BBF…Butterflies & Best Friends

©Michele Emerson-Roberts 2015

For many years I have been happily watching two neighbor kids grow up. They played together and chased butterflies as little ones and became “best friends” in their teens. I was pleased to see the friendship turn into love and will be attending their wedding this summer. I was delighted when they asked me to create the invitations for their wedding.  I had 100 invitations to make so I chose to go with purchased cardstock instead of making the card bases from handmade paper. I was able to concentrate on creating the peach butterflies and completed the 100 cards in just a few days. Follow along to create your own versions of this card, which would make a lovely birthday, get well, thanks or thinking of you card.

 Supplies:

• Any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits
• A sunny window
• Blender, cello sponges and soft towels
• Scraps of white and peach paper (think junk mail, etc.)
• Iridescent copper flakes
• 12 x 12” white card stock
• Westcott™ personal paper cutter, scissors
• Scor-Pal™ Version 4……1/8”
• Foam tape or foam dots
• Dies:  Several sizes of butterflies from CheeryLynn
• Swirl design embossing folders
• Spellbinders Grand Calibur II™ die cutting & embossing machine
• 1/8” round hole punch
• 12” of ½” sheer peach colored ribbon (for each card)
• Envelopes to fit cards (I like to use clear envelopes for my cards to share them with my postman)

Instructions:

1. Follow the directions found in any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits to create peach colored slurry with a tiny bit of iridescent copper flakes added to the slurry.
2. Create enough sheets of peach heavy weight paper for the amount of butterflies you want to die cut.
3. Die cut 3 sizes of the butterflies for each card.
4. Cut the 12 x 12 white card stock 4 ½ x 12”.
5. Score and fold at 3” and 9” creating a gate fold card.
6. Emboss the front of the cards with the swirly embossing folder. (a butterfly embossing folder would have been even better!)
7. Punch a hole at the center on each side of the “gate”.
8. Insert the printed wedding information inside the card.
9. Insert the ribbon into the two holes and tie a bow.
10. Attach the 3 butterflies to the front of the card with foam tape.