Hope Butterfly for a Sad Reason

 

As some of you may have seen in the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic I had made some cards to give to our friends and neighbours using the same 3 part Statement Butterfly die from Crafter's Companion and a digital sentiment from McMahon Five Designs (they are no longer in business so this is retired)

This card has been made for entirely different reason. My younger sister has had issues in the past with breast cancer and now has scans every year at the hospital so they really are keeping on top of it. She had a scan on Wednesday and she was really worked up about it. I did the big sister thing and tried to re-assure her, don't worry etc.  Well bugger me, the following day they phoned her to say they can see a mass in her breast. They will need to get her back in for a further scan and to take some cells for analysis. Of course, panic then ensues. To then balance things out the same day her eldest daughter had an ultrasound scan as she is expecting a 3rd baby. She has had twins who are 7 at the end of August and she has had some miscarriages so the scan is an important milestone for her (and us of course)

Fortunately all is well (touch wood) and baby is due early March and I will be a Great Auntie again. Just need to get my Sister sorted in the meantime.....hopefully she won't have too long to wait for her appointment.

She is quite senior in a care home and has worked all through the pandemic. She had a few weeks with a lot of deaths in quick succession so she has had a lot to deal with (fortunately not virus related thank goodness for that)

She needs a bit of cheering up so I made this card for her. This sentiment is perfect not only for spreading hope during these pandemic days but definitely for what she is going through at the moment. 

Her living room is teal and I wanted to make the card to match that so she can possibly frame it too. The card is 8" square and has been covered with some flower paper that was a magazine freebie a long time ago. The frame around it has been adapted from a shadow box frame kit from Crafter's Companion. It came in a mystery bag and has decorative panels that you overlay on a plain background. I have a Big Shot die cutter and tried to use a combination of plates I had but as this die is longer I just couldn't get the intricate dies to cut. It is my birthday next month and I have asked for the large Gemini die cutting machine so that should resolve that problem.... :)

So plan B was to use the black panels I had already cut, trim them shorter to suit the card size and add some narrower ones in a teal core'dinations card which has a lovely sheen to it.

The butterfly is cut from black card, some teal glittery card which was in my scraps and some iridescent vellum. The body has black self adhesive gems on it. I stick the bottom layer down and leave the top 2 loose so the butterfly is flying. You can see the detail in the side photo below.

The sentiment has little hearts that have been coloured with a Promarker. It is framed in the Lyon cut and emboss frame from Crafter's Companion. I used the same Core'dinations card and sanded back the embossing. I then used a slightly darker teal rub on wax to highlight it. I added a silver mat around it and fussy cut. This is raised up on 3d foam squares.

For a final touch I added lots of small gems onto the big flowers in the background. 

I am hoping that this is all going to be worrying about nothing and that is isn't the big C. The waiting both for the appointment and the the results is going to be horrid. I am just grateful that the annual monitoring of her will hopefully mean they will be able to nip it in the bud. I am also very grateful that I was included in the pre-50's trial in our area last year and had a clear scan.

Edited 29/08 - Her appointment has come through for 4th September. From what she has been told the mass is 2.5cm and is in her right breast. All previous masses have been in her left one so she is definitely worried now. Thank you to everyone for your good wishes for her, that really is lovely of you

Card Details -

 

Size - 8" Square

Digital Sentiment - McMahon Five Design (retired)

Dies - Shadow Box Frame & Statement Butterfly by Crafter's Companion

Embossing Folder - Lyon Cut & Emboss Frame by Crafter's Companion

Colouring Medium - Promarker

Embellishments - self adhesive gems

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges (in Alphabetical Order)

• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - #41 Anything Goes with a Critter
• 613 Avenue Create – #236 Anything Goes
• A Bit More Time To Craft Extra – Anything Goes
• A Perfect Time To Craft - #8 Anything Goes
• All Fun Challenges - #14 Anything Goes
• Alphabet Challenge – J is for Jewels or Jewellery
• Aud Sentiments  – #258 Anything Goes
• Cardz 4 Galz - #123 Monotone
• CCC Digi Creations - #117 Include a Butterfly
• CD Sunday Plus - # 42 Anything Goes
• Classic Design Challenge - # 8 Anything Goes
• Crafting Happiness - #63 Anything Goes
• Crafty Animals - #41 Anything Goes With An Animal
• Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper - Any Patterned Paper
• Crafty Sentiments Designs – Anything Goes
• Creative Fingers - #191 Anything Goes
• Creative Moments - #197 Anything Goes / Pretty Papers
• Creative Sketchy Girls - #51 Butterflies
• Cute Card Thursday - #648 Embossing
• Die Cut Divas – Flowers
• Dragonfly Dreams – Anything Goes
• Dream Factory - #83 East Wind (Nature, butterfly in the wind)
• Everybody Art – #473 Anything Goes
• Gem of A Challenge - #17 Anything Goes
• International Art & Soul - #90 Inspired by a Book (The Butterfly Effect)
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - #140 Anything Goes
• Mix It Up Challenge - #40 Anything Goes / Heat or Dry Embossing
• Not Just Cards - Anything Goes
• Paper Shelter - #437 Punches or Dies
• Papercraft Challenges - #61 Animals
• Path of Positivity -  #82 Anything Positive optional
• Pearly Sparkles - #54 Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - #33 Anything Goes
• Simply Create Too - #163 Black White & One other colour
• Stinkin’ Inkers – Monotone / Monochrome
• The Creative Crafters - #31 Anything Goes
• The Paper Girls - #206 Emboss Like A Boss
• Uniko Challenge – #60 In My Garden
• Use Your Stuff - #404 Mood Board (Teal & Black image)
• Word Art Wednesday - #452-453 Anything Goes