I glanced out the window at the signs of spring. The sky was almost blue, the trees were almost budding, the sun was almost bright. — Millard Kaufman

Some areas of the Northern Hemisphere are already wrapped in the warm embrace of early spring.

Others, including our corner of Western Canada, continue to experience the telltale biting chill and starkly snowy landscape of wintertime proper.

Yet, even if a late-season blizzard comes barreling into town, there are usually captivating stirrings of the season that we are sitting on the precipice of. And that, for those who enjoy spring at least, is certainly a happiness-sparking prospect.

There is not a time in my life when I cannot remember madly adoring butterflies (and moths, too, for that matter – assuming they aren’t turning the contents of my closet into their own personal buffet! ).

It goes without saying that I am far from alone on that front. Countless others throughout the course of human history have been fascinated by butterflies and their immense beauty.

Items depicting or shaped like butterflies never seem to go out of style – and I highly doubt they ever will.

Though, that said, there have certainly been periods when butterfly-themed items experienced a notable spike in popularity.

One such time was the late 1990s and very early 2000, a point in history when I was in my teenage years.

From those super-easy-to-accidentally-bend-open-to-the-point-where-they-break mini butterfly hair clips to butterfly print tees (bonus Y2K points if they were cropped) to the revealing rhinestone covered Emmanuel Ungaro butterfly-shaped top that Mariah Carey famously wore to the VH9’s Divas 2000 tribute to Diana Ross, butterflies were landing everywhere and we could not get enough of them!

These days, with some of the fashions from that era enjoying their own moment in the sartorial spotlight, we are seeing butterflies appear a bit more often again in the clothing and accessory world. Right down to a Gen Z-led revival of those aforementioned butterfly hair clips.

And why not? Fashion was a blast back then. It could be glam and gorgeous, but it could also be silly, fun, girly, sporty, preppy, retro, OTT, sometimes futuristically inspired, and a million other things.

Though I am not slipping on a pair of wide-legged jeans that drag on the ground beneath my chunky (black) platform slip-on sandals, nor rocking a messy bun full of darling butterfly clips atop my head these days, my lifelong passion for butterflies is still going strong.

Butterflies are often one of the first harbingers of spring’s return. Their mosaic-like patterned wings flapping gracefully by our suddenly-once-again-open windows, taking said butterflies to land on the nearest flower, leaf, or other spot they wish to visit.

Recently, I found myself yearning to see real live butterflies again. Alas though, when I looked outside, the only thing fluttering around in the sky was a fresh load of snowflakes.

Knowing that I wanted to make a least one Ostara papercraft project this year, the idea quickly struck me to create one centred around the theme of butterflies.

As a big fan of these beautiful insects, I have numerous craft products that star their depiction. Therefore, I knew this project would not require much rifling around to find the products that I had in mind.

Once I had located them, I made like a busy butterfly and quickly set to work whipping up this vibrant, dynamic springtime greeting card.

Delightful butterfly-themed Ostara shaker card

While not a hard and fast rule by any means, generally speaking, it is somewhat rare for me to craft with the cheery, confectionary-worthy palette of spring – particularly outside of that season itself.

I tend to favour darker tones and autumn + winter palettes, but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy dipping my proverbial proboscis in the nectar that is spring’s upbeat hues from time to time.

Having selected the butterfly print papers that I would use on this project, I let them guide the remainder of the colour palette that I utilized here.

It is undeniably a bright, fun one. But it is toned down a touch by some mellow, sun-baked shades as well as hits of both navy blue and black.

I wanted a warm palette that was at once soothing and energizing at the same time, as that is a combo I often associate with spring itself.

This same menagerie of hues could very easily be used for craft projects intended for later in the spring, too, as well as those throughout the summer. Heck, I think it would even suit Mabon/the Fall Equinox as well.

Though there are a fair number of different colours at play on this card, I made sure to repeat some of them two or more times throughout its design so as to help create a cohesive overall look.

For example, there are three different areas of both pink ombre paper and dark gold metallic cardstock, four of light green cardstock, and some of the fussy cut butterflies are repeated as well.

In addition, all of those fussy cut butterflies have a twinkling line of Diamond (coloured) Stickles running down their thoraxes, thus unifying this bevy of winged friends all the more.

My choice of sequins colours echoes some of the shades found in many of the other elements of this card. This in turn helps them to look all the more coordinated.

This card design – for all that is going on here – is actually quite versatile.

For example, you could easily swap out the “Happy Ostara” sentiment for one pertaining to Easter, Beltane, Mother’s Day, Litha, Lammas, Mabon, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, baby showers, christenings, graduations, retirement, bon voyage, good luck, congratulations, and scores of other events and reasons.

And if you are not feeling the palette, keep the general design but sub in a colour scheme of your choosing.

Products used to make this charming springtime butterfly shaker card

-Light green cardstock – Soft Tones 8.5”x11” Cardstock from Paper Accents

-Dark metallic gold cardstock – Foil Cardstock Paper from Recollections (Michael’s brand)

-All printed papers used in this project – Conservatory 12”x12” Paper Pad from Craft Smith (Michael’s brand)

-Clear acetate

-Smaller sized scalloped edge rectangular die

-Oval die – Nestabilities Classic Oval Dies from Spellbinders

-Larger sized scalloped edge rectangular die – Nestabilities Lattice Rectangles from Spellbinders

-Small butterfly cut out rectangle die (from AliExpress)

-Dark blue/navy blue ink – Memento Dew Drop Nautical Blue Ink from Tsukineko

-Iridescent clear glitter glue – Diamond (Glitter Glue) from Stickles

-“Happy” word sticker – Soup Labels Farmhouse Stew (Word) Stickers from Jillibean Soup

-Small black and clear letter stickers – Mambi Sticks Clear Stickers from Me & My Big Ideas

-Green and gold sequins mix – Evergreen Sparkle from Pretty Pink Posh

-Micro-sized gold heart-shaped sequins – Unnamed product from Pretty Pink Posh

-Pin sequins – Princess Sequins from Craft Medley

-White lace trim

-Peachy-pink crochet trim – Stella & Rose Hazel Memories Trim from My Mind’s Eye

-Dimensional foam, pop dots, or similar to elevate some of your layers

-Adhesive, such as a tape runner, of your choice (I often use my Scotch Tape Glider)

How to make a beautiful butterfly themed shaker card for Ostara/The Spring Equinox

Begin by making a card base from light green cardstock (if you do not have light green, white cardstock would look lovely here as well).

Cut a piece of white lace trim the vertical length of the card base. Adhere on the left-hand side of the card base so that this trim extends out beyond the card base itself.

From the Conservatory paper pad, cut a piece of (white background) butterfly print border strip paper. Ink it on all four sides with dark blue or navy blue ink. Mat it with a piece of ever-so-slightly larger (than that strip) pink ombre print paper.

Layer and adhere this matted border piece along the left-hand side of the card, overlapping it somewhat with the white trim layer.

Cut a piece of gold metallic cardstock a little bit smaller than your card base. Cut two equal-sized pieces of peachy-pink crochet trim that are the length of the top and bottom of the gold metallic cardstock. Adhere trim to the underside of the top and bottom of that piece of gold cardstock, then adhere the cardstock to the card base.

Next, cut a piece of pink ombre paper (this paper, like all others used throughout this project, hails from the Craft Smith 12”x12” Conservatory paper pad; this is not a terribly old paper pad, so it may still be available at some Michael’s locations) just a tiny bit smaller than the gold cardstock layer. Adhere to gold cardstock layer.

Cut a piece of dark blue + multicolour butterfly print paper a whisper smaller than the previous layer. Adhere to the previous layer.

Next, cut out the border strip that says, “Happiness Blooms Within”. Mat it with an ever-so-slightly larger (than that strip) piece of the same light green cardstock you used for your card base.

Adhere the border strip to the green cardstock and then, using foam tape, pop dots, or a similar dimensional adhesive product, adhere the green cardstock to the far left-hand edge of the previous (butterfly print paper) layer.

Using the larger of the two scalloped edge rectangular dies, cut a rectangle from the pink ombre print paper. Then use the oval die to cut an oval aperture in the middle of that piece. Back the aperture with a piece of the same light green cardstock that you used for the card base. Adhere this scalloped rectangle piece to your previous layers.

Use the smaller of the two scalloped edge rectangle dies (mine comes with an oval opening in the center already; if yours does not, cut an oval the same size as the one on the previous layer in the center of that rectangular piece) to cut a rectangle from metallic gold cardstock.

Cut a small oval-shaped piece of clear acetate and adhere it to the back of the metallic gold rectangle.

Adhere the gold rectangle (with acetate) to the pink ombre rectangle so that the two ovals are perfectly aligned.

Flip that layered piece over and add in the various colours and shapes of sequins.

Use foam to create a border all the way around the oval shaker element opening. Carefully bring the green cardstock + ombre pink layer to the foam adhesive, gingerly apply some pressure to really stick the foam adhesive in place (as we don’t want any sequin going rouge and escaping our shaker! )

Next, measure and cut a piece of the same white trim that you used earlier so that it is the length of the pink ombre layer. Then cut that piece of trim in half, if so desired (only half of it will be showing, so why not save the other half for use on a different project?). Adhere the white trim to the underside of the bottom of the pink ombre layer.

Follow that up by adhering that rectangle layer “stack” to your previous card base layers.

Cut out a label piece using light green cardstock and the small rectangular-shaped butterfly (cut out) label die. Mat this piece with an ever-so-slightly larger piece of gold metallic cardstock. Adhere together.

Then adhere that “stack” a little bit below the central (rectangular layers), so that some of the dark blue + multicolour butterfly print paper is visible between the two-layered areas, as shown.

Use the “happy’ word sticker and black + clear letter stickers to spell out “Happy Ostara” (or the similar-sized sentiment of your choosing).

Take a piece of butterfly print paper from the Conservatory paper pad and fussy cut out several different sizes and colours of butterflies. Adhere them around the card as shown (or however you wish to place them).

Then cut out duplicates of a few of the butterflies. Apply adhesive down the middle of the backside of those butterflies. Gently bend their wings upward a bit, then adhere them down on their corresponding “flat” butterfly layers.

Lastly, take your iridescent glitter glue (be it Stickles or otherwise) and with a light touch, apply a small line down the thorax (middle vertical area) of each butterfly.

I know that the above instructs are a bit lengthy, but in reality, this project is not (IMO) very tricky and it does not take terribly long to complete. The most time-consuming part, by far, is fussy cutting the butterflies out.

I adore fussy cutting, so do not mind. However, if it isn’t your favourite activity or if using scissors for a long time is difficult for you due to health (or any other) reasons, you could use similar sized premade butterfly die cuts, chipboard pieces, butterfly die cuts that you make yourself, punched butterflies, or stickers here instead.

This festive Ostara/Spring Equinix/Easter card is a pleasure to both make and bestow upon someone special in your life – especially if they are a big fan of butterflies.

Ostara – like springtime sunshine – returns with gusto!

North of the equator, March houses the Spring Equinox. From that day onward until the Summer Solstice we will be surrounded by the beauty, gentle warmth, and the general air of happiness that is inherent to spring.

On – or in the general vicinity of – the Spring Equinox, a fair number of witches/Wiccans/Pagans opt to observe the calendar year’s second sabbat: Ostara.

A lively, hope-filled celebration of the earth’s reawakening, new life, new beginnings, optimism, and much more, Ostara is, for many, a jubilant sabbat that bounds into our life as merrily as a baby lamb.

If you are not familiar with, or would like to read more about, Ostara, I welcome you to do so via the following entries that I have previously penned about this sabbat:

–10 Free and Low-Cost Ways to Celebrate Ostara

–35 Wonderful Ostara Crafts, DIY Projects, and Décor Ideas for The Spring Equinox

–Ostara Candle Spell for Clarity and Renewal (Guest post that I wrote for TheWitchofLupineHollow.com)

While relatively few who are not witches/Pagans observe Ostara in its 21st-century iteration, many individuals – regardless of their spiritual path – enjoy celebrating the return of spring.

The upcoming Equinox is a stellar time to do just that.

A lot of people in my life were born in the spring and numerous loved ones – including my mom and her only sister – rank springtime as their favourite season.

They are far from the minority there, as spring takes top billing for scores of folks around the world.

It is not hard to see why. After months of freezing temps, long hours of darkness, and the need to wear more layers than you’d find on mille crepe cake, many of us are champing at the bit for even the slightest degree of warmth.

Our patience is, thankfully, rewarded sooner or later. And then, after a few sun-kissed days, as if by magic, we often all but forget the lengthy cold spell that we just endured.

Suddenly our lives are illuminated in fresh, wonderful ways again. And while we know that winter will eventually return, for now, we are as far away seasonally from that point as one can possibly be.

And that, if you ask me, is worth celebrating and sending out a butterfly-themed card or two in honour of!

Additional gift of mini butterfly hairclips, 100% optional!

Do you equate butterflies with the return of spring (or autumn, if you live south of the equator)? What is one of your favourite things about the upcoming sunny season?

The post Delightful Butterfly-Themed Happy Ostara Shaker Card for the Spring Equinox appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

Winter is still holding on for dear life here in our woodland corner of British Columbia, but even with the lingering mountains of snow and nights that dip below freezing, it is nearly impossible not to sense spring’s return and to beam like the very sun itself over that fact.

The first two months of 2020 were heavy ones for our household and family. So much so, that in some respects, it feels like we’ve lived two years since the ball dropped on New Year’s Eve and the first year of the new decade sprang into being.

Amongst the thorns and uncertainties, challenges and obstacles of life, there have been numerous positives too, however, and I am wholeheartedly grateful for each of them.

Spring began to gently stir back around Imbolc and while it has yet to awake fully yet here, I know that we’re not too far away from that point.

As much as I adore the darker half of the year that houses fall and winter, I’m quick to usher in springtime all the same – even if it often feels as though it only lasts for about 5.74 seconds here in Canada.

This year, I’m getting a head start on my seasonal paper crafting projects and am delighted to share the first one of 2020 here with you today.

Shabby chic Be Amazing Springtime bird’s nest card

In for a penny, in for a pound, I’m keen on saying and that motto often applies with my seasonal paper crafting projects.

Once the creative springtime ball got rolling, there was no stopping me with this card. Flowers, leaves, whimsical little toadstools, butterfly ephemera pieces, soft hues paired with earthy kraft brown, tiny birds, and the piece de resistance (to my mind at least), the die cut bird’s nest.

I had the upcoming sabbat of Ostara in mind as I was creating this card, but did not include direct mention of either it or Easter, as I wanted this to be a card that I could send to a wide number of possible recipients (not all of whom observe one or both of those special days).

Yet by the same token, this design is 100% suitable for either occasion and the sentiment I stamp or write inside can easily be tailored to suit Ostara or Easter.

There’s nothing to say this card couldn’t be used for Beltane, too – especially if you live in a part of the world where spring doesn’t tend to appear in full force until around the start of May.

Or, perhaps with a different sentiment on the front, for Mother’s Day as well. (Adjust the colours if needed to reflect your mom or grandma’s personal favourites.)

Stop and smell the roses while you craft

Fun fact, like most of the cards I make, this one took several hours to complete. I am a methodical crafter and will often spread the creation of a single project out over the course of multiple days (especially since it isn’t always feasible for me to craft for extended periods of time in one go).

I delight in the process. In mixing and matching possible products to include, in how I arrange the end results, in seeing something tangible materialize before my eyes.

This card was no exception and while it was completed in a single day (a rarity, I assure you!), the journey from bringing my (plastic) bone folder down on the kraft cardstock base to the very last embellishment was a soothing, wonderful pleasure.

There is no right or wrong speed to craft at, of course. Some people seem to have an almost superhuman ability to create multiple detailed projects in a single day, others, like myself, work at a slower pace and may spread their work out across multiple crafting sessions. Plenty fall squarely in the middle.

Whatever speed or pace you tend to craft at, I encourage you to actively remember to savour the act of creating. Try to ensure that crafting continues to feel like you’re making artwork (which you are!), not simply working at breakneck speed on one project before plowing straight on to the next without taking time to delight in the creative process and the end result that you’ve spun into being with your own hands.

With spring’s return looming in the Western Hemisphere, now seems like an especially apt time to stop and smell the roses as we delve into a new season of crafting and enjoying the fabulous passion that is paper crafting.

Putting this beautiful springtime card together

A base of classic kraft cardstock – a perineal favourite of many a paper crafter the world over – kicked things off for this card.

Next, I layered a piece of cream/ivory cardstock slightly smaller than the size of the kraft base atop the base itself. This was followed by, once again, a slightly smaller layer. In this instance, a piece of cheerful green and cream polka dot print paper.

I then cut three equal-sized elongated rectangles of the same kraft cardstock that I used for my base (note that the third rectangle is largely obscured by the embellishment on the left-hand side of this card), each of which I topped with equal-sized rectangles of a sweet, springtime perfect floral print paper. The edges of both layers were lightly inked to help them stand out all the more.

Next, I cut another (longer) strip of kraft cardstock, which I inked the edges of and topped with a piece of the same green and cream polka dot paper that I used before. Before attaching this strip, I dug through my stash for some pretty pink trim, which I tucked beneath this horizontal strip.

With what I like to call my “base components” in place, I set to work die cutting up a storm, selecting premade die cut ephemera pieces, choosing embellishments, and arranging the layout of my final design.

The nest/wreath was cut from the same cream cardstock that I used for the second base layer and is comprised of two layers of the same die cut, to give greater depth to the bare branches that comprise its classic shape.

While similar in tone, I did not repeat the same kraft cardstock again the branches or leaves, opting instead for a very pale milk chocolate tone coupled with some branches cut from a dark brown woodgrain print paper.

For the die cut leaves and some of the vines, I used both a medium green cardstock that teeters on olive and a tone-on-tone green print paper.

As soon as I settled on the use of a wreath meets nest component for this card, I knew that birds were going to be involved. Two cute little avian friends appear here, both die cut from the same kraft cardstock and lightly inked just on the edges to add subtle depth and to make them stand out a bit more from their surroundings.

In the center of the nest/wreath area, I placed a simple die cut circle of the same floral print paper that I used on the three background strips.

I then placed these components on a piece of woodgrain paper (the same one that I used for some of the die cut branches) that I die cut a mini hole circle from.

After all of my manual die cutting was complete, I created a bow from olive green seam binding, selected the pre-made die cut shapes I’d be using, plucked some lovely little white dimensional flowers from my stash, determined what I’d be using for my sentiment here, added some super cute teal and white faux toadstools along with some pale pink faceted bling, and that was that!

While this card may, at first glance, look a bit fiddly or difficult to make, IMO, it really isn’t. Plus, so much of the fun of designs like lies in building up the layers and playing around with the arrangement of your design elements until you hit on a winning composition.

Card making tips and ideas from this project

-Layer or otherwise combined two (or more) of the same die cut shape in both a light and a darker tone to help give a greater sense of dimension as well as a potential sense of shadows.

-Base your cardstock colour choices off of the colours in the patterned papers that you plan to use (or vice versa) for added cohesiveness throughout your finished project.

-Use dies that are intended to be wreathes to make nests and vice versa. This die was designed to be a wreath, but it works like a charm as a nest, too (you could also cut more layers and curve them upwards on the edges to add to the sense of the dimensional quality of most real life nests).

–Not everything has to match perfectly, just stick with similar tonal ranges and colour families, striving for a general sense of harmony throughout each of the colours used on your projects.

-While I was fortunate to have some olive green seam binding to hand, it’s worth keeping in mind that seam binding, twill tape, and certain other kinds of trims and ribbons can often be dyed with various mediums such as spray inks or ink pads to match or coordinate with the colours of your projects. Just make sure they’re dry as a bone before using them on your makes.

-Going “off card”, especially with foliage related elements, is a stellar way to not only increase the overall size of your project, but to help create a more dynamic and visually appealing design.

-As upbeat and springtime-y as many of the colours that I used here are, we’re currently in the early throes of the season and so I wanted to ground a more Ostara/Easter appropriate palette with earth tones. This was chiefly accomplished via the cream, olive green, and browns.

If this was a summertime card, I might have opted for brighter or starker colours, such as white, aqua, yellow, or larger swaths of upbeat shades of blue.

Come fall time, this same design could be gorgeous with rusty oranges, dusty peach or rose, teal blue or forest green, and a dark brown cardstock base.

And for winter, shades of icy blue, white, grey and silver would no doubt turn heads!

-If you didn’t want to use birds here, you could make opt for any number of other critters instead from bunnies (perfect for both Ostara and Easter) to ladybugs – or simply forego animals/insects altogether.

–Use dies to create shapes or designs other than what they’re intended for. Here a wreath die helps to create a nest, but that is just one of an endless number of examples of when a die could do double (or triple, etc) duty in terms of the shapes and images it may be able to help you create.

-Blend nature themed and vintage inspired pieces together. The pair is a winning combo that has strong visual appeal and which helps each of these different components to highlight and enhance the presence of the other.

–Opt for uneven numbers of embellishments for greater visual interest. In this instance, I used five white flowers, three teal mushrooms, and two kraft birds partnered with a single nest. These elements themselves then become an uneven number of three groups of standout embellishments.

-Don’t be afraid to arrange your design elements – including your sentiment – at an angle. Doing so is often eye-catching, engaging, and one of those awesome paper crafting tricks that can help take your makes to the next level.

Products to help you recreate this Be Amazing Springtime bird’s nest card

-Kraft, cream, green, and light brown cardstock

-White and blue floral print paper and green + cream polka dot print paper  – both are from the Garden Party 12×12 inch pad from Pebbles (6×6 inch version available here)

-Dark brown wood print paper and green tone-on-tone patterned paper – both are from the Cider Woods 6×6 inch Mat Stack from DCWV

-Various small leaf and branch dies (included in the ones I used here are the Tim Holtz Alterations Small Tattered Florals Thinlits Dies from Sizzix)

-Circle die or punch

-Teal and brown ink – Tsukineko Memento Dew Drop Ink in Peanut Brittle and Teal Zeal

-Assorted vintage style ephemera die cuts – Simple Vintage Botanical Die Cut Ephemera from Simple Stories

-Small white paper or cream paper flowers (premade or store-bought; foam flowers can be used as well)

-Teal or other coloured miniature toadstools (check hobby shops, eBay, Etsy, craft stores, and shops that specialize in dollhouse supplies to find these kinds of tiny ‘shrooms)

-Pink trim – Lost and Found Christmas trims from My Mind’s Eye

-Olive green seam binding – Lost and Found Christmas trims from My Mind’s Eye

-Springtime sentiment sticker – Spring Fling Element Stickers from Echo Park

-Light pink stick-on gem embellishments – Pretty Pale Say It In Crystals from Prima

-Dimensional foam, pop dots, or similar to elevate some of your layers

-Adhesive, such as a tape runner, of your choice (I often use my Scotch Tape Glider)

Here’s to an amazing spring!

As rocky and curveball filled as the first couple months of this year have been on certain fronts, I’m sincerely grateful for each moment they housed and am really looking forward to everything that I sense spring holds in store for us.

I generally celebrate Ostara on the Spring Equinox (which, for those north of the equator, falls on March 19th this year,) with the season of this sabbat extending for multiple days on both sides of that beautiful date.

Gradually, much like the returning season itself, elements of Ostara are weaving their way into my life, my witchy workings, and my paper crafting alike, so be sure to stay tuned here for more festive springtime makes between now and the Summer Solstice.

With all my heart, I hope that spring is a time of warmth, renewal, abundance, optimism, positive happenings, fresh starts and beloved longstanding favourites alike for each of us.

And, may it bring all of my fellow paper crafters and creative folks of kinds ample time to create a garden’s worth of exciting new projects!

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The post Be Amazing Springtime Bird’s Nest Card appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.