.  

Other products used were a layered butterfly die, cut twice so I could adhere one on either side of the acetate window, a happy anniversary greeting die, a happy anniversary stamp (Lawn Fawn), and a stitched rectangle (Gina Marie Designs).  There is plenty of room to write a personal message on the inside of the card, under the octagon die-cut.  

This was a fiddly card to make but I'm delighted with the outcome.  I also used plenty of snippets / scraps so I will also be joining the Snippets Playground 472.  Below are the remnants of my scraps as I forgot to take a photo before die-cutting into them.  I will now discard the one with the rectangle but will be keeping the other two as there is still plenty of room for small die-cuts.

I would also like to join the following 8 challenges, for a total of 10.
Crafty Calendar January AG 3/3

Creative Fingers 269 AG 2/3
Die-Cut Divas January Never Before Used Stuff (octagon die) 3/4

DL.ART 12th Blogiversary Giveaway 3/3

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends 222 AG 1/3
Pammie's Inky Pinkies 2403 AG 1/3 C10
The Paper Funday 61 AG Celebrations (anniversary) 2/4
Word Art Wednesday 631-632 AG w Uplifting Sentiment wk1 1/5

For those who enjoy cat cartoons, here you go:

Thank you for being here!  Wishing you a joy-filled day!

Steampunk Kitty Birthday

Hello, everybody!  I hope you are all having a good day!  Today I am sharing a steampunk-kitty birthday card.  First let me say that steampunk is not my style, but I do love how this card turned out!  This card will be going to Brian, and I know he will love it too!

The fun steampunk cat image is the January freebie at Gecko Galz Monthly Steampunk Challenge (thank you!).  It's the first time that I joined their steampunk challenge but I couldn't resist the cute image.

I was inspired to use mostly scraps/snippets for this card (see photos below) so I could join the fun at Snippet Playground Challenge 471 - Celebrations.  Congratulations to Di, who has been running the Snippets Playground for 12 years - Woot, woot!  

The green cardstock panel was a leftover in my scrap bin, as was the die-cut black panel, which happened to fit this image perfectly.  It had been the leftover inner piece from a frame die-cut, and you will notice I had also die-cut a greeting from the middle, but this was completely hidden after I adhered the kitty to the black panel.  Aside from the image, the only non-snippet is the silver-foil happy birthday greeting that I received in happy mail from a dear friend last week (thank you!).  

Green and black cardstock scraps used
(brown scraps not used)

I had intended to die-cut some gears from the brown cardstock scraps shown in the photo above, but when I located my gear dies, I was thrilled to discover some metallic-embossed gears already die-cut and ready to use.  They were a leftover from way back in 2014 (prepared for this card but not used).  The brand is Memory Box Gear Assembly, and I snipped them apart to use just five of them, with plenty left over for my next steampunk card!

Heat-embossed metallic die-cut
left over from 2014

The embossing folder is part of a set (Sizzix Texture Fades Pocket Watches and Steampunk by Tim Holtz) and this is my first time using it.  Lastly, I adhered a metal clock charm.

I would also like to join the following 8 challenges, for a total of 10:
CRAFT New (the die-cut birthday greeting is new, as is the image) 1/2
Crafty Calendar January AG 2/3

Creative Fingers 269 AG 1/3

Die-Cut Divas January Never Before Used Stuff (embossing folder) 2/4
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends 221 AG 2/3

Pammie's Inky Pinkies 2402 AG 1/3
Show Us Your Pussycats 96 January Furrything Goes UE
The Paper Funday 61 AG Celebrations (birthday) 1/4

For those who enjoy cat memes, here you go:

Thank you for being here!  Wishing you a  joy-filled day!

Guest Designer - Carlin's Card Paradise - January Challenge

Hello, everyone!  This is my first blog post of 2024, so I would like to wish you a Happy New Year, and I hope 2024 is going well for you so far.

I am delighted to announce that I was invited to be a Guest Designer at Carlin's Card Paradise for their January Challenge, where the theme is Hearts plus Special Card Shape.  I hope you will head over to Carlin's Card Paradise and join the challenge.  There is a prize to be won, and the sponsor is Beccy's Place.  Three entries are permitted.

I decided to make a Diagonal Z-Fold card featuring lots of kitties and lots of hearts!  You can find a tutorial on this card shape at Beccy's Place - A-Z Card Folds.  

I decorated all six panels of the card and had a lot of fun colouring the kitties with my markers.  I added some accents with a white paint marker and fussy-cut the images.  The stamps are from Sunny Studio Stamps, called Meow and Furever.  This is my first time using these stamps, and they are so cute!  I used all but one of the images, along with several of the sentiments included in the set.

The patterned paper, glittered cardstock embellishments, and chipboard pieces are from a very old MAMBI (Me and My Big Ideas) scrapbooking kit, and I added some of my heart-themed die-cuts and punched bows.  There are too many brands to list, but if you have any questions, please ask.  I do remember the small heart border die (cut from pale pink cardstock) is from Die-Versions.

Here is how the card looks laying flat:

Below is the other side of the card; the panel on the far right has space to write a greeting:

Thank you to Karin at Carlin's Card Paradise for inviting me to be your Guest Designer!  I had fun!

Here is the lovely badge I received for the occasion; thank you so much!

I would also like to join the following 10 challenges:

Allsorts 762 Mood Board Inspiration or AG 1/3
Crafty Calendar January AG 1/3

Die-Cut Divas January Never Before Used Stuff (stamps) 1/4
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends 221 AG 1/3

Pammie's Inky Pinkies 2401 AG 1/3 C10
Pattie's Creations 214 AG 1/3
Show Us Your Pussycats 96 January Furrything Goes UE

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Something New (stamps) 1/5

We Love Stamping January Something New (stamps) or AG 1/3
Word Art Wednesday 629-630 AG w Uplifting Sentiment Wk2 1/5

For those who enjoy cat cartoons, here you go:

Thank you for being here!  Wishing you a joyful day!