Butterflies !

I love all of the butterfly stamps, papers, buttons, and other embellishments that are popular now!  I especially love these little lacey ones that you can get for almost nothing! They go on a card or layout so easily!  I always keep a stash of cards made up to send out "just because" and this is a version of one of my favorites.

It now incorporates all of the elements that I like. Lace, ribbon, buttons, bling... The two patterned papers are some old stash that I've had around, so I can't really say who's it is. 

And because this card is being entered in the Flourishes and Paperplay challenges, I need to explain that the large rhinestone "bling" on the flower is indeed a button. It is an old vintage one that I cut from an old garment and saved. I included a picture so that you can see the back of the metal button.  Cool, eh?  They don't make buttons like this anymore! 

Wish I had a hundred more! 

Challenges entered:

Timeless Tuesday Challenge - Flourishes

(Include a button, lace, and ribbon)

Card Makin' Mamas (PINK)

Paperplay Challenges

Have a great rest of the weekend!

FLASHBACKS!

This week we have TWO flashback challenges! I love this because it forces you to go back through all of those good and BAD projects that you've created over the past, and take a really honest look at them. I resisted the temptation to delete a few because of challenges like this one at Flashback Fridays blog site to post your FIRST gift card holder.

Had it not been for keeping this photo of a gift card holder that I was not thrilled with, I would have had no entry at all!   I don't send many gift cards, so the need simply isn't there. 

I DID, on this occasion however, have no idea what to get this friend and his wife for his birthday, so this was the solution. Not one of my "prettiest" cards, but it got the job done.   I made this back in February of this year.  I haven't been cardmaking all that long, so my collection isn't very extensive!  I see these gals who have been at it for 20 years and admire their talent and persistance!

The second "flashback  challenge" is at Moving Along With the Times.

They ask that you choose a project from the past that means something to YOU. Maybe your favorite, or the first, or just one that you especially recall

making for whatever reason.

I chose my New Year's Resolution calender.







This, I have always said, was my most prized project! I put this together back in December of 2009, and it took me the better part of a weekend to assemble the Kaisercraft shadow box.  The fun part was deciding on my theme and decorating it! Everyone had done the Christmas Advent thing, so I wanted to be different.

I really wanted it to reflect how I felt about some changes that were going on, or about to go on, in my life. We were moving out of my dream house that I had spent several years decorating and making it perfect, I was not working, and I had started on hormone therapy (I know, too much information! LOL!)  Let's just say that I had no idea, really, what direction things were going. But I had grand plans.

Things have gone well. We are very happy and my health has improved in some areas. Still working on others.... getting old ... well, just leave it to say, sucks.

So, these are my flashback moments. Both positive and not. But they caused me to pause, which is what these things are designed to do.

Thanks to "Moving Along" and "Flashback Fridays" for encouraging us to do so.