Butterfly Basics gift ensemble

I had a lot of fun this week with the Butterfly Basics stamp set and coordinating Butterflies Thinlits dies. As I mentioned in my last post (Butterfly Basics cards), one of the things I created was a butterfly-themed gift ensemble, which included a card, a small gift box, and a tag.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Butterfly Basics
Paper: Crisp Cantaloupe, Calypso Coral, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla CS
Ink: Crisp Cantaloupe, Calypso Coral, Crumb Cake, Wild Wasabi
Accessories: Butterflies Thinlits dies, Gift Box Punch Board, chevron gift bag, Scalloped Tag Topper punch, Wild Wasabi stitched ribbon, Victoria crochet trim, Best Year Ever accessory pack, linen thread, gold sequin trim, large pearls, Essentials Paper-Piercing Pack, paper-piercing tool, mini clothespins (unknown), Glue Dots, Dimensionals

There really isn't anything complicated about any of the pieces; they're mainly ink, stamps and paper with a few embellishments and ribbons. Here are photos of the individual pieces and a few additional details:

The whole ensemble started with this tag. I had a set of handmade note cards finished and tucked away in this chevron-printed bag, ready to give as a gift, but I wanted to make the presentation a little fancier. A tag seemed like an easy solution, and since it's clipped to the bag with a mini clothespin, the recipient could reuse it on a gift for someone else, adhere it to a piece of card stock for a quick and easy card, or even use it as a bookmark.

To make the tassel on the tag, cut your piece(s) of ribbon to about 4" to 5" in length. Place the ribbon(s) through the hole at the top of the tag and gather the ends together. Use another piece of ribbon, thread or twine to secure the ribbons. I like to use linen thread or baker's twine and wrap it around the ribbons two or three times before tying the knot. Then you can trim the ends of the ribbon to the desired length.

To make the gift box (which is 2-1/2" x 2-1/2" x 1-3/4") I used Calypso Coral card stock and then cut, scored and punched it according to the directions on the Gift Box Punch Board. (I didn't, however, do the closure punch on the top flaps.) Then before assembling the box I stamped it using Calypso Coral ink. I eyeballed the placement of the line image on each side, and I was happy to find out that they lined up almost perfectly.

Once the box was assembled I tied a piece of ribbon around it to secure the top flaps. (The recipient can slide off the ribbon to open the box.) Then I attached a butterfly to the ribbon with a mini clothespin.

For the card I stamped the images on a panel of Very Vanilla card stock using a layout similar to the tag. I distressed the edges of the card stock with my bone folder and layered it on a piece of Calypso Coral card stock. I adhered the panel to a Crisp Cantaloupe card base stamped with the lacy butterfly and small flower images.

To add the sentiment, I stamped it on a strip of Very Vanilla card stock and trimmed the left side into a V to create a pennant shape. I pierced a border around the pennant and adhered it to the right side of the card with Dimensionals. I tucked two small pieces of ribbon (leftovers from the tag) under the left side of the pennant.

I didn't want the inside of the card to be too plain, so after I stamped the sentiment on the Very Vanilla panel, I added a couple of ferns peeking in the right side and a striped line along the bottom. I don't always decorate the inside of cards, but I like the finished look it creates. And it doesn't take much time, especially if I remember to stamp the inside at the same time I'm making the front of the card. I should make it a goal to stamp the inside of my cards more often.








With all these butterflies, I'm definitely ready for spring. Thanks for stopping by!