Butterfly Create Card For Jan

My friend Jan loves stamping with gilding flakes and she's been looking for a Christmas tree stamp similar to my Hero Arts Branch and Flourish Tree to use with the flakes.

We were at our LSS together and we saw this Hero Arts Swirl Tree stamp and Jan really liked it - apart from the little tree trunk bit at the bottom, that was putting her off it.

I said that surgery could be performed on that bit if needs be!  I then said the stamp was quite a versatile one in that you could use it as a background pattern on a die cut or punched shape, a butterfly for example.  The upshot was that Jan purchased the stamp but it had to come home with me 'cos I had to wield my knife to cut off the offending tree trunk.  Also, I had to make an example using the stamp as a pattern on a die cut shape.  Jan was very specific in her instructions, I had to add gilding flakes to a die cut butterfly and I couldn't just make an example piece, oh no, it HAD to be made into a proper card!  I really should learn to keep my mouth shut LOL!

So after I'd cut off the unwanted tree trunk I die cut a Raspberry Ripple butterfly, stamped the Swirl Tree over the top, added Winter Dawn gilding flakes and burnished.  I was rather pleased my idea worked, I'm very happy how the butterfly turned out!  I die cut another Raspberry Ripple butterfly, glued it to the back and attached a flowery brad to the centre.  I then made a 4 3/4" Raspberry Ripple card base and used Pink Pirouette and Primrose Petals CS for mat layers.  I stamped the frame and sentiment from the SU! Creative Elements set and added a couple of gems.  I think the 'Create' has such a beautiful font and is ideal to use for a fellow card maker!  I wanted to put something in the corners but wasn't happy how punched photo corners looked and various other options I tried didn't appeal either.  In the end I opted to stamp and punch out a tiny image from the SU! Madison Avenue set - which is an upcoming SAB set. 

For inside the card I cut a Pink Pirouette panel, stamped a border and added a stamped and fussy cut butterfly.  I stamped a butterfly direct to the envelope flap to finish off.  I just hope Jan enjoys using her Swirl Tree stamp and likes her 'Create' card!  

Supplies:
Stamps: Hero Arts 'Swirl Tree' , SU! Creative Elements & Madison Avenue sets
CS: SU! Raspberry Ripple, Pink Pirouette and Primrose Petals
Ink: SU! Raspberry Ripple & Primrose Petals
Tools:  SU! Beautiful Butterflies Bigz die, small circle punch, Stamp-a-ma-jig
Embellishments & accessories: FlitterGlu, Winter Dawn gilding flakes, scoochy, pink flower brad, SU! Rhinestone Jewels