09 November, 2014

Madame Butterfly

I must say I struggled a little bit with the current butterflyspotchallenge - 3 design papers, and I'm such a less is more kind of person! Especially, I like not to mix too many different colours and patterns as I think it steals the attention from the message a card brings.
Yesterday however, I found bumblebutton, a wonderful collection of vintage images. Among them, a stunning lady in black and white.
I decided to go through my papers to see if I had any matching black and/or white papers. After searching, comparing, searching some more, putting back and taking them out again, I found a few sheets that I thought would do. For the decorations, I repeated the whole procedure once more. The outcome is a black and white card with roses and butterflies. 
In general, when I start a paper project, I like to go through my stuff and find the matching pieces before I start working. I often change minor things while working - when I see things don't fit the way I imagined, when I remember that other piece that might fit in here, when I see the half-finished card and realize I'd like to use another punch or a different ribbon... But at least for the main tools like papers, I can say that I need to have them together before I start my project.
For the arrangement of the cards however, I usually don't make any plans or sketches - they just "happen". Well, except in a sketch challenge ;) For my other projects, I start working with the central piece (an image, a stitched ornament...) and then work my way to the backgrounds and embellishments, comparing colours, shapes and materials.

So, once I have chosen the papers, I had to arrange them and chose the ribbon. Then came the embellishments. I was sure about using white roses, but till the end I couldn't decide whether to use white or black leaves with them. As you see, I decided to punch them in white.
I was sure about using butterflies, too, but again - should it be a black or a white one, a small or a huge one? Finally, I've chosen both colours and my big punch. In the very end, I remembered I must have a single black pearl somewhere, a leftover from a sympathy card. I always keep such remains, thinking I *might* need them some day. Today, I did - black pearl on the white butterfly, white on the black one.
Unfortunately, the shimmering floral pattern in the white paper isn't quite visible on the photos. In reality, it's lovely.
Nature is becoming black and white, too, especially with the clouds not going away for days.
challenges:
- fan-tastic tuesday: add one butterfly
- butterflyspotchallenge: 3 design papers
- crafts4eternity: ribbon and lace
- craftycatzweeklychallenge: ribbon and/or lace
- papertakeweekly: anything goes
- sweatpeastampers: let us remember/sympathy/thinking of you
- fabnfunky: use 3 embellishments
- bastel-traum: black/white
- comeandgetitchallenge: pearls and lace
- thatcraftplace: anything goes
- 4craftychicks: bingo B - free (image), ribbon, pearls, black/white, circles (roses)
- wordartwednesday

14 comments:

  1. You have chosen perfectly in putting this card together. I love the black and white theme. The butterflies look good as opposites of one another. Thankyou for fluttering by. Hugs Mrs A. (Butterfly challenge).

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is just simply beautiful! I love black and white and of course butterflies! Beautiful work! Thanks for joining us at 4 Crafty Chicks this week.

    Tina - DT

    ReplyDelete
  3. A beautiful card. The layout is great. It's funny how elegant these colors can be. Thank you for joining us at Come And Get It challenge. Bunny DT

    ReplyDelete
  4. It is so elegant and pretty..
    Thanks for sharing it at CraftyCatz this week.x

    ReplyDelete
  5. Beautiful card, so elegant, thanks for joining in our challenge at Fab'n'Funky.

    Pat xx

    ReplyDelete
  6. Fabulous card, thanks for sharing with Fab N Funky.

    Hugs Beccy x

    ReplyDelete
  7. This is so gorgeous to look at...Love the black and white and those cute little white flowers. Awesome lay-out too! We're delighted that you joined our Challenge last week at Word Art Wednesday. We hope to see you again this week. Leaving you with God's Word in Hebrews 12:2, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Have a blessed day.

    JO ANN
    http://jatterburycreations.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Beautiful and very stunning, love what you've done here. Thank you for sharing with us at the Crafting for all Seasons Challenge. Barb

    ReplyDelete
  9. Fabulous card! Thanks for joining us at Crafts 4 Eternity this week hugs x

    ReplyDelete
  10. a wonderful vintage card, made by you... goregeous... THANKS for sharing by bastel-traum... Can wait to see more from you :) Hugs Ute

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wwwaaauuuu....ta kombinacija barv in postavitev mi je zeloooo všeč. Motiv in notno ozadje....čudovito!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Love your card and the image is perfect. Thank you for your time to play with us at Come And Get It challenge .Hugs Neva

    ReplyDelete
  13. schöne Karte danke fürs Mitmachen bei Bastel-traum

    ReplyDelete
  14. Lovely card. Thank you for joining the challenge at Sweet Pea Stampers. We hope to see you again next time.

    ReplyDelete