Thursday 24 March 2016

Butterfly challenge - M is for margins and/or mint


Gosh, it's a grey and miserable drizzly day today and I'm still feeling decidedly under the weather after someone kindly shared their cold with me. That is my excuse for what happened yesterday....
I was determined to create something and so when I saw the latest Butterfly challenge - M is for margins/mint I figured I'd have a go (especially since I was a top three pick for the last one, just thought I'd slip that in there)
So, I needed a butterfly and there across the room was the very thing.
My goodie bag from the weekender had a butterfly on it! (Yes, that dumping ground is my lounge, now you understand why I need to tidy up this weekend)
So, I roughly cut out the butterfly and backed it on some card to strengthen it and fussy cut it, amputating its antenna. I coloured it in with a mix of jade and holly green spectrum noir sparkle pens to give it that butterfly shimmer. I embossed some craft card and then built up some mats and layers fir the margins. I used jade mint chalk paint to get the mint layer as I couldn't lay my hands on the right shade of green. I added some crochet lace and in the goodie bag were some self adhesive pearl strings so I bunged them on to further highlight the margin aspect. I stamped the sentiment from a sheena set in Kraft card and then swiped the edges with the chalk paint to add some definition. Simple right? 
Well, the card didn't quite look like that originally. I stuck it all down and drew the antenna back on and then a few hours later decided I didn't like the layout. So I pulled off the butterfly and sentiment, which damaged the card slightly and I was stuck with the antenna so I had to rearrange things to cover those areas. Originally it looked like this,

The space in the bottom left corner was what bugged me the most! The colours are actually closer in this picture though. Hopefully you agree that the new version is the improved one!

14 comments:

  1. A great card for the butterfly challenge. Glad I'm not the only one with a crafty dumping ground!!

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  2. Hi Cara, love your gorgeous upcycled butterfly card, glad I'm not alone with alterations done at the last minute... have a wonderful long weekend... Megan

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  3. Your card is absolutely gorgeous Cara. What a great bit of recycling and I love the pearls around the margins. They must have taken a time to put in place. Wishing you a happy Easter and enjoy your craft time. Barbxx

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  4. Absolutely stunning and yes after flicking up and down the page a few times I like your finished version the best. Not for the repositioning but I like the sentiment better. Great use of all the elements and plug away your creation was gorgeous. Thankyou for fluttering by and bunging a few bits and bobs on a card for me. hugs Mrs A.

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  5. Beautiful, what a great piece of upcycling
    Jane

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  6. Hey Cara - I love this and now I am going to check out the challenge. I often rework my cards - especially if I make in haste! The Spectrum Sparkle markers...I think they are hit and miss, I prefer Wink of Stella. Thanks for your lovely comment about my cards. I love bright cheery things. Have a great weekend Cara, enjoy your alone crafting time. Cx

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  7. Cara - can you contact me via my contact form. I am making pocket letters (new for me) and I thought as you are my newest blog friend and also English :) I'd send you one..unless it's too weird and you want me to go away (sobs at craft desk) Cx

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  8. Gosh I've joined two challenges in two days, you blogging buddies are all rubbing off on my. I really should be houseworking but boo hiss to that.

    I love your butterfly and that yummy lace behind, the card fits the challenge perfectly.

    Happy Easter weekend, hugs Erika. x

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  9. AFternoon Cara

    Yes damp raining day here. Yes think for me the final picture is better if there should be a better.. both are lovely.

    Your lounge area looks like mine.

    Have a great weekend and thanks for popping over to my blog.

    Crafty hugs Pen x

    http://groovyquail.blogspot.co.uk/

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  10. Love your card Cara, the butterfly is gorgeous and the colours and that pretty lace :)
    Hugs, Kaz x

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  11. Lovely work, Cara, layout is a funny thing, and our cards really create themselves by dictating their progression sometimes.
    Shaz in oz.x

    {Calligraphy Cards - Shaz in Oz}

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  12. WOW such a stunning butterfly love the clever contrast between the kraft and the pearls
    Thank you for playing at Mrs A's Butterfly Challenge
    Guest DT
    Dr Sonia

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  13. Way to Go with the recycle, and that's just a brilliant idea; the transformation from Plain Jane on the bag into this pretty guy is amazing. Love the added lace & pearls, embossing, and the layout works great to show off this beautiful butterfly. Congrats on being a top pick at Mrs. A's challenge as well. Quite an accolade, as she gets some very amazing entries. TFS

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  14. Your lovely butterfly jumped out of the thumbnails at me, and I love the way you have mounted it over lace. A beautiful card. Kate x

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Thank you for taking the time to comment. Please ignore any requests to prove you're not a robot and just press publish. Cara x