Butterfly Field Notes

Hi, Friends.....

I am here to share a nature card with you using a FABULOUS Stamps Happen - Page About Butterflies stamp that my (candidate-for-best-son-in-the world!!!) son found for me. He's really awesome at finding THE most amazing stamps for me at thrift stores.....and this is one of them!!!!  I majored in biology way back in the Dark Ages, and I am still a field biologist at heart. I have a shelf brimming with field guides of all sorts and I consult them often! So, naturally, I was drawn immediately to this beautiful stamp showing a page of butterfly field notes.

This has been in my butterfly box since last year, but it is my first time using it so I am participating in Darnell's NBUS Challenge #10 challenge with this card where you use some "Never Before Used Schtuff".

I also am entering this card in Mrs. A's Butterfly Challenge #71 where the theme this fortnight is Butterfly(ies) + U is for Underneath &/or Umber (the color). I was flummoxed. I thought I knew what color umber was, but I think I was confused with ochre. Internet searches added to my confusion. (I am better off just using the internet for looking at pictures of cats!!!) 

Seems that umber is any number of shades of mineral brown.....from yellowish to quite deep and dark. Thankfully, Mrs. A cleared up my confusion by telling me any shade of brown was acceptable. Whew! Armed with that info, I went to work. For both the Umber and Underneath portions of this challenge, I dry embossed a piece of Core'dinations brown cardstock with a Darice - Wood Grain folder and sanded it to enhance the texture and show the "underneath" color.

I did a lot of distressing with my papers with ink and by tearing. I really love the end result, but I have to tell you this paper tearing business is VERY SCARY!!  (Cuz, I mean, what if I accidentally tear off some important part of the stamped image???!!! EEEK!! You can see that I tore very, very small controlled bits at a time.....which resulted in almost a scalloped edge. lol... Hey, I LOVE to experiment, but I think crafters who use this do-or-die tearing technique live way too dangerously for my personality!! Ha. ) 

Other supplies used include:
Verve - Sprightly Sprigs die set
Distress Inks in various colors
Hero Arts - Pattern Stripes for background
Three Butterfly SOUO thrift store find (stamp of unkn origin) used on background
Prima butterfly (altered with DIs)
Dollar Store Twine

I had a lot of fun making this woodsy-looking nature card. I hope you like it, too!!!  Thank you so much for stopping by.  Your kind comments make my day!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Mrs. A's Butterfly Challenge #71 - Butterfly(ies) + U is for Underneath &/or Umber (the color)
2. NBUS Challenge #10
3. Cuttlebug Mania - Hobby (I love identifying the wide variety of flora and fauna that I find in our area.)
4. HeARTful Stamping Challenge (Jan. 29 - Feb.5) - Anything Goes + Rubber Stamp
5. DL.Art February Linky Challenge - Anything Goes