It is that time again. Celebrating the new 2015-2016 Annual Catalog makes this a very happy blog hop for me. I got to get new stuff! I am last on the list this time, but since we move in a circle you can either go back to Buffy's blog by way of the Previous button or go back to the beginning to Marie's blog by clicking the Next button. This is such a great hop you might want to go in circles for awhile.

I love butterflies (and dragonflies) so my first card is a butterfly card. I used the new heavier weight Whisper White CS as my card base and it worked beautifully as a base.

                                                                               

On my new heavier WW base I added a layer using one of the designs found in new Everyday Chic DSP. Then using a piece of regular WW CS I die cut the large butterfly from the new Bold Butterfly Framelits from the center and tucked the white butterfly away for future use so I could use the negative as a layer. The new Fluttering EF then came into play as I embossed the layer with it. I then cut the small butterfly from a scrap of the same Everyday Chic DSP but turned him over to layer him in the opening. The antennae and sentiment came from Floral Wings hostess set.

I am always on the search for new ideas and techniques. So my next card is something I have wanted to try for a long time. I had heard somewhere that you could make paper look like leather so one of my searches I came across some videos by a lady in the UK. Her name is Sheena Douglass and of course she has her own line of embossing folders and stencils, but the technique is what caught my eye. Then when our new embossing folder Boho Chic came out, well, the rest is history.  I will be making more of this history again because I love the technique. 

I used the technique on Kraft CS with Soft Suede, Chocolate Chip and Crushed Curry inks. The technique involves carefully massaging glycerine and water into the paper until you have the desired look. You have to be careful as Sheena says because you do not want to cause the paper to pill or get rough. Then you crumple it up while it is still wet and carefully unfold it and set it aside to dry.  After it was dry a piece of Typeset Specialty DSP was adhered to the inside.  I embossed it with the folder and then rubbed ink over the wrinkles and the embossing. I wanted the card to look like a small book so I cut 2 pieces of Very Vanilla CS and folded them in half. Then with carefully chosen stamps from The Open Sea, Feel Goods, Guy Greetings, Gorgeous Grunge and Awesomely Artistic, the "pages" were decorated and tied into the book using Linen Thread. The sentiment on the outside came from the Feel Goods stamp set and cut from the new Lots of Labels Framelits. Here are some photos of the inside.

The minute I saw the Timeless Elegance DSP, I knew this would be my very favorite. There is so much you can do with every sheet in that package. I chose my favorite sheets for my next project.

For this project I colored some of the flowers off of one sheet of the paper using re inkers and my blender pen. I fussy cut the flowers. Then using the other sheet I cut my "mat", placed the photo and then added the flowers as accents. The frame was already distressed when I bought it. The photo was taken 34 years ago on the 27th of this month. We have both aged a bit and there's a little less hair on that Marine Officer's head, but we won't tell him that. My hair is now silver, gray and white and I love it. Love that man more today than then.