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10/01/2014

Autumn Butterflies - Mrs. A's Butterfly Challenge

Good afternoon & welcome friends. Hope that you're enjoying a lovely afternoon. Today is our DD's birthday. So today has been a day of much reminiscing for DH & me....how blessed we were all these years ago, and neither of us can realize her age! (That's when you REALLY feel old, is when you know your kids are are in middle age. DD might not like to hear that term applied to her however!)

Yesterday afternoon the front porch finally got cleaned...and boy was I tired last evening. Muscles  not used for a while are protesting vigorously. When this post is finished, the back porch is next on the agenda. (thankfully it's much smaller). Next week we'll try to get out some fall decorations on the cleaned porches.

Mrs. A's Butterfly Challenge has an Autumn theme for #15, so I wanted to play along. Have been making some backgrounds using Daler Rowney Pearlescent inks. One of these just needed some butterflies added to meet the requirements (autumn colored butterflies).

Here goes:

-  mixed media weight paper, Hero Arts swirl stamp inked with versamark, heat embossed with  WOW Pearl white EP. Nice resist to color with Daler Rowney Pearlescent colors.

- Pearlescent red, pearl white  were placed with a dropper dispenser in small blogs on craft mat along with another type of yellow acrylic paint since no yellow DR in the supplies as yet. With a fairly wet brush, diluted each small dab of color to dilute, then swiped over embossed resist. Randomly dabbled colors until I liked the effect. Dried, then sprayed an orange Lindy's starburst color- which created some glimmering splats. 

- After drying, a MB butterfly stencil to add texture using embossing paste. (under the 2 lower butterflies, but it's a bit hard to see after adding the dimensional butterflies). This is a pretty stencil pattern, but think it might work better with pan pastels or other inks.

-  some overspray paper (snippet) used to die cut MB butterflies. (The newspaper weight paper comes as packing in craft supply shipments. It's a bit sturdier than tissue paper, but still very thin. Saved to line the air brush desk or a box when spraying. Creates some lovely colors too). Because of the thinness, doubled the paper prior to die cutting each solid & overlay butterfly layer.  Adhered the layers with a tiny bit of Tombow glue. Tiny insect body cut from a snippet of brown c/stock.

- Silhouette cut sentiment cut from white c/s (also a snippet), colored with copic gold marker, then again with a gold gel pen.  (The snippet was a 12x12 c/s from past Silhouette efforts to cut a motif. I'm learning to place the items so that the Silhouette moves past previously cut out places. Because of the calligraphy design of the letters, which were sized down to fit the card, it was tricky removing from the sticky mat.) Still at Baby Steps at learning to use this tool.

- matted against a chocolate brown, then a rust color cardstock. The base card is cream but it looks white in the photo.

Linking to Mrs. A's Butterfly Challenge 15 - Autumn Butterflies and Week 144 at the Snippets Playground.

I'm off to clean so thanks for joining me this afternoon. Do check out Mrs. A's Butterflies and the Snippet Playground. Tons of inspiration for you. Big Hugs.

Edit PS: I keep forgetting to say I've added a new Fall card to the Cards by Friends tab. It's pretty!

39 comments:

  1. Gorgeous card Mary, I love the background, TFS how you created it and the beautiful butterflies. Happy cleaning :) Cathy x

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  2. Lovely autumnal card Mary, I love the colourful background and beautiful shimmery butterflies.
    Jean x

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  3. Love this Mary, the background is wonderfully vibrant...gorgeous colours. Carol x

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  4. Oh Mary this card is so stunning. What a lovely technique. I just love your card, it's amazing.
    Big hug and lots of love from Veerle xxx

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  5. Mary, this is GORGEOUS!!!! I love the background and the way you did that. The butterflies are so beautiful.
    Happy Birthday to your daughter too! Hope she has a great day.
    Lynn

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  6. So gorgeous Mary, I like the beautiful butterflies and the design
    Kevin xx

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  7. A beautiful card......and that background is just stunning. x

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  8. Lovely colours and lots of shine Mary, and pretty butterflies too. Hope your muscle ache soon shifts. I must admit that these days it doesn't take that much for my body to tell me it's had enough either. Hope your DD has had a good birthday. x

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  9. This is gorgeous Mary. I love the background piece and the butterflies are fabulous. Thankyou for fluttering by #15. Hugs Mrs A. (Butterfly challenge).

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  10. So artistic and beautifully Autumn! That background is a real work of art. Love the butterflies :)

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  11. Happy Birthday to your DD! I know how you feel. Our DS will be 39 this month! Thanks for sharing another amazing card!

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  12. Wow! So pretty, Mary! Love how you made the background - I want to try something like this! Sounds like you and you hubby had a fun day - except for the porch cleaning LOL.

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  13. What gorgeous butterflies Mary, I love the autumn colours, love it!
    hugs Jacee
    Simply Paper Card Design

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  14. Snap!! two great minds ........ your wonderful card is on the same theme as my project.
    Love what you have done with your wonderful butterflies.
    Really looking forward to seeing your porches decorated.
    Have a good day

    Patricia x

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  15. Just beautiful Mary, oh yes know the feeling about when you stop and think how old your children are getting.

    Hazel xx

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  16. Another beautiful card.

    Hope you have a lovely day.

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  17. Mary this is fabulous - love the texture and the colours, and you butterflies are gorgeous.
    Blessings
    Maxine

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  18. Hello Mary

    I just love your card Your background technique is fabulous, thank you for the instructions.

    luv
    irene
    xxxx

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  19. Gorgeous card!! Love the butterflies

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  20. Hi Mary, your card is beautiful with that gorgeous textured background. I tried to follow what you did, but I think I need to see it in progress :) I hope you are doing well, Shirleyx

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  21. Fabby card Mary - and I love how you tell the process for the background too.

    Isn't it funny, we did think along similar lines as you say! Great minds and all that :)

    Hugs, Di xx

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  22. Today is our son's birthday. It's hard to believe so many years have gone by and so fast! Your card today is so pretty. Your pearlescent colors are so shiny and add a pretty touch to this card along with the gorgeous butterflies. I feel your muscle pain. Spring always gets me as I start heavy cleaning.

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  23. Oh my fabulous BG and I love the touch of gold on this card :)

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  24. Oh my Momma Mary, this card is just beautiful!! All that mixed media is so fabulous, you are getting quite good at it too. Happy Birthday to DD, I'm sure she doesn't want to hear that she is middle age. lol Oh well, it comes to all of us! Don't over do it on cleaning the back porch either! Hugs, Brenda

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  25. Fabby autumn flutterby card, Mary!

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  26. Gorgeous card, Mary, and I really can see your butterfly so good...the one with the embossing paste.

    Happy Birthday to your daughter. I know it seems like yesterday she was just a baby. Time does fly by.

    Hope your back porch cleaning goes much easier and quicker than the front.

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  27. Gorgeous background with beautiful butterflies.
    Sandy xx

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  28. Such pretty results from these techniques, Mary! Wonderful card! hugs, de

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  29. Gorgeous work here Mary, wonderful colours and blending, I love the bold bright butterlies, hugs Kate x

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  30. A lovely card Mary. I thought at first you had used a brusho background like several of us did. I love the font of the Autumn sentiment. It looks like quite a good one for cutting, but then it should be if it was in the sil. store! There are lots of nice layers here, and lovely Autumn colours. Kate x

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  31. Hi there Mary, a gorgeous card, just love the background. Beautiful colours and I love the MB butterflies. I have this die too. I hope you are fit and well.
    Hugs Jennifer xx

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  32. Gorgeous card Mary, stunning background.

    Kath x

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  33. You are really good at the mixed media, Mary! Love these butterflies and that background is GORGEOUS!

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  34. It has been a while since I visited. Been trying to catch up to everyone. AGAIN. Excellent card Mary. The background is perfect for the butterflies. The butterflies, WOW, gorgeous. Wish DD a happy birthday for me. - Jim

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  35. Hi Mary. You create the most amazing backgrounds ... love this one with such gorgeous Autumn colors. The paste really adds dimension. And your beautiful butterflies are like icing on the cake :) Loll xx

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  36. Gorgeous card. You created a fantastic background with those pearlescent inks. And those butterflies are fabulous. Visiting your blog is dangerous; now I have two more things to add to my wish list. :-)

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  37. WOW, what a beautiful bg, Mary, and what great butterflies!! Your card is beautiful!!

    Happy birthday to DD!!
    Enjoy the day!!
    Hugz

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  38. These are really pretty butterflies. I love the colors...I had to enlarge them so I get a better look...they're so lovely!

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  39. Beutiful the card colours are wonderful and the butterflies are delightful. Lovies

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