Its the first! So this post is all about facing a Challenge! Keep reading.

Before I begin I have NO IDEA what is up with my photos running into the sidebar. I resized a few times with little success. I honestly don’t have time to resize each one for the 5th time, then reload! GRR This post ended up taking several hours because of it, and I am over it. I hope you get the general details of it all. SORRY!

Alexa-Beautiful Girl

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It is NOT often I do a “scrapbook page”.

I have to be REALLY inspired by something to even THINK of it. I had a particularly inspiring “photo shoot” with my daughter Alexa. She is ALMOST 10!

She was in a Spring Concert at School a week or so ago. She looked ADORABLE in her new dress that she picked out. We curled her hair, and got her ready- all pretty, so we had a photo session outside before the Concert.

To me, these are some of the BEST photos I have ever gotten of her! She was SOOOO “Alexa” when she is NOT in front of the camera. She usually can’t pose or makes funny faces, when you tell her to smile. She just contorts her face so unnaturally! LOL! So I just tried to let her be natural, herself. Cracking jokes while I took photos. THAT actually worked!!

I KNEW I wanted to capture them in a special way-forever!

This page just FLOWED out of me so easily. I’m beyond proud of it-especially my SUBJECT-Alexa :D)

She, to me, is like a butterfly. Hence my page. It is more than just a pretty page to me. It is capturing my thoughts, feelings and journey with my little girl, who has changed so much over the last few years.

This seemingly fragile human being, that started with so many odds against her, and despite it all, has morphed from the caterpillar (who avoided getting eaten by the “birds”-aka all her life obstacles) into a BEAUTIFUL butterfly. Spreading her wings, and taking flight. Never did I think I would have such a blessing in my life 10 years ago. Many times I thought I would lose her sweet little life. I always cry when I type these posts about her. I hate that!

I could go on and on, but will end it there. I get very emotional when I think of Alexa and her journey through life. I already know I will ALWAYS be so proud of her and where she will be in life. I am now! And Im so thankful for our journey. ALL OF IT. Thankful that God chose me, off all the people in the world to take her journey with her. What a blessing she is.

Now I switch my emotional gears to the project challenge.

That then lead me to the challenge that Nichole posed for her design team.

We were to create our own embellishments, inspired by some embellishments on the market, that you could purchase. Our goal was to share how much more affordable-and even how EASY, it is to create your own.

I was inspired by Heidi Swapp Butterfly Ghost Shapes, that I had for like a year, and couldn’t bare to use up, since you only get 6 in a package for $3.99 and UP! That is INSANE.

See photo:

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This is what comes in the package -these are the 3 shapes

You receive : 2 large, 2 medium and 2 small acetate butterflies as shown.

So I figured I could EASILY make my own, for FAR LESS! Maybe even BETTER ๐Ÿ˜€

I began my venture with Papertrey Ink’s Clearly Creative Cardstock

You get 10 sheets for $6.00. That means MY cost per sheet is 0.60 CENTS!

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THIS receiptย is the breakdown of the cost for making my OWN!!

Its actually CHEAPER than that! LOL! Read on.

So I used my Cuttlebug butterfly die for my largest butterflies.

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You can get 15 of the LARGE butterflies from ONE sheet costing ONLY 0.60 cents. You’d have to buy 7 or 8 packages of the Ghost Shapes to get that many of the largest butterfly shapes-costing upwards of $28-$32! What a savings!!

For my Med. size I used a Whale Butterfly punch by EK Success

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I always keep the paper backing on till I’m done so I don’t LOSE anything I punch/die cut!

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Now I can get 16 medium butterflies from one HALF sheet-or 32 per full sheet of acetate.

I the used a Martha Stewart Butterfly punch for my smallest butterflies.

I got 28 per half sheet of acetate, or 56 per full sheet!!!

Here are a few of the shapes I got from ONE piece of acetate-and I could have gotten even more!

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I just figured getting even 4 each per sheet is WAY more for your money (ย UNDER 0.60 cents) as oppose to the $3.99 and up for ONLY 6 shapes that are store purchased.

That is where the recipt total came in

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I then recycled the package that the Heidi Swappย Ghost Shapes came in, and put MY own butterflies inside!

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This is actually FULL of various shaped butterflies for a FRACTION of the cost!!!

I used one butterfly that I decorated for embellishing the front.

This is the product with my finished scrapbook page, that utilizes my embellishments: one of each size butterfly ON my page

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Here is how I designed my own embellishment further by getting inspired by ANOTHER product

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Notice my “B”.

Now here is what inspired my butterfly design

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These are self adhesive acetate letters by Making Memories that sell for about $6 each

I used the “B” on my page. I loved the addition of the COLOR and FLOURISH on each letter, so I used that to further inspire yet another embellishment option for my plain acetate butterflies ๐Ÿ˜€

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Here is a bit of a closer look at the B and the dimension my butterflies gave to my project.

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Here is what I did:

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I just stamped my acetate butterflies using the flourish from With Sympathy, and White StazOn

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I added my color by using my own technique-Poppin Acetateย with Jewel Tones Pastels

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In SECONDS-a gorgeous butterfly embellishment!

I added some adhesive pearls to my butterfly centers, and was DONE!!

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one more photo

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So there you have it!

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Now I can make SO many various embellishments JUST like these to suit ANY project!

I can die cut or punch ANY shape from the acetate I want or need, and I can embellish it without worry if I ruin one!

Supplies:

Stamps: With Sympathy (Flourish on butterflies), Friends til the End (flowers on white layer),ย Beautiful Blooms (sentiment)

Cardstock: Clearly Creative, White, True Black, Hibiscus Burst

Ink:True Black, Hibiscus Burst, White StazOn

Pebbles Pearlescent Pastels

Vintage Buttons , adhesive pearls, Making Memories Adhesive letter B

Cuttlebug butterfly die, EK Success butterfly punch, Martha Stewart punch

Now be sure to check out the design team!

  • Becky O
  • Kelly Lunceford- Template Team
  • Lisa Johnsonย ย 
  • Michelle Wooderson
  • Nichole Heady
  • Pine

    • Im sure this will get you making your own embellishments in no time, while saving yourself some money and using what you have! WIN! WIN!!

    I hope you enjoyed my project ๐Ÿ˜€

    Thanks for stopping by. I’d love to hear your thoughts, or if you give this a try too.