Retro Sketches and a ColourQ Card Set

Happy Sunday.  I hope everyone is having a nice weekend.  Things are pretty sunny and quiet here, as college testing and research project dates loom.

I have a card for this week's Retro Sketches rs#108 challenge--and I am using a brand new to me Hero Arts baby set called New Baby.

I chose a gender-neutral color scheme of Aqua Mist, Hawaiian Shores and SU Baked Brown Sugar.  I paper pieced one of my favorite images from this set--the little elephant, and started with Happy Spots paper.  The colors look off in this photo, but the elephant is actually Aqua Mist, Dark Chocolate, and White.  I made my own plaid paper for the bottom layer using WMS Offbeat Backgrounds.  The heart on the elephant's ear is Hawaiian Shores coated with lots of Glossy Accents.

I guess you could say that I really loved this week's ColourQ cQc #234 colors, since I am back again with an entire card set made with those colors.  I used one of the masking techniques taught by Kara in the most recent on line card class.


I was able to create one mask and use it three ways to make three cards.  I did this twice--once with butterflies, and once with mini flowers.

The following three cards use the smallest butterflies from Beautiful Butterflies.  First, I used the negative piece and stamped around the inside border.

Then, I used the die cut butterfly as a mask, and stamped around the outer edge.

Last, I used the negative mask again, and stamped in the entire space.  I started out by stamping around the outer edge, because it is important that the entire outer border is stamped--that is what will give your stamped shape its definition.  Then, I just randomly filled in the center.

Here are the three butterfly cards together.  I also made lined envelopes for the set.  Thanks to this post by Joan, I was inspired to use Distressed Stripes to make matching envelope liners.  I don't know why I never thought of it before, but I love the idea of stripes in matching colors, rather than trying to replicate the pattern on the card.  I embossed all three cards first with the largest Lil Inkers Stitched Rectangle die and then with the Burlap Impression Plate. Impossible to see in the photos, but all the butterflies are coated with Wink of Stella.  

Edited to add:  I am also linking up to a new challenge:  Time Out Challenge #2 where my butterflies fit in with this gorgeous inspiration picture.  (Thanks, Lynn).

Same concept as above for the other three cards in the set, but this grouping uses some of the smaller flower images from Embellished Elegance.

All three of these cards were also embossed with the largest Lil Inkers Stitched Rectangle die and then with the Woodgrain Impression Plate, then coated with Wink of Stella. The sentiments are from a variety of sets.  

I knew which types of sentiments I wanted to include in this set, and just flipped through my sentiment binder looking for versions that would fit in the space and that I thought would look good.  Occasions like this make me really appreciate the time I have invested in my Sentiment Binder.

I used kraft packaging paper, some twine and a die cut butterfly (dolled up with Wink of Stella and Stickles) to create a very simple packaging.

Thanks for Visiting