You know that phrase “don’t sweat the small stuff”? I think I should have it written large on the wall of my craft room. Many times over in fact. Cover a whole wall. Maybe every wall.
Why am I considering this drastic redecoration? Because, I kid you not, when I was happily stamping and sticking here it actually popped into my head that I should be sure to mention no butterflies were harmed in the making of this card. Really. Fleetingly, but it happened. Now, a kind person could suggest here that perhaps it is just an example of political correctness gone mad. Possibly.
But wait, there’s more. I also thought that aesthetically I would have preferred more butterflies in the jar, so colours (wings) overlapped. But I couldn’t overcrowd them, could I?! So now I have non-sentient stamped butterflies endowed with rights to a reasonable space in which to flap a wing…
The third one is the charm they say (although I never really understood that saying): I had to have some of them escaping the jar so it was clear they were not being held prisoner…
If my family feel they need to get me sectioned after this, well, to be honest I’d think they had a point…
This is made using a lovely stamp set by Dreamees. It has four different sizes of jar (this is the largest), a really cute fairy castle, a sail boat (for ship in the bottle fun) and some small butterflies, hearts and flowers plus a few other elements. This is the first time I have used any of their stamps and I was impressed: they took the ink really well, stamped beautifully, and are really well priced.
I have kept things very simple here (when is it ever any different?!). So one flat layer, just masking off the jar to allow it to be grounded. I considered masking the sides too, and stamping the butterflies over the edge, but y’know, I thought it might be a breach of the Butterfly Rights Act 2016. I cut the layer with the stamping a bit smaller than usual to show off some of the gingham-y goodness underneath. I added a couple of bits of Candi for extra pinkness. With the exception of the sentiment all the inks used are from Altenew: Moon Rock for the jar, Evening Gray for the ‘table’, Frosty Pink, Cotton Candy and Coral Berry for the butterflies. The sentiment was stamped in Brilliance Graphite Black as I was using vellum and the dye ink was just taking too long to dry. I wish I had waited because it has dried fine now, and it would have been nicer to have it in the same grey. Never mind. I have much more important issues of butterfly welfare and husbandry to keep me occupied.
So, card number 2. No anthropomorphising issues this time. Just hearts. Who cares if they get broken or damaged along the way?! Weeeeeell…I stamped the hearts in blue and then wondered if that was an indication of misery of the romantic kind. Feeling blue? Heartbroken? Guess what? This uncaring, unsympathetic eejit has put your suffering in a jar… and stuck a garnish on it… Seriously over-thinking here!
I used a Reverse Confetti die called Falling Confetti for this one. Except the confetti is, erm, reversed and falling upwards… Must remember the packaging is the brand name, not an instruction!
For card number three it would appear that some sanity has been restored. Three small jars in pretty papers. This was made with the Trimcraft Floral Muse pack. I have used it a lot, but that is because it is beautiful, so why not? The border is a Magnolia Tilda Lace die which I have had for years but gets pulled out every time I want something pretty and lacy.
Still not ‘feeling it’ craft-wise. I am hoping that some Christmas projects, maybe gift bags and gift wrap instead of cards, might just get me a bit more motivated. I think that makes me a ‘glass half full’ kind of chick.
Ha ha, the Butterfly Rights Act 2016! Great cards, Gillian. I am drawn to the pink butterflies!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well course you are! Pink rules. Thanks Kathy!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think these cards are lovely! In fact, I have to make my daddy a birthday card this evening. I might take inspiration from the second card.
This did make me giggle too – sometimes it is easy to overthink things!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Don’t I know it! Good luck with your project for tonight. The idea would definitely work for a man’s card too.
LikeLike
Your work is fabulous! I’m a half full gal too. Agree don’t sweat the small stuff!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cheers! And thanks. These aren’t great, but great is just not happening right now!
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂 You are too hard on yourself.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love butterflies! (I don’t feel the same way about moths) and I think the little jars are really pretty and decorative..just got that song in my head “Jar of Hearts” by Christina Perri now…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have had the song in my head too…all day… I nearly apologised to everyone in advance. Do you not just think that moths are butterflies without their makeup on? And maybe in need of a bit of a shave here and there?
LikeLiked by 2 people
No…they are massively hairy overweight ants with wings and peculiar glowy eyes…and they fly at you, without making the slightest attempt to fly around you. Being hit in the eye by a moth is actually quite painful…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh dear. I have no wish to make light of you trauma. Safety goggles?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wear glasses, yet somehow this hairy monster managed to direct its angle of flight directly behind my glasses and smash into my eyeball…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ok, total sympathy then. Really. Maybe it was just the atmothpheric conditions that day?!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have just spent the last ten minutes wracking my brains for something pun-worthy of the genus Lepidoptera..alas, I fear I must reach for the doffing cap…!
LikeLiked by 1 person
A lepid doesn’t change its spots…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Aaaah! How could I miss that one! I moth brush up on my punning skills…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Being punny isn’t peasy…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think you’ve definitely bee-ten me this time lol!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Let’s go for honours even!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are a master/mistress wordsmith, my friend, with ready wit and agile punning! Generous too, when you so clearly bested me! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nope. Nobody wins, nobody loses! The words do all the work for us.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Your cards are lovely!!! And I love how your mind works with the No butterflies being harmed LOL!
Hmmmmm I always thought moths were just the overweight cousins of butterflies and that is why they came out at night samathamurdochblog…..
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks! I guess I am on my own with thinking they are just ‘unpainted’ butterflies then!
LikeLike
Lol! Yes I like that one! Next time I see a moth I may shout that at it…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh I love those jars of butterflies, what a fab’ idea. Thank you for my morning giggle.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome! Hope you didn’t spill any muesli…
LikeLike
They are all fabulous but the 3rd one made my heart flutter a bit. It is perfection!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much! The third one is my favourite too. Thanks for commenting.
LikeLike
Oh all three are just perfect. Love those little pink polka dot buttons on the butterfly card! Perfect! Love that Reverse Confetti die! Perfect also for the card. Those papers on the third card are gorgeous. Love the die cut too! Love them all! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Nancee! They were fun to make!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I haven’t got any Dreamees stamps but these are lovely. I really like the jars, especially how you stamped onto the pretty patterned papers to make the last card. I love butterflies but have a slight phobia about caterpillars – actually it’s not that slight it’s quite big! It’s an irrational dislike but one that’s grown over recent years for some reason!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am very pleased with the stamps – definitely a good purchase! I quite like a caterpillar, but I can see why someone wouldn’t – a bit too much like a really big maggot, maybe?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think those butterflies are probably the most-cared for free-range butterflies in the world. And the hearts in your second card don’t suggest the literal blues to me. Confetti falling up? I can’t even tell! All 3 cards look great, as usual!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks! I think I was having a ‘literal’ day!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love all three cards! I think you could overlap the butterflies, but they look nice in the jar this way. The third card is my favorite because of these beautiful papers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks. It is my favourite too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Card number one I like. It’s gentle, delicate and peaceful.
Card Number two I love. I didn’t see the background as confetti falling ‘up’, but more like bubbles in lemonade or champagne, big on the bottom of the glass, but smaller as they break up and rise to the surface where they’re going to pop pop pop.
Card number three I adore. The colours. The jars. The die cut borders which make it look like the image is buffered with lace trim. Yes … that’s the card I would go for.
But all of them are really lovely. HAVE FAITH IN YOURSELF you dope! tsk tsk.
Love ~ me. xxx
LikeLiked by 1 person
P.S. … no ink was harmed in the composing and leaving of this comment, but an awful lot of neurons were terribly inconvenienced.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Go rest your synapses…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Coo, you’ve got a nerve!
LikeLike
Ooh champagne…maybe if I drank some it would help inspire….maybe if I had some…..
LikeLiked by 1 person
When you get it, let me know. I’ll be over there with a gla ….. bucket.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love all of your jar cards, especially #3 with the varied pink papers in each one. I’m having fun with jars too! I haven’t tried this yet, but I saw some examples of shaker cards done with the jars on the Stampin’ Up! website that were filled with things like lentils and grains. Wish I’d thought of that! But CASE’ing is an honorable alternative 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks! I have seen some made into shakers too, and was trying to work out how I would do it without a die as I cannot cut very neatly with a knife. Then my brain kicked into gear and I realised I just need to find a rectangle somewhere in my stash that will make a good job of cutting the centre out. Shaker card here I come!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think all of the cards have there own unique wonderful feel. My favourite is the third, purely because I am for some unexplainable reason, drawn to spots! (only the paper kind may I add). See – your not the only one that feels the need to express themselves to the inth degree, and yes the world truly has gone mad, that’s why I stay inside my own garden and let the rest get on with it lol 🙂 x
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is a bit nuts, isn’t it? I think because I know I can be rather cutting, or quip first, think later, I do try to make sure I don’t offend anyone unintentionally!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gorgeous 🙂
LikeLike
Loving the jars! All three cards are cute but I love the one with butterflies in a jar the most. I’m sure they appreciate the fact you made it clear they were free to fly away whenever they wanted. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks. I win the ‘overthinker of the week’ badge…I think…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha I love how you’ve thought these through! I do have a little tag with a penguin on that has sat on my bedside table
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oops, pressed send too soon. The tag sits on my bedside table because he couldn’t be thrown away, he can’t be a bookmark because he’d get squashed (same reason he can’t be scrapbooked). I don’t know why he’s more vulnerable than others, but he us
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lol! I bet lots of us have some object like this, that we just have a different reaction to!
LikeLiked by 1 person