Have you seen the Elegant Swallowtail Butterfly fluttering about the internet lately?  I have to admit, I wasn't excited about it when I first looked at the Stampin'Up! Spring Catalog.  Then, thanks to the sharing of some very creative paper-crafters and bloggers, I fell in love with this stamp. I also love that Stampin'Up! is making these big, background stamps in both Clear and Wood Mount. I'm partial to the Clear Mount, myself.

Swallowtail Stamp #129213 (Wood) ; #129216 (Clear)

I've always loved butterflies.  If you look really close you'll see a few in my blog header and footer. They have a magical way of reminding us how beautiful nature's creations are and they always get me ready for spring.  When I Googled "Swallowtail Butterflies" for color inspiration I was amazed at how many colors and species there are.  They're, all over the world. Can you believe, 550 species?  Read on to see 16 of these magnificent beauties.  You're sure to discover some amazing facts and color inspiration for your very own Elegant Swallowtail Butterfly.

Now, on to the project. Sometimes a big stamp needs a little "lift" to really make an impact.  Easy to do with this stamp.  I stamped the Swallowtail three times with Elegant Eggplant Classic Ink on Very Vanilla Card Stock.  Then, I cut layers from two of the stamped images and adhered them to the main image with Glue Dots and Dimensionals.

Add a little reverse Paper-Piercing in the corners and a hint of Dazzling Diamonds Glitter on the tips of the wings, and you've got a beautiful card that looks like you've spent hours to create.  Don't tell anyone how simple it really was. 

The Kindness Matters stamp set was use for both the outside sentiment and the butterflies on the inside.

Kindness Matters #122900 (Wood) ; #122902 (Clear)

 Supplies:

• Stamps: Kindness Matters (#122900 wood; #122902 clear), Swallowtail (#129213 wood; #1229216 clear)
• Ink & Coloring: Classic Ink (#105210 Elegant Eggplant)
• Card stock: Elegant Eggplant (#105126); Very Vanilla (#101650)
• Embellishments: Dazzling Diamonds Glitter (#102023)

Tools:

• Paper Piercing: Tool (#126189); Mat (#126199); Punch Pack (Essentials #126187)
• Trimming & Cutting: Paper Snips (#103579); Stampin’ Trimmer (#126889)

 Adhesives:

• 2-Way Glue Pen (#100425)
• Dimensionals (#104430)
• Glue Dots^® (#103683)
• SNAIL Adhesive^® (#104332)

Click here for a downloadable list of Supplies, Tips & Tricks for the Elegant Swallowtail Butterfly.

 Click here to order 24/7!

Before I let you go, here's the link I promised for 16 of these magnificent creatures from around the world.  After seeing them, I think you'll fall in love with the Elegant Swallowtail Butterfly a much as I have. 

Thank you for stopping by.

Enjoy!