Bloomin' Heart Butterfly

Happy Thursday!

Today I get to be chauffeur-mom … taking 'becca to a specialist to get her tested for asthma.  I seriously spend MORE time driving this kid to various doctor appointments … and it always seems to be for naught.  Our doctor suspects she has asthma.  I agreed as it seemed to explain her years of lousy nights' sleep.  We always thought her anxieties flared up at night, resulting in a tight chest.  She had a real "death complex" for a while there.  She was afraid people were going to die (grandmas, grandpas, me … HER).  All quite normal around the age of 12, so "they" say … but for a child who already is know to be on the border of numerous anxiety disorders it was pretty intense.  We figured it was her anxiety that was causing the tight chest.  The doctor suggested perhaps she has allergen-triggered asthma … so we're going to get it checked out.  I'm not so sure anymore.  Once she was over the cold she had a month back (which is what started this ride) she kept taking the inhaler at bed time.  It seemed to help with the tight chest issue.  A few weeks later I asked her NOT to use the inhaler at night unless she needed to … and she hasn't needed to since.  So I dunno.  This sort of "AHA!  THAT explains it!" moment has happened before.  We thought she was allergic to milk … sent her for loads of tests, spent money on blood work sent to the US … eventually the problem just went away.

So …. we'll see.  If nothing else we get to take a nice looooooong drive to the other end of the city and spend some quality time together lol.  (I just need to know why every single appointment we get is always in the south south south side???!!!  Can't specialists ever set up shop in the north???)  But I digress ….

Wanna see some pretty cards?  Okee dokee … Here!

Love!  I can't take credit for this particular idea.  It's been all over Pinterest and the one I mainly CASEd was originally designed by Kirsteen Gill over at www.creatinwithkirsteen.com and my friend Heather Daily who made the top design.  It is stunning in "person.  I used Sahara Sand Card stock for both layers, rounding the top layer with our Project Life corner rounder punch.  I then ran another piece through the Big Shot with the new Bloomin' Heart framelit.  Yes … the framelit I actually TOLD Stampin' Up! I was not going to buy!  THAT framelit.  Hated it when I first saw it and tried to use it at our convention in November.  I also vowed not to buy the Die Brush.  Ya.  Guess what bought to go with the framelit?  Ya.  That.  Let me tell you - if you buy this heart framelit you need at LEAST one of two tools (preferable both!)  You need the precision plate (because it really aids in intricate cuts like the ones on this framelit).  You also need the Die Brush (you roll it over top the cut-out image to help remove all the little pieces from the framleit without using your poky-tool and saying lots of bad words … and vowing never to use the framleit again).  If you use both tools you will have NO problem with this die!

So … I cut out my heart …. I then ran it through the Big Shot a second time - but this time with the Butterfly framelit.  It's JUST the right size to get this beautiful butterfly for the front of your card.  I also cut a solid butterfly out using Basic Black card stock to mount behind the butterfly just to give it some depth and hi-light the beautiful design.  The Bloomin' Heart framelit also comes with 2 little flowers to punch out that match the pattern on the heart (now butterfly).

I popped the first layer up on dimensionals, attached the black butterfly with snail, popped the butterfly up with dimensionals and used glue dots to attach the small flowers.

The sentiments are both in Archival Black ink - the Happily Ever After is from Big News - the With Sympathy is from ad ANCIENT set (one of my first!), Warmest Regards - retired donkeys years ago but one I will never part with!

Pearls finish off the top card and rhinestones the bottom (oh, the bottom card is in Whisper White).  This card would also work as a wedding card - just trying to show the versatility of the layout and butterfly.

Right … off to get my workout and dog-walk in before hitting the hi-way.  Whatever you get up to I hope you have a stampy day!


Tam