The good, bad and maybe some ugly!

THE GOOD

Hello everyone!  Are you ready for some outstanding news?  Here is my big news I have been so excited to share with you.

I AM NOW CUTTING AND CREATING WITH THE

SILVER BULLET PRO 

AND SURE CUTS A LOT 4 SOFTWARE!

 Sherri Jensen, the owner of That'sScrap, Inc. and the creator of the Silver Bullet Pro series of cutters is absolutely fantastic to work with!!!  Along with a team of dedicated associates and a forum that has a A+ in customer service, I just couldn't pass up this opportunity.  Michelle my design team leader for ScrappyDew,  is also cutting with a Silver Bullet Pro and was the one to introduce me to this new adventure!  I am still creating for ScrappyDew ( i wouldn't want to ever leave) and will also be promoting the Silver Bullet cutters.  Using the Sure Cuts A Lot 4 program will give me the opportunity to expand my creativity.  So watch out crafty world, Jana is on the loose with a very powerful machine!

THE BAD (and soooo sad)

 Monday afternoon I received a call from my daughter.  Their fur baby Sappho (a great dane mastiff) had been extremely ill.  My DIL (being a vet) took Sappho and my daughter to her clinic.  They ran a blood test and Sappho's liver was failing.  They made the decision together and put Sappho down.  It was another of life's decisions that you never want to have to make.

Everyone grieves differently.  For me, Sappho was grammies baby.  Don't get me wrong, I love all their animals but Saffy Taffy was a gentle giant and a huge cuddle bug.  She will be greatly missed.  So I decided to make a memorial that will be with the beautiful wooden box with Sappho's remains.

(I have to let you know that there are a lot of pics coming up.  Some are just plain ugly.  But the end result is even more beautiful that I would have imagined I could create)

THE UGLY START TO BEAUTIFUL ENDING

I wanted to make a window card that I could have floating butterflies.  I created 3 frames in SCAL4 using a shape out of the library.  I have used a St. Vinnies thrift store find, a box of Transparency Film ($1.99) to make the butterflies and the clear window.  The cardboard is from my kitties Fancy Feast box.

Such a find!

7" x 5" card board (see i am eco friendly)

My frames

 Next came cutting out the butterflies from the transparency film.  My Silver bullet is set to velocity=400
and force=90.

All set up and ready to go!

THIS IS WHERE IT GETS UGLY... The Silver Bullet Pro did a fabulous job.  Clean cuts and a breeze to remove from the mat.  Now to put foil on.  I couldn't figure out a way to do it.  Finally I used my spray adhesive and a brayer.  Let's just say it did not look pretty.  It was really blotchy.

Not using these!

OK round two.  Thanks to Kelli over on the Rhapsody on Paper Facebook page, she told me I could emboss acetate.  Just to be careful of the heat.  So that is what I tried after cutting more butterflies.

I used the Butterflies file from of course ScrappyDew!

Here goes, each picture is a step to embossing the back and front wings.

Cut another entire set of butterflies

I used my embossing buddy for the static

I have a large embossing pad and rolled on embossing liquid

smothered the wings in embossing powder 

Heat embossed on my glass board

Yes, I used multiple colors

Some beautiful butterfly wings

Next up was to put the butterflies together.  More pics of each step used.

Got my big box of brads out and selected the right size

Used the making memories tool kit to punch wholes

Hubby made me an anvil from 6" round bar stock steel,
smoothed out on the fly wheel grinder.  It weighs
20 punds.

Punched wholes smooth as silk

I have spools of colored wired.  Made antenna from this

All my Butterflies are complete

Now lets put the card together....

I cut Duck Tape for the hinges and Washi tape
for the edges that I inked.

After taping

I hope you can see it, there is clear beading thread stretched
across diagonally on each frame

See the duck tape used as hinges, I also put a sheet
of acetate in the middle panel to make a floating window

I had some beautiful dog paw print paper to make frames
to cover the taped edges

Butterflies attached now on to the middle

Finally putting the finishing touches on the memorial...

I wanted to use foil on a picture of the rainbow bridge.  So I had some birthday money from the hubby and went to Staples.  I found a Samsung Laser printer for $59.99.  Brought it home and it works like a charm.  A few years back I had bought a Purple Cows laminator.  When foiling with this make sure you let it heat up for at least 20 minutes.  But it worked beautifully.

My new laser printer.

Here are the pics of the final touches.

The rainbow bridge pic and then laser printed

Using the gold foil from Minc

Wow!  That worked wonderful.  My new addiction.

THE FINAL MEMORIAL FOR SAPPHO COMPLETED

This is what i consider the back of the card

Here is the baby girl, my saffy taffy!

I just want to thank you for reading and looking at all the pictures.  I hope that this inspires you in just some little way.

Next week I have a Naval themed card for a gentleman who is turning 100 years young!

Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.  Bright Blessings, Jana