The Friends of Unity Blog Hop ~April 2023

Welcome! It’s officially spring and what better theme than “Butterflies”?! I can already hear the morning birds chirping and the warm sunshine peeking out of the clouds to say that we made it through the winter. Butterflies will be here but not soon enough. In my part of the world, I see mostly beautiful creamy white small butterflies and on a special day, a yellow and black Tiger Swallowtail. There is no shortage of butterfly images to share from my Unity Stamp Company stash so let’s go!

Card #1 ~ Wish Big

Soft and subtle is this butterfly from Unity Stamp Company’s November 2020 Kit of the Month called “warm toes happy heart”. Super clean and simple, I adore the lifted wings as if it just landed on the card. As I begin to type, I realize this might not be a butterfly, but a dragonfly. I asked my better half and got a confident “yes, that is a butterfly”. In any case I learned that dragonflies (odinata) and butterflies (lepidoptera) belong to different orders yet share the same kingdom, phylum and class. I always enjoy a little extra information as I make my cards!

Steps to create this card.

1. Stamp the image twice using Encore! Ultimate Metallic “Champagne” ink on white card stock. Once on card stock measuring 4.5″ x 3.25″ and the other on scraps because the wings are the only part needed.
2. Blend Tim Holtz Ranger Distress ink “Old Paper” over the wings on the scrap image.
3. Fussy-cut colored wings.
4. Using two Bic fine point markers–color the body in “Tiki Hut Tan” and the eyes in “Cloud Nine Grey”.

5. Die cut the Poppystamps “Double Scalloped Stitched Frames” in the same white cardstock as the butterfly images.
6. Glue and center the cardfront on an A2 buttercream cardbase.
8. Glue the frame to the image.
9. Stamp the sentiment under the butterfly. This sentiment is from an old Stampin’ Up stamp but any small sentiment will work just fine.
10. Add a Hero Arts “Hero Hues” enamel sticker in clear.

Card #2 ~ You Are So Amazing

Glitter and shine belongs on this gorgeous butterfly card! It is called “Falling into Place” by Sandhya Iyer for Unity Stamp Company. I think someone would love to receive a card to tell them how amazing they are! Also, I can’t get enough of the hot foil craze that has hit the cardmaking industry. Are you into hot foiling, it is so much fun! And then to add more interest, I adhered the butterfly off the edge of the card on a textured background.

Steps to create this card.
1. Stamp the Unity Stamp Company butterfly image on white cardstock.
2. Color the image with Prismacolor Watercolor Pencils and use a waterbrush for blending.
3. Fussy-cut the image. To cover white edges, go over them with a black sharpie.
4. Using a Stampin’ Up 3D embossing folder “Painted Texture”, emboss a black card panel. Make it slightly smaller than an A2 card.
5. Hot foil the Poppystamps “Modest Banner Greetings Hot Foil Plate and Craft Die” sentiment in fuschia foil on lavender cardstock.
6. Hot foil the reverse scrap using a solid metal plate.

7. Adhere the dry embossed cardfront onto a black base.
8. Adhere the butterfly off the page and trim flush with the outside edge.
9. Adhere the two sentiment pieces askew over the butterfly.
10. Add Hero Arts lacquer glitter pen.

Card #3 ~ always have Hope

A continuous brushstroke of color washes through the image and the entire length of the card, The focal point, the butterfly, rests gently on the flower swag. Bright color gives the card energy and the fine, orange splatters softens the image. The stamp kit, created by Lisa Arana for Unity Stamp Company, is called “hope is a beautiful thing”. I had this on my wishlist for a long time. It is a kit full of phrases with “Hope” sentiments and of course, this wonderful image.

Steps to create this card.

1. Stamp the Unity Stamp Company image on off-white card stock.
2. Using Prismacolor Watercolor Pencils, yellow and lime, color in a wavy line through the butterfly. Blend with a water pen.
3. Using same colored pencils, color the butterfly adding oranges and reds.

4. Cut and stamp a 3/4″ strip of same off-white card stock.
5. Stamp sentiment on the strip.
6. On the cardfront, die cut a scalloped stitched edge at the bottom.
7. Paste the cardfront onto an off-white card base.
8. Paste the strip on the top of the card leaving 1/8” at the top. The lower empty space below the scalloped edge is about 1/4″.
9. Using a fan-shaped brush, splatter fine orange ink over the card.
10. Embellish the card with off-white burlap twine and celadon jewels.
11. Trim the card to approximately 4.5″ wide and 4 1/8″ high.

Card #4 ~ Thanks for always being there

Fantastic butterflies create a centerpiece on this card. I love how this image is the opposite of a border stamp and not quite a background stamp. The image comes from the latest Unity Stamp Company Kit of the Month ~ March 2023, “a good man and some butterflies”.

Steps to create this card.

1.Create a distressed background. Blend Tim Holtz Distress Inks in “Tea dye, Walnut Stain and Salvaged Patina”. Spritz with water.
2. Cut to 4″ x 5.25″ (slightly smaller than an A2 size card)
3. Stamp the butterflies with black Versafine ink.
4. Glue the cardfront to a black A2 cardbase.

5. Place washi tape down the left side of the card.
6. Tie burlap string is over the washi tape.
7. Stamp sentiment on the right side.
8. Black Nuvo drops finish the card!

Thank you for stopping in. I hope you have butterfly stamps that are already being imagined on a card! Please leave a comment and I will randomly choose a person to win a “thank you” prize! The winner will be announced at the May hop. And now for the winner of March….Sue D.! Congratulations Sue D., please message me your mailing address so I can get your prize out to you!

Below is a list of all the friends on the blog hop. Tons of inspiration await you!

Crystal

Kim

Tammy

Amber

Jane

Colleen

Gaylynn

Bobbie Sue

Rachel (me)

Eileen

Have a wonderful, fluttery day in the best sense of the meaning and I can’t wait to see your butterfly cards on the “Unity Show and Tell” Facebook page. Please don’t hesitate to ask me any questions. I love to talk cardmaking and more.

You can find me on Instagram and TikTok @cardartbyrachel