Krafty Butterflies

Hello all!  It's time for a new theme at Country View Challenges, and this month the lovely Sue would like us all to Use Kraft Card.

Regulars will notice I've been playing with variations on a theme of springtime butterflies with my tags lately, and this is definitely part of the pattern.  (You can see all three tags together later in the post.)

But, in fact, this was the one that kicked it off (unless you count my Destination Inspiration tag over at A Vintage Journey which was really the first one in the series, only that one featured Umbrella Man rather than a butterfly)... it's just it had to wait for the first of the month to be revealed.

So I knew I wanted to use the Mixed Media thinlits to cut the kraft card.  And I love how that looks over the Distress Inked background.

It's not just Distress Inked, of course.  As you can see from this photo, there are also stamping and stencilling layers.

My favourite Lattice stencil is there, as well as the Splatters stencil.

The meadow grasses are from the Tim Holtz Spring Sprung set, layered in Leaf and Olive Archival inks.

And I even started with the idea of using one of the new Tim Holtz Watercolour butterflies.  But the kraft card took over!










The little tag had been sitting around on the kraft table for a while, after being used to mop up some Distress Stains.  And I thought it made a lovely home for the fabulous Handwritten Thoughts.













As I often do, I clear-embossed the lettering after stamping it with Coffee Archival.  You get such a lovely gleam in the right light.













I used the tiny words from the Stuff to Say set on both the large and small tags.  It just adds some extra detail and interest... and you know how I love my words!












I also love how the delicate thinlits pop against the lush springtime greenery (completely by chance lining up almost exactly with the stencilled lattice underneath)... and it was that that sent me off to make some krafty butterflies...












The Bigz/Texture Fades Butterfly Duo have been getting a real workout around here lately.











Here they are cut from kraft card (stamped first with the Stuff to Say words), and then embossed, and then given a good splattering to bring them to life.

Dyed crinkle ribbon (what else?) at the top, and a layer of kraft card to frame the whole thing, and the tag is pretty much done.














Butterflies ready for lift off!









And, as promised, here's the trio together.  You can see how the ideas and off-cuts and leftovers migrate from tag to tag.  It was a very happy few days at the craft table, grabbing time when I could to change, add or alter each of them until I was happy that they worked.  (Visit Harlequinade and Harlequin's Other Half if you need to see more.)

So, we hope you'll come and Use Kraft Card with us at Country View Challenges this month.  As always, there's a generous prize voucher from Country View Crafts, and we always love to see what you create.

Since it's April 1st (no fooling!), there's also a new challenge over at The Artistic Stamper.
 We're looking for Flora and Fauna (so this CVC tag would also qualify!) - and if you missed my offering for that at midnight last night, it would be lovely if you have a moment to check it out too!






I almost wish we were butterflies and liv'd but three summer days - three such days with you I could fill with more delight than fifty common years could ever contain.
John Keats (in a letter to Fanny Brawne)