All occasion cards featuring flowers and die cut and stenciled oval with a small black butterfly

Another two all occasion cards.  This idea for these cards came from Splitcoast Stampers though I cannot recall what images were used but there was a stenciled and die cut oval.  I thought it was an interesting way to add depth and texture to a fairly Clean and Simple card design.  I started by laser printing two floral images (Dover) onto white cardstock and trimming them to size for my A2 cards.  I stenciled the ovals next.  A while back I created an oval stencil for a different card and it was just the perfect size for this application.  I sponged the ovals onto the image layers incorporating the floral images using yellow and blue for one of them and yellow and orange for the other.  Next, I positioned my oval Nestibilities die over the sponged one and used sticky notes to keep it in place while I die cut the openings.  I placed sticky notes on the back once they were cut to keep the die cut image in proper orientation with the frame.  I applied 3D foam tape around the opening on the back of the frame and some double sided tape on the back of the die cut oval.  I positioned an extra layer of white cardstock over this area which just covered the 3D foam tape and a little push in the middle captured the center oval allowing now a gap between the frame and the central oval.  When the card is seen from the side you can see the gap that now has formed between the oval which is glued to the new layer and the frame which is raised from it with the 3D tape.  I ran my pattern tracing wheel on all four edges of each of them and then applied 3D foam tape to the corners of both.  I chose a peach card for the dogwood and a blue card for the daisies and mounted these large elements nicely centered on my card fronts.  They still needed "something" so I punched two little butterflies (Martha Stewart) from black cardstock and added them to the edges of the frame using a fine line of white glue in the center of their bodies which leaves the wings free.  Clean and Simple is a style I struggle to execute well because I want to fill the spaces!!  These ones worked out well and, mostly, I resisted the urge to embellish more.  It is easier to copy a successful design when you are venturing into a style you are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with.  It will give you the courage and experience to give it a go another time.    Therese